CTD Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 South-of-the-border: Yes, the winter was no fun up there. Spent most of the time sitting around trying to find an excuse NOT to go flying. As Chas said, there were some bright spots in the north, though.... Mr. 407 Driver, Sir. Let me be perfectly clear, and I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention - if you ever get the chance to work in the Torngats, take it. Fight for it, even. Spend some time in Nain, and get to know the good folk there. Visit the ancient rock cairn burial sites, the old Nazi weather station on Home Island, land on some of the oldest rock on the planet at Saglek (thought to be the oldest until the mid-nineties). Wander around Hebron, the Moravian missionary post that was pre-fabricated out of wood from the Black Forest in Germany, shipped to Labrador, and erected in 1833 - miles and miles above tree-line. Very humbling. Check out Okak and Nutak - two villages that were wiped out by the Spanish flu, as was Hebron, in 1918. This place is not only stunningly beautiful, but it is steeped in a history that we never hear about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donnybrook Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Does sitting behind a desk, located in Canada, count towards this topic? It's pretty hard to make it fly... By the way, in case you didn't know, the word "Nain" is French for "dwarf". One of the few words I remember from my gov't sponsored language course! Way too much time on my hands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandaid Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 A beautiful sunshining day in Prince Rupert (one of the 5 in 4 1/2 years) We were flying back from the Queen Charlotte Island. I was seat belted into my seat (such as it was, with the old static strap seat belt that were the rage when the Goose was built.) My patient is on a portable stretcher and was tied down to a row of folded seats by the pilot who is used to tying in cargo for the Wet Coast. We were coming up the final inlet before Rupert, came out of the inlet and started banking right for the turn into the harbour. The next thing I know I am on the floor and the patient is suspended between the row of seats. I struggled to get the patient uprighted again and we landed a couple of minutes later. I got out and kissed the ground like the pope. The winds up there were incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bandaid Posted November 27, 2003 Report Share Posted November 27, 2003 Missing those boats and looky loos took some skill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohica Posted November 28, 2003 Report Share Posted November 28, 2003 May not be the toughest place, but at the airport in Torbay they have a twenty foot lenght of schooner chain mounted on a pole. When the chain is standing straight out, the locals allow "tis a fair breeze off th' tickle, my son." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louie Posted November 29, 2003 Report Share Posted November 29, 2003 Hey Bohica, good one... remember off loading my tool box at the strip in Makovic one wintery,blustery day, it was so stormy the Otter was blowing backward,we managed to get her tied up and the locks on, went to leave the next morning, the pilot said the stick felt odd, "the yoke was bent almost 45 degrees"... almost as bad as off loadin one doz beer to see if she can get on the step dis time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohica Posted November 29, 2003 Report Share Posted November 29, 2003 Yeah, does get a little windy up there, don't it. I remember one night in Blanc Sablon, we'd tied the Otter down with a couple of drums on each wing and set the parking brakes. The next morning we found it had blown down off the strip into that low spruce off to the south side of the airport, drums and all. Remember a couple of trips into YT. One night landing on 29, half a mile in blowing snow and the wind at 50 gusting to 67. Some kinda ride. Another day landing on 16 we were indicating 140 kt at 3000 ft and had a ground speed of 58 kt. The 767 ahead of us was calling moderate to severe from 3000 to the surface. That boy knew what he was talking about. I always had the greatest respect for the guys from Yippie Yi Ay who did that day in and day out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pratt Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 Well, I will throw my 2 cents worth into the frey: I spent 4 years flying wheel/skiis in the straits, 2 years out of Sandy Cove and the other 2 out out of Lance au Clair, or Forteau Long Pond I think it was called at the time, I don't know if it is stilled called the same. We had a number of interesting times, once at Forteau we had tied the A/c down for the night, with the forcasted NW winds overnight, but a big storm came in overnight, with hurricane winds from the east. No warning, so all of the A/c were parked towards the West, we didn't have any kind of proper control locks then, just using a rope and the control column for the tie downs. so when we got to the a/c the next morning one a/c was ok, the other one,mine, was in pretty sad shape, the ailerons were totally beat off of it. From the buffeting of the winds, they had been totally rippped right off. That was pretty all interesting, but the amazing thing was how the dedicated people, like Mr Letto, (Ron Letto's father ,Idon't remember his first name), one of the locals there who worked for the highways dept, these guys worked 24 hours a day, and literally 36 hours at a time, working to keep the roads clear there. I have pics of the 40 foot snowbanks that these guys were trying to plow/blow through. More to come. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pratt Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 A couple of choice places I was into on a regular basis was Harbour Deep, that was always fun for us float or ski drivers. Anyone who has been there can tell you that. Then there was all of the good places on the coast, Chorlottetown, Port Hope, Mary's hbr, Cartwright( spent 4 days for wx there once), Rigolet, Hopedale, Davis Inlet????????????????? Nain. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bush Bunny Posted December 11, 2003 Report Share Posted December 11, 2003 I'm surprised the Yukon hasn't been mentioned - highest mountains in N America, Gulf of Alaska Wx, remote as it gets, and if that's not enough, try it on wheels... The north coast there is pretty interesting too, Inuvik to Herschel Is. to the Old Crow area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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