Skycraft Air Transport
Encyclopedia
Skycraft Air Transport Inc. was a Canadian airline based at Oshawa Municipal Airport in Oshawa
, Ontario, that operated between 1979 and 1994.
By the late 1980s the airline was operating a flying school and had diversified into the air ambulance, passenger charter and scheduled service markets. Its fleet ranged from the Cessna 150 and 172 through the Cessna 402
, Piper Cheyenne and Beech 18 to the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, Shorts 330
and DC-3. Its scheduled services included flights from Oshawa Municipal Airport to Ottawa; Montreal; Windsor, Ontario; and Detroit.
The airline was notable for changing the type of aircraft operated on its passenger services to match the number of passengers booked for each flight.
Skycraft's colour scheme consisted of having the lower part of the fuselage painted in white or silver, the middle part painted with the red title of 'Skycraft', and the tail painted in white or silver, with a large letter 'S' in red and the Canadian flag.
Skycraft filed for court protection in 1992. It subsequently obtained new financing and continued operations with a reduced fleet, but the new business plan was not successful. The airline finally shut down operations in February 1994.
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, Ontario, that operated between 1979 and 1994.
History
Skycraft Air Transport was created as a charter airline targeting the express air freight needs of the North American automotive industry. It was based in Oshawa, Ontario, where its biggest customer, General Motors Canada, operated two large car assembly plants. It's principal competitive advantages were its diverse fleet, with different aircraft that could economically carry different sized loads, and its ability to dispatch aircraft to virtually any North American destination within one hour of a customer request.By the late 1980s the airline was operating a flying school and had diversified into the air ambulance, passenger charter and scheduled service markets. Its fleet ranged from the Cessna 150 and 172 through the Cessna 402
Cessna 402
The Cessna 401 and 402 are series of 6 to 10 place, light twin, piston engine aircraft. This line was manufactured by Cessna from 1966 to 1985 under the name Utiliner and Businessliner...
, Piper Cheyenne and Beech 18 to the Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante, Shorts 330
Shorts 330
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes C.H. and James Derek N. Shorts Aircraft since 1900. London: Putnam, 1989. ISBN 0-85177-819-4.* Donald, David, ed. The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London: Aurum, 1999. ISBN 1-85410-642-2....
and DC-3. Its scheduled services included flights from Oshawa Municipal Airport to Ottawa; Montreal; Windsor, Ontario; and Detroit.
The airline was notable for changing the type of aircraft operated on its passenger services to match the number of passengers booked for each flight.
Skycraft's colour scheme consisted of having the lower part of the fuselage painted in white or silver, the middle part painted with the red title of 'Skycraft', and the tail painted in white or silver, with a large letter 'S' in red and the Canadian flag.
Skycraft filed for court protection in 1992. It subsequently obtained new financing and continued operations with a reduced fleet, but the new business plan was not successful. The airline finally shut down operations in February 1994.
Accidents and incidents
- On 22 June 1983, Douglas C-47A C-GUBT crashed on approach to Toronto International Airport while on an international cargo flight from Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport, OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Both crew were killed. - On 9 January 1984, Douglas C-47B C-GSCA crashed on take-off from Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport is a Class B international airport serving Greater St. Louis. It is located approximately northwest of downtown St. Louis in unincorporated St. Louis County between Berkeley and Bridgeton. It is the largest and busiest airport in the state with 250 daily...
on an international cargo flight to Toronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Both engines lost power shortly after take-off. It was discovered that the aircraft had been fuelled with JET-A instead of 100LL. One of the two crew members was killed.