WONZ 218 – Lucy Newell – Canadian Bush Flying

Guest: Lucy Newell

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 18th of February 2020

Released: 29th of March 2020

Duration:  51 minutes 44 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood chats with Lucy Newell, a young Kiwi commercial pilot who is currently bush flying in Ontario, Canada. She is piloting Cessna Caravans off gravel strips and floatplane DHC-2 Beavers off lakes.

Lucy began flying seven years ago and on gaining her commercial licence in Christchurch, she became an instructor at Wanaka for several years. There she loved the mountain flying and the challenging winds. She also was introduced to flying vintage aeroplanes there and she regularly flies Tiger Moths when the opportunity arises.

In 2019 Lucy began working as a commercial pilot in Canada for Wilderness North Air, which has broadened her experiences as a commercial pilot with lot of interesting flying and adventures.

Lucy is a member of the Tiger Moth Club of New Zealand and also a volunteer with The Vintage Aviator Collection.

Sadly since this episode was recorded last month, the Corona Virus crisis meant that Lucy will not get back to New Zealand in April, and the Wanaka airshow she planned to fly in has been cancelled. Lucy is still in Canada and continuing to fly the Caravan at the time this episode is released, and still plans to return to flying the floatplane Beaver in May 2020.

Quick Links:

•   Wilderness North

Above: Lucy Newell next to the beloved DHC-2 Beaver that she flies in the Canadian summer. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: An example of the cargo being loaded into the Beaver by Lucy on one of the wilderness cabin trips. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: The Beaver with a kayak roped to the float struts. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: Beavers at the dock. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: One of the fishing cabins in the wilderness. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: The Cessna Caravan that Lucy is flying though the winter. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Above: The Caravan. (Photo Lucy Newell)

Below: The DHC-3 Otter, a turbine engined version, which also flies with the company. Lucy hopes to gain a rating on it soon. (All photos Lucy Newell)

Lastly, the wonders of Ontario, Canada. Sunset on the lakeside. (Photo Lucy Newell)

NB: The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud