Prinair     de Havilland D.H.114 Heron  N569PR                (c/n  14083)

                              

                                  Prinair was by far the largest single user, worldwide, of the D.H. Heron, having operated no less
                                  than 35 of them at one time or another.    As each aircraft was acquired, most were converted in
                                  the airline's own workshops by a subsidiary known as Caribbean Aircraft Development Industries
                                  (CADI) by replacing the original Gipsy Queen 30 engines with four Continental IO-520s.  Whilst
                                  most flat-six engined Herons were of the Riley conversion type with Lycoming IO-540s, Prinair
                                  were unique in opting for Continentals.    I suppose I could dub them "Prinair Herons".   Ex-CADI
                                  mechanic Carlos Llano advises that the reason for this was probably economic, since it was less
                                  costly to convert them themselves using Continentals.    Prinair liked to paint its aircraft in different
                                  colored liveries (a la Braniff), and so it was not unusual to see a blue, red or orange Heron parked
                                  at the gate.   The nice shot above is from the William W. Sierra collection.   N569PR was originally
                                  one of West African Airways' Herons (VR-NCB), although was with Cimber Air as OY-BAM
                                  when purchased by Prinair.   It was sold to the Riley organization in Opa-Locka for spare parts in
                                  1983, the year before Prinair went out of business.