Golden Era Aviation: A Hidden Aviation Gem!

           June 4th 2023 was the Regina Flying Club's annual open house and as usual, I attended for the full day to document the various attractions. Before the event I caught wind that Saskatoon-based Golden Era Aviation would be in attendance with their ex-RCAF Beech 18/C-45 Expeditor. Of course being fascinated with historic aircraft, I was very keen to cover Golden Era Aviation's visit in particular. Chief pilot Mike and his family were there with the Beech 18 to offer rides and much insight into the history of their aircraft, but to my surprise, I was offered a media flight!

          Golden Era Aviation and I have long been aware of each other- after all, I first learned of their existence last year after my review of the Saskatchewan Aviation Museum, where their Beech 18 was housed at the time. Before the open house officially kicked off chief pilot Mike and I coordinated with each other to get pictures of them touching down at Regina International Airport. After touching down in Regina for a day of fun in the hot Saskatchewan sun, Golden Era Aviation and I officially crossed paths for the first time and quickly hit it off as fellow aviation history enthusiasts. Mike was keen to walk me around the aircraft and show me the interior, teaching me plenty I didn't know about his aircraft and the Beech 18 as a whole. 

          Mike's Beech 18 started out life in 1951 as an RCAF cargo and liason aircraft spending time flying for the air force in places like Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Calgary. After being retired for the RCAF it spent a number of years on the civilian market with various owners before beginning to languish for a number of years in Northern Canada on floats. Mike and his family recovered the aircraft only two years ago in October 2021 and lovingly restored the aircraft to flyable status and on the way the aircraft picked up it's name- "Problem Child". The reason behind the name? Every time something was fixed during restoration another problem would surface for repair, not unlike my own experiences with old truck restorations! Problem Child no longer has any problems and is a one hundred percent safe aircraft with a one hundred percent safe crew behind it however the name stuck.

         

          With the day well under way, the Beech 18 was quick to garner attention from other history buffs and before long, Mike and the Problem Child had their first flights for the day. Each flight lasted about twenty minutes and took passengers on a scenic flight over Regina and the surrounding countryside. Hearing the Beech 18 start, taxi, and take-off caused many antendees at the open house to gaze up at the silver aircraft as it climbed gracefully through the skies above Regina, and not a single person could ignore when it returned from its first pleasure flight of the day. Upon landing Mike and I got chatting again, and the surprise came- I was going up in it later on! A lifelong dream of mine has always been to ride on a warbird at least once, and that day had finally come! I quickly became giddy like a kid in a toy store and called my wife and parents to tell them the news. I'm sure they could pick out the excitement in my voice!

          My flight would take place only after the main event was over at 4:00 in the afternoon. On board the third and final flight of the day were members of the Regina Flying Club itself and me. After a day of visiting with the Golden Era Aviation team and a whole pile of photos and exchanging aviation stories the time had finally come! Inside the aircraft were various aviators and RFC members I had already crossed paths with many times, so there was no strangers on my short trip. After a quick briefing we all climbed aboard the aircraft. Unlike modern utility aircraft like the Q400 or ATR series of aircraft there is no climate control so what the weather is outside the aircraft is what it is inside, but that's part of the experience! The seats are also an arrangement I'm entirely unfamiliar with. The seats themselves are bench seats and unlike modern aircraft you sit inside Golden Era Aviation's Beech 18 with your back against the wall, not unlike what you'd find on military transport aircraft such as it. That being said, you sit close enough to the other passengers to be able to hear them over the noise of the engines. Also unlike modern aircraft, the Beech 18 is in a taildragger configuration and not a tricycle carriage configuration, so if you've only ever flown in modern aircraft as I have you get the sensation as if you're sitting on a slide sideways. 

 

          Taking off in the Beech 18 is also a strange experience in itself if you aren't familiar with flying in a taildragger layout. During the takeoff run the tail lifts first, and then the main wheels lift off the ground. The exact opposite principle happens when landing, with the main gear touching first and the tail wheel falling second. When turning in the air since you're sitting with your back against the wall you get a sensation as if you're falling backwards and naturally you'll want to correct yourself with the center of gravity. I knew however I wasn't truly falling- chief pilot Mike is a highly experienced pilot and his Beech 18 obeyed his every command from the captain's seat like a faithful old horse. Flying in the Beech 18 is also a very smooth experience- what minimal turbulence we faced was smooth and somewhat more comfortable compared to my past flights in light aircraft. 

          Despite not sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft, Mike made sure to sit me in the front of the aircraft's passenger compartment to ensure I could get the best photos of the excursion possible. With my seat in front, I had the second best view on a Beech 18 you could get! During the flight I was also equipped with a headset, so I could speak with Mike and his copilot and relay instructions and information from him to my fellow passengers. The headset also allowed me to hear Mike communicate with air traffic control, and another surprise came- before touching down we were given permission to do a low level pass over the RFC! Mike instructed me to tell the other passengers that we'd be doing a low pass, and off we went on our last hurrah of the day! 

          With that, we dropped altitude and Mike opened up the engines on Problem Child, banking the plane left to number one side and roaring over the RFC! Banking down and if you could twist your body well enough, you were offered a fantastic view of the apron below. I'm positive not a single head on the ground wasn't looking up at us! 

          With that final pass over the airport, it was time to land. During the landing, as well as the whole flight I was reminded of just how much history Saskatchewan as a province has with the Beech 18- our military used them right here in the province, the RCMP used them, the Saskatchewan Air Ambulance used them, and indeed, they were once regular civilian visitors to Regina. I was quite literally stepping back in time, a lifelong goal finally fulfilled! 

          After landing, we all took turns taking pictures with the aircraft. In my opinion, mine turned out the best! There's no picture quite like standing next to an aircraft you just flew on that you've always only seen in a museum setting!

 

          Golden Era Aviation is a group of people I could not recommend more, and I'm proud to say they are the best aviation has to offer in Saskatchewan! I would like to extend a huge thank you to them for making this article possible and creating an unforgettable experience. The paths of Wings Of The Prairies and Golden Era Aviation will certainly be crossing again in the future for more collaborations and content! 

          If you'd like to book your own aviation experience, you can reach Golden Era Aviation through their website at www.goldeneraaviation.ca, through their Facebook page, or through phone at 1-306-850-6536.