Roughest maintenance conditions

[gwk]

Mike changed his name to Korey, did not the ribbing he got from having it Korney.

Mike went from Doha to Abu Dhabi Aviation, under Cal, and then followed Cal to Falcon Aviation. There is a you tube video, or was, if you google Mike Korey of him doing a A/C lift in the sandbox somewhere, probably  in Abu Dhabi.

 I don't know where Mike is at the moment, I do know he had some very close friends near Saskatoon, Melfort Sask. rings the old bell for some reason, and would bet he is probably there, playing old timers hockey with a beer league, at least I hope so, he was a character.

[DGP]

1 hour ago, gwk said:

Mike changed his name to Korey, did not the ribbing he got from having it Korney.

Mike went from Doha to Abu Dhabi Aviation, under Cal, and then followed Cal to Falcon Aviation. There is a you tube video, or was, if you google Mike Korey of him doing a A/C lift in the sandbox somewhere, probably  in Abu Dhabi.

 I don't know where Mike is at the moment, I do know he had some very close friends near Saskatoon, Melfort Sask. rings the old bell for some reason, and would bet he is probably there, playing old timers hockey with a beer league, at least I hope so, he was a character.

Tried replying to you but having trouble with this site   I now remember why the name change...Cal and I go back to Canadore 1972...Mike probably worked with a lot of guys that I know that worked for ADH...thanks for the info.

[gwk]

 Ok, first off, I am a Pilot, so anything I write here is second hand, but if you want nasty engineering stories, after a lot of internal debate, I believe this site can handle this storey.

 Way back, when Associated was taken over by Okanagan, we had a contract with the U.S. Navy, to supply a IFR equipped 212, to the Eastern Artic, for 2-3 months in the depths of winter. Being a newly minted 212 pilot at the time, I thought, Oh Wow, what an adventure, 212, Eastern Artic, Hush Hush operations out on the ice in mid winter.

 So, I'm describing my enthusiasm about this contract to an engineer, who is very British, while we fighting fires in Greece, back in  the late summer of 1993, who just happened to be on the contract the winter before.  He told me this storey, about being out on the ice, when the temperature was about -100'c, living in insulated tents with the navy grunts. The camp was air mobile, hence the 212, and hush hush part was they were hunting submarines with sound detecting buoys placed on top of the ice, have to shoot you if you talk about this stuff.

 Any way, their sleeping accommodation was insulated tents out on the ice, some what cramped, and instead of going outside at night to pee, they had a 5 gallon type bucket for their use, polar bears, night maidens, and snow storms  made it more appropriate.

 Anyways, one night, My good friend wakes up and can not figure out what the F+++,is going on, his face, which is the only part of his body sticking out of his fart sack, is getting sprayed on by some nasty mist. Turns out, as Aircrew, they got the cots closest to the pee bucket, and some half asleep numb nuts, could not hit the bucket, and was hitting the rim, which caused a spray, which very unfortunately hit him in the face while half asleep.

 Needless to say, my good engineer, told me that no matter how interesting that contract sounded, it was not worth it and to stay away.

[DGP]

Back in 1979 AeroTrades did a similar job using 5 jetrangers...they were sleeping in tents parked in the middle of Hudson Bay i February!!!

[DGP]

Getting back to roughest maintenance...it was early 90's...had to go to T-Bay...Mark was on a drill job and his engine started making metal...I went on airlines to pick up another 206 to ferry north to the camp that Mark was in...think I flew EKM up there...Mark Had MAO. This was in November...very cold and lots of snow...Myself and another engineer were going to swap out the entire engine in the bush. To be continued!

[DGP]

So I fly up and Kevin is driving up with the engine...its about 100 miles north of T-Bay...I had given Kevin a good head start before I took off to the camp so we would get there around the same time...we put a tent over old MAO and got a gas herman -nelson fired up...in short order it was nice and toastie to get pulling the motor...to be continued!

[DGP]

After an hour or so it is getting extremely hot inside that tent and Kevin says he can't turn down the heat...so I say...well shut it off for a while...bad move...don't ever shut off one of those HN heaters in the boonies because it is too hot...about an hour later its getting cold and of course the heater will not start...its -30 out side and soon enough it is the same temps under the tent!!! To be continued.

[DGP]

I just pulled out my old log books and refreshed my memory...this all happened 30 yrs ago...I had been working in Pickle Lake with Ted Slavin...that is another story for later...I get a call...take TWM to T_bay...so off I go...end up in Geralton ...get that job done...fly back to T-Bay...go home for 2 dayys and then went back to T-Bay...I drove with Kevin up to Marks camp to pull the engine and then after test flying MAO I flew CDM back to T-Bay...upon getting back which was very late Kevin and myself got very boiled at some restaurant...I will tell you the one about Ted and I in Pickle next.

[DGP]

Well   pretty quiet here...better tell the one about Ted and myself...Pickle lake...winter ...we get a call at the base... Al is in Ft Hope...engine bay is full of oil...wants to know if he should fly it back to Pickle...no...get on a sched flight and we will worry about it tomorrow...cover it up and we will pick you up at the airport....

[DGP]

We pick up al and go to the hotel for some bruskiis...what up....said he lands in Ft Hope  and notices oil pouring out of the drain line from the engine bay...so we ask...and yoy wanted to fly it back here...well he says thats why he called ...dah....tomorrow Ted and I will go and have a look!!!