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 Tanker #72, forced landing on Soboba Indian Reservation, San Jacinto CA, Late 60s.
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1971 – Flew as #72. Pilot Norman.
Hemet Valley Flying Service TBM #72, N3357G, location and date unknown. [The National Archive of Transport Travel and Trade]
#72 at Hemet, CA, February 1972 [Jay Sherlock, Scalefirebombers].
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.
FPL’s GFPR #72 and GFPP #52 ferrying in New Brunswick.
TBM #72 at FPL, stripped for repainting and reconditioning, 1977.
TBM #72, rear view, at FPL, with the orange Hemet Valley colour still visible, 1977.
FPL #4 undergoing mantenance, 1985. TBM #12 FMUD is in the background.
TBMs GFPR #4 and GLEF #8, taken by Don McKnight from GFPT 10#, likely 1978.
FPL #4 for sale, 2000.
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.
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.
See the progress update on the restoration at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum on Facebook as provided by Phil Schmidt. The Museum hopes to have the Avenger flying in 2015.
U.S. Navy torpcat insignia on WQON.
F-WQON at FPL in 19 August 2004.
F-WQON at FPL in September 2005. The French registration is now painted on the side.
F-WQON in storage at FPL, 12 June 2007.
Closeup of the F-WQON mark, 12 June 2007. [C. Adam]
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