Mr. Gord Hughes

Ten years ago this blog started with the news of Collin Oliver’s passing. As time marches on the Norseman community has sadly lost, in my opinion, the last guru of the type.

Gordon Hartley Hughes loved the Norseman and owned a Mk IV (Noorduyn serial 57) CF-DTL since 1984. He maintained them, rebuilt them, flew them and was always thinking of little ways to improve them throughout his aircraft maintenance career. In the 90s and well into the 21st century his dedication resulted in his legacy of keeping the Norseman going as a viable bushplane in Canada. More recently, museum organizations would contact him for advice or seek parts to realize their dreams of flight or authenticy in a static display. Northland Aircraft Service in Ignace, Ontario was known as a go to place regarding everything Norseman and his wife Eleanor ran the business with Gord from there for some 38 years. See Norseman Nirvana from January 2017.

Since the first official Red Lake Norseman Festival in 1992, Gord and Eleanor were regular attendees with DTL when the festival was located along Howey Bay. After a July 2017 hailstorm heavily damaged display Norseman CF-DRD in the town’s waterfront park Gord was tasked with rebuilding the fabric covered wings; Festival 2018 and DRD is Back !

Interestingly, Noorduyn Aircraft was established in 1934 and this was the same year Gord was born. His life of 91 years mirrored the simple practicality of the airplane and he believed newer does not always mean better. Gord will be missed by the community and on a corollary note I have essentially decided to conclude the blog. The plan is to keep the Norseman lists up to date with a new issue around the festival time each July but other than those posts only a major development would result in a new post.

As always you can contact me at; c46commando@hotmail.com for any Norseman related information or questions regarding the future of Northland Aircraft Service and the seven Norseman presently residing there.