Why the Arctic Still Depends on 80-Year-Old Airplanes
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Date: 2026-07-10
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Comments and reviews: 20
barrywebster-ug7oo
I was on a school trip to DeHavilland Canada's plant and we witnessed the first flight of the second Dash 7 prototype. That particular plane is now in the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. The Dash 7 was intended to be used for downtown airports with short runays and noise restrictions, but the service never materialized in a big way. That's the reason for the short landing and takeoff runs. They are also very quiet. One of my favorite airplanes. I have been on Turbo Beavers, Twin Otters in Yukon and a lot of Dash 8's, but I only ever saw the Dash 7 fly that one time. And I flew on two DC-3's, Glasgow to Belfast return in 1959. BEA Pionair they were called. Really enjoy your videos Noel.
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I was on a school trip to DeHavilland Canada's plant and we witnessed the first flight of the second Dash 7 prototype. That particular plane is now in the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. The Dash 7 was intended to be used for downtown airports with short runays and noise restrictions, but the service never materialized in a big way. That's the reason for the short landing and takeoff runs. They are also very quiet. One of my favorite airplanes. I have been on Turbo Beavers, Twin Otters in Yukon and a lot of Dash 8's, but I only ever saw the Dash 7 fly that one time. And I flew on two DC-3's, Glasgow to Belfast return in 1959. BEA Pionair they were called. Really enjoy your videos Noel.
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noel_philips
I'm not sure but I think that Electra was originally an Air New Zealand aircraft and that's when it was brand new. I just watched a video the other day the history of Air New Zealand aircraft and he was talking about the Electra and two of them sent to Atlantic Airlines when they retired from the Air New Zealand fleet and then converted into cargo planes and when they had fun with them sent my to Buffalo. And I remember the Dash 7 there used to be an airline here in New Zealand called Newman's Airways which also happened to be a bus company and they had a few of those dashes in the 70s unfortunately I never flew on one but then Newman's Airways merged with Air New Zealand. Now fly dash 8.
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I'm not sure but I think that Electra was originally an Air New Zealand aircraft and that's when it was brand new. I just watched a video the other day the history of Air New Zealand aircraft and he was talking about the Electra and two of them sent to Atlantic Airlines when they retired from the Air New Zealand fleet and then converted into cargo planes and when they had fun with them sent my to Buffalo. And I remember the Dash 7 there used to be an airline here in New Zealand called Newman's Airways which also happened to be a bus company and they had a few of those dashes in the 70s unfortunately I never flew on one but then Newman's Airways merged with Air New Zealand. Now fly dash 8.
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briangentle5515
What a super flight and adventure. Firstly that you met Mikey from Buffalo airlines and then got to fly with a Dash 7, and in the cockpit apparently! I got to fly a Dash 7 many years ago in Greenland and during the flight, which was a bit special as it was a kind of closed charter, we were invited to go and take a look in the cockpit. Apparently I was the only aviation geek on board, and had a great half hour or so chatting with the flight crew as we flew low over the icebergs.
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What a super flight and adventure. Firstly that you met Mikey from Buffalo airlines and then got to fly with a Dash 7, and in the cockpit apparently! I got to fly a Dash 7 many years ago in Greenland and during the flight, which was a bit special as it was a kind of closed charter, we were invited to go and take a look in the cockpit. Apparently I was the only aviation geek on board, and had a great half hour or so chatting with the flight crew as we flew low over the icebergs.
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jamiedonohue4884
Wow Awesome! A Dash 7! So cool. I love being able to sit in my arm chair and go to places that I will never go to in real life another great video Noel! I hope you are slapping on the sunscreen! Perhaps its time for a Noel Philips baseball cap to keep away the nasties! Living in Australia we are taught from a young age to slip slop slap. slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat. All the best to Rach and the kids!
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Wow Awesome! A Dash 7! So cool. I love being able to sit in my arm chair and go to places that I will never go to in real life another great video Noel! I hope you are slapping on the sunscreen! Perhaps its time for a Noel Philips baseball cap to keep away the nasties! Living in Australia we are taught from a young age to slip slop slap. slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat. All the best to Rach and the kids!
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gringelinge
First time I flew alone was when I was 8 year old kid and flew on a Twin Otter during a storm. It felt like being in a washing machine. Puked my guts out. Second time was in a Dash 7, when a cabin crew strike 'erupted' before second leg, and I missed every connecting flight. Rough start.
Nowadays we're serviced by Dash 8/Q- 100, 200, 300 and 400s here in my hometown. Great airplanes.
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First time I flew alone was when I was 8 year old kid and flew on a Twin Otter during a storm. It felt like being in a washing machine. Puked my guts out. Second time was in a Dash 7, when a cabin crew strike 'erupted' before second leg, and I missed every connecting flight. Rough start.
Nowadays we're serviced by Dash 8/Q- 100, 200, 300 and 400s here in my hometown. Great airplanes.
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ThomEvered
Great to see that the Dash 7 is still flying. Back in the mid 1970’s, I was stationed at CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Toronto (Downsview Airport, as an airforce firefighter. I remember spending many hours at the De Havilland manufacturing plant located on the south side of the base to provide fire protection in an Oshkosh Crash Tender, as the Dash 7 was being tested for fueling tests.
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Great to see that the Dash 7 is still flying. Back in the mid 1970’s, I was stationed at CFB (Canadian Forces Base) Toronto (Downsview Airport, as an airforce firefighter. I remember spending many hours at the De Havilland manufacturing plant located on the south side of the base to provide fire protection in an Oshkosh Crash Tender, as the Dash 7 was being tested for fueling tests.
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jphangurha3241
Awesome video, Noel. I would love for you to organise and review a Punjab airport. I would love to see you come Amritsar, Punjab, IN some day and explore the city. We have a lot of history in Amritsar, most noteably the Jalianwala Bagh, Waagah Border (India-Pakistan Border) and Sri Harminder Sahib, also known in the west as the Golden Temple
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Awesome video, Noel. I would love for you to organise and review a Punjab airport. I would love to see you come Amritsar, Punjab, IN some day and explore the city. We have a lot of history in Amritsar, most noteably the Jalianwala Bagh, Waagah Border (India-Pakistan Border) and Sri Harminder Sahib, also known in the west as the Golden Temple
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gcrauwels941
That was pretty cool. I was lucky enough to fly on the Dash-7 several times from PBI or FLL to Paradise Island (just offshore Nassau) in the 90s. One of the things I remember most about them besides great STOL performance was how loud they resonated in the aft section of the cabin during cruise.
Never have seen a Twotter do that!
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That was pretty cool. I was lucky enough to fly on the Dash-7 several times from PBI or FLL to Paradise Island (just offshore Nassau) in the 90s. One of the things I remember most about them besides great STOL performance was how loud they resonated in the aft section of the cabin during cruise.
Never have seen a Twotter do that!
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cliverapier3947
ahh yes, the dash 7. my all-time favorite type.
back in 1996, air new Guinea png had one to service Lahir to port Moresby.
it had same config, passengers at the back, cargo at front.
a truly unique aircraft.
this is my type of aviation videos. remote country flying with unexpected story telling.
cheers
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ahh yes, the dash 7. my all-time favorite type.
back in 1996, air new Guinea png had one to service Lahir to port Moresby.
it had same config, passengers at the back, cargo at front.
a truly unique aircraft.
this is my type of aviation videos. remote country flying with unexpected story telling.
cheers
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timothywalker4563
Dash-7 haven’t heard of one in a while. At MIA in Florida we had puddle jumpers of various types servicing the Caribbean. Later on the ATR’s. I don’t know if the engine maintenance company worked DC-3 engines at the same airport. I forgot how many trips In 1986 my dad and i got to go plane watching. It was fun.
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Dash-7 haven’t heard of one in a while. At MIA in Florida we had puddle jumpers of various types servicing the Caribbean. Later on the ATR’s. I don’t know if the engine maintenance company worked DC-3 engines at the same airport. I forgot how many trips In 1986 my dad and i got to go plane watching. It was fun.
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MDCoastPacific
I Your comment says remote communities across America. Where in American did you go You do realise Canada and America are different countries right Did you mean North America If so, it's still within Canada. Speaking as a Canadian and a Brit, please get this right. We are boycotting America big time at the moment.
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I Your comment says remote communities across America. Where in American did you go You do realise Canada and America are different countries right Did you mean North America If so, it's still within Canada. Speaking as a Canadian and a Brit, please get this right. We are boycotting America big time at the moment.
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ShaunEspenida-e1f
Hi man, i flew in the dash 7 in and out of unst for 8 eight years in the eighties back and forth to Aberdeen in all weather. It was Brymon airways and later British Airways. Unst is very north and a base at the time for the S61 bristow choppers to the ninian field operated by Chevron UK. I was a North Sea Tiger.
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Hi man, i flew in the dash 7 in and out of unst for 8 eight years in the eighties back and forth to Aberdeen in all weather. It was Brymon airways and later British Airways. Unst is very north and a base at the time for the S61 bristow choppers to the ninian field operated by Chevron UK. I was a North Sea Tiger.
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davidhuang6869
In my time with the airline's pilot planning team, I learned that every number on my spreadsheet represent a person with a story. Your videos have evolved from just flying between airport to a video that tell the human story behind each take up and landing. Great work! Looking forward to the next one.
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In my time with the airline's pilot planning team, I learned that every number on my spreadsheet represent a person with a story. Your videos have evolved from just flying between airport to a video that tell the human story behind each take up and landing. Great work! Looking forward to the next one.
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kurohone
I was born in Yellowknife, raised mainly in Edmonton, and my dad flew Electra''s for NWT Airlines between the two cities after leaving the service. I spent a lot of time at the Muni watching a lot of these classics in now-defunct colors waiting for him to get back! This was a nice nostalgia trip to be sure!
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I was born in Yellowknife, raised mainly in Edmonton, and my dad flew Electra''s for NWT Airlines between the two cities after leaving the service. I spent a lot of time at the Muni watching a lot of these classics in now-defunct colors waiting for him to get back! This was a nice nostalgia trip to be sure!
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Steve-xf4uv
Great to see you back in Canada Noel. Yes Yellowknife is an interesting spot for aviation enthusiasts, or avgeeks! I also noticed a Nolinor 737-200 along with the Buffalo and Air Tindi oldies. Looks like the Buffalo people kept the 737 they bought from Chrono in it's all black paint, very cool.
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Great to see you back in Canada Noel. Yes Yellowknife is an interesting spot for aviation enthusiasts, or avgeeks! I also noticed a Nolinor 737-200 along with the Buffalo and Air Tindi oldies. Looks like the Buffalo people kept the 737 they bought from Chrono in it's all black paint, very cool.
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kurohone
That blue-and-red Twin Otter is Max Ward's old plane. Ward was one of the original pioneers of Canadian Aviation, and his airline Wardair was a really interesting concept, featuring higher-class service than usual but on a more limited schedule. That plane is a Canadian classic.
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That blue-and-red Twin Otter is Max Ward's old plane. Ward was one of the original pioneers of Canadian Aviation, and his airline Wardair was a really interesting concept, featuring higher-class service than usual but on a more limited schedule. That plane is a Canadian classic.
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andrewdalby6702
This one was special - the Air Tindi team is amazing - when they land, everyone is a baggage and cargo handler. Great to see places I've been to on one of these videos! Nice change from seeing what first class is like in a section of an aircraft I'm unlikely to be in!
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This one was special - the Air Tindi team is amazing - when they land, everyone is a baggage and cargo handler. Great to see places I've been to on one of these videos! Nice change from seeing what first class is like in a section of an aircraft I'm unlikely to be in!
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noel_philips
I was only in Yellowknife about 2 weeks ago. We flew Air Tindi to Hay River for a day. Dash 8-100 we were on. Did the buffalo Tour, didn't see Mickey but we saw met Joe, and we met Kathy in Hay River too. It was amazing. Mad that we missed you by a couple of days.
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I was only in Yellowknife about 2 weeks ago. We flew Air Tindi to Hay River for a day. Dash 8-100 we were on. Did the buffalo Tour, didn't see Mickey but we saw met Joe, and we met Kathy in Hay River too. It was amazing. Mad that we missed you by a couple of days.
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MattTrudden
Mikey you look great! seeing you and the Buffalo aircraft reminded me how much I miss Ice Pilots please bring that show back would love to see how the company has evolved with the jet. Was thinking about quitting my job at United to come fly for Buffalo!
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Mikey you look great! seeing you and the Buffalo aircraft reminded me how much I miss Ice Pilots please bring that show back would love to see how the company has evolved with the jet. Was thinking about quitting my job at United to come fly for Buffalo!
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demonjas
They used to fly on Dash 7's into Paradise Island Airport in Nassau Bahamas from Miami. Originally US Airways and then Paradise Island Airways. The runway was short and is now part of a golf course. Good times in the late 1990's into early 2000s.
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They used to fly on Dash 7's into Paradise Island Airport in Nassau Bahamas from Miami. Originally US Airways and then Paradise Island Airways. The runway was short and is now part of a golf course. Good times in the late 1990's into early 2000s.
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