The Grumman amphibian plane of the McRae-Patty mining interests returned here
from Coal Creek district at an early hour Tuesday morning and spent a busy day between Clear
Creek and Thistle camps of the company before heading for Whitehorse.
Accompanying Ernest Patty Jr., pilot of the speedy maroon-colored ship were his
bride and his mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Dean N. Patty.
Dean Patty is vice-president and general manager for the McRae-Patty interests in
Yukon, Alaska and northern B. C.
Arrival here on Saturday, June 29 of the amphibian marked the end of an exciting
honeymoon flight for young Patty and his bride.
The day after their wedding in Seattle on June 21, they flew from Seattle to Yellowknife,
in the North-West Territories and thence via Vancouver and Watson lake to Dawson. Little more than a week
had elapsed since their wedding day before they were at their Dawson base. But in between that time they
experienced a honeymoon such as befalls few newlyweds.
Leaving Seattle June 22 with Ira Joralman, geologist, Pilot Patty and his bride flew to
Yellowknife via Great Falls, Montana, and Edmonton. Basing at Yellowknife the 25-year-old flier spent the
next flew days flying geologist Joralman to various quartz prospects between Great Slave and Great Bear Lakes.
While at Yellowknife, Ernie played the leading role in an exciting rescue flight. A Waco
plane had been forced down and smashed up on a small lake. The Grumman was the only plane of its type that
could make a landing at the small, postage-sized lake. Young Patty flew grub and repair parts in to the
stranded pilot.
Hopping off from Yellowknife Ernie and his bride flew to Vancouver via the regular air route,
gassed up at Watson Lake on the flight North and came on to Dawson.
After several flights to the up-river camps of Yukon Gold Placers and Clear Creek Placers, Pilot Patty
and his wife flew to the Coal Creek district where they spent several days. Meantime Mr. and Mrs. Dean N. Patty
had come in from the coast, met their son and daughter-in-law at Coal Creek for the flight to Dawson.
The four of them planned on flying to Whitehorse Tuesday afternoon of this week to meet Mr. and Mrs. Patty’s
other son Stanton, who was on a 10-day furlough from the U. S. army.
Following their visit with Stanton the Patty party were scheduled to fly into the Atlin district where Mr.
Patty is inspecting his company’s mineral projects in that area.
They expect to return to Dawson Friday of this week.
The new plane is a Grumman Widgeon amphibian and can land either on water or on an airport. It is a monoplane high wing
job with two Ranger in-line motors. The plane is brand new, Ernie Patty Jr. having taken delivery right at the factory in New York before flying it
to Seattle. Cruising speed of the amphibian is 135 miles per hour with 60 per cent throttle.
C. H. Chapman, of the Klondike Photo Shop, took some excellent pictures of the Grumman the day it first landed on its maiden flight to Dawson.
