WW11 airplane found

[d.johnston]

Does anyone know the rules and regulations for salvaging a WW2 airplane? So here is the jist of it, I got word of a world war 2 bomber that had an engine failure and landed in a fresh water lake near this area. I havent actually gone to look for it yet because the lake is still frozen. I am pretty sure my source is reliable but need to see it to beleive it. the lake is an average of 85 feet and a max depth of 192feet, does anyone have a good sugestion on how to find the location? it isnt a huge lake but big enough that you dont want to go down there and look at the whole bottom. the second thing is does anyone know the hoops you need to jump through to salvage the plane? I do have full intentions of recovering it and restoring it as I am an aircraft maintenance engineere and i have the skills and resources. I just need to know if transport canada or the military is going to jump on me and pound me hard if I take it. Also some sugestions on floating it to the surface would be helpful. once its on the surface i will pull it to shore with a D8 cat but geting it up there may be a challenge.

 

[JFS]

When I lived in PG I heard of that plane. It is apparently down deep and will not be an easy recovery. I think it is a B17 that landed on the ice and then when the ice melted, the plane sank. They used to fly them from the US through BC and then up to Alaska. Easiest thing would be to get a sidescan sonar! If its there would take you no time to find her!

 

[lamont]

WW11? have you canadian's been having world wars and not inviting us???

 

[cfenton]

WW11? have you canadian's been having world wars and not inviting us???

Rest assured Lamont that if we start a world war you guys will be the first to know about it. I would venture to say that the USA is a BIG part of our government's national defense strategy...

 

[cfenton]

Does anyone know the rules and regulations for salvaging a WW2 airplane? So here is the jist of it, I got word of a world war 2 bomber that had an engine failure and landed in a fresh water lake near this area. I havent actually gone to look for it yet because the lake is still frozen. I am pretty sure my source is reliable but need to see it to beleive it. the lake is an average of 85 feet and a max depth of 192feet, does anyone have a good sugestion on how to find the location? it isnt a huge lake but big enough that you dont want to go down there and look at the whole bottom. the second thing is does anyone know the hoops you need to jump through to salvage the plane? I do have full intentions of recovering it and restoring it as I am an aircraft maintenance engineere and i have the skills and resources. I just need to know if transport canada or the military is going to jump on me and pound me hard if I take it. Also some sugestions on floating it to the surface would be helpful. once its on the surface i will pull it to shore with a D8 cat but geting it up there may be a challenge.

When I saw the title of your post my jaw dropped. Our team is getting geared up to search for a WWII aircraft in the next couple of months... Different plane though.

To answer your question: ship and airplane wrecks and their cargoes over two years old are protected by law [British Columbia's Amended Heritage Conservation Act (1994)]. The Act expressly forbids wreck stripping or artifact collection. Long story short, you can't legally salvage the plane unless you have the appropriate approval. I'm not sure how you would go about getting the approval. Can't really say I would want you to get it either. I would like to dive this plane though...

 

[nadwidny]

Does anyone know the rules and regulations for salvaging a WW2 airplane? So here is the jist of it, I got word of a world war 2 bomber that had an engine failure and landed in a fresh water lake near this area. I havent actually gone to look for it yet because the lake is still frozen.

Best time to go. You don't need a boat.

I hope this turns out to be good info for you however I'm a bit skeptical as well. The area around Valemount is way, way off the route taken to ferry aircraft to Alaska and Russia. The main route went from Edmonton-Peace River-and onwards. Not exactly in your area. But you never know. Maybe someone got really, really lost or that particular plane was destined for elsewhere.

I am pretty sure my source is reliable but need to see it to beleive it. the lake is an average of 85 feet and a max depth of 192feet, does anyone have a good sugestion on how to find the location? it isnt a huge lake but big enough that you dont want to go down there and look at the whole bottom. the second thing is does anyone know the hoops you need to jump through to salvage the plane? I do have full intentions of recovering it and restoring it as I am an aircraft maintenance engineere and i have the skills and resources. I just need to know if transport canada or the military is going to jump on me and pound me hard if I take it.

It would be the military first (since they still own it) and the BC bureaucrats second.
The only plane brought up in Canada that I know of was a 1920's era single engine bush plane in northern Manitoba. I can put you in touch with the people that did that job.

Also some sugestions on floating it to the surface would be helpful. once its on the surface i will pull it to shore with a D8 cat but geting it up there may be a challenge.

How big? On The Decostop there are 2 or 3 different reports from people that brought up aircraft ranging from a B25 bomber to single engine bush planes. If this turns out for real let me know and I'll dig up those names and put you in touch.

Good luck.

 

[diversteve]

If it's the same plane JFS posted about isn't it technically still US. Govt. property?

 

[Slamfire]

If it's the same plane JFS posted about isn't it technically still US. Govt. property?

Finders keepers, losers weepers...

Johnston, seriously, this looks like a really cool project. Let us know how (if) it develops. Thanks.

 

[MarkH]

Sounds like this one, but on the other side of the country: B-17 Salvage in Labrador, Canada
I remember reading about it in Diver Magazine I think.

 

[cfenton]

There was also the B26 salvaged from Watson Lake in the Yukon. I'm not entirely sure how that ended up? I know that the salvagers were originally charged (later dropped) and the last I heard the territory was laying claim to the plane (the US government had given up its claim) and they were working out an appropriate salvage fee for the salvagers.

You might want to start by talking with the BC Heritage Branch.