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History of the Caribou
12/24/06 BOU' WHO?
Our intrepid parts scrounger Trevor McIntyre, recently discovered that there is a derelict, forlorn
old DeHavilland Caribou sitting at a Florida airport that turns out to be a former Air America
aircraft!!! Its far too corroded and damaged to ever fly again...and much of the fuselage and tail
is gone...but we are going to see if its possible to harvest the front fuselage/cockpit for static
display, because of this airplane's historic past. Its reportedly attributed to being the last Air
America Caribou to leave Laos when Air America's operations were ended. Its about 40 miles
away from Titusville....Amazing! More to follow on this interesting project.
1/9/07 BOU WHO??? WHO HAS THE CARIBOU??? WE DO!
It's official! We have struck a deal to obtain the forward fuselage of Dehavilland Caribou
61-02389 that once flew for Air America!
Our intrepid parts scrounger Trevor McIntyre, recently discovered that there is a derelict, forlorn
old DeHavilland Caribou sitting at a Florida airport that turns out to be a former Air America
aircraft!!! Its far too corroded and damaged to ever fly again...and much of the fuselage and tail
is gone...but we are going to see if its possible to harvest the front fuselage/cockpit for static
display, because of this airplane's historic past. Its reportedly attributed to being the last Air
America Caribou to leave Laos when Air America's operations were ended. Its about 40 miles
away from Titusville....Amazing! More to follow on this interesting project.
1/9/07 BOU WHO??? WHO HAS THE CARIBOU??? WE DO!
It's official! We have struck a deal to obtain the forward fuselage of Dehavilland Caribou
61-02389 that once flew for Air America!
Sadly this old bird is no longer complete...and will never fly again, but due to its historic relevance, we have elected to salvage the
cockpit section off of the hulk, install it on a trailer, and use it for air show displays once its cleaned up, and restored inside and out,
to resemble its appearance while in the service of Air America! This is a REAL Air America veteran! Although it would have been
nice to save more of the hulk, its wings were already cut off, the tail was cut off, engines gone, and it would have been impossible
to reassemble completely even for static display. But we have managed to save at least part of this historic airplane, and it will live
on, as a physical tribute to our Air America hero's and heroines! This project has been accomplished through the tireless efforts of
Trevor McIntyre, our parts scrounger and deal maker extraordinaire! Trevor is completely responsible for saving this historic
airframe, and is underwriting a significant part of the costs to obtain the airplane. We are grateful to Trevor for his tireless efforts
"ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY". Bravo Trevor! Well Done!
Of course I think all these accolades might be getting to his ego... as he now signs off his email's as, "The Man, The Myth, The
legend" I just hope his head does not get so inflated that he gets stuck passing through the door!
Once completed, the Caribou can be used to attend aviation displays, schools, and other off-airport displays such as Parades and
local events. Please ask around and see what happens.
3/20/07 Not wanting to waste a moment, we have been working behind the scenes on the Caribou project. Rod and Trevor
McIntyre are running point on this program, and they have been working on the airplane, taking measurements, making preliminary
cuts to get the fuselage prepared for the big cut! The father and son McIntyre team has arranged for a local scrap dealer to be on
hand to cut and reposition the fuselage onto a trailer for transport. Plans are in motion to make the big cut one week from this
coming Thursday. In the mean time a cradle system will be constructed to support the airframe. We will then put together a time
line for refurbishing the cockpit and getting it ready for demonstration and display.
3/28/07 We are moving ahead on the Caribou project and the Big Cut is currently set for Saturday April 7th at the New Smyrna
Beach scrap yard at the western edge of the airport. Transportation from the VAC will be available on a first come first served basis.
Additional space on top of the roof of the Excursion will be available for late comers. We will be arranging for crane service and
making final plans for the transport of the forward portion of the Caribou fuselage to Titusville. A local scrap/recycling guy has
volunteered to help us make the Big Cut and will use his trailer to transport the cockpit section south to Titusville. This Thursday we
will be fabricating the cradles which will be used to hold the cockpit section, up at TICO. Rod and Trevor McIntyre have been
working tirelessly (without tires?) to prepare the airplane for its upcoming date with destiny. The three of us were up at the Caribou
on Tuesday to continue stripping the interior floorboards and to remove other interior components where the cut will be made.
Whenever possible we are saving usable hardware, fittings and items that could be of value to other Caribou owners.
Rod and I worked hard while Trevor wore himself out by taking over 100 photos of the process! Yeah, Trevor sure knows how to
jump in and lend a hand...Maybe someday he will! HAHA HAHAHAHAA!!! Just kidding, Once he ran out of camera space, he
actually did join his poor dad and me in pulling up the floor boards.
4/9/07 Saturday morning dawned cool, clear and perfect for our project! Our intrepid crew consisted of Louis Comeau, Lewis
Lynch, Mark Davies, Vern Goding, Rod and Trevor McIntyre and yours truly. We arrived at the New Smyrna Beach scrap yard on
schedule and we soon had the generator set up, and everything ready for the arrival of the crane at noon. Nothing went as planned
after that!!! Once the crane arrived, we assisted Jim Jones, (No...not the guy of cool-aid infamy) in setting up the spreader bar and
lift cables and soon the cradles were snuggling under the bottom of the fuselage. Trevor McIntyre and Vern Goding clambered
aboard the airplane and started sawing away at the last structural components holding the airplane together. For the last month,
we had been visiting the airplane, cutting usable items out, and weakening the structure so that the last cuts would take less time
with the crane waiting. (At $300 an hour every minute costs money!) With a flurry of electric power saws, Vern and Trevor soon had
the forward 17 feet of the fuselage free. When the crane began to lift it away from the remaining portion of the airplane, it became
obvious that we had a BIG problem. We had miscalculated the center of gravity on the nose section! It tipped nose down at a
precarious angle and we had to stop the lift, keeping the nose piece resting atop a large steel structure. While Trevor and Vern
clambered out of the airplane, the crane operator had to go back to his shop, returning with a large rubber tired fork lift which was
positioned to attach a cable under the nose and raise it while the crane lifted the whole mess and placed it on the ground. We were
then able to slide the fuselage backward on the cradles, giving it a much better balance. Then, it was raised and positioned onto
the transport trailer and strapped down. There was great rejoicing! Then came the bill for the crane services....just shy of $500.
Although we were happy to pay the price, it still stings a bit. The guys at Jim Jones Construction were fantastic, professional, and
worth every dime for getting us out of a jam. Once the airplane was secured, we dined courtesy of Rod McIntyre and the Burger
King, as we formed our motorcade and began our trek southwards to the VAC.
4/11/07 Hello and welcome to part two of the adventures and mis-adventures of the migratory story of the Caribou from New
Smyrna Beach to Titusville.
The story picks up as we leave the scrap yard and head south on US HWY 1. We reached the blazing speed of 40 MPH at times,
but mostly cruised at between 30 to 35 MPH. The Caribou got some rather curious looks from traffic and people along the route!
Although the overall height of the airplane atop the trailer was well below the maximum allowable limit, a radio antenna on top of
the airplane managed to get whacked on the trip, but other than that, the airplane did great.
About midway on the 40 mile route, Jimmy the driver of the tow truck decided to pull over at a local "Stop and Rob" convenience
store/gas station. Some of the troop decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go and powder their noses. After the straps
were rechecked, we loaded up and resumed our southward trek.
While we were heading south, we learned that the crane at the VAC would not start! Oh great! The crane would have made
unloading the airplane a breeze! We'd just have to get creative once we got there!
We had nearly reached the museum when I received a cell phone call from Bob James at the museum, saying that he had just
received a phone call from one of our volunteers who was still at the convenience store 20 miles north of Titusville!!! Seems that
our pal, Louis Comeau had been left behind!!!! Rod McIntyre immediately departed northwards to get him. Seems that Louis
emerged from the rest rooms to find that we had departed leaving him marooned. Louis had decided to switch rides at the station,
but we didn't know that. And we all drove off unaware of the problem! Fortunately, Louis was forgiving about our Faux Pas. Thanks
Lou!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch..... er Musem, we began to work on getting the Caribou off the transport trailer and onto its temporary
home atop our cargo loading trailer. Efforts to resurrect the crane proved fruitless, so after considerable discussion and gnashing
of teeth, we decided to drag out our trusty gantry crane. Although it was far from easy, we did manage to lift the fuselage off the
trailer, and relocate it onto the cargo trailer. After much celebration, Vern and Trevor towed the conquest to a temporary parking
area. Being totally exhausted, our crew soon departed and as the sun began to set, we headed for home, feeling relieved that the
mission had been successful despite the adventures.
Now, the Caribou will be restored to resemble its Air America appearance, and its historic role in Air America's past will be
preserved. HEY!!! BE A SPONSOR of the Caribou restoration!! We estimate that $3000 will need to be raised to make the airplane
look great again! Your name or your company name will appear on the completed aircraft and all donations are tax deductible!
Thanks go to Trevor McIntyre for his research and single minded determination to save the Caribou along with a big tip-o-the hat to
Louis Comeau, Lewis Lynch, Vern Goding, Mark Davies, Rod McIntyre for their hard work and assistance in accomplishing the BIG
CUT!
4/21/07 We have also found a possible source of Caribou parts thanks to our friend Dave Jackson at Aviation Propellers in Miami.
He reminded us of Pen-Turbo...a company based in Cape May N.J. who takes C7 Caribous and upgrades them inside and
out...fitting them with PT6 Turboprops and a host of upgrades. These versatile aircraft are currently in service worldwide.
We have made contact with them and are currently working to obtain some airframe parts for the external and internal
refurbishment.
4/27/07 It was Trevor that discovered that the forlorn old Caribou in New Smyrna Beach was an actual Air America veteran, and his
efforts resulted in obtaining it, which has influenced our recent afforts dramatically. Earlier in the week, Trevor, his father Rod and I
traveled up to New Smyrna to take a final look at the remains of the Caribou which was left behind.....the attached photo shows that
it had been moved while the area was being cleared. It was sitting with its rear end pointed skywards in a final gesture of defiance.
5/19/07 Well, you just never know where an e-mail will lead to but Trevor McIntyre has surely made some interesting contacts
resulting from contact on the internet requesting information on the Caribou 61-2389. He got an overwhelming response from
several people who have proven priceless in providing historical information on the airplane and its pre-Air America deployment.
I think Trevor has opened up a BIG can of worms...but its all good! And this morning we met two great folks who are a part of 389's
history. Lee and Jennifer Maynard were at the airplanes this morning upon our arrival. Lee is a pilot and member of a crew that
flies a Caribou to airshows. The airplane is based in Atlanta but the Maynards live in Orlando. Seems that Lee is one of the crew
that did the original dismantling on the Carbou when it was in New Smyrna. He saw it operating for the very last time, and then
dismantled the parts they needed to keep their Caribou in flying condition.
7/1/07 Trevor FINALLY got to work on the interior of the Caribou, removing the last of the floor panels to inspect what repairs will be
needed to make it look a little better.
7/29/07 As part of our Caribou restoration project, we are hoping that someone out there might have a good scannable image of
the Caribou logo artwork that was depicted on the side of the nose of the aircraft. It was the official DeHavilland logo for their
Caribous.
Perhaps someone has an original manual or paperwork with that logo printed on it. We can scan it and have the graphic re-created
in Vinyl adhesive lettering.
GOOD NEWS! Our friend Lee Maynard has gone to bat for us, and we will be getting the orignal nosecone for our Caribou back
from the folks who salvaged 389 a few years ago to keep their flying Caribou airworthy. Sadly the airplane was sold while it was in
Osh Kosh last week. Its already been flown to its new owner in Wisconsin. Lee was part of the flight crew and really enjoyed flying
the Bou. Nothing lasts forever I suppose.
Hey..while I am talking about the Caribou, I have another request...Anyone out there know where we can acquire the rear end of an
old step van? You may recall the type of vehicle...A bread truck, or ambulance with double doors which swing outwards. We figure
that if we can locate the entire rear panel including the doors, it could be joined to the rear of the Caribou, making a weatherproof
and secure rear bulkhead. If you know of a salvage yard somewhere in Florida or Georgia that has a wrecked van or Ambulance
that would be willing to sell us the rear bulkhead including the doors, please let me know.
8/20/07 Caribou gets a nose job! While I was away at my annual medical convention, it seems that there was activity at the
Caribou. With the assistance of Lee Maynard, we were able to obtain the original nose radome that was once installed on our
airplane, and on Saturday, Rod McIntyre and his work-challenged son Trevor installed it back into its rightful place! Its amazing how
much better the airplane looks with its radome installed in its proper place. We're still hoping to obtain the hatches for the sides of
the airplane and a replacement escape hatch for the top of the cockpit. Then we will paint the exterior and begin working on finding
interior components for the cockpit. Once completed, we will tow it to special events and displays using our recently completed
trailer.
Our sincere thanks to Lee, Rod and Trevor for their efforts to make this happen. We are going to place more time and effort on the
Caribou in the coming weeks so that it can be painted and made ready for exhibition.
cockpit section off of the hulk, install it on a trailer, and use it for air show displays once its cleaned up, and restored inside and out,
to resemble its appearance while in the service of Air America! This is a REAL Air America veteran! Although it would have been
nice to save more of the hulk, its wings were already cut off, the tail was cut off, engines gone, and it would have been impossible
to reassemble completely even for static display. But we have managed to save at least part of this historic airplane, and it will live
on, as a physical tribute to our Air America hero's and heroines! This project has been accomplished through the tireless efforts of
Trevor McIntyre, our parts scrounger and deal maker extraordinaire! Trevor is completely responsible for saving this historic
airframe, and is underwriting a significant part of the costs to obtain the airplane. We are grateful to Trevor for his tireless efforts
"ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY". Bravo Trevor! Well Done!
Of course I think all these accolades might be getting to his ego... as he now signs off his email's as, "The Man, The Myth, The
legend" I just hope his head does not get so inflated that he gets stuck passing through the door!
Once completed, the Caribou can be used to attend aviation displays, schools, and other off-airport displays such as Parades and
local events. Please ask around and see what happens.
3/20/07 Not wanting to waste a moment, we have been working behind the scenes on the Caribou project. Rod and Trevor
McIntyre are running point on this program, and they have been working on the airplane, taking measurements, making preliminary
cuts to get the fuselage prepared for the big cut! The father and son McIntyre team has arranged for a local scrap dealer to be on
hand to cut and reposition the fuselage onto a trailer for transport. Plans are in motion to make the big cut one week from this
coming Thursday. In the mean time a cradle system will be constructed to support the airframe. We will then put together a time
line for refurbishing the cockpit and getting it ready for demonstration and display.
3/28/07 We are moving ahead on the Caribou project and the Big Cut is currently set for Saturday April 7th at the New Smyrna
Beach scrap yard at the western edge of the airport. Transportation from the VAC will be available on a first come first served basis.
Additional space on top of the roof of the Excursion will be available for late comers. We will be arranging for crane service and
making final plans for the transport of the forward portion of the Caribou fuselage to Titusville. A local scrap/recycling guy has
volunteered to help us make the Big Cut and will use his trailer to transport the cockpit section south to Titusville. This Thursday we
will be fabricating the cradles which will be used to hold the cockpit section, up at TICO. Rod and Trevor McIntyre have been
working tirelessly (without tires?) to prepare the airplane for its upcoming date with destiny. The three of us were up at the Caribou
on Tuesday to continue stripping the interior floorboards and to remove other interior components where the cut will be made.
Whenever possible we are saving usable hardware, fittings and items that could be of value to other Caribou owners.
Rod and I worked hard while Trevor wore himself out by taking over 100 photos of the process! Yeah, Trevor sure knows how to
jump in and lend a hand...Maybe someday he will! HAHA HAHAHAHAA!!! Just kidding, Once he ran out of camera space, he
actually did join his poor dad and me in pulling up the floor boards.
4/9/07 Saturday morning dawned cool, clear and perfect for our project! Our intrepid crew consisted of Louis Comeau, Lewis
Lynch, Mark Davies, Vern Goding, Rod and Trevor McIntyre and yours truly. We arrived at the New Smyrna Beach scrap yard on
schedule and we soon had the generator set up, and everything ready for the arrival of the crane at noon. Nothing went as planned
after that!!! Once the crane arrived, we assisted Jim Jones, (No...not the guy of cool-aid infamy) in setting up the spreader bar and
lift cables and soon the cradles were snuggling under the bottom of the fuselage. Trevor McIntyre and Vern Goding clambered
aboard the airplane and started sawing away at the last structural components holding the airplane together. For the last month,
we had been visiting the airplane, cutting usable items out, and weakening the structure so that the last cuts would take less time
with the crane waiting. (At $300 an hour every minute costs money!) With a flurry of electric power saws, Vern and Trevor soon had
the forward 17 feet of the fuselage free. When the crane began to lift it away from the remaining portion of the airplane, it became
obvious that we had a BIG problem. We had miscalculated the center of gravity on the nose section! It tipped nose down at a
precarious angle and we had to stop the lift, keeping the nose piece resting atop a large steel structure. While Trevor and Vern
clambered out of the airplane, the crane operator had to go back to his shop, returning with a large rubber tired fork lift which was
positioned to attach a cable under the nose and raise it while the crane lifted the whole mess and placed it on the ground. We were
then able to slide the fuselage backward on the cradles, giving it a much better balance. Then, it was raised and positioned onto
the transport trailer and strapped down. There was great rejoicing! Then came the bill for the crane services....just shy of $500.
Although we were happy to pay the price, it still stings a bit. The guys at Jim Jones Construction were fantastic, professional, and
worth every dime for getting us out of a jam. Once the airplane was secured, we dined courtesy of Rod McIntyre and the Burger
King, as we formed our motorcade and began our trek southwards to the VAC.
4/11/07 Hello and welcome to part two of the adventures and mis-adventures of the migratory story of the Caribou from New
Smyrna Beach to Titusville.
The story picks up as we leave the scrap yard and head south on US HWY 1. We reached the blazing speed of 40 MPH at times,
but mostly cruised at between 30 to 35 MPH. The Caribou got some rather curious looks from traffic and people along the route!
Although the overall height of the airplane atop the trailer was well below the maximum allowable limit, a radio antenna on top of
the airplane managed to get whacked on the trip, but other than that, the airplane did great.
About midway on the 40 mile route, Jimmy the driver of the tow truck decided to pull over at a local "Stop and Rob" convenience
store/gas station. Some of the troop decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go and powder their noses. After the straps
were rechecked, we loaded up and resumed our southward trek.
While we were heading south, we learned that the crane at the VAC would not start! Oh great! The crane would have made
unloading the airplane a breeze! We'd just have to get creative once we got there!
We had nearly reached the museum when I received a cell phone call from Bob James at the museum, saying that he had just
received a phone call from one of our volunteers who was still at the convenience store 20 miles north of Titusville!!! Seems that
our pal, Louis Comeau had been left behind!!!! Rod McIntyre immediately departed northwards to get him. Seems that Louis
emerged from the rest rooms to find that we had departed leaving him marooned. Louis had decided to switch rides at the station,
but we didn't know that. And we all drove off unaware of the problem! Fortunately, Louis was forgiving about our Faux Pas. Thanks
Lou!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch..... er Musem, we began to work on getting the Caribou off the transport trailer and onto its temporary
home atop our cargo loading trailer. Efforts to resurrect the crane proved fruitless, so after considerable discussion and gnashing
of teeth, we decided to drag out our trusty gantry crane. Although it was far from easy, we did manage to lift the fuselage off the
trailer, and relocate it onto the cargo trailer. After much celebration, Vern and Trevor towed the conquest to a temporary parking
area. Being totally exhausted, our crew soon departed and as the sun began to set, we headed for home, feeling relieved that the
mission had been successful despite the adventures.
Now, the Caribou will be restored to resemble its Air America appearance, and its historic role in Air America's past will be
preserved. HEY!!! BE A SPONSOR of the Caribou restoration!! We estimate that $3000 will need to be raised to make the airplane
look great again! Your name or your company name will appear on the completed aircraft and all donations are tax deductible!
Thanks go to Trevor McIntyre for his research and single minded determination to save the Caribou along with a big tip-o-the hat to
Louis Comeau, Lewis Lynch, Vern Goding, Mark Davies, Rod McIntyre for their hard work and assistance in accomplishing the BIG
CUT!
4/21/07 We have also found a possible source of Caribou parts thanks to our friend Dave Jackson at Aviation Propellers in Miami.
He reminded us of Pen-Turbo...a company based in Cape May N.J. who takes C7 Caribous and upgrades them inside and
out...fitting them with PT6 Turboprops and a host of upgrades. These versatile aircraft are currently in service worldwide.
We have made contact with them and are currently working to obtain some airframe parts for the external and internal
refurbishment.
4/27/07 It was Trevor that discovered that the forlorn old Caribou in New Smyrna Beach was an actual Air America veteran, and his
efforts resulted in obtaining it, which has influenced our recent afforts dramatically. Earlier in the week, Trevor, his father Rod and I
traveled up to New Smyrna to take a final look at the remains of the Caribou which was left behind.....the attached photo shows that
it had been moved while the area was being cleared. It was sitting with its rear end pointed skywards in a final gesture of defiance.
5/19/07 Well, you just never know where an e-mail will lead to but Trevor McIntyre has surely made some interesting contacts
resulting from contact on the internet requesting information on the Caribou 61-2389. He got an overwhelming response from
several people who have proven priceless in providing historical information on the airplane and its pre-Air America deployment.
I think Trevor has opened up a BIG can of worms...but its all good! And this morning we met two great folks who are a part of 389's
history. Lee and Jennifer Maynard were at the airplanes this morning upon our arrival. Lee is a pilot and member of a crew that
flies a Caribou to airshows. The airplane is based in Atlanta but the Maynards live in Orlando. Seems that Lee is one of the crew
that did the original dismantling on the Carbou when it was in New Smyrna. He saw it operating for the very last time, and then
dismantled the parts they needed to keep their Caribou in flying condition.
7/1/07 Trevor FINALLY got to work on the interior of the Caribou, removing the last of the floor panels to inspect what repairs will be
needed to make it look a little better.
7/29/07 As part of our Caribou restoration project, we are hoping that someone out there might have a good scannable image of
the Caribou logo artwork that was depicted on the side of the nose of the aircraft. It was the official DeHavilland logo for their
Caribous.
Perhaps someone has an original manual or paperwork with that logo printed on it. We can scan it and have the graphic re-created
in Vinyl adhesive lettering.
GOOD NEWS! Our friend Lee Maynard has gone to bat for us, and we will be getting the orignal nosecone for our Caribou back
from the folks who salvaged 389 a few years ago to keep their flying Caribou airworthy. Sadly the airplane was sold while it was in
Osh Kosh last week. Its already been flown to its new owner in Wisconsin. Lee was part of the flight crew and really enjoyed flying
the Bou. Nothing lasts forever I suppose.
Hey..while I am talking about the Caribou, I have another request...Anyone out there know where we can acquire the rear end of an
old step van? You may recall the type of vehicle...A bread truck, or ambulance with double doors which swing outwards. We figure
that if we can locate the entire rear panel including the doors, it could be joined to the rear of the Caribou, making a weatherproof
and secure rear bulkhead. If you know of a salvage yard somewhere in Florida or Georgia that has a wrecked van or Ambulance
that would be willing to sell us the rear bulkhead including the doors, please let me know.
8/20/07 Caribou gets a nose job! While I was away at my annual medical convention, it seems that there was activity at the
Caribou. With the assistance of Lee Maynard, we were able to obtain the original nose radome that was once installed on our
airplane, and on Saturday, Rod McIntyre and his work-challenged son Trevor installed it back into its rightful place! Its amazing how
much better the airplane looks with its radome installed in its proper place. We're still hoping to obtain the hatches for the sides of
the airplane and a replacement escape hatch for the top of the cockpit. Then we will paint the exterior and begin working on finding
interior components for the cockpit. Once completed, we will tow it to special events and displays using our recently completed
trailer.
Our sincere thanks to Lee, Rod and Trevor for their efforts to make this happen. We are going to place more time and effort on the
Caribou in the coming weeks so that it can be painted and made ready for exhibition.
