Steve S wrote:
As cool as it is to see them still flying- I have to imagine that there days are getting short= the spare parts, lack of seasoned mechainics, and cost of avgas must be making it harder to make these affordable to operate. How much is this going to set Joe back-
During last season on Ice Pilots, one of the things they mentioned about the C-46 was a serious shortage of exhaust stacks. Apparently the engines are hard on the exhaust stacks and they need frequent repair and replacement. The lack of AvGas is also going to be a worsening problem for not only Buffalo, but all general aviation operators. I have to wonder how long Buffalo and their competitors can continue to depend on the ability to operate their piston aircraft, especially on routes where their customers' lives literally depend on getting air service. They may soon be forced to go to an all-turbine fleet, which will probably drive some of them out of business due to the cost of acquisition. Perhaps the Canadian government will help them out (I understand they already do subsidize a lot of the operations to the remote villages).