Firing up and raring to go !! A puff of smoke from the exhausts heralds imminent departure. About to taxi out from its parking spot in the area behind Buffalo's hangar at Yellowknife Airport. In September 2015, suffered engine failure en route to Norman Wells. Unable to maintain altitude, a forced landing had to be made - intentionally wheels up - on the short gravel airstrip at Déline in very poor weather conditions. The aircraft considerably overran the runway. The crew evacuated safely, but the aircraft was written off.

With an orange Buffalo logo on its fin, catching the early morning sun outside the Buffalo Airways hangar at Yellowknife Airport. Later sustained substantial damage , in November 2012, due to a left main gear collapse on landing at Yellowknife. Then in September 2015 suffered engine failure some way short of its flight destination, Norman Wells. Unable to maintain altitude, a forced belly landing had to be made on the gravel airstrip at Déline in very poor weather conditions. The aircraft considerably overran the runway. The crew evacuated safely. The aircraft was a write-off.

With an orange Buffalo logo on the fin, sitting outside the Yellowknife base of Buffalo Airways. Later sustained substantial damage, in November 2012, due to a left main gear collapse on landing at Yellowknife. Then in September 2015 suffered engine failure some way short of its flight destination, Norman Wells. Unable to maintain altitude, a forced belly landing had to be made on the gravel airstrip at Déline, in very poor weather conditions. The aircraft considerably overran the runway. The crew evacuated safely, but the aircraft was written off.

Imported into Canada in 1987 as C-GTXW for Air Manitoba after post-military registration in Venezuela and Dominican Rep. Here it has just returned from time in Kenya on famine relief from 1994 on. After restoration as C-GTXW it was wrecked while with Buffalo Airways by being deliberately landed wheels-up at Déline/NT on 25 September 2015. (Bar River is the last place anyone would expect to find a Kenyan registered C-46.)

Pictured before receiving titles, Northland Air Manitoba had bought this C-46 in January 1987.

In very faded markings.

First stop of a three-leg cargo flight [Winnipeg - Island Lake - God's River - Winnipeg] which I had the great pleasure of flying jump seat on. I spent a total of four hours and nine minutes in the air on this magnificent aeroplane.

Delivered to the USAAF as 44-61071, put into storage in India after the war, then flew with operators from Venezuela, Panama and the Dominican Republic from 1955 until withdrawal from use in 1976. Resurrected to fly with several Canadian airlines and with Buffalo since 2001. Its belly-landing in Déline on September 25, 2015 was no mean feat as the crew managed to get a crippled freighter onto a gravel airstrip without navaids, in solid IFR weather.

"Even in Yellowknife, everybody looks when a C-46 gets airborne"... The sound volume that goes with it may have to do with that! TXW is leaving in the morning on another Valley Run, packed with groceries and sundries. On the upper fuselage, just behind the cockpit door, the shade of its former RANSA titles is visible. That company operated her from 1955 until 1966.

The painter has been busy with his roller changing the green stripe to red between flights.

Ex Aeromar. Withdrawn from service

Named "Ancient Lady" on the tail. Officially quoted as cn 30386 ex HI-171, but that aircraft was destroyed near Daytona Beach, FL, while being airlifted to a museum on 2 Jun 1989. Instead, C-GTXW is believed to be cn 26946 ex HI-163.

Undergoing some TLC in Buffalo's hangar, this aircraft was damaged beyond repair during an emergency landing at Déline, NWT on September 25, 2015.

Ran off the end of the runway at Red Lake, Ontario in 2000, due to engine trouble on take off, causing damage to the belly. It was then purchased by Buffalo Airways, repaired to ferry condition and flown to Yellowknife. Restored to flying condition in 2005/2006, work seen in progress here. The aircraft was written off after a forced landing at Norman Wells Airport on September 25, 2015.