Bush Pilot: Reflections on a Canadian Myth

[magoo]

Here's a link to a nice short film by Canada's NFB that I haven't seen for decades. I'm posting because the flick features some very clear and explicit colour footage of Northway Aviation's old Noorduyn Norseman doing it's thing on floats, including some beautiful air to air shots in mixed weather up around the northern end of Lake Winnipeg.

There's also some nice black'n'white archival material showing a collection of old Fairchild FC's or 71's, at least one Fokker Super Universal, a brief glimpse of what may be a Vickers Vedette, and a most whimsical air to air image of a De Havilland Gypsy Moth on floats.

The sound recording of the Norseman's R-1340 is excellent, a great companion to the Murphy's War recording of that Grumman Duck with the same engine. Turn your volume up!

Looks like it was filmed around the mid to late 1970's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlI2qAzQh9U

 

[Bruce66]

Good post!

I remember when that came out and then ran on a loop (it felt like!) on CJFB along with all the other NFB nature shows and Vignettes in the early '80s (do you remember 'The Loon'? Classic!)

I have watched this one several times over the past couple years looking for Bush Flying inspiration. Great stuff!

 

[gavinc]

Good post!

all the other NFB nature shows and Vignettes in the early '80s (do you remember 'The Loon'? Classic!)

!

That takes me back - I was walking in the woods near us recently and saw a ruffed grouse, suddenly had a flashback to all those Hinterland Who's Who shorts on CBOT

 

[magoo]

Ahhh....Canucks waxing nostalgic. Few things warm my heart more than that.

Lot's more of what we grew up with on the NFB site:

https://www.nfb.ca/

 

[srgalahad]

and a lot more that have not (and may never) be digitized...
Just in the area of "Transportation' alone
http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/subject-categories/?ids=45&nom=Transportation.

My connection with the NFB goes back a long way (1956) when I was lucky enough to be part of a production filmed in their 'brand new' sound stage in Montreal, that was one of the first CBC/NFB programs to be transmitted simultaneously across the entire national network.