Basler BT-67 DC-3 turbo-conversion "Polar 5" after arrival in Inuvik.

For those unfamiliar with the cultural reference, "The Six Million Dollar Man" was a 1970's television show about the exploits of a severly injured astronaut who was "rebuilt" with artificial limbs and sensors giving him super-human strength and vision.  The opening monologue was somthing along the lines of "..we can rebuild him; better, stronger, faster."  In the case of the Basler Turbo-67 DC-3 conversion they have accomplished essentially the same thing (even in about the same price range) with one of the aviation's most legendary aircraft.

Upgrades to the stock DC-3 include a lengthened fuselage, structural enhancements, wing modifications, advanced avionics, and of course replacement of the venerable Wasp radials with Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-67R turbines.  The end result is a practically zero-time aircraft with roughly twice the range and cruise speed as the original DC-3 and a slightly increased payload as well.

The aircraft pictured above is C-GAWI "Polar 5" which is used in support of Arctic and Antarctic science expeditions by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research of Germany.  It was also the subject of a feature article in the March 2007 edition of Airways magazine.  Originally delivered to the USAF in 1943 as C-47 42-100764, this airframe underwent conversion in early 2007 and is operated by Triumph Airways on behalf of the Institute.

Kenn Borek Air's BT-67 C-GMKB was also a frequent visitor to Inuvik last year however last heard it was in Calgary "recovering" from a serious take-off accident in December at Mount Patterson in the Antarctic.