Red Lake, Ontario:
Norseman Capital of the World

Welcome to the Norseman Capital of the World photo gallery

Each year in late July, Red Lake, Ontario hosts the Norseman Days celebration.

Times are changing. From black and white photos to videos.  Please check out this site for a Norseman video by Harriet Carlson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1qf6K9S88

Paul Stacey sent this link for those who are interested in the progress of the restoration of   JDG/DRE

http://www.bcam.net/ac_rest/norse.htm

In this website, I once said, "If you have a better picture of CF-SAN please send me a copy."  The result was some very interesting photos, including a picture of the first changeover of SAN, from Bob Dowhy (see link below)  So, a slight change. If you have a Norseman picture you would like to see on this website, please email me a jpg file or send me the original to scan.   ALL PHOTOS WILL BE RETURNED PROMPTLY.  I especially love the old Black and Whites

You may wonder, as I did, why anyone would waste so much time doing a website like this.  I stopped wondering when I received an email from Al Nelson in Winnipeg.

Al wrote in part:

It's over 40 years now since I held a Norseman throttle (the last time was on May 16, 1958, when I flew SAH from Winnipeg International to the Riverton airstrip), but I can still close my eyes and put my hand on every control and hear the sound of the starter and the old 1340 chugging to life. Your pictures brought back a lot of memories.

I sure hope Al follows through with pictures. -- He did please check it out (link at bottom of page)

Bill Coppen  Box 127 Red Lake Ontario P0V 2M0

To email me please click here [email protected] 

Click on a photograph to  view a larger version.
 

JEC leaving  the factory after rebuild.  Photo received June 13/2000 from    Stephen Tomlinson

The following photographs provided by local Mr.  fixem, flyem and photographem     JB
 
 
 
 

		DRD in 1978  I made the large Otter water rudders when I flew it in 1977  (Bill)

 
 

The following photos provided by Chimo Air
 
 
 

The following pictures are of a "new" Norseman   Chimo Air's   KAO
 
 
 

The following submitted by    P. E.  Stacey
 
 
 

	Above: OBE in OCA colours Left: Wings Aviation fall of 76 UUD facing DRD looking away.
UUD at Wings dock 1977

Bill,
Just for fun I punched �Noorduyn Norseman in Australia� into Google Search engine and came up with these two B&W photos from the Coates Collection.
 

1352L � VH-BHF UC-64A photographed at Broken Hill, 1949
 

1298L � VO-ABJ UC-64 s/n 43-35430 registered in Newfoundland in 1947(had to think there for a moment, Newfoundland didn�t become a province of Canada until 1949) photo from the Coates Collection obtained from the Newfoundland Government.

More from Paul Stacey

http://www.flight-history.com/gal/series.php?seriesID=14

http://pweb1.mts.net/~donmag/current.htm

http://pweb1.mts.net/~donmag/Aircraft.htm

The Norseman in Saskatchewan
 

SAM in Saskatchewan Western Development Museum, History of Transportation section in Moose Jaw.  SAM operated as an air ambulance in Saskatchewan in 1946	SAM and SAN photo from Bob Kelly
ECF (Bob Kelly photo)	BEM (Bob Kelly Photo)

Bob Kelly sent along the following notes.

Sorry I can't find the rest of my pictures, but we can start with these, all of which are 40 years old.  Hope they are of interest to you.
BEM- flew tourists and fish for a number of years after a long and noble career with the Sask. Gov't Airways out of LaRonge
SAM- also S.G.A. Museum-Moose Jaw,SK
SAN- crashed in Isle a la Crosse Lake,, salvaged and restored -now in a museum.
ECF- fatal crash, early 60's into unnamed lake near La Ronge with 1000 pounds of fish.  Pilot's last name Beaton.  This aircraft flew the smokejumpers for many years - post war into late 50's.  Had a belly exit.  ECF and SAN both lifted from water, rebuilt on shore and flown out by renowned salvage engineer John Finch of S.G.A.
SAH MK IV- originally air ambulance, then S.G.A. but can't find out where it is.  It was on a commemorative postage stamp a few years ago.
Thanks

Bob Kelly
 

Jan 26/12  

Came across your site via Google as I was searching for info on CF-FQX. Attached are some photos of FQX after an accident on the Winnipeg River at Pine Falls Manitoba when I was a boy.  My Dad took these..they are scanned slides.  I'm the lad with my two sisters standing on the float on one of the photos.   Not sure what caused the accident.  Thought you might get a kick out of them.  I have no idea whether this plane was repaired or not....the damage didn't seem too extensive so suppose it probably put back in service.  My guess is the photos were taken in 1973 or 1974 based upon the age of my sisters and myself. Cheers!   Hugh Peden   Maple Ridge, BC

August 30/2014  
 Hi,
If you are interested, here are a couple old photos of my Dad's from around 1950 or so. This was at South Bay Lodge, which he owned from '50 - '57. I have many old photos from this era.

Regards,
Howard Watson

The Norseman also flew in Iceland:  for pictures and more info please click here

The RCAF also operated the Norseman for more click here.

The Norseman in Alaska please click here

Lamb Airways and the Norseman

Pictures from Bob Dowhy    SAN and BFT click here

More on BFT from Jack Minor

The story of the Metal Norseman     UUD and OBE and the new paint for OBE click here

A picture of BSJ from CAHS Journal Spring 96

Norseman photos from the fifties by Al Nelson

The Norseman and Red Lake Seaplane

Norseman days 2000

Norseman days  2001

The people of Noorduyn Aviation Ltd.

Back to Norseman Capital main page

The Norseman in Sweden

Current Status of Norseman Aircraft in Canada
 
  Jim Davies Photos

Hello !

We would like to present a new book about the Noorduyn Norseman in Norwegian service.

Please see our website for further information. www.flygloster.com

 

Best wishes

Mats Averkvist

FlyGloster Publishing
www.flygloster.com

Ryghs vei 24C
N-0785 OSLO, Norway
Tel. +47 22 49 14 77
Mob. +47 4500 2197
[email protected]

This image from the February 2002 issue of Aviator Magazine  www.aviatormag.com  indicates that perhaps the Norseman operated in the Falkland Islands.   Does anyone have any information or pictures?

Hello Bill,

Your web picture of a Falkland stamp prompted me to check my copy of AIR BRITIAN'S 1958 Listing of Norseman built.
It shows a Canadian Car & Foundry Norseman V, prefix N29, construction No.45 as being registered to "Falk. Is. Deps. Survey Expedition (1945 ?)". Same A/C shown as "Falk. Is. Govt. Air Serv. - Reduced to scrap.(1950?)". It was registered as VP-FAD.

I am a member of the American Aviation Historical Society and am much interested in the Norseman. I worked for a company called SkyService, Inc. at Evansville, Indiana in the 1950s. We had 3 different Norseman during 1950-1951.
Two of them were modified to haul cartons of baby chickens.

My wife and I had planned to come to Red Lake for the 2002 Fly-In but will be unable to be there. Maybe next year. I'm looking forward to the Web site report of this years activities.

Billy D. Hyde
120 Baylor Dr.
Longmont, Colorado   80503

Dear Bill  -  James Marsh sent me this information about VP FAD about a year ago.  I passed it on to Bob and Julie but after browsing your website again feel it may not have got to you.
 
"Ok, Ed, I've made some preliminary enquiries for you and found out the
following. The plane was originally on loan from the Falkland Islands
Dependencies organisaion on arrival in the Falklands. It commenced service
for FIGAS (The Falkland Islands Government Air Service) in 1950 and served
for three years ferrying people and freight around the Islands, (Its
important to remember how vital the service these planes provided was in
those days when people on West Falkland and in places on the East were so
isolated). The plane served until August in 1953 when she was scuttled in
Stanley Harbour due to severe metal erosion."
 
James thought there might be a picture of the old girl around but to date has not come across it.  I hope this will help with your website.
 
                                                Ed Zaruk

  This picture of JEC is on the cover of a book by Norseman Festival enthusiast and former DRD driver Al Williams.  I have read it and urge anyone who has an interest in Bush flying to buy a copy. Click on the cover above to find out how to purchase the book.

 

February 2009 Joe Collinson sent the following photos.  The black and white is circa 1951 the colour are circa 1970

To see many great old Norseman photos from the Canadian Aviation Museum Archives click here

November 15/2022
Pictures from ksmith6502

     








 Hi, three pictures of Norseman's---#1 A cherry Norseman, this picture I took at Lake Hood Anchorage just a few years ago, fresh out of overhaul.

#2 One of Wien's Norsemans on skies, I took in 1958 in front of the hangar at Fairbanks.

#3 A Cordova Airlines Norseman, one of two, circa 1950, on floats at the Eyak Lake hangars near Cordova, Alaska.  

I recall when this occured, but not certain of the date, except I was in grade school, circa 1950. Linda Nystrom sent me this shot. Her father, Warren, was a pilot for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The aircraft is a Noorduyn Norseman.

The accident happened when a load of Fish and Wildlife officials flew down from Anchorage, walked uptown to have coffee or lunch, forgot to tie the airplane down near Eyak Lake, big mistake in Cordova, then a sudden good old Cordova Southeastern came up.

That is the Government Hangar at the east end of the Eyak Lake strip which was built before the 1934 runway was. The hangar was moved across the lake many years ago.