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Bush Flying
th
The word “bush” in Canada has been used since the 19
century to describe the hostile environment beyond the
clearings and settlements. In bush flying it has been used
to refer to flying in adverse, if not hostile, conditions in
the remote expanses beyond the ribbon of settlement in
southern Canada, into the “bush” of the Canadian
SHIELD and the barren Arctic. By the end of WWI most of
southern Canada had been linked by railways, but the
North remained as inaccessible as ever by land. Its
innumerable lakes and rivers did, however, provide
alighting areas for water-based aircraft in summer and
ski-equipped aircraft in winter. Laurentide ceased operation in 1925 and from then
Winter flying began in 1917-18 and the first winter bush to 1927 the major bush-flying organization in
flying in Canada was undertaken by Fairchild Aerial Canada was the Ontario Provincial Air Service,
Surveys of Canada. In 1926 H.A. “Doc” Oaks flew supplies established in 1924 and devoted almost entirely to
from Hudson, Ont, to Narrow Lake, Ont, on Dec 27 for forestry operations.
Bathurst Mines. Under Oaks’s directions, methods of
These early operations were succeeded by a
engine heating and maintenance in difficult winter general air service, Laurentide Air Service Ltd, which
conditions were developed. The Elliot Brothers of Sioux carried out operations in both Québec and Ontario,
Lookout, Ont, are credited with the development of
including the first regular Canadian air-mail,
special skis for landing on snow or ice. Early navigation passenger and freight service from Haileybury, Ont,
was basically by recognition as pilots followed the course to Rouyn, Qué (1924). Laurentide ceased operation
of rivers.
in 1925 and from then to 1927 the major bush-
Bush flying began as aerial reconnaissance for spotting flying organization in Canada was the Ontario
forest fires. Laurentide and other paper companies hired Provincial Air Service, established in 1924 and
ex-RNAS pilot, Stuart Graham, in 1919 to fly forest-fire devoted almost entirely to forestry operations.
patrols over the St Maurice R valley. Using 2 war-surplus The usefulness of aircraft in northern mining
Curtiss HS-2L flying boats, Laurentide extended their operations was demonstrated after the gold strike
patrols from Lake-of-the-Woods to James Bay.
in the Red Lk district of northwestern Ontario
(1925). Patricia Airways and Exploration Ltd carried
passengers, freight and mail to the remote area. In
1928 Northern Aerial Mineral Exploration began
prospecting by air vast areas of Ungava and the
Yukon.
Western Canada Airways (renamed Canadian
Airways 1930) was formed in 1926 by James
A. RICHARDSON, a wealthy Winnipeg grain
merchant. One of WCA's pilots, Leigh BRINTNELL,
set out from Winnipeg in 1929, dropped off
prospector Gilbert LABINE at Great Bear Lk, flew on
These early operations were succeeded by a general air to Aklavik, across the Richardson Mts to Whitehorse
service, Laurentide Air Service Ltd, which carried out and Prince George, then to Edmonton and back to
operations in both Québec and Ontario, including the first Winnipeg - some 15 000 km. (In 1930 LaBine found
regular Canadian air-mail, passenger and freight service pitchblende, striking it rich.)
from Haileybury, Ont, to Rouyn, Qué (1924).
