DHC-3 Turbine Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter is a single-engine bush aircraft seating ten passengers in a 16.4-foot cabin, 5.2 feet wide and 4.9 feet tall. Powered by an aftermarket Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop conversion (typically the PT6A-135A producing 750 shp), the Turbine Otter cruises at 160 knots with a range of 748 nautical miles. The original DHC-3 used a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial piston engine; the turbine conversion replaces it with a PT6A for improved reliability, better hot-and-high performance, and lower maintenance costs. Floatplane and tundra-tire configurations let the Turbine Otter land on water, glaciers, gravel bars, and backcountry strips that no wheeled aircraft can reach.
With 44 aircraft on US Part 135 certificates across 12 operators, the fleet concentrates almost entirely in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Kenmore Air Harbor (9 aircraft) operates from Lake Union in Seattle and bases in the San Juan Islands. Rust's Flying Service (8) and Talkeetna Air Taxi (7) serve Anchorage and interior Alaska — Talkeetna specifically for glacier landings on Denali and surrounding peaks. Wings Airways (5) operates in Southeast Alaska. These are scheduled and charter operations for wilderness access, guided fishing and hunting, and glacier sightseeing; the type does not appear in open jet charter markets.
Charter rates run approximately $700 to $1,200 per hour for floatplane operations, though most operators sell by the trip or route rather than by the hour. Turbine Otter airframes trade from $400,000 to $1.5 million depending on the conversion quality, float configuration, and total time.
Specs at a glance
Interior & cabin
| Passengers | 10 |
| Cabin length | 16.4 ft |
| Cabin width | 5.2 ft |
| Cabin height | 4.9 ft |
At 4.9 ft of cabin height, the DHC-3 Turbine Otter is a sit-down jet. Expect to duck moving between seats.
Operator floor plans vary. Some DHC-3 Turbine Otter cabins are configured with a divan that drops the headcount by one or two seats; confirm the layout with the operator before booking.
Range & performance
| Range | 748 nm |
| Max cruise | 160 ktas |
| Typical cruise | ~136 ktas |
With 748 nm of range, the DHC-3 Turbine Otter is built for short-to-mid US missions. Plan a fuel stop for anything past three hours of cruise.
Distances are real great-circle nautical miles from the selected hub. Angular positions are spaced for readability, not actual bearings. Range envelope assumes no wind and a full passenger load.
Charter cost per hour
Charter the DHC-3 Turbine Otter at roughly $2,000–$2,500 per flight hour, depending on how far ahead you book. Turboprop jets like this carry 6–9 passengers; the per-seat math improves sharply as you fill the cabin.
Rates are flight-hour pricing. Total cost depends on round-trip vs. one-way, positioning, fuel surcharges, and taxes (~15% on top of base). Run the math on your trip →
Safety Record
History
de Havilland Canada designed the DHC-3 Otter as a scaled-up DHC-2 Beaver, carrying ten passengers instead of six with a larger cabin and more powerful engine. The prototype flew on December 12, 1951, and production ran from 1952 through 1967 with 466 aircraft built. The original piston Otter used a 600-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine.
Turbine conversions began in the 1980s and continued through the 2010s, primarily substituting a PT6A-135A turboprop producing 750 shp. Companies including Vazar Aerospace (now Pacific Aircraft Conversions) and Viking Air developed and certified the main conversion packages. The turbine conversion significantly improves reliability in cold-weather and remote operations where radial engine maintenance is impractical. Most DHC-3 Turbine Otters operating in the US today are converted piston airframes rather than factory-built turbine variants.
Ideal For
- Ten-passenger wilderness access in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest: float landings on remote lakes and rivers, tundra strip operations, and glacier landings for climbing expeditions
- Guided fishing and hunting lodges in Alaska accessible only by floatplane from Anchorage, Juneau, or Ketchikan
- Glacier sightseeing and Denali area flights from Talkeetna or Anchorage
- Scenic floatplane tours from Seattle (Lake Union via Kenmore Air) covering the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound
- Groups of six to ten passengers with gear who need a larger floatplane than the DHC-2 Beaver can provide on the same route
- Lodge operators who need to move ten passengers and substantial cargo in a single load without the complexity of a twin
DHC-3 Turbine Otter vs Turboprop Average
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the DHC-3 Otter and the DHC-3 Turbine Otter?
The original DHC-3 Otter uses a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial piston engine producing 600 hp. The Turbine Otter is an aftermarket conversion replacing the radial with a PT6A turboprop (typically the PT6A-135A at 750 shp). The turbine conversion improves useful load, hot-and-high performance, and reduces the maintenance burden of the radial engine in remote Alaska operations. Most Otters in US Part 135 service have been converted to turbine power.
How does the Turbine Otter compare to the DHC-2 Turbine Beaver?
The Turbine Otter is the larger sibling: ten seats versus six, a wider cabin (5.2ft vs 4.3ft), and a 16.4-foot versus 9-foot cabin length. Range is similar (748 vs 395nm) but the Otter carries significantly more passengers and cargo. Both operate as floatplanes in Alaska. The Otter suits lodge access with a full party; the Beaver suits smaller groups of two to five.
What operators fly the Turbine Otter in the US?
Kenmore Air Harbor in Seattle (9 aircraft) operates from Lake Union for San Juan Islands and Puget Sound destinations. Rust's Flying Service in Anchorage (8) runs Alaska bush and scenic flights. Talkeetna Air Taxi (7) is the primary operator for Denali-area glacier landings, shuttling climbing expeditions and sightseers to the Alaska Range. Wings Airways (5) serves Southeast Alaska from Juneau.
Can you book a Turbine Otter on-demand for private charter?
Most Turbine Otter operators run fixed routes or lodge-access flights rather than open on-demand charter. Kenmore Air in Seattle offers scheduled service and charter. Rust's Flying Service and Talkeetna Air Taxi do sell ad hoc flights, but availability depends on weather, scheduling, and destination. The type does not appear in mainstream charter broker systems.
How much does a Turbine Otter charter cost?
Rates run approximately $700 to $1,200 per hour for floatplane operations, though most operators price by trip or destination rather than by the hour. A scenic flight of 30 to 60 minutes from Anchorage or Seattle typically runs $150 to $350 per person. Lodge access flights are usually priced per seat or per charter on a fixed routing.
DHC-3 Turbine Otters for Charter (44)
Where DHC-3 Turbine Otters actually fly
ADS-B-tracked flights from the trailing 90 days. Numbers cover aircraft on our charter database; private corporate fleets and operators using PIA registration are not in this count. Methodology →
Top routes
Busiest origins
| Seattle (KBFI) | 198 |
| Everett (KPAE) | 183 |
| Friday Harbor (KFHR) | 9 |
| Kingston (WA61) | 7 |
| Roche Harbor (WA09) | 6 |
| Talkeetna (PATK) | 3 |
| Tacoma (KTIW) | 2 |
| Anchorage (Z41) | 2 |
| Trapper Creek (8AK5) | 2 |
| Eastsound (WA35) | 1 |
Most active operators
| Operator | Aircraft | Flights |
|---|---|---|
| Kenmore Air Harbor, LLC | 7 | 413 |
| TALKEETNA AIR TAXI INC | 2 | 4 |
| SPORTSMAN'S AIR SERVICE INC | 1 | 3 |
| RUSTS FLYING SERVICE INC | 1 | 2 |
| Bald Mountain Air Service, Inc | 1 | 1 |
| Emerald Air Service, Inc | 1 | 1 |
| GOLDEN EAGLE OUTFITTERS LLC | 1 | 1 |
Comparable aircraft
Same category, similar mission profile. The framing below summarizes how each one differs from the DHC-3 Turbine Otter on the dimensions that matter most.