Stepping into History

The single-engine, high winged de Havilland Beaver, speaks of wilderness adventures in the deep outback. Developed by de Havilland Canada as a STOL, short takeoff and landing aircraft, it debuted on August 16 of 1947. Designated as the DHC-2 Beaver, the all-metal aircraft soon became the preeminent bush plane for pilots who flew into Canada’s wild northern territories. Powered by a nine-cylinder R-985 Pratt and Whitney, it’s a sturdy aircraft that can haul up to six passengers and capable of carrying heavy loads into confined and sometimes rugged areas. Most are equipped with floats to facilitate landing on remote lakes. Over time it has become a Canadian icon.

Through some inspired planning, we stepped into history by hiring a Beaver from Seattle’s Kenmore Air. Dan, Greg, and I realized the import of the moment, all more than eager to take flight in the vintage de Havilland Beaver. Our Filson lakeside floatplane photoshoot would take place on Lake Isabel, an alpine lake that rests deep in a mountainous boxed canyon just north of the tiny hamlet of Index. Local knowledge is required and, it’s a steep drop in with a floatplane, but we had the proprietor of Kenmore Air, Gregg Munro, at the controls, so we had no worries. The water came up damn fast, but we were soon leisurely cruising towards a small sandy beach. What a thrill!

After unpacking float tubes and fly fishing gear, we spent the afternoon capturing images of fly fisherman floating and fishing a high alpine lake, and of course, photographing the Beaver bobbing peacefully on the sparkling water. The scene seemed from another era. Greg snapped images with his Nikon as the sun dipped below the neighboring peaks. We reluctantly looked back. Gregg sped across the lake, building up speed, to make an arcing takeoff to fly above the nearby mountain peaks. I had climbed Mount Index many years before and was now thrilled to finally see it from the air. What a memorable day. Such an iconic aircraft. The flight was amazing! We all felt the magic and are eternally grateful for the opportunity.