Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 / Dehavilland Heron DH114 14051

note! a new blog site has been  set up solely for Saunders Aircraft at Saunders Aircraft Canada

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 / Dehavilland Heron DH114 14051

Number 13 of  Saunders ST-27 aircraft line, why start at Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013?

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 photo by Ruben Husberg

 It so happens that most of the information for ST-27  013 fell into place first. Ray Fread's (of Habitual Lawbreaker book fame  ) photos of Dehavilland  Heron 14051 G-AZSO on the apron at Gimli are priceless, his photos place Heron 14051 G-AZSO at the Saunders Aircraft factory at Gimli in around 1974.

Dehavilland Heron DH114 14051 G-AZSO at Gimli CYGM - Ray Fread photo

Dehavilland Heron DH114 14051 G-AZSO at Gimli CYGM - Ray Fread photo

 The British CAA (Civil Aircraft Authority) only issued registration marks (letters like G_AZSU)  to only one aircraft. IF that aircraft was destroyed or left the UK those registration letters were cancelled and not used again.

the UK CAA registration details from the UK CAA website

When tracing aircraft history using Canadian registration marks provides a challenge as Transport Canada re-uses the same registration marks over and over again, though in this case we do see Saunders ST-27 registered as C-GCAT.

the Transport Canada registration details for Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 C-GCAT

Therefore we believe  Saunders ST-27 serial number 013 was converted from Dehavilland DH114 Heron serial number 14051. 

In 1977, ST-27 013 later caught fire at the Dryden Airport CYHD  apron in 1977 while in service with ON AIR Limited out of Thunder Bay Ontario and it so happens Ray Fread took photos of 013 the morning after the fire, what a coincidence!!

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 C-GCAT post fire Dryden Airport CYHD - Ray Fread photo

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 C-GCAT post fire Dryden Airport CYHD - Ray Fread photo

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 C-GCAT post fire Dryden Airport CYHD - Ray Fread photo

Saunders Aircraft ST-27 013 C-GCAT post fire Dryden Airport CYHD - Ray Fread photo

Ray Fread's account on this Saunders ST-27 013 fire:

 "in 1977, I show up for work in the Dryden Airport Weather office and see this on the tarmac. This ST-27 had a failed fuel pump. The owner Fritz Meier and his engineer Marty Doyle showed up to change it. Airports closed, it's dark and cold, they are working with a little generator to run a trouble light. Fuel on the tarmac from pulling the pump. As they walk away, wearing heavy boots and parkas, one of them kicks the cord and breaks the trouble light bulb...KABOOM!!!!!! Parts of this plane landed on the runway, hundreds of feet away."

There was a court case about this aircraft being repaired after the fire damage basically spelling the end of this airframe use, we hope to post that story when we can get more info, and where this 013 airframe finally ended up at.

PS - order a copy of Ray Fread's book, "The Habitual Lawbreaker" - it's a great read!
https://thedrydenobserver.ca/2017/07/19/the-wild-northwest-fread-autobiography-a-page-turning-look-at-the-once-lawless-world-of-bush-aviation/