Flight Info:
I take issue with part of this scenario, and that is the following, and I quote: “However, you are a Bush Pilot that must fly urgently required mechanical parts … to Broughton Island and then return before dark.” Okay, first, I am NOT a “Bush Pilot” and secondly, I am certainly not mechanical (but I guess he didn’t say I’d have to fix anything, just deliver the parts). Thirdly, aren’t there other, more Canadian pilots, who would be a lot closer that could make this delivery? I only figure that my reputation, from my “Extra on the Side” Hero’s Flight, has skewed your vision of my pilotage skill! But times’ a wastin’ here. Since it sounds as though this could be a bit of a rugged and cold trip, I wanted to fly the Twin Otter (aka Twotter), but I wanted to come into this a bit “In the dark” as it were. So, I didn’t look up any Broughton Island info other than elevation and I wanted to fly a plane that was not in my favorites list (which the Twotter is). So, I zapped myself to Pangnirtung at 14:00 local time on Thursday February 6th, 2003 (Likely this will prove more exciting than the real-life meeting I have that day!) and found a Cessna Caravan there, waiting for me.
Back at the Van I dial up the local NDB, which is at 218. Viola! It works. Peter has suggested that I depart to the East but with a full load of these can openers and Sterno Pocket-Stoves, I decide to depart into the wind, from runway 25. I taxi (more like bump around) out to the end of runway 25 and double-check my instruments and radios (I don’t bother checking the GPS ‘cause certainly we won’t need that). All looks good, so I advance the throttles and begin rolling at 14:07 local time. I climb up through layered cloud and a few light bumps to a planned cruising altitude of 9,000 ft.
Remembering the rule of “Push the Nose, Pull the Tail”, I fly near the 069° track from the NDB. I say near because Peter has asked us to put this blasted wind in here and stupid me wants to throw in some light gusts to 12 also! Other than the effort of flying my course I ride along in silence until I loose the NDB at 14:48. Immediately I switch to 237KHz to dial up the Broughton Island NDB, which appears at about 060°. Now, my IAS has been showing about 117 which means I should be at 93 miles by, by, by just about, 14:53! As soon as my math is complete I pull back on the throttles and begin my descent at 1,000 fpm. Peter has suggested, “As soon as you overfly the NDB descend to 3,000 ft…” which tells me I need to be above 3,000 ft before the NDB. Well, 9,000 is above 3,000, but maybe that’s a bit excessive? Well, regardless of theories and hypotheses, I cross the NDB at 5,000 ft and turn to 110° as instructed. Two minutes later I’m at 3,000 ft and turn back to 340° and continue my descent. Two minutes later I am at 900 ft and just about catching the 260 heading into the NDB.
Pangnirtung to Broughton Island and return
Pangnirtung: Rwys 07-25 at 71 ft elevation. Departure time 14:00 recommended
Broughton: Rwys 03-21 at 21 ft elevation.
Weather: Per Peter’s recommendations on departure with gentle gusts to 12 mph.
I take issue with part of this scenario, and that is the following, and I quote: “However, you are a Bush Pilot that must fly urgently required mechanical parts … to Broughton Island and then return before dark.” Okay, first, I am NOT a “Bush Pilot” and secondly, I am certainly not mechanical (but I guess he didn’t say I’d have to fix anything, just deliver the parts). Thirdly, aren’t there other, more Canadian pilots, who would be a lot closer that could make this delivery? I only figure that my reputation, from my “Extra on the Side” Hero’s Flight, has skewed your vision of my pilotage skill! But times’ a wastin’ here. Since it sounds as though this could be a bit of a rugged and cold trip, I wanted to fly the Twin Otter (aka Twotter), but I wanted to come into this a bit “In the dark” as it were. So, I didn’t look up any Broughton Island info other than elevation and I wanted to fly a plane that was not in my favorites list (which the Twotter is). So, I zapped myself to Pangnirtung at 14:00 local time on Thursday February 6th, 2003 (Likely this will prove more exciting than the real-life meeting I have that day!) and found a Cessna Caravan there, waiting for me.
The first thing I notice is that my coat isn’t quite heavy enough! I get the Van fired up and crank on some heat. Next, I confer with the local shop owner who briefs me on what it is I’ll be delivering (Some can openers for some fishermen who are very hungry and cold). “Why don’t I just pick them up and fly them back here?” I ask. “Because”, he replies, “They’re Australian and they want to get a real ‘Up North’ experience on their Canadian vacation.”
“Oh-“
Back at the Van I dial up the local NDB, which is at 218. Viola! It works. Peter has suggested that I depart to the East but with a full load of these can openers and Sterno Pocket-Stoves, I decide to depart into the wind, from runway 25. I taxi (more like bump around) out to the end of runway 25 and double-check my instruments and radios (I don’t bother checking the GPS ‘cause certainly we won’t need that). All looks good, so I advance the throttles and begin rolling at 14:07 local time. I climb up through layered cloud and a few light bumps to a planned cruising altitude of 9,000 ft.
Remembering the rule of “Push the Nose, Pull the Tail”, I fly near the 069° track from the NDB. I say near because Peter has asked us to put this blasted wind in here and stupid me wants to throw in some light gusts to 12 also! Other than the effort of flying my course I ride along in silence until I loose the NDB at 14:48. Immediately I switch to 237KHz to dial up the Broughton Island NDB, which appears at about 060°. Now, my IAS has been showing about 117 which means I should be at 93 miles by, by, by just about, 14:53! As soon as my math is complete I pull back on the throttles and begin my descent at 1,000 fpm. Peter has suggested, “As soon as you overfly the NDB descend to 3,000 ft…” which tells me I need to be above 3,000 ft before the NDB. Well, 9,000 is above 3,000, but maybe that’s a bit excessive? Well, regardless of theories and hypotheses, I cross the NDB at 5,000 ft and turn to 110° as instructed. Two minutes later I’m at 3,000 ft and turn back to 340° and continue my descent. Two minutes later I am at 900 ft and just about catching the 260 heading into the NDB.
You may notice that although my pitot heat is on (far right) my airspeed is frozen at 0! So, here I am looking at a 50° turn to final for runway 21 without airspeed. Well, I’m visual now anyway and while the landing isn’t in the middle of the airstrip it is on the airstrip. Time shows 15:08.
After I chat briefly with the visitors from Australia one of the men (who shall remain nameless) said he was just in from Caracas and wanted to pay me for my time and effort. A very nice offer, I thought. So he handed me 35,000 Bolivares! I think I was grateful until I discovered later, that the conversion for that is about $18.22 US. Looking at the topography here I’m not sure why Peter had us fly the procedure he did, other than he had tried it and it worked? I would’ve recommended flying outbound from NDB on 020 for 3 minutes, then right to 050 for one minute, standard rate turn back to intercept 200° inbound the NDB. That looks safe and gives a less than 20° correction for final versus the 50° turn I had to fight through. Just a thought. I dropped off the supplies and bid these “woodsmen” farewell. I toddled back to the end of runway 21 and decreased the clouds to 2/8 coverage only – everything else unchanged. I advanced the throttles at 15
:29 and climbed out to 8,000 ft for the return trip to Pangnirtung. Though I still had daylight, I never did see the sun. I came in a bit to the north so I could drop down into the gorge and fly low over the water, rising snow and rock walls off my left wing. I had to slip the landing a bit but made it down safely at 16:29 with shut down at 16:34.
:29 and climbed out to 8,000 ft for the return trip to Pangnirtung. Though I still had daylight, I never did see the sun. I came in a bit to the north so I could drop down into the gorge and fly low over the water, rising snow and rock walls off my left wing. I had to slip the landing a bit but made it down safely at 16:29 with shut down at 16:34.Later that evening, sitting by the fire in my lodge (hot Cocoa and laptop in hand) I had had a chance to reflect on the day’s flight. My thoughts are this, my toes are finally thawing and I’d like to try the flight again with a different approach procedure. That’s when I decided that next weekend, when these tourists are ready to leave, I will fly up in my Twotter and pick them up. I’ll also give back the 35,000 Bolivares!
Peter, this was a very scenic and enjoyable flight. I’ve flown some similar flights in Alaska and British Columbia but this is a new place and some new procedures. And that’s exactly what we all want to get from this “Club”, new places, new sceneries and new thoughts on doing what we love, flying (or pretend flying for some of us). Thank you.
