Seaplane Question

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Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

Old seaplanes -as this Grumman Goose- still (?) flying in Europe,
are not so common..

See this one :

www.euro-seaplane.com/goose_revue/start.htm

But in spite of many tryings (internet searchings & mail sendings)
I'm not sure it's still operated by this Company...:confused:

Maybe you know more recent details about it...
please tell me then,

friendly yours,
Etienne

Original post

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,343

Hi Etienne,

The following website seems to suggest that the aircraft C-FVFU has been "de-registered", so its obviously not flying around at the moment, unless its been given a new registration...http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/C-FVFU.html

On the other hand, the ECA website shows plenty of pictures of the aircraft, and it states that they are starting operations in Spring 2013, so I guess they may well still have the aircraft...http://www.eca-air.com/englisch/flugzeuge.html

Have you tried contacting someone from ECA directly, i.e Managing Director?
http://www.eca-air.com/englisch/team.html

Member for

18 years 5 months

Posts: 2,343

In fact, having just looked a bit further on their website under the "Operating Certificates" page, I've found that they do have the aircraft C-FUVU, and its been leased...look on Page 1 of "Aircraft Operating Certificate"...under category F), its shows the model of aircraft, registration and then a small asterik, and underneath this info the asterik shows as "leased airplane"...http://www.eca-air.com/englisch/certificates.html

Hope this helps.:)

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

Great photos and great research by the Cloud, thanks for the thread! :)

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

...& the found info's..:)

...........................[ATTACH]212136[/ATTACH]

Yes, that Cy seems to have 'a future' this year ;

[PHP][/PHP]From mid-2013 on ECA will connect Croatian Adriatic islands with twin otter seaplanes and thus strengthen the Croatian infrastructure as well as the already continuously booming tourism. Up to 2014 6 seaplanes will approach 14 destinations in regularly scheduled flights. Furthermore ECA plans additional steps to connect also Italy and other neighboring countries with the Croatian Adriatic in the medium-term.

indeed, it's a good idea to contact someone of their team...

meanwhile i've found this, in an article published in May '2012 ;

.......... the German company "European Coastal Airlines",

friendly yours,
ETIENNE

Attachments

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

ECA... the most recent news ..

........................................[ATTACH=CONFIG]222952[/ATTACH]

there is still a future for this Company ;http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/361756

friendly, Etienne

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Member for

16 years

Posts: 451

photoshop still works then!

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

Projects for this year !!!

This seems to be the most recent ECA news ; http://www.ec-air.eu/en/home/

Wishing much success for their Twin Otters, but :confused: maybe it will be the "Farewell" to their GOOSE :(:( :
.................................................................................................................................................[ATTACH=CONFIG]226437[/ATTACH]

.................................................................................................................................................[ATTACH=CONFIG]226438[/ATTACH]

..........................................and, :mad: just found this ; http://www.airliners.net/photo/Lake-LA-4-200-Buccaneer/2244028/L/&sid=d2287a2eaf3124eca4dd5da7883339f2

friendly, Etienne

Member for

16 years

Posts: 1,059

I wonder if this Goose is one of the former Sea Bee Air aircraft that used to link Mechanics Bay in Auckland with various Hauraki Gulf islands.

My very first flight aged 11 from Mechanics Bay to Pakatoa Island was on one of these; registered ZK-CFA, I seem to remember.

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

"THE" former Grumman Goose ...

at first the registration of the ECA one (built in 1944 ) ;
..............................................................................[ATTACH=CONFIG]226546[/ATTACH]

and, after 'googeling ' a little bit, I've found this conclusion for the ZK -CFA ;

Sorry to disappoint you, Mr Totty, about your youth memory ....

G44-A WIDGEON C/N # 1439 ZK-CFA - KNOWN HISTORY

Built as a civil WIDGEON, 1946, NC86613
Sold to M. PRUYN, April 1946, N86613
Sold to Rafael SANCHEZ, Havana, Cuba, CU-P-346 - date unknown
Other details prior to 1962 - unknown
Sold to Bill DANKO, Opa Locka, Florida, USA, April 5th 1962, N9096R
Sold to NZ TOURIST AIR TRAVEL, Auckland New Zealand, July 26th 1963
Converted to SUPER WIDGEON (260 HP Continenal IO-470-D engines) 1965
Inherited by MOUNT COOK AIRLINES, Auckland New Zealand, December 31st 1967, ZK-CFA
Inherited by SEA BEE AIR, Auckland, New Zealand, October 22nd 1976, ZK-CFA
Transferred to SEA BEE AIR, Funafuti, Tuvalu, March 1980, ZK-CFA
Returned to SEA BEE AIR, Auckland, New Zealand, August 1981, ZK-CFA
Sold to Owen HARNISH/VINTAGE & AQUATIC AIRWAYS, Auckland, New Zealand, August 1994, ZK-CFA
Leased to Grant HARNISH/SALT AIR, Paihia, Bay Of Islands, New Zealand, ZK-CFA - date unknown
WITHDRAWN FROM SERVICE AND STORED AT PAIHIA, BAY OF ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND, 2000

friendly, Etienne

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Member for

16 years

Posts: 1,059

Etienne, many thanks for your efforts - very interesting facts.

I must have the registration (slightly) wrong, because my aircraft was a Goose rather than the smaller Widgeon. I'll get onto Google myself and see what the See Bee Air Goose registrations were.

I loved those old aircraft, though. Mechanics Bay is just a heliport now.

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

Over to ... SEA BEE AIR !

in fact, I was also wrong, because I didnt' read the word 'Widgeon' in my text :stupid:

.................................................................[ATTACH=CONFIG]226557[/ATTACH]

here you already find some other views of Goose's... :http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?airlinesearch=Sea%20Bee%20Air&distinct_entry=true

friendly, Etienne

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Member for

19 years 4 months

Posts: 9,819

It would be interesting to know how many Gooses (Geese?) are still flying.
A friend is rebuilding an ex-museum example to fly...so far a huge amount of work rebuilding/resealing the center section and now some new sheet metal on the lower front hull.
There is a compound curve which takes some skill to reproduce, but it's interesting to see the hull's inner design. Surprisingly light structure...more like an aircraft than a boat.

It should be in the air in a year or two.

Member for

16 years 10 months

Posts: 806

It would be interesting to know how many Gooses are still flying.

INDEED, I'd like to know, also...

according to wikipedia ;

A total of 345 were built, with about 30 known to still be airworthy today (although approximately 60 are still on various civil registries, many of them are known to have crashed or been otherwise destroyed), most being in private ownership, some of them operating in modified forms

friendly, Etienne

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 101

Air-Britain have just produced an excellent book on Grumman Amphibians (Goose, Widgeon, Mallard) see https://www.air-britain.co.uk/actbooks/acatalog/THE-GRUMMAN-AMPHIBIANS---Goose--Widgeon---Mallard-234.html for details

If anyone is aware of any still airworthy Goose, Widgeon, Mallard (other than the aforementioned Croatian based example) in Europe or planning to visit this summer I would be grateful for any contact details.
G-APDK

Member for

18 years 11 months

Posts: 8,847

No visiting birds in Europe to my knowledge. You can see a Widgeon in the Portugese museum at Alverca and there is a Widgeon N28679 in the seaplane museum at Biscarrosse in France. The last flying Widgeon was probably the Flying Bulls OE-FWS which crashed on 29/3/2005.

Member for

16 years

Posts: 1,059

It would be worth going to Croatia just to experience a trip on one of these aircraft, though Croatia is an otherwise beautiful place, I'm told, and well worth a visit.

I imagine the aircraft are made by Pilatus, being Swiss. I can't recall the specific name.

As for the venerable Widgeon/Goose, I get the feeling there are quite a number still flying in Canada and Alaska.

Member for

20 years 7 months

Posts: 8,505

It's amazing how many machines of this era are still flying in the backwoods areas of the US and Canada so I think the conjecture that there may still be examples of the venerable machines still slogging around the lakes and rivers over there, particularly in British Columbia and possibly over on the east side of Canada too as there are plenty of large expanses of water where they would prove ideal.