Maintaining out-of-production de Havilland aircraft is no easy feat. But, as James Careless discovers, Canada’s Viking Air is on hand to assist.
Every day, de Havilland Canada aircraft – including the DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, and DHC-6 Twin Otter – serve in some of the most demanding STOL (short take-off and landing) situations encountered anywhere. Whether on wheels, floats or even skis, the aircraft are renowned for their outstanding safety and reliability in the most challenging operating environments. So impressive are their credentials, it’s perhaps unsurprising that de Havilland manufactured 1,632 DHC-2s, 60 DHC-2Ts, 466 DHC-3s and 851 DHC-6s before ending production, emphasising the need for small passenger aircraft that can operate virtually anywhere.
