DHBC DH.50B Bluebird operators

This is a list and image gallery of DHBC DH.50B Bluebird operators.

British Columbia Air Lines (BC)
British Columbia Air Lines, the direct predecessor of Inter-Dominion Air Lines, operated four new-build Bluebirds from 1932 until the airline was reformed into Inter-Dominion in 1936.

Liveries
The last DH.50B built (VB-IAH, c/n C18/1932) was for B.C. Air Lines; it is on display at the BC Aviation Museum in its original appearance.

British Columbia Army (BC)
The BC Army operated two Bluebirds in a liaison role between 1943 and 1947.

Haida Air Charter (BC)
Haida Air Charter was established in 1946 with a single Bluebird bought from Kootenay Air Transport. Three years later, another two were bought from Queen Charlotte Airlines; they were retired in 1955, 1963, and 1967 respectively. One further example (c/n C15/1932) was bought in 1947 from Air BC for use as a parts store; it was never flown.

Inter-Dominion Air Lines (BC)
Inter-Dominion Air Lines operated four Bluebirds inherited from predecessor B.C. Air Lines in 1936. Two were sold in 1942, the remaining two were retired in 1954 and 1958 respectively; the last one built is preserved at the BC Aviation Museum in original BCAL colours.

Kootenay Air Transport (BC)
Kootenay Air Transport operated a total of three DH.50Bs from 1931 to 1947, when the company was merged with several others to create Air BC in 1947. One was scrapped in 1946 after suffering extensive damage in a hail storm, and a second was sold to Haida Air Charter in 1946; the third remained in use until the merger, after which it was immediately sold to Haida Air Charter.

Liveries
Kootenay Air Transport's sole Bluebird was named "Angela", after the chief pilot's daughter born the year before.

Nicola Valley Aero Club (BC)
The Nicola Valley Aero Club operated a single Bluebird until the club folded in 1967, after which the aircraft was abandoned; left to rot in the elements, it was finally scrapped in 1979.

Queen Charlotte Airlines (BC)
Queen Charlotte Airlines operated three Bluebirds from the time of the airline's founding in 1930 until 1949.

Liveries
Queen Charlotte Airways operated three DH.50Bs; this one flew with QCA until its sale in 1949.

Vancouver Island Air Service (BC)
Vancouver Island Air Service of BC operated a total of six Bluebirds between 1929 and 1946; VIAS was the launch customer of the type, and the purchaser of the first DHBC commercial aircraft ever built.

Liveries
The very first DHBC-built aircraft, DH.50B G-BCVI of VIAS (c/n C1/1929) in its original livery, as preserved at the Royal BC Museum.