Every Month Follow Viking's Incredible 50-Year Journey
Read about our historical events from the very beginning by clicking on the links below. Enjoy archived news items, photos and stories.
Read about our historical events from the very beginning by clicking on the links below. Enjoy archived news items, photos and stories.
One of the toughest challenges Viking has had to face in its 50 year history was bearing the aftermath of the "Blizzard of '96" in Victoria, British Columbia. During this snow storm of the century, over 65 cm of fresh snow fell in 24 hours at the end of December, adding to the 124 cm base accumulated earlier in the month.
Shortly after Christmas, the roof of Viking's Hangar 2 collapsed under the added weight of the heavy snow, causing catastrophic damage to the aircraft, equipment, and technical data housed underneath. The damage extended to Beaver and Turbo Beaver aircraft in the MRO, the Turbo Otter conversion project, and Viking's factory spare parts inventory.
To support customers during the extended clean up, the Viking crew worked tirelessly with a spirit of determination to salvage what they could from the undamaged areas. Under David Curtis' leadership, the company was able to meet customer commitments and stay strong through an extremely challenging time.
After all was said and done, the true Viking spirit shone through the grey skies and left an indelible mark on Viking's character to this day.
Viking's March 2020 calendar is now ready for download. Here you can see the incredible photos submitted by our aircraft enthusiasts and supporters, as well as archival footage of events like the Blizzard of '96 that have helped shape our organization. Each month a new page of the calendar is released, until December 2020, when you will have collected the full 12 months.
Over our 50 years in business, Viking has a lot of stories to tell. From our humble beginnings as a maintenance and aircraft repair company, to our purchase of the original type certificates of the Twin Otter, and everything in between, we're proud to be a part of Canada's aviation history.
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