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Photo: Dave Curtis, president and CEO of Viking Air Ltd. with the prototype for the new Twin Otter plane before its test flight.

First flight for new Twin Otter a "boring" success
Test flight marks new era in Canadian aviation
Carla Wilson
Times Colonist

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

More than 300 Viking Air employees clapped and cheered when the company's prototype Twin Otter flew over Victoria International Airport for its test flight today, marking a new era in Canadian aviation.

That brief flight around the airport was the first time a new Twin Otter has flown in two decades.

"I got all teary-eyed," says Viking president Dave Curtis, who led the project to revive the Twin Otter at the company's North Saanich manufacturing plant.

"It went as we hoped - it was very boring," he said.

The sedate flight of about 15 minutes wasn't boring to watchers as they saw the plane do some shallow turns prior to what Curtis called a "beautiful landing."

The DCH-6 Series 400 plane reached a height of 2,000 feet, he said. "It was great - really good."

Nothing surprising showed up in the flight, Curtis said. Some minor engine adjustments were required but that's normal.

"I'm proud of our staff. They have worked extremely hard to make it happen." Viking owner Westerkirk Capital Inc.'s faith in the plans, "makes me most proud," he said.

Transport Canada officials were at Viking Air this morning for a required pre-flight inspection before the first flight of the prototype, which is not for sale.

Another five hours of flying time locally is required, then the plane heads out on a three-day flight to Florida where it will be showcased at the National Business Aviation Association's annual meeting. "It's a confidence-builder for our customer groups," Curtis said. It will likely leave Thursday.

The best-selling 19-passenger plane is one of series built that was built by de Havilland in Canada. Viking specializes in repairing de Havilland planes but for the past two years has been working towards this day. It now 41 confirmed orders for the planes, carrying a base price of US $4 million. An 84,000 square-foot manufacturing building is under construction.

Planes are being manufactured and assembled in Victoria and Calgary. Most buyers are commercial carriers. The first delivery in April is to a Swiss customer, who plans to use it in oil fields in Africa.

Pilot Steve Stackhouse, Viking's new manager of flight operations, flew the plane with fellow pilot Michael Moore. Viking has three pilots - the third pilot is Don Berends - who will test fly and deliver the new planes and train new customers.

The prototype had already gone through extensive systems testing on the ground. The test flight was to check that the controls and systems work as they should and that the plane climbs as expected.

"The biggest thing about this new Twin Otter is the cockpit is completely modern," Stackhouse said. That translates into a safer working environment for the pilot.

"It's unlike anything that is in any other small airplane."

Of the 800-plus Twin Otters built, more than 600 are in use today. They are the best in the world at what they do," Stackhouse said. Still in use in rugged conditions, Twin Otters are known are reliable and able to manage short take-off and landing strips.

"For instance, when you go to Antarctica, you take two pilots and a mechanic and you go for six months and it's not a problem," said Stackhouse, who has flown Twin Otters in areas such as Samoa, the Arctic, Africa, the Maldives, and B.C.'s coast.

Moore was flying one in Angola the early 1990s when a surface-to-air missile shot out one engine. The plane landed, was repaired and put back in service, Stackhouse said. "You ask why we are so attached to these airplanes - that's exactly the reason why."

cjwilson@tc.canwest.com