Buffalo Airways

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Buffalo Airways
Buffalo Logo.png
IATA
J4		 ICAO
BFL		 Callsign
BUFFALO
Founded 13 May 1970
Hubs Yellowknife Airport
Secondary hubs Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport
Fleet size 55 + 3[1]
Parent company Buffalo Airways Limited
Headquarters Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
Key people Joe McBryan (founder & president)
Website http://www.buffaloairways.com/

Buffalo Airways is a family-run airline based in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada established in 1970 by Joe McBryan, also known as "Buffalo Joe". It operates scheduled passenger, charter passenger, charter cargo, firefighting and fuel services. Its main base is at Yellowknife Airport (CYZF) with two other bases at Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport (CYHY) and Red Deer Regional Airport (CYQF). The Red Deer base is the main storage and maintenance facility.[2] The airline is also the subject of the History Television reality series Ice Pilots NWT.

Contents

Clothing company, television show and media [edit]

The first DC3 bought by "Buffalo Joe"

In 2007, Buffalo Airways started to produce a clothing line that included t-shirts, hoodies and hats. With the introduction of the Canwest Global, now Shaw Media, television show Ice Pilots NWT, Buffalo has expanded their clothing company to feature over 30 products and launched a full service product website called BuffaloAirWear.com. The show which is produced by Omni Film Productions and shown on History Television features the day-to-day operations at Buffalo Airways.[3][4]

In 2011, Buffalo Airways was involved in a recreation of the historic Dam Busters raids of WWII, being selected as the company to fly the mission, with their own plane and pilots. Buffalo would drop an inert reproduction of the 'Upkeep' bouncing bomb from their Douglas DC-4. The project was documented in the documentary television show Dambusters Fly Again in Canada, Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb in the UK, and Nova season 39 episode "Bombing Hitler's Dams" in the US. A behind the scenes look was also filmed in the Ice Pilots NWT season 3 episode 2 show "Dambusters".[5][6][7][8][9][10]

On July 27, 2012, Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, flew up from Edmonton to Yellowknife with Buffalo Airways. On July 28, Dickinson, who holds an airline transport pilot's licence, flew a Douglas DC3 to Yellowknife and spent a day being filmed as a guest star for a season five episode.[11]

Buffalo Air Express [edit]

Buffalo also operates a courier service as Buffalo Air Express which started in 1982/83. They offer service throughout the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Northern Alberta. In association with Global Interline Network they can ship around the world from bases in Yellowknife, Edmonton and Hay River.[12][13]

Firefighting [edit]

Beech 95 used as Birddog
Buffalo Airways DC-4 unloading at Cambridge Bay Airport

Buffalo owns several waterbombers which are available throughout the year for forest fires. These aircraft include a specially converted Canso and a C54/DC4. The C54/DC4 carries an external tank that can hold 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) of fire retardant and the Canso has two 800 imp gal (3,600 l; 960 US gal). As part of their wildfire suppression work they operate the Canadair CL-215 for the Government of the Northwest Territories. The CL-215 holds 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg) in two tanks which are filled in about ten seconds while skimming over a lake. The waterbombers are assisted by smaller aircraft, such as the Beech 95, known as "birddogs".[14][15][16][17]

Buffalo School of Aviation [edit]

Buffalo's aviation school offers an aircraft maintenance engineer program as well as several other courses. According to Transport Canada listings they have three aircraft, two single engine, an Aeronca Champion, a Fleet Canuck, and a helicopter, a Robinson R22. The Buffalo website also lists a Bell 206 helicopter and a Beech 90 King Air.[1][18]

Destinations [edit]

The airline operates scheduled passenger services between Hay River and Yellowknife. Scheduled cargo services provide supplies from Yellowknife to Deline, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, and Tulita. The service also includes an airport shuttle and a medical transfer bus. Buffalo also offers charters on their passenger aircraft across Canada and also offers cargo charters. [19]

Fleet [edit]

Buffalo Airways C46 at Norman Wells Airport
Buffalo Airways Fleet Canuck in Yellowknife
Yellowknife base of Buffalo Air

As of 2 May 2013 the Buffalo Airways fleet numbers 55[1] and the Buffalo School of Aviation 3,[1] consisting of the following aircraft registered with Transport Canada:

Buffalo Airways Fleet
Aircraft No. of Aircraft Variants Notes
Aeronca Champion 1 7BCM Buffalo School of Aviation
Beechcraft Baron 2 95-C55, D55 bird dog, used to spot fires and guide waterbombers[20]
Beechcraft Travel Air 3 95, B95 bird dog
Beechcraft King Air 4 65-A90, 100
Canadair CL-215 8 CL215 1A10 waterbombers
Cessna 185 1 185E
Cessna 310 1 310Q
Consolidated Vultee (Convair) 1 240-27
Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando 3 C46A-45CU, C46D, C46F Cargo
Douglas C-54 Skymaster 13 C54A-DC, C54D-DC, C54E-DC, C54G-DC Cargo, waterbombers
Douglas C-47 Skytrain 2 C-47A Passenger/cargo/combi. Wheels and wheel skis
Douglas DC-3 10 DC3C, DC3C-S1C3G Passenger/cargo/combi. Wheels and wheel skis
Fleet Canuck 1 80 Buffalo School of Aviation, aircraft is hanging from ceiling in Yellowknife hangar
Gulfstream 1 690C
Lockheed L-188 Electra 5 188A, 188C Cargo, one is ex-Reeve Aleutian Airways, two are ex Amerer Air, and at least two are former Atlantic Airlines aircraft[citation needed]
Noorduyn Norseman 1 MK. V Private aircraft
Robinson R22 1 R22 Beta Buffalo School of Aviation, helicopter

Accidents and incidents [edit]

Buffalo Airways has had a total of seven accidents six of which are listed at the Aviation Safety Network since June 1994, with no fatalities.[21]

  • On 26 June 1994, Douglas C-47A C-FROD crashed on approach to Fort Simpson Airport, Northwest Territories due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was on a cargo flight from Trout Lake Airport.[22] There were two crew on board at that time. There were no fatalities but the aircraft was written off.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Canadian Civil Aircraft Register search, using "Buffalo Airways" or "Buffalo School of Aviation" as the search parameter under "Owner Name". Search conducted 29 April 2013.
  2. ^ Airport gets shot of reality
  3. ^ BuffaloAirWear.com
  4. ^ Ice Pilots NWT
  5. ^ History Television, Dambusters Fly Again (accessed 2011 August)
  6. ^ The Telegraph (London), "The day the Dam Busters returned... in Canada", Tom Chivers, 2 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
  7. ^ EAA, "'Ice Pilots' Help Re-Create 'Dambusters'", Hal Bryan, 5 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
  8. ^ Channel 4, "Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb" (accessed 2011 August)
  9. ^ PBS, WGBH, Nova, "Bombing Hitler's Dams". Retrieved: 12 January 2012
  10. ^ History Television, Ice Pilots NWT: Season 3, Episode 2: Dambusters (accessed 2011-11-11)
  11. ^ A maiden voyage for rock star
  12. ^ Buffalo Air Express
  13. ^ Buffalo Air Express at Buffalo Airways
  14. ^ Fire Suppression
  15. ^ Douglas DC-4 Tankers
  16. ^ Consonlidated Vultee PBY-5A Canso
  17. ^ Canadair CL-215
  18. ^ Buffalo School of Aviation
  19. ^ Passenger Flights
  20. ^ The Evoloution of Waterbombing
  21. ^ "Aviation Safety Network listing for Buffalo Airways". Retrieved 10 April 2011. 
  22. ^ "C-FROD Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 25 June 2010. 

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Buffalo Airways
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