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Buffalo Airways

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Buffalo Airways
IATA ICAO Call sign
J4 BFL BUFFALO
FoundedMay 13, 1970
HubsYellowknife Airport
Secondary hubsHay River Airport
Fleet size52[1] + 3[2]
Parent companyBuffalo Airways Limited
HeadquartersHay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
Websitehttp://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, scheduled cargo, charter passenger, charter cargo, firefighting and fuel services. Its main base is at Yellowknife Airport (CYZF) with two other bases at Hay River Airport (CYHY) and Red Deer Regional Airport (CYQF). The Red Deer base is the main storage and maintenance facility.[3]

Clothing company, television show and media

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 the Buffalo Airways.[4][5]

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 a recreation 'Upkeep' bouncing bomb from their DC-4. The project was documented in the documentary television show Dambusters Fly Again in Canada, and Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb in the UK.[6][7][8][9]

Buffalo Air Express

Buffalo also operate a courier service as Buffalo Air Express which started in 1982/83. They offer service throughout the NWT and Northern Alberta. In association with Global Interline Network they can ship around the world. They have bases in Yellowknife, Edmonton and Hay River.[10][11]

Firefighting

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

Buffalo owns several waterbombers which are available throughout the year rather than just during the regular fire season for forest fires. These aircraft include specially converted Canso and 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 10 seconds while skimming over a lake. The waterbombers are assisted by smaller aircraft, such as the Beech 95, that are known as "birdogs".[12][13][14][15]

Buffalo School of Aviation

Buffalo offer an aviation school which 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 and a Fleet Canuck, and one helicopter, a Robinson R22. On the Buffalo website they list the R22, a Bell 206 helicopter and a Beech 90 King Air.[2][16]

Destinations

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.[17]

Fleet

Buffalo Airways C46 at Norman Wells Airport
Buffalo Airways Fleet Canuck in Yellowknife

As of December 2011 the Buffalo Airways fleet numbers 52[1] and the Buffalo School of Aviation 3,[2] 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[18]
Beechcraft Travel Air 3 95, B95 bird dog
Beechcraft King Air 3 65-A90
Canadair CL-215 8 CL215 1A10 waterbombers
Consolidated Vultee (Canso) 1 PBY-5A waterbombers
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
Lockheed L-188 Electra 4 188A, 188C Cargo
Noorduyn Norseman 1 MK. V
Robinson R22 1 R22 Beta Buffalo School of Aviation, helicopter
Cessna 185 1 185E

The Buffalo Airways web site may give different numbers for some of the aircraft listed above as several are stored at Red Deer. For example the site says they have four Canso, and two C-46.[19]

Accidents and incidents

Buffalo Airways has had a total of six accidents since June 1994, with no fatalities.[20]

  • 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.[21] There were two crew on board at that time. There were no fatalities but the aircraft was written off.

See also

  • Era Alaska - another airline with a reality TV show based around it

References

  1. ^ a b Canadian Civil Aircraft Register search, using "Buffalo Airways" as the search parameter under "Owner Name". Search conducted 2011-12-09.
  2. ^ a b c Canadian Civil Aircraft Register search, using "Buffalo School of Aviation" as the search parameter under "Owner Name". Search conducted 2011-12-09.
  3. ^ Airport gets shot of reality
  4. ^ BuffaloAirWear.com
  5. ^ Ice Pilots NWT
  6. ^ History Television, Dambusters Fly Again (accessed 2011 August)
  7. ^ The Telegraph (London), "The day the Dam Busters returned... in Canada", Tom Chivers, 2 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
  8. ^ EAA, "'Ice Pilots' Help Re-Create 'Dambusters'", Hal Bryan, 5 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
  9. ^ Channel 4, "Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb" (accessed 2011 August)
  10. ^ Buffalo Air Express
  11. ^ Buffalo Air Express at Buffalo Airways
  12. ^ Fire Suppression
  13. ^ Douglas DC-4 Tankers
  14. ^ Consonlidated Vultee PBY-5A Canso
  15. ^ Canadair CL-215
  16. ^ Buffalo School of Aviation
  17. ^ Passenger Flights
  18. ^ The Evoloution of Waterbombing
  19. ^ Buffalo Airways Aircraft Fleet
  20. ^ "Aviation Safety Network listing for Buffalo Airways". Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  21. ^ "C-FROD Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
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