CF-MUD / Skyway/Conair/FPL #612/#12 / Bu# 86180

Early History

United States Navy. TBM-3S. Construction number 2999.
Royal Canadian Navy. AS 3. BOC: Oct. 19, 1950. SOC: July 5, 1960. Military Service in Canada: Flew as #324 for Squadron VC 920, CFB Hamilton, Ontario.

Skyway Air Services, Langley, BC
#612 CF-MUD 1961-1969

1963 – In early July, Harold Hawes conducted fire bombing in Prince George, BC, using both KCL and MUD. [Hazel Clare, pers. comm.]

Aerial Spray Program – NB
1960 – No details, but probably flew in NB in those years.

1961 – Crashed on take-off at Juniper airstrip 20 June 1961, while conducting a spray operation. According to the Department of Transport accident card, the cause is unknown. The card does not mention if pilot A.M. Davidson suffered any injuries, but lack of details probably means that he was OK. “The undercarriage and propeller were substantially damaged.” [There was] minor damage to the airframe, substantial damage to the power plant.”

Skyway TBM#612 wreckage_JuniperNB_1961

Skyway TBM #612 wreckage at Juniper airstrip, 1961.

clip_image002 — Skyway TBM #612 wreckage at Juniper airstrip, 1961.

1962-1965 – No details, but probably flew in NB in those years. 1966, 1967 – Pilot Plawski. 1968 – Did not fly in NB.

Conair Aviation Ltd., Abbotsford, BC
#612 CF-MUD 1969-1977

Aerial Spray Program – NB, Quebec
1969 – No information. 1970 – Pilot John Truran.

1971 – Crash. Ditched on purpose 11 June 1971 in Lake Nigault, Quebec, after power loss associated with backfiring while flying at low altitude; retrieved. Pilot John Truran was not injured but the aircraft received substantial damage.

Engine failure & ditching #12_LacNigaultQU_11Jun1971 — “Engine failure & ditching #12 … this incident occurred in 1971 while [I was] flying out of Lac Nigault, P.Q. The picture shows the aircraft sitting in Whiskey Lake, later hauled out re-engined and flown back to Abbotsford, BC.” The reflection of the “2” in the water makes it look like a “3”. [Posted to FPL Alumni by John Truran November 3, 2015.]

1972 – Pilot John Truran. 1973 – Pilot Wood. 1974 – Pilot Blyth. 1975 – Pilots Truran and Inman. 1976, 1977 – Pilot Wood. FMUD was one of 8 TBMs sold to FPL in August 1977.

clip_image007 — A nice image of FMUD at Abbotsford, BC. [John Stewart, Scalefirebombers]

clip_image009 — Conair TBM #612 FMUD at FPL, Fredericton, 1977. The other TBMs are #616 FKCM and #609 FKCL.

Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, NB
#12 CF-MUD 1977-2002

1977 – FPL purchased FMUD from Conair Aviation Limited in 1 August 1977 for $27,000.

Aerial Spray Program / Fire Suppression – NB
1978 – Pilots Houghton and Bisson. Repainted and renumbered to fleet standard after 4 July, 1978. Fire bombing. 1979 – Pilots Bisson and Wood. Spare for fire bombing. 1980 – Pilot Fenwick. Stand-by for fire bombing.

Aerial Spray Program – NB
1981, 1982, 1983 – Pilot Fenwick. 1984 – Pilot Pugh. 1985, 1986 – Pilot Archer. 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 – Pilot Lavigne. 1991 – Pilot Ragany. 1992 – Pilot Hutchings. 1993 – Pilot Soden.

Inactive/Sold – NB
1994-2001 – Inactive, in storage. 2002 – Sold on 6 May, 2002, to US Naval Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May Airport, New Jersey, and trucked out.

clip_image013 — TBM #12 between two unidentified TBMs at Fredericton, 1978.

clip_image017 — TBM #12 at Brockway airstrip, 1984.

clip_image021 — TBM #12 under tow, Fredericton, 1986.

clip_image023 — TBM #12 in pits at Sevogle, 1986.

clip_image025 — TBM #12 spraying over forest, 1987.

clip_image027 — TBM #12, with Micronair spray atomizers, Diamond Aviation, Fredericton, 1987.

clip_image029 — TBM #12, with Micronair spray atomizers, Fredericton, 1987.

Post-spray History

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May Airport, Rio Grande, New Jersey.

Sold in June 2002 to US Naval Station Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May, New Jersey. See image here. Source: “TBM-3E “Avenger” Torpedo Bomber Warplane” by Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary. National Park Service. Two images that accompany the article show this aircraft still in FPL colours, and with the original #12.