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DeHavailland Beavers are the greatest bush planes ever built. They were named one of the ten outstanding Canadian engineering achievements in the past century!
Michelle named her DeHavilland Beaver the “Lady Esther” in honor of her grandmother Esther. She grew up with Esther who always encouraged Michelle to follow her dream and yet Esther was terrified to fly and never once boarded a plane! |
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The story of Lady Esther dates back to 1959 when she was delivered to her first owner the US Army Air Corps. There were a total of 1692 Beavers built by DeHavilland, the US Army purchased over half of them. The first prototype was flown in 1947 and construction continued through 1967. More than half of them are still in service today! |
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Like the Lady Esther, beavers are typically powered by an R-985 Pratt & Whitney radial engine. Others have been modified to accept turbo-prop engines, though these Beavers are relatively rare. The Pratt & Whitney radial is a very reliable engine and produces 450 hp in stock form on the Beaver. |
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Kenmore Air, located in Kenmore, Washington specializes in refurbishing Beavers. Kenmore Beavers are often advertised in airplane sales publications. They hold numerous STC modifications for the Beaver. Michelle purchased the Lady Esther from Kenmore in January of 2002 and had them rebuild and paint it to her specifications. The original price tag in 1959 was around $17,000. Today the Lady Esther is worth about $500,000. |
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Seaplane maintenance is somewhat more involved than other kinds of general aviation. Airplanes on floats either dock in the water overnight or pull up onto a tip up ramp. Because they frequently land in saltwater, they must be washed down at the end of the day to prevent corrosion. In fact, maintaining a Beaver is pretty expensive - anywhere between $50,000 and $90,000 a year. |
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Michelle,
These are still some of my favorite images that I shot while on assignment for NOAA in Alaska during 2007. You maintain what must be the most beautiful De Havilland Beaver floatplane in all of Alaska! I hope your Island Wings Air Service business is doing well.
Cheers! Bill |
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Aside from basic structural or avionics improvements, Beavers have changed little from their original design. To enhance navigation and communication Michelle has added the Capstone equipment to the Lady Esther. Additionally she has installed a marine radio, an IPod hookup, a satellite phone and cell phone blue tooth connectivity. |
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Michelle takes delivery of Lady Esther at Kenmore, WA in 2002 |
The DeHavialland Beaver remains the workhorse of Alaska and is the most commonly flown bush plane today. The Beaver is so outstanding that nobody has replaced it, not even with a better Beaver. By definition, a classic comes close to perfection!
“It is an honor and a privilege to own and fly one!” Come and see for yourself... |
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In 2014 Hobbico, Inc., a maker of radio controlled aircraft were so enamored with the Lady Esther that they asked Michelle if they could reproduce her aircraft in a scaled form. Of course she was flattered and now you can fly your very own Lady Esther. Get yours at Flyzone. The mechanics at Kenmore Air fly theirs during lunch in the parking lot. |
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For all the fans of the de Havilland DHC-2, the Fretless Bar Girls perform the “Beaver Song,” a folksy tribute to this wonderful workhorse of the north. The tune compliments many images of DHC-2s from Alaska, Washington, British Columbia and a few from New Hampshire, including the Island Wings beaver “Lady Esther.” Thanks to the Fretless Bar Girls and Kevin Thompson. |
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Island Wings Air Service belongs to these organizations
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