Warbird Registry
Aerial Visuals
Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3E Avenger. Construction #: 3920. Delivered as BuNo 53858, 1960.
Hemet Valley Flying Service, Hemet, CA
#E72 N3357G 1963-1976
HVFS had two tankers numbered 72. The first was N9830C, which crashed 5 July 1959 near Redlands, CA. N3357G was renumbered to 72 in 1960.

Aerial Spray Program – NB
1971 – Flew as #72. Pilot Norman.
Hillcrest Aircraft, Lewiston ID
#72 N3357G 1976
1976 – Hillcrest Aircraft sold N3357G to FPL in 1976.
Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, NB
#72 / #4 C-GFPR 1976-2000
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1976 – FPL purchased GFPR in March 1976 for $35,520 from Hillcrest Aircraft, Lewiston, Idaho, then dry leased it from Evergreen Air Services of Montreal. Pilot Gossett. 1977 – Did not fly in NB. 1978 – Repainted and renumbered (#72 to #4) to fleet standard prior to 1978 spray season. Pilot Gomany. 1979 – Pilot Laird. 1980, 1981, 1982 – Pilot Haden. 1983 – Pilot White. 1984 – Pilot Haden. 1985, 1986 – Pilot Garon. 1987, 1988 – Pilot Archer. 1989 – Pilot Ragany. 1990 – Pilot Wilkie. 1991, 1992 – Pilot Popert.
Inactive/Sold – NB
1993-2000 – Inactive, in storage. 2000 – Sold to individual in France but stored at FPL until 2009.






Post-spray History
Sold to Didier Chable/AMPAA, Melun-Villaroche, in France and registered as F-WQON. Stored at FPL in Fredericton, 2000-2008, as the new owner was unable to retrieve the aircraft.
Sold to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM), Hamilton, Ontario, 2009. Transported by ground from Fredericton to Hamilton, arriving October 21, 2009. See two images here.
During the restoration of the former C-GFPR, a U.S. Navy insignia of a cat holding a torpedo was discovered on the fuselage. An image was kindly provided by Jim VanDyk, Chief Engineer of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. It is the Torpcat from VT-5 / VA-6A / VA-55 squadrons, which flew TBMs from about 1943 to 1949.
Now on permanent display as C-GCWG at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. It is still “under restoration to flying condition”. See Aerial Visuals for several images of the restoration. A new video of the Avenger’s wing unfolding can be seen on the Museum’s Facebook page.





First engine runs of the Avenger at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CanadianWarplaneHeritageMuseum/videos/485751695331956/
Progress updates on the restoration at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Canadian-Warplane-Heritage-Museum/357014811279
Static display at Hamilton 2012 Airshow with the new engine installed.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10151021664406280&set=a.10151021536546280.480273.357014811279&type=3&theater