Caribou Sighting

dj51d · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:42 pm

I went out to Osceola, WI this morning for Motorbooks' annual Wheels & Wings event. While the warbird turnout wasn't anything like years past, overall there were far more planes on the field than the past few years combined. I was very surprised to see a DHC-4 Caribou on the field, this is by far the largest aircraft I have ever seen there. This is the former Army Aviation Heritage Foundation Caribou, I'm not sure who the aircraft is with now. Unfortunately, I got a late start this morning so I didn't get a chance to see the aircraft up close.

HELLDIVERS · **Joined:** Sun Nov 07, 2004 3:38 pm **Posts:** 642

New owner Wally Fisk based @ anoka county airport :wink:

SCOTT G · **Joined:** Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:45 am **Posts:** 27

I DIDN'T MAKE IT THIS YEAR, I WAS WORKING ON THE BT-15. ANY OTHER WARBIRDS. PICTURES PLEASE.

Nathan · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:50 pm

A forgotten warbird.

RickH · **Posted:** Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:41 pm

This aircraft was severely damaged by a tornado that hit AAHF facilities a couple of years ago. They were able to get the necessary structural components from the old Caribou that were parked at New Smyrna Beach, FL. Mike Brady told me that the cost for those pieces from DeHaviland Canada would have made the repair impossible. After they got the parts that were required the Caribou in FL were scrapped. Couple of weeks later and it would have been too late.

dj51d · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:02 pm

As I mentioned earlier, the warbird turnout was pretty small this year, here are the other 2 that were there.

Rick and Mike, thanks for the info, its always nice to learn a bit more about the aircraft, and very nice to know it is now in the area

Keith Gaff · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:19 pm

From my perspective it's rather hard to think of the Caribou as a forgotten warbird. In Australia the Caribou is still a front line transport aircraft because nothing else in the modern inventory does the job so well.

B29Gunner · **Posted:** Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:45 pm

RickH wrote:

They were able to get the necessary structural components from the old Caribou that were parked at New Smyrna Beach, FL. Mike Brady told me that the cost for those pieces from DeHaviland Canada would have made the repair impossible. After they got the parts that were required the Caribou in FL were scrapped.

Hey Rick, check out page 3 in the latest Warbird Digest....'389 lives! :twisted:

61-2389, or "Bou Two" as the AAHF called her, was the parts donor for '49. She ended up in a auto salvage yard just off the airport, which is where I found her last December. As it turned out, '389 spent 10 years in service with Air America, and once I discovered this, well.... that was all I needed to hear! I tracked down the yard owner and bought '389 right then and there on the spot. But due to the condition of the airframe, we only salvaged the first 17ft of the fuselage. The nose section is now slowly being restored, and once complete will essentially become a traveling museum. She'll be a most unique sight once she's completed! :wink:

RickH · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:43 am

Congratulations, Trevor.

BTBackseater · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:42 pm

SCOTT G wrote:

I DIDN'T MAKE IT THIS YEAR, I WAS WORKING ON THE BT-15. ANY OTHER WARBIRDS. PICTURES PLEASE.

I am curious who's BT-15 as I am helping with the CAF DFW Wings BT-15

SCOTT G · **Joined:** Thu Nov 16, 2006 10:45 am **Posts:** 27

I AM WORKING ON THE WINGS OF THE NORTH / HELLDIVERS BT-15.

Warbirdnerd · **Joined:** Fri Apr 30, 2004 7:34 pm **Posts:** 2943

Wings of the North has a website on their project they own with Mike.
http://wotn.org/BT15_Project.htm

Cubs · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:14 pm

Thanks for the post on the Caribou. A really neat aircraft in my opinion.
Didn't know they were in use in Australia. Smart lot, those Aussies.
I probably saw some of the last military operations of the Caribou in the US.
1985 or 1986. Always thought it would make a nice plane for camping trips. You know; drive the car inside, fly off to some remote area. Get the car out, go touring through the countryside in the car or fly to an airshow and have transportation to the restaurant.

sabredriver · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:00 pm

We got our Boos back in good ole 1964 yes sir 1964!!! and half the fleet went direct from factory to Vietnam use.

We had about 30 all up rough guess and nowdays around 13 and they will be withdrawn from service we asssume - ment to happen 4 times in 30years - by 2010 and replaced by the C-27 it seems..

They are truly unique and perfect for the ADF. They can turn on a coin, hover, float backwards and carry a darn god load. Thats why they havent been replaced since 1977 YET....

Shame DHC cant build more .. only problem is the engines and some parts and the fuel, otherwise we would use them for 1million years i kid you not

dj51d · **Posted:** Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:05 pm

According to the ad at Courtesy, this was the last Caribou in US service and was retired from Army National Guard service in 1996!

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Caribou Sighting

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