Far from home

The Ontario Ministry of Health's air ambulance program upgraded from Sikorsky S-76As to AW139s starting in 2010 and Ornge was created as an independent provincial government-financed agency to operate the program and its aircraft. This AW139 was delivered in Nov. 2010 and seen at Kingston Airport between patent transfer flights Sep. 2012. It was visiting from the Ornge helicopter base in Ottawa (YOW) or Toronto (YTZ).

On Aug. 2, 2013 four Russian pilots departed Moscow in a pair of turbine Robinson R66 helicopters on a once-in-a-lifetime, 45-day, 40,000 kilometer aerial adventure across Europe, the North Atlantic, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Siberia. The R66s were about to depart Toronto Buttonville Airport on Aug. 23 when photographed. The burgundy R66 was flown by Dmitriy Rakitskiy and Vadim Melnikov. More more info read my story in Vertical magazine: https://verticalmag.com/news/russian-r66s-fly-around-the-world/

On Aug. 2, 2013 four Russian pilots departed Moscow in a pair of turbine Robinson R66 helicopters on a once-in-a-lifetime, 45-day, 40,000 kilometer aerial adventure across Europe, the North Atlantic, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Siberia. The R66s were about to depart Toronto Buttonville Airport on Aug. 23 when photographed. The blue Robinson R66 was flown by Alexander Kurylev and Michael Farikh. For more info read my story in Vertical magazine: https://verticalmag.com/news/russian-r66s-fly-around-the-world/

This former Canadian Forces Canadair CT-133 was seen at Picton Airport, Ontario. The aircraft is a composite airframe comprising the nose of Canadian Forces T-33 133238 with a 412 son badge on the nose the tail of another RCAF T-33 with the red "X" of the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, or AETE in Cold Lake. The aircraft carries the name Harold Carlaw on the side of the canopy. It was once part of his Memorial Military Museum collection in Campbellford about 40 mi NW of CFB Trenton, On. Picton Airport is the home of a summer Air Cadet gliding school which may now own the T-33.

When Pratt & Whitney Canada retired its Boeing 720-023B, C-FETB (for Engine Test Bed) in 2012, they donated it to the Canada Air and Space Museum in Ottawa which arranged for it to be displayed at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton, Ontario. The aircraft was acquired from MEA in Lebanon and first registered in Canada in January 1986 when work began to modify the aircraft to be a flying test bed for P&WC's turboprop and turbofan engines. The PW150 for the DHC-8-400 was mounted in the nose and turbofans on a side pylon. It's see arriving from St-Hubert on its last flight.

When Pratt & Whitney Canada retired its Boeing 720-023B, C-FETB (for Engine Test Bed) in 2012, they donated it to the Canada Air and Space Museum in Ottawa which arranged for it to be displayed at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton, Ontario. The aircraft was acquired from MEA in Lebanon and first registered in Canada in January 1986 when work began to modify the aircraft to be a flying test bed for P&WC's turboprop and turbofan engines. The PW150 for the DHC-8-400 was mounted in the nose and turbofans on a side pylon. It's see arriving from St-Hubert on its last flight.

This 1945 de Havilland DH 82A Tiger Moth was based in Kingston, Ontario from July 2007 to Sep 2017 when it was cancelled from the Canadian register. During it's time in Canada it was registered to IZA Joy Inc. It wears the RAAF code A17-379 and may be one of a number of Australian Tiger Moths that were imported by someone in Florida and were later sold to Canada.

When Pratt & Whitney Canada retired its Boeing 720-023B, C-FETB (for Engine Test Bed) in 2012, they donated it to the Canada Air and Space Museum in Ottawa which arranged for it to be displayed at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton, Ontario. The aircraft was acquired from MEA in Lebanon and first registered in Canada in January 1986 when work began to modify the aircraft to be a flying test bed for P&WC's turboprop and turbofan engines. The PW150 for the DHC-8-400 was mounted in the nose and turbofans on a side pylon. It's see arriving from St-Hubert on its last flight.

When the CH-113A Labrador retired from RCAF service in July 2004, two aircraft were assigned to the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering at Canadian Forces Base Camp Borden, near Angus, Ontario.This aircraft started life as a CH-113 Voyageur with the Canadian Army and then served with 450 Sqn. before becoming a SAR aircraft in the mid-1970s and being upgraded to CH-113A configuration at Boeing in Arnprior, ON. In 2010, the aircraft became part of the collection of the Greenwood Aviation Military Museum, at CFB Greenwood, Nova Scotia, a former CH-113 Labrador base.

This CH-113A Labrador served with the Canadian Army and with No. 450 Sqn before being reassigned to the SAR role in the mid-1970s after Canada acquired eight CH-147 Chinooks. When the Labrador fleet retired in July 2004, this was one of two aircraft that spent about six years at Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Technology and Engineering as training aids. In about 2010, the aircraft joined the collection of the Comox Air Force Museum, CFB Comox, Lazo, BC on Vancouver Island, a former CH-113 Labrador SAR base. The aircraft wears a CH-113 retirement decal on the side of its nose.

The York Regional Police started helicopter operations with a donated Enstrom 480B which was replaced by this Eurocopter EC120B. This helicopter was imported by Eurocopter Canada Ltd. in Aug 2000 and sat in inventory as C-GGVW until delivered to York Region in January 2003 as C-GYRP. The helicopter is based at Toronto Buttonville Airport and patrols between the north border of the City of Toronto and Lake Simcoe.

When Styrian Spirit airlines of Austria ceased operations on March 24, 2006, they were flying four CRJ200s and one CRJ700. Two CRJ200s were flown to North America (OE-LSC and LSD and subsequently flown by ALMA de Mexico and Voyageur Airways. This is probably OE-LSC stored on the Bombardier/Voyageur Airways ramp at North Bay Airport after its Austrian registration was painted out.

When Styrian Spirit airlines of Austria ceased operations on March 24, 2006, they were flying four CRJ200s and one CRJ700, including one CRJ200 painted in Slovenian Spirit colours (OE-LSD). Two CRJ200s were flown to North America (and subsequently operated by ALMA de Mexico and Voyageur Airways) and two remained in Europe. This is probably OE-LSD stored on the Bombardier/Voyageur Airways ramp at North Bay Airport after its Austrian registration was painted out.

This former US Airways Express Dash 8-100 was one of four stored at North Bay Airport on June 6, 2006. It was delivered new to Mesaba, a Northwest partner, in Oct 1992 and later flew for Allegheny and Piedmont Airlines. In December 2006 it joined the fleet of Blue Bird Aviation in Kenya as 5Y-VVP

Eurocopter Canada Limited of Fort Erie, Ontario delivered this EC120B to businessman Shawn Murray of Barrie, Ontario in April 2007. Between July 2008 and August 2009 it was leased to National Helicopters Ltd. of Bolton, Ontario where it was photographed at the company heliport during an open house.

This DHC-2 Mk III Turbo Beaver was first delivered to the Province of Ontario in October 1967 and is one of five still in service with the Ontario Ministry Of Natural Resources as of late 2021. The aircraft are used for a wide range of wildlife, environment and wildfire management duties, with the landing gear changed between wheel/skis and amphibious floats on a seasonal basis so the aircraft can land in remote areas.

RCAF Picton was built as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) on a high plateau overlooking the town of Picton. It was home for the RAF's No. 31 Bombing & Gunnery School when it officially opened in April 1941. The school operated Anson, Battle, Bolingbroke and Lysander aircraft and offered six-week courses in bombing, navigation and air gunnery until it was disbanded in Nov. 1944. The wartime film "Captain of the Clouds" was partially shot here. It's one of the few airports in Canada with most of its wartime buildings intact and also home for an Air Cadet gliding school.

Originally US Navy 48287 and withdrawn from service in 1956. It was modified to a Steward-Davis Super Canso in January 1961. In the original and modified configurations, the aircraft flew the world doing electromagnetic surveys until 1985.