Ed Zaruk's Archives

I would like to add a few things to an article I did earlier about the Falklands Island Norseman located HERE in my archives.

Ian White, whose father Freddie White was Captain of RMS Fitzroyand subsequently RMS Darwin, took these pictures of VP-FAD when it was with the Falkland Islands Air Services in 1951.  This airplane was painted all in red and had been purchased by the Falklands Islands Dependency Survey to rescue stranded scientists on Stonington Island in 1949. While with FIGAS, it served the Islanders from a base out of Port Stanley from the roofless hangar then under construction. 

The sprog on the beaching gear in this picture is Ian getting a head start on his aviation career.  He flew for FIGAS for just under three years in the early ‘80s, interrupted briefly by the Argies.

All the other pictures are taken of the airplane at Goose Green.  The pilot at that time was Vic Spencer who held licence number 001 in the Falklands. This airplane was fitted with two belly tanks and the fillercaps can clearly be seen in two of the pictures.  Eventually the Norseman was retired and the airframe towed on a barge out of Stanley so the Royal Navy could have a target for gunnery practice. The engine ended up lying on the beach adjacent to the hangar and probably has become petrified! The floats apparently are still in use on Saunder Island as a barge. They were auctioned off during Ian’s time there.

I’m sorry my site doesn’t have the ability to enlarge these pictures, but the link following will take you to Bob Noorduyn’s grand daughter, Julie Bodie’s Flicker site where this feature is available.

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