16 FLYPAST December 2018
briefi ngs
NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE
Bristol Type 170 Freighter CF-UME
has been discovered and fi lmed
at the bottom of a remote lake in
Canada’s Yukon.
The aircraft was lost while
operating from the frozen lake
in 1969. A starboard wheel broke
through the ice after landing and,
when a salvage attempt failed,
the Bristol was left to its fate.
No one was injured. In August,
the machine was discovered byarchaeologists Doug Davidge and
Steven Hanulik using high-resolution
sonar. A Trident ROV underwater
drone was used to photograph
the wreckage.
It’s the fi rst time Mike-Echo has
been seen in almost 50 years. Steven
commented: “We have no immediate
retrieval plans, but it is defi nitely a
possibility for the future. The remote
nature of the lake and the depth
would make this quite a challenge.”Lost Bristol Freighter
discovered in Canada’s
Yukon region
A glimpse of Bristol Freighter CF-UME recorded by underwater drone. COURTESY STEVEN HANULIKThe Mitchell B-25 Project is continuing
to progress its restoration of North
American B-25J Mitchell 44-
(LV-GXH). The project, led by Gustavo
Passano, is based in Hangar 63 of
the General Rodriguez Airport,
Buenos Aires.
Having fl own for the USAAF, the
aircraft was converted to a TB-25N
trainer, but eventually entered storage
at the Davis-Monthan ‘boneyard’ in
Arizona. In June 1961, it was acquired by
an individual in Argentina, but was later
seized by the police for allegedly being
used to transport contraband material.
With insuffi cient funding to maintain
it in airworthy condition, it was
used instead as a ‘gate guardian’
at Santiago del Estero Airport. The
Mitchell B-25 Project was initiated in
2011 to restore the former bomber, now
named Huaira Bajo. JUAN CARLOS CICALESIArgentina’s Mitchell returning
to airworthy status
North American B-25J Mitchell LV-GXH is being restored to fl y in Argentina.
GUSTAVO PASSANO VIA JUAN CARLOS CICALESI
Chilean Douglas Dakota
reaches new home
Douglas DC-3 CC-PJN completed its 560-mile (900km) road journey to Osorno, Chile, on August- The aircraft is to be restored by collector Ricardo Prambs, having previously been kept in open
storage at Santa Teresa del Almendral airfi eld near Melipilla (see October issue).
RICARDO PRAMBS VIA ÁLVARO ROMERO
Argentina’s Museo Nacional De Malvinas has
taken delivery of Agusta A109A Hirundo AE-
335 from the nation’s army. The helicopter
entered military service in 1979, operating
with 602 Squadron which participated in the
1982 Falklands confl ict. Surviving examples
fl ew on until 2007, before entering storage
at Campo de Mayo, Buenos Aires. ESTEBAN BREASwitzerland’s Ju-Air has resumed pleasure
fl ights in its two remaining Junkers Ju
52 tri-motors, after an investigation into
the loss of HB-HOT found no evidence of
technical failure. However, passengers will
no longer be able to visit the cockpit in
fl ight and both aircraft have been fi tted
with GPS systems. JÜRGEN SCHELLING