496
C-GDZD at Fort Frances, Ontario.
Photo: Rich Hulina © 18 June 2013
C-GDZD wintering at Lac La Croix.
Photo: Craig Paul © 28 January 2005
C-GDZD on Sand Point Lake, Ontario.
Photos: Dan Hornseth  ©  25 July  2003
C-GDZD "Dizzy D" at Three Mile Lake dock, on Namakan River.
C-GDZD on the shore at Captain Tom Lake, ON.
Photos: Rob Hom © 1988 / 1992
C-GDZD getting some maintenance at Calgary, Alberta.
Photo: John Kimberley © 06 November 1977 - Kenneth I. Swartz Collection
52-6116 an EL-20A Beaver at Hanscom AFB.
Photo: Leo J. Kohn © 1954 - Wayne Mutza Collection

496

52-6116

C-GDZD

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• 52-6116 USAF #1278 L20 No: 279 Command AF-3. Delivered 28-May-1953. Built as L-20A and re- designated U-6A in 1962.

• 52-6116 Struck off charge from the USAF inventory on 06-May-1967.

• 52-6116 Stored at MASDC., Davis Monthan AFB., AZ. 09-Feb-1972 to 04-Feb-1976. PCN (Park Control Number) HS087.

Note. Purchased by White River at the Davis Monthan auction sale on 29-Jan-1976 for US$26,000. Purchased on the basis of “no reasonable potential for normal certification”. Total time 6,062.1 hours. Engine 7,263.1 hours.

• C-GDZD White River Air Services, Timmins, ON. Regd 04-Feb-1976 –1980.

• C-GDZD Lac La Croix Quetico Air Service, Lac La Croix / Fort Frances, ON. Regd 19-Nov-1980 & 26-Nov-2010. Canx 19-Jan-2018.

• C-GDZD Northwest Flying Inc., Nestor Falls, ON. Regd 19-Jan-2018.

• Current •

USAF History

52-6116 was made available on 22-Apr-1953 to the 6600th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit) of the USAF at Downsview, ON., and accepted on 19-May-1953. It was assigned to the Air Research and Development Command on 28-May-1953 when it was attached to the 6520th Test Wing at Hanscom AFB., MA. The record card shows it as an EL-20A during this part of its career. It stayed at Hanscom until 18-May-1955 after which it was re-assigned to the Air Material Command and it passed to McClellan AFB., where it was attached to the Sacramento Air Logistics Centre and then to the San Francisco prior to transportation to Japan.

Once in Japan it was assigned to the Far East Air Force and initially was attached to the 6408th Air Base Group at Kizarazu from 11-Aug-1955 until 21-Aug-1955. It was then passed to the 3rd Light Bombardment Wing which was then re designated as a Tactical Bombardment Wing on 16-Oct-1955. The aircraft moved to Showa for maintenance on 24-Mar-1956 and where it seems to have been converted to a JL-20A but it is recorded as back to a straight L-20A by 10-Aug-1957.

Emblem of 3rd Bombardment Wing

After Showa it was re assigned to what was now the Pacific Air Force. It was based at Johnson AFB., and attached to the 3rd Bombardment Wing from 04-Jul-1956 and later, from 25-Oct-1957, the 6041st Air Base Wing which was the host unit. After this in moved to South Korea and the 6314th Air Base Wing, initially at Osan from the 07-Jun-1959 and up to 30-Jul-1961 had several deployments to the other fields on the Peninsula including Chinhae, Kunsan, Seoul Kimpo and Taegu. The unit was re designated as a support Wing and the various deployments continued up until at least the middle of 1964.

The remaining USAF history is still to be researched. Struck off charge from the USAF inventory on 06-May-1967.

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