Early History
United States Navy. General Motors TBM-3S. Construction #: 2484.
Royal Canadian Navy. Avenger AS 3. BOC: June 8, 1950. SOC: Jan. 30, 1958. Flew as #322.
Wheeler Airlines, St. Jean, Quebec
#505 CF-IMV 1958-1965
Aerial spray program – NB
1958 – Acquired from RCN 27 Feb 1958 for $4500. Converted to sprayer, painting, etc. by Fairey Aviation, Dartmouth, NS, for $3500. 58 as part of a fleet of 6 Wheeler and 6 Skyway TBMs. Pilot Hardwicke. 1959 – No operations. 1960-1965 – No records, but very likely flew in NB for these years.
Wheeler Northland #505 in pits at Dunphy, 1967. The other two TBMs in the team belong to Skyway Air Services of Langley, BC.
Engine maintenance, Wheeler TBM #505.
Wheeler Northland TBM #505 taking off, possibly 1967.
Wheeler Northland TBMs #505 FIMV and #501 FIMR, June 1970, location unknown.
Frank Hudson has posted a photo of FIMV #505 parked probably at the Wheeler hangar, Quebec, 12 November 1969. [Airliners.net]
Wheeler Northland Airways Ltd, St. Jean, Quebec
#505 CF-IMV 1966-1970
Aerial spray program – NB
1966 – Pilot Norman. 1967 – Pilot Zahorsky. 1968 – No information. 1969 – Pilot Skidmore. 1970 – Pilot Skidmore.
Evergreen Air Services, Roxboro, Quebec
#505 CF-IMV 1971-1975
Aerial spray program – NB
1971, 1972 – Pilot Skidmore. 1973, 1974, 1975 – Pilot Gilland. 1976 – Evergreen Air Services sold FIMV to Forest Protection Limited in 1976. This is one of 2 TBMs sold to FPL (the other was #501 FIMR).
Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, NB
#26 C-FIMV 1976-1977
Aerial spray program – NB
1976 – FPL purchased FIMV in 1976 from Evergreen Air Services, then dry leased it from them. Pilot Gilland. 1977 – Pilot Richards.
Crashed 9 June 1977, PM. TBM #505 CF-IMV piloted by Gary Richards and owned by FPL (flown out of Blissville) crashed on take-off at the end of the runway. The cause was a prop fracture on takeoff. The plane caught fire and was completely destroyed. The pilot was not injured.
FIMV crash site, Blissville, 9 June 1977.
