VP-FAM #395 DHC-3 Single Otter
Purchased new by the RNoAF from DHC, Downsview and officially handed over on 16.11.60 serialed 60-395 (an amalgam of year of delivery and c/n). Dismantled, crated and shipped to Oslo, Norway (along with 60-397), where it was unloaded and taken to Wideroes Flyverksted at Fornebu Airport, Oslo, on 19.12.60 for re-assembly and subsequent Air Force acceptance. Initially assigned to Rygge Air Base in 2.61 and later, on 1.3.62, joined 7193 Stotteving (7193 Support Flight) Air Command North at Bodo Air Base and coded ‘O-AH’. In 5.62 it returned to Wideroes at Fornebu for depot maintenance prior to returning to Bodo on 21.7.62. On 26.10.63, (whilst fitted with wheels/skis) on a flight from Kautokeino to Bardufoss Air Base, bad weather in the form of heavy snow and low cloud was encountered. Unable to navigate a safe passage, and running very low on fuel, the crew elected to make an emergency ditching in the sea close to Skattora Seaplane Base. The aircraft sank after eight minutes but the two pilots …and a dog… escaped unhurt. On 22.7.62 the aircraft was salvaged and taken to Skattora Seaplane Base where an initial damage assessment revealed a totally destroyed rear fuselage; corrosion damage to magnesium parts and electrical systems and a ‘total loss’ engine. Transported to Wideroes at Fornebu Airport for a complete rebuild and noted stored there in 5.64 prior to rebuild commencement. Rebuild complete, it returned to 7193 Stotteving at Bodo Air Base on 25.2.65 where it was passed to 719 Sqdn at Bodo on 1.1.66 when the Sqdn was established there and took over from the Support Flight. To Kjeller Air Base for maintenance 12.1.66 returning to 719 Sqdn at Bodo on 19.2.66.
On 2.1.67 it made its initial flight wearing newly-allocated code, ‘XJ-X’ and continued with 719 Sqdn until 30.8.67 when it was flown to Jarlsberg Air Base, SOC and procured for disposal by Halle & Peterson, DHC’s Norwegian representatives in Oslo.
Purchased by NERC for BAS, it was erroneously painted as VP-FAM (no regn had been allocated to it by the FI Registrar of Aircraft). The RNoAF serial was retained on the fin (incorporating, as it did, the c/n which was, at that time, used as a means of aircraft identity by BAS) Departed (crated) on ‘Perla Dan’ from Southampton on 29.11.67 for Deception Island, South Shetlands, where it arrived late 12.67. Not unpacked there as the base had been evacuated after a volcanic eruption on 4.12.67 (See Note). Instead, it was transported aboard ‘Perla Dan’ to Grytviken, South Georgia (arriving 2.1.68) and was stored there in crates on the quayside until collected by ‘HMS Endurance’ in 12.68 and returned to Deception Island where, on 10.1.69, it was unloaded. Due to some corrosion arising from its time on Grytviken’s quayside, during re-assembly cannibalised parts from redundant BAS Otter ‘294’ were incorporated. Fitted with wheels/skis and flight-tested prior to being flown south to Adelaide Station, Adelaide Island, on 6.2.69 for BAS support duties. On 3.3.69, following engine failure about 30 miles north-east of Stonington Island (Graham Land), it force-landed (collapsing the Port undecarriage) in a rough and badly crevassed area and was considered sufficiently damaged to be SOC.
Note: On February 21st, 1969 there was a second eruption at Deception Island and this time the runway was destroyed rendering the base unusable by aircraft., and all operations were moved to be based at Adelaide.