As the chief executive officer of the Calgary Flying Club in Canada, Duane Hicks manages private pilots as they get their commercial licenses. In addition to his work with the club, Duane Hicks joined the cast of the Ice Pilots NWT reality series for its third season.
Based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the show follows pilots who fly in frigid and dangerous conditions. The ice pilots use time-tested propeller aircraft to ply their trade. The most famous of these is the DC-3. Over 70 years, it has become one of the world’s most reliable aircraft. Adding to its popularity is its ability to land on short, unpaved runways. Of 16,000 built, some 400 are still flying, mostly in remote areas.
The DC-4 was built as a successor to the DC-3. Much larger than its predecessor, the DC-4 was designed to carry passengers, but it became a premier transport plane during World War II. When equipped with skis, the DC-4 proves adept at landing on frozen lakes and rivers.
A third aircraft favored by the ice pilots is the C-46. Like the DC-4, wartime needs took priority; the plane carried troops and wounded soldiers, as well as artillery pieces, ammunition, and other necessities. It now flies cargo and humanitarian missions in Africa, South America, and Canada.
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