Here is a news release from Viking Air Ltd's President on the old Buffalo:
Venerable Buffalo is no aviation 'orphan'
Island company owns the plane's production rights, and supplies parts
David Curtis
Special to Times Colonist
Friday, May 30, 2008
It is wrong to suggest that the Buffalo aircraft -- known as the CC-115 in military service and DHC-5 in civilian use -- is an "orphan" with no "ready supply of spare parts," as has been suggested in the Times Colonist. Viking Air Ltd. will not let that happen.
Viking, which is located at Victoria International Airport, is the Transport Canada-approved design owner (known as a type certificate) for the Buffalo and is responsible for worldwide support of the aircraft.
Viking Air Ltd. takes this responsibility very seriously. Viking did not acquire the DHC-1 through DHC-7 (which includes the Buffalo) type certificates and production rights from Bombardier in 2006 simply to abandon them and their owner/operators.
In fact, the service and support of these aircraft is the primary business focus of Viking and our almost 300 employees. Viking and our support partner Field Aviation of Calgary are committed to supporting the Buffalo fleet and working with the Department of National Defence in building a sustainment model to ensure that the Buffalo aircraft meets the current and anticipated needs of our Armed Forces in a safe and effective manner.
De Havilland Canada aircraft are known the world over as rugged, versatile and effective transports.
Viking is evaluating all the production opportunities related to the aircraft programs it purchased from Bombardier and has already restarted production of the venerable, multi-mission Twin Otter transport, which had been out of production since 1988, because the worldwide demand for new examples is strong.
Viking intends to build the Twin Otters, sell them and support them as only it knows how.
As a long-term supplier of support to the "heritage" de Havilland Canada fleet of DHC-2 Beavers, DHC-3 Otters, DHC-4 Caribous, DHC-5 Buffalos, DHC-6 Twin Otters, and DHC-7 Dash 7s, Viking is, and will remain, dedicated to its in-service support responsibilities.
Of the aircraft types designed in the '60s, the Buffalo is one of the few that can continue in service without having to undergo a major (and massively costly) rebuild/replacement of fuselage or wings in order to remain structurally viable.
According to our records, more than half the original fleet of Buffalos are still in service around the world. Considering that production stopped in 1986, this alone is a testament to the aircraft's durability, the loyalty of its users and the support provided by Viking and our partners.
It is hardly an "orphan."
The Australian army is still actively using the DHC-4 Caribou, the Buffalo's 1950s predecessor, for the simple reason that nothing else can do what it does. Many other aircraft types proposed as replacements were designed in the '60s and have undergone massive modernizations and risen to become aircraft like the C-130J and the C-27J.
The costs to buy these modernized aircraft are unfortunately so astronomical that most air forces have little appetite for a fleet change until it becomes the only operational alternative.
It is our opinion that the Buffalo could be modernized by an all-Canadian team in order for it to serve the specialized mission of the DND for many years to come, at a fraction of the cost of a new fleet of C-27Js.
As we have found with the Twin Otter, there is nothing else produced today that will do what the Buffalo is capable of. This is a Canadian-designed and built aircraft, perfectly suited for a specialized Canadian mission and supported by local Canadian companies.
Instead of looking outside of the country, the best solution is to improve on a good thing by investing in a modernization program to extend the useful life of the existing Buffalo fleet. A Buffalo fleet modernization might be the catalyst to return the Buffalo to production.
There should be absolutely no doubt that Viking and its support partner Field Aviation are committed to supporting the DHC-5 (CC-115) Buffalo until the year 2015 and longer as maybe necessary.
The fact that Viking, located on Vancouver Island and the Buffalo design holder, was not contacted by any media outlet in order to better understand the support arrangements for the CC-115 Buffalo is, in my opinion, unacceptable.
David Curtis is president and CEO of Viking Air Ltd.
