1942
Year
C-GWZS — 1942 Douglas DC3C-S1C3G
C-GWZS is a 1942 Douglas DC3C-S1C3G (2 engines) based in Hay River, Northwest Territories, listed on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register (serial 12327).
Piston twin
Category
Northwest Territories
Based
10
On CA register
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The aircraft
Year built1942 · 84 years old
Airframe typeWhether Transport Canada classes it as an aeroplane, a helicopter, a glider, a balloon or a gyroplane.Aeroplane
Engine typeHow the engine makes power. Piston engines run on avgas like a car engine; turboprops and jets burn turbine fuel, cost far more to overhaul, and are usually reserved for bigger or faster aircraft.Piston
Engines2
Max take-off weightMaximum take-off weight: the heaviest the aircraft may legally be when it starts its take-off roll, including fuel, people and baggage. It's the number that decides what licence and ratings you need, and what it costs to park.12,201 kg · 26,899 lb
Where it's based
BasedThe city or airport Transport Canada holds as the aircraft's base. Where the field holds a four-letter code like CYXE, that's the airport's ICAO identifier.Hay River, Northwest Territories
Transport Canada officeThe Transport Canada regional office that administers this registration. It follows the owner's address, so it isn't always the nearest office to where the aircraft actually sits.Edmonton
Identity
Serial numberThe manufacturer's own number for this individual airframe, stamped on a plate. Unlike the registration, it never changes — it identifies the aircraft across every country it's ever been registered in.12327
ManufacturerThe full legal name of the company that built it, which is often not the name on the tail. A Cessna 172 built in 2022 was made by Textron Aviation.Douglas Aircraft Corporation
Built inWhere the aircraft was manufactured. Most of Canada's fleet was built in the United States.U.S.A.
ICAO 24-bit addressA unique 24-bit number your transponder broadcasts with every Mode S and ADS-B message — flight trackers key on it rather than the tail number. Canada's block runs C00000 to C3FFFF, which is why Canadian aircraft nearly all start C0 to C3. Transport Canada assigns it against the registration, so it changes if the aircraft is re-registered.C0815D
Registration
Registration typePrivate, Commercial or State. Commercial means the registration permits use for hire or reward — charter, flight training, aerial work. It describes the registration, not who owns the aircraft.Commercial
AirworthinessThe standard certificate: the aircraft conforms to its approved design and is maintained by a licensed engineer. No restrictions beyond the type's own, and it's what buyers and lenders expect to see.Certificate of Airworthiness
Basis of registrationThe rule the aircraft is registered under. Most are registered against a type certificate, meaning they're a factory design approved by the regulator; amateur-built and ultralight aircraft come in under their own standards.CAR Standard 507.02, 507.03 - Type Certificate
Type certificateThe approval number for the aircraft's design, issued to the manufacturer. Every aircraft built to that approved design shares it, so it's a good way to confirm exactly which variant you're looking at.A669
Registered sinceWhen the current registration took effect. A recent date usually means the aircraft changed hands or was re-registered — it is not the date it was built.23 May 1996
Where C-GWZS is, and how to track it
C-GWZS transmits ADS-B under the 24-bit address C0815D. Trackers key on that address rather than the tail number, so it finds the aircraft even on flights flown under a different callsign. Transport Canada assigns the address against the registration, so it changes if the aircraft is re-registered.
Most private aircraft are on the ground most of the time — if a tracker shows nothing, it is very likely parked rather than missing.
How rare is C-GWZS?
The Douglas DC3C-S1C3G is rare in Canada — there are 10 registered on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register — see every one.
- 4 of the 10 are in Northwest Territories.
- Median year built for the type: 1942 — C-GWZS was built that year.
- One of 57 Douglas aircraft on the Canadian register, across every model.
- One of 1,496 aircraft in Canada's piston twin category, 50 of them in Northwest Territories.
- 28 aircraft are based in Hay River — see every one →
Not for sale right now
C-GWZS is not listed on MarketPlane. If it ever is, we can tell you — one email, then nothing. No account needed.
Reported occurrences
Transport Canada has 11 reports on file mentioning C-GWZS (1994–2016). None of them records damage to the aircraft. Reports are filed for bird strikes, air-traffic events and equipment issues whether or not anything was harmed, so entries here are routine.
Transport Canada describes CADORS entries as preliminary and unsubstantiated, and subject to change. Reports reach the system when somebody files one, so an empty or quiet record is not proof an aircraft has never been damaged — it is not a title search, an airworthiness-directive check or a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection or a look at the logbooks. 3 entries have a Transportation Safety Board file number; those are investigated separately and the TSB publishes its own reports. Source: Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Other Douglas DC3C-S1C3G in Canada
C-FDXQ 1944 · C-FIAE 1944 · C-GRSB 1943 · C-FLFR 1942 · C-FMKB 1942 · C-FZKE 1942 · all Douglas DC3C-S1C3G →
Own this aircraft?
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Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, current to September 17, 2026. Aircraft data reproduced and distributed with the permission of the Government of Canada. MarketPlane.ca is not affiliated with Transport Canada.