Red Lake Hailstorm Update
For the 2018 Norseman Festival we could see a couple shiny, restored Norseman – one in the air and the other “flying” low on its perch.
CF-ZMX, Serial 669 is in Park Rapids, Minnesota this winter undergoing a complete recovering of fabric and the plan is to keep the green and yellow colours. This aircraft led the pack at last years bush plane flyby and hopefully it will be ready to do the same come next July.
As for Red Lake’s CF-DRD work continues on plans that will likely require a removal from the pedestal in Norseman Heritage Park and more permanent repairs that will enable this important piece of history to survive for many additional years. Again, hopefully this will be accomplished for the 2018 celebrations.
Chimo Air’s two Norseman, CF-JIN and CF-KAO are still facing uncertain headwinds. The company itself appears to be undergoing a transition and sadly the Norseman may not be a part of the future. Thus, if Howey bay loses these two classic bush planes there is the distinct possibility that the number of Norseman in the flyby could decrease again. For perspective, if we could time travel to 1968 and tell bush pilots of the day these airplanes will be in service 50 years from now, do you think any of them would have agreed with you?! Remember, this was the space age and the race to put a human on the moon was on!