A very special 75th birthday celebration is coming up for the De Havilland Beaver, an iconic aircraft that organizers of the event say opened up remote parts of Canada, including northern Ontario.
Designated CF-OBS, the Beaver at CBHC was the very first off the production line when it was built in 1948. Over the years, Beavers and other bush planes have delivered countless food, supplies, people and medicine to remote communities across the north. Although it hasn’t flown in a couple of years due to COVID-19, Zaccaria said CF-OBS is still air worthy today.
The Beaver was built to the specifications of legendary pilot Clennell ‘Punch’ Dickins, who consulted other bush pilots for their wish lists for an all-new Canadian-built bush plane. Local actor Jarrett Mills is playing the role of the legendary pilot in videos as part of the all-new exhibit.People will be able to experience an all new flight simulator experience featuring the Beaver with manual controls. Zaccaria said the museum hopes to add a virtual reality component to the simulator in the near future.