Our Story

Floatplane arriving at Eldorado, the whole camp down on the shore — A floatplane comes in at Eldorado, Great Bear Lake, with the whole camp down on the shore. From Roy's album.

Our story starts in a photo album.

My grandfather Roy spent 1938 and 1939 at Cameron Bay on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories, about as far north as you could get from the rest of Canada and still collect mail. Everything that went in or out came by bush plane: on floats in summer and on skis in winter. Roy kept a camera, and he took the photographs on this page or had someone else take them with it. His prints are labelled in white ink: "McH", "Cameron Bay N.W.T. 1938–39".

The album is full of airplanes, and they're the reason this brand exists.

From Roy's album: on the ice at Cameron Bay, NWT, 1938 — On the ice at Cameron Bay, 1938.

Canadian Airways CF-AWR on the shore at Great Bear Lake.

CF-AXN on floats tied up at the rocks, 1937 — CF-AXN on floats, 1937.

The airplanes that opened up the North

In the late 1930s, Great Bear Lake was one of the busiest places in Canadian aviation. The Eldorado radium mine at Port Radium and the camps around it depended completely on the airplane: Norsemen, Bellancas and Fairchilds, flown by men who did their own maintenance on the ice at forty below. Roy photographed the airplanes the way other people photograph family. He recorded the registrations, the camps, the mail coming in and the radio room that kept them all talking.

Norseman CF-BDF on floats bringing in the mail — Norseman CF-BDF with the mail.

Bellanca on skis with crew and fuel drums in the snow — A Bellanca on skis, fuel drums and crew.

CF-AWR on skis being worked on out on the ice — CF-AWR on skis, serviced on the ice.

Fairchild taking off on floats — A Fairchild on the step, outbound.

The radio room at station CZ24 — The radio room at CZ24.

The mine camp in winter — The camp in winter.

Still looking up

Roy's grandson became an airline captain. The airplanes are bigger now and the runways are paved, but the trade hasn't changed much: you show up, do the work properly and bring everyone home. Ragged Ass Aviation Supply Co. is built on that. Our Vintage Bush Planes line is drawn from the same types that fill Roy's album, with real registrations. Our airport-code line is for everyone who knows a field by its letters.

Labine Bay, Great Bear Lake, with ice on the water — Labine Bay, Great Bear Lake.

By canoe into Yellowknife during the gold rush — Into Yellowknife by canoe, during the gold rush.

Real runways, not clip art

Our airport-code designs are drawn from published runway coordinates, so the layout on your chest matches the field you know. If your airport isn't in the line, Your Airport will draw any ICAO or IATA code in the world. You'll see a live preview before you order, and a person checks every custom design before it prints.

Made to order in Canada

Nothing sits in a warehouse. Every piece is printed to order by our print partner in Vaughan, Ontario, and shipped within Canada, so there are no duties, brokerage or customs surprises. Shipping is free on orders of $69 or more.

About the name

Every hangar has one airplane that's a little ragged around the edges and still flies better than anything on the ramp. Roy's North was full of them. The humour stays in the hangar; the work is done properly.

Questions, an airport you want added, or old airplane photos of your own? Email takeoff@raggedassaviation.com.