When I started "Blogging" in December of 2004, I was unsure of what I was doing (probably still am), and since then it has been a great learning experience for me regarding the "Internet World". One of the "tremendous unplanned bonuses" my Blog has enabled me to receive is contact with people I otherwise would never have had contact with. My "new friends" are "passionate" aviation people, whether they are pilots, engineers, "onlooking enthusiasts", researchers, photographers, or historians. One of these "passionate" people has done tremendous (unbelievably) research and work regarding an aspect of aviation very "dear" to my heart, and I would like to profile this gentleman and his work, as "it needs sharing". The passionate person to "whom" I refer is a fellow by the name of Karl Hayes. Karl has produced a CD entitled;

De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY

It is a "Masterpiece", with histories of all 466 Otters produced, and numerous outstanding photos. It is an enthralling "Otter family history". Karl had sent me the CD this summer, and had allowed me to reproduce some of the CD on my Blog. Due to the busy float, and then freeze-up seasons, I didn't have a lot of extra time to introduce his work to my "readers", but now I "have the time". I will profile 1 Otter every week, with history and photos if possible. I will start today with the initial portion of the Preface from the CD, profile an Otter, and at the end of the "Post" I will give some info on how to contact Karl and "acquire" one of these brilliant CDs. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. So, here is a portion of the Preface from the CD, and the very first Otter we will profile, C-FUKN, S/N 456, the first Otter I flew years ago, and the Otter I flew this summer from Pine Dock. I have about 4000 hrs. on this machine, having flown it on wheels, skis, and floats. Enjoy!
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PREFACE

If ever there was an aircraft of immense interest whose exploits have gone, for the most part, unrecorded and unnoticed, it must surely be the Otter. The DHC-3 Otter first flew in December 1951 and ever since it has faithfully served its operators, both civil and military, mostly in remote parts of the world. Despite its many achievements and the great amount of important work it has performed over the years, and continues to perform, only a very limited amount has been written about it. The Otter was heavily involved in the Antarctic exploration programme of the late 1950s and early 1960s, but writings on this topic usually concentrate on other types of aircraft that were involved. It made a huge contribution in many outback parts of the world to their development. In US Army service it was instrumental in mapping and survey work in the Americas, from Alaska all the way south to Chile, and also in northern Africa and yet these roles are largely unknown. In Vietnam it saw ten years of combat service and yet books on the South East Asian conflict either ignore the Otter completely or mention it only in passing. In its home country of Canada, as in Alaska, it must surely be the ultimate bush aircraft and yet it is usually mentioned, if at all, as being a “big Beaver”, which it is, but it still merits discussion of its own achievements. It is hoped that this CD addresses these shortcomings, and pays adequate regard to the history and work of the Otter, recording it for posterity. It is an attempt to gather together all information that could be ascertained on the DHC-3 Otter. There is undoubtedly much more information “out there somewhere”. There must be many persons who were involved with Otters over the years, as pilots, maintainers, operators, members of military units etc. who have their stories and history on Otter aircraft. It is also to be hoped that this CD will bring together all those persons interested in the Otter, and foster a community of interest in this fine old bushplane. It is requested that anyone with any additional information, or corrections, would send in their data so that a future edition of this CD could include this information. Information on developments on the Otters still flying would also be appreciated. It is also hoped to issue periodic updates, and anyone sending in any information, either current or historic, will be sent copies of such updates. Any such information can be sent to the following postal address or by e-mail:

Karl Hayes,
Crakaig,
Killiney Hill Road,
Killiney,
County Dublin, Ireland

E-mail: karl.hayes@goregrimes.ie

456

Otter 456 was delivered to Sherritt Gordon Air Transport Ltd of Lynn Lake, Manitoba on 4th March 1965, registered CF-UKN. This was the air transport division of Sherritt Gordon Mines. The nickel mine at Lynn Lake was located in a very remote part of Manitoba, over one thousand kilometres north of Winnipeg, and air transport was required to connect the mine with Winnipeg and other parts of Manitoba. The Otter was to serve the mine for twenty years, with only one accident recorded, at Lynn Lake on 3rd October 1970, which the accident report summarised as: “Descending turn, dragged wing tip, failed to see/avoid objects, exercised poor judgement, glassy water, unwarranted low flying, substantial damage”. The Otter was repaired and resumed service. It continued flying for Sherritt Gordon Air Transport until sold to Northway Aviation Ltd of Arnes, Manitoba in April 1985, which it has served ever since, part of the company's fleet based at Arnes on the shore of Lake Winnipeg and serving central and northern areas of Manitoba.

-by Karl E. Hayes
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Yes, quite the "bird". When Jim and Geiri Johnson of Northway bought the aircraft, they also received a spare engine, a set of de Havilland wheel-skis, water bombing tanks, and numerous extra parts. UKN also had a full IFR panel, as Sherritt Gordon had actually flown it IFR when it was configured on wheels. If only aircraft could speak! Great job, Karl! Here is Karl's "contact info". This CD is a "must have", and I think would be an outstanding gift for someone, as well as being an invaluable reference compilation.

CONTACT INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes

CF-UKN, when she was a "young lass", loaded, still working for Sherritt Gordon. Notice the "rack" on the side.

Me, holding in my "gut", and UKN, still in her Sherritt Gordon colours, at Paint Point Lake, early 1990s.

UKN, myself, and Jim Johnson displaying "moose racks" I had just hauled from the Berens River, along with the meat. Early 1990s, on the Icelandic River, Riverton.

UKN "swaps" her floats for wheel-skis!

UKN "at work" this past September, in her "new livery"!

....and the last word of my "Post" goes to UKN, in her Sherritt Gordon colours from years back, as "her and I" demonstrate the "one float" takeoff technique...... "Fantastic research and devotion, Karl! Adios"!

The sun was shining, the wind was light, the air was crisp, and visibility was "forever". Keystone Air Service's Piper Navajo taxied for the "backtrack" Runway 18, Little Grand Rapids...........

"Blazing sun"!

Props spinning, and the gear kicking up fine snow, C-FXLO prepares to "rotate".......

....and is "airborne"!

There are 22 airports that the Province of Manitoba operates under it's Northern Airports & Marine Operations, a division of Manitoba Transportation and Government Services. All the airports service remote communities, and the runways are gravel. Being remote and air-accessible only makes the Airport and runway the "lifeline" to emergency medical services for these communities, the famous "Medevac" flights. There are 2 months during the winter these communities will have a "winter road" linking them to the "southern infrastructure", but for the rest of the year, the "airplane rules". Therefore, every Airport has equipment and operators to maintain the runway year-round. In the previous pictures, you can see the runway is clear of snow. "What kind of equipment do they use?", you say? Well, to keep the runways clear of snow and ice, you need a ............

"Grader and snowblower"!

A Champion Series VI, 730A grader, to be exact........

You can move lots of earth, gravel, and snow, with "one of these babies".

You also should have an SMI 5500 MP "snowblower", "piggy-backing" an extra diesel engine to run the "blower attachment"!

Quite the machine!

You could "chop" Volkswagens with this blower.....

This machine would be a "blast" to operate.

Owned by the "Province"......, and these pieces of equipment keep the "runways clear"!

One other item. On Dec. 17 I made a "Post" entitled Royal Canadian "Mounted" Police! that details how the RCMP are still "mounted", but their "mount of choice" today is a Pilastus PC-12! Well, the Mounties also used to travel by "dog sled", but that has changed also. Today the Mounties patrol remote northern communities by...........

"Snowmobile....."!

Yup, RCMP. A snowmobile is much more convenient, having only to fill it with "gas", instead of feeding it "frozen fish"! Ha! Anyways, the last word of my "Post" today, goes to old friend John Gibson, who I happened to "run into" (not literally) in Little Grand. John owns Provincial Helicopters, and he had one of his Bell 206s with him that day, and he was making numerous trips to Pauingassi, another community 9 miles north.

John "loads up"....

.....and departs! "Adios"!

I know, I know, "Float Season" is over in Manitoba, but I love the sound and the visual treat of a Beaver (latin: Castor canadensis) and her Pratt and Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior "throbbing" in perfect harmony, and "defying" gravity!

VIDEO - "Castor Canadensis" Takeoff!

I checked out my friend Rob McIntyre's "Blog" today, knowing he had spent Christmas in The Maldives, away from friends and family. That would be tough, no doubt. Life is how you perceive it, though. I always loved the scene at the end of the Monty Python movie "The Life Of Brian", where the three men being crucified are whistling and singing "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life"! So, always "count your blessings", Afghanistan would be a far less hospitable place to be, and some of our men and women are there. "Remember Them"! Rob has posted new pictures and videos on his Blog, and it is worth a look at. His training has been going well, and he recently sent me a picture of his "Training Captain". He is apparently a "local", with a wealth of knowledge regarding the local people, geography, and climate, and is quite the trend-setting "fashion plate". Check him out!

"Yup, he is a knowledgeable-looking fellow"! Check out.......

ROB'S BLOG - Barefoot Pilot

I have also been introduced to another Blog in it's "infancy", but if the original pictures and information continue as such, it will be quite an informative site. It was created by North West Pilot, but the name his "Mom" gave him, I don't know. If you like Turbine Otters having wings installed, float repairs, storm "aftermaths", converted to turbine Grumman "Gooses", PBYs, radial engines, and DHC-2 Beavers, you might enjoy this site. Check it out........

GOOD BLOG - AIR HARBOR - Seaplanes in the Great Northwest

.....and the last word of my "Post" goes to Uncle Corey, once again, over-imbibing at Christmas time.......

"S-S-sss-N-No-R-R-R-GGGRR-NX-NX-NX!!!!"

I can't get over how big the Airbus A380 is. Massive, but it seems to handle the "crosswinds" just fine. "Hey, how is your Icelandic"?

VIDEO -
A "Crosswind", and an "Airbus"!

I hope "all" had a Merry Christmas, and no one suffered loss or tragedy at this time of the year. The weather here has been beautiful, -5*C and sunny. We keep getting the "tail-ends" of the Pacific storms that have been "hammering" the "Coast", but by the time the air masses arrive on the "Prairies", they are quite "placid". Anyways, enjoy friends and family, and "Remember The Troops"!

Cheers,

Steve

(Youngest daughter Kiena ("The Munch"), thoroughly enjoyed Christmas, as shown by her "radiant" smiles!)

"The Munch" says; "Merry Christmas" everyone!

Canada and the U.S.A, with all of our problems, are countries like none other. Founded on Judeo-Christian principles, they are very tolerant, welcoming countries, "embracing" peoples of all faiths, colours, and creeds, and rightly so. Sometimes, though, I think we "trip over our own feet", trying not to offend anyone. I mean, you can't even call anybody a "Hillbilly" anymore. You have to call him "Appalachian-American". Weird. Therefore, never try to offend someone, but remember the "principles" that founded these countries. I watched ESPN Classic the other day, and the Gold Medal Game from the 1991 IIHF Junior World Championship was on. What a lineup on both sides. Russia vs. Canada. Eric Lindros vs. Pavel Bure on "the draw" routinely. Anyways, Canada scored the "game winner" in the 3rd, after being outshot. At the end Lindros stated in his interview that he was sure glad there were "Newfies" on the team, as they had scored two "game winners" during the Championship. "Tut tut", Eric, you should have said "Rock-bound Canadians"! Anyways, here is a good one I came across recently!
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Politically Correct Twelve Days of Christmas

On the 12th day of the Eurocentrically imposed midwinter festival, my potential-acquaintance-abuse-survivor gave to me,

TWELVE males reclaiming their inner warrior through ritual drumming

ELEVEN pipers piping (plus the 18-member pit orchestra made up of members in good standing of the Musicians Equity Union as called for in their union contract even though they will not be asked to play a note...)

TEN melanin-deprived testosterone-poisoned scions of the patriarchal ruling class system leaping,

NINE persons engaged in rhythmic self-expression,

EIGHT economically disadvantaged female persons stealing milk-products from enslaved bovine-Americans,

SEVEN endangered swans swimming on federally protected wetlands,

SIX enslaved fowl-Americans producing stolen nonhuman animal products,

FIVE golden symbols of culturally sanctioned enforced domestic incarceration, (NOTE: after a member of the Animal Liberation Front threatened to throw red paint at my computer, the calling birds, French hens, and partridge have been reintroduced to their native habitat. To avoid further animal-American enslavement, the remaining gift package has been revised.)

FOUR hours of recorded whale songs,

THREE deconstructionist poets,

TWO Sierra Club calendars printed on recycled processed tree carcasses.

And a Spotted Owl activist chained to an old-growth pear tree.

Submitted by Diane K.
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"Good one" Diane! "Merry Christmas" everyone!

No, no, I don't mean "large" people leaving an "all-you-can-eat" buffet, I mean aircraft departing Fairford RAF Station!

VIDEO - "Heavies" Departing!

From reading my "Blog" everyone knows I love the "moose hunt" from the middle of September to the middle of October. I like flying the guys out, and giving them "the gears" in regards to all the equipment they bring, which is always "way too much". Anyhow, they really enjoy their time in the bush, with buddies, sleeping in tents, fishing, enduring snowstorms and freezing temps., and cooking over an open fire, and consuming large quantities of "giggle-juice". All this is done in their "quest" to get a shot at "Alces Alces" (moose in Latin), and return home with "meat for the winter". What happens though, when you can't get "rid" of a moose? Check out this story, apparently taking place in (where else?) Alaska!
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MOOSE STORY

When this little guy was "littler", he lost his mother. So the Alaska Department of Fish and Game brought him to Wendall and Debbie. They asked them to get the "little moose" raised to a safe age to turn him loose again. They took care of him and bottle-fed him, and after a while they fed him with their cows. Last spring he was a year old and it was time to turn him back into the wild. They opened the gate and off he went. He stayed gone all summer; then this fall he was back with the cows! He really thinks he is a cow! For now all were happy to see him . . . he is a pretty friendly fella! He loves honey buns and will eat them right out of your mouth! Wendall and Debbie live up in the mountains and so it came time to bring their cows down. Well . . . the moose was lonely all by himself so he headed down to find another herd of cows to hang with. The neighbors called about a week later and asked Wendall to please come and get his "Moose". So Wendall headed out with a honey bun, bucket of grain and the horse trailer and brought the moose back home. The moose is free to go anytime he wants but is choosing to stay put for now. Surely, come spring he will start to feel a bit like a boy Moose and take off . . . but, for now he seems happy!
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Meet "the family", and "the moose"!

Wendall, and his "partner"! "Hey, where's my hat"?

"OK, OK".

"Pucker up, buddy"!

"Hey Wendall, try some Clorets"!
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"Absolutely amazing"! Unbelievable? Not by "any stretch". A number of years back, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation filmed a program that detailed a "trek" that Dr. Vince Crichton made into Riding Mountain National Park in western Manitoba. Vince is the senior Wildlife Biologist for the Manitoba Government, and a good personal friend of mine. I have flown him "out to the bush" for numerous years, and this fall, I flew him to an area near the Sasaginnigak River, and his party harvested one moose. He had a reporter along by the name of Sandy Coleman, during the "aforementioned program", a very "bubbly" local personality. As they made their way along a trail, a moose "charged" out of the bush straight for them. Sandy screamed, and grabbed Vince, and hid behind him. The moose ran closer, stopped, Sandy was "hollering", and then the moose started "sniffing" Vince's pockets. Vince reached into his pockets, pulled out some bananas, and fed them to the moose. Apparently it was a similar situation as the "one above", as the mother of the moose had been "poached" in a previous season, and Manitoba Natural Resources had fed the moose, hoping it would stay alive and wild. Vince had been involved, had monitored the situation, and whenever he came to check on the progress with the moose, had brought it bananas. It was quite a "video moment"! Anyways, congratulations to Debbie and Wendall for their "selfless act", hopefully this moose doesn't end up in "someone's freezer"........ A moose truly is "a majestic animal"...........

(Vince is also the Canadian President of the North American Moose Foundation. Check out some info and pics!)

LINK - North American Moose Foundation (NAMF)

"From My Past"; 15 years ago, pilot Chris "Bogan" Bridge, and Dr. Vince Crichton, rear, untie one of Vince's canoes from "stalwart" Beaver CF-QQG, S/N 1675. This was on the Bloodvein River. Photo by "Me"!

.....and the "last" word of my "Post" goes to the moose.........

"Merry Christmas"!

Watch "the boys" "plant" a Lockheed S3-B "Viking" on the "carrier deck"!

VIDEO - A "Viking", and a "Flat-Top"!

Friends Jerry Helgason and Rob McIntyre, old Northway Aviation "Alumni" from the 90's, sent me this article, and I thought I would pass it on. "Canadians" always answer the "call of duty"..................
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(Reprinted here is a remarkable tribute written by Irishman Kevin Myers about Canada's record of quiet valour in wartime. This article appeared in the April 21, 2002 edition of the Sunday Telegraph, one of Britain's largest circulation newspapers and in Canada's National Post on April 26, 2002.)

A Salute to a Brave and Modest Nation

LONDON - Until the deaths last week of four Canadian soldiers accidentally killed by a U.S. warplane in Afghanistan, probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops were deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will now bury its dead, just as the rest of the world as always will forget its sacrifice, just as it always forgets nearly everything Canada ever does.

It seems that Canada's historic mission is to come to the selfless aid both of its friends and of complete strangers, and then, once the crisis is over, to be well and truly ignored. Canada is the perpetual wallflower that stands on the edge of the hall, waiting for someone to come and ask her for a dance. A fire breaks out, she risks life and limb to rescue her fellow dance-goers, and suffers serious injuries. But when the hall is repaired and the dancing resumes, there is Canada, the wallflower still, while those she once helped glamorously cavort across the floor, blithely neglecting her yet again.

That is the price Canada pays for sharing the North American continent with the United States, and for being a selfless friend of Britain in two global conflicts. For much of the 20th century, Canada was torn in two different directions: It seemed to be a part of the old world, yet had an address in the new one, and that divided identity ensured that it never fully got the gratitude it deserved.

Yet its purely voluntary contribution to the cause of freedom in two world wars was perhaps the greatest of any democracy. Almost 10% of Canada's entire population of seven million people served in the armed forces during the First World War, and nearly 60,000 died. The great Allied victories of 1918 were spearheaded by Canadian troops, perhaps the most capable soldiers in the entire British order of battle.

Canada was repaid for its enormous sacrifice by downright neglect, its unique contribution to victory being absorbed into the popular memory as somehow or other the work of the "British." The Second World War provided a re-run. The Canadian navy began the war with a half dozen vessels, and ended up policing nearly half of the Atlantic against U-boat attack.

More than 120 Canadian warships participated in the Normandy landings, during which 15,000 Canadian soldiers went ashore on D-Day alone. Canada finished the war with the third-largest navy and the fourth-largest air force in the world.

The world thanked Canada with the same sublime indifference as it had the previous time. Canadian participation in the war was acknowledged in film only if it was necessary to give an American actor a part in a campaign in which the United States had clearly not participated -- a touching scrupulousness which, of course, Hollywood has since abandoned, as it has any notion of a separate Canadian identity.

So it is a general rule that actors and filmmakers arriving in Hollywood keep their nationality -- unless, that is, they are Canadian. Thus Mary Pickford, Walter Huston, Donald Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, William Shatner, Norman Jewison, David Cronenberg and Dan Aykroyd have in the popular perception become American, and Christopher Plummer, British. It is as if, in the very act of becoming famous, a Canadian ceases to be Canadian, unless she is Margaret Atwood, who is as unshakably Canadian as a moose, or Celine Dion, for whom Canada has proved quite unable to find any takers.

Moreover, Canada is every bit as querulously alert to the achievements of its sons and daughters as the rest of the world is completely unaware of them. The Canadians proudly say of themselves -- and are unheard by anyone else -- that 1% of the world's population has provided 10% of the world's peacekeeping forces. Canadian soldiers in the past half century have been the greatest peacekeepers on Earth -- in 39 missions on UN mandates, and six on non-UN peacekeeping duties, from Vietnam to East Timor, from Sinai to Bosnia.

Yet the only foreign engagement that has entered the popular non-Canadian imagination was the sorry affair in Somalia, in which out-of-control paratroopers murdered two Somali infiltrators. Their regiment was then disbanded in disgrace -- a uniquely Canadian act of self-abasement for which, naturally, the Canadians received no international credit.

So who today in the United States knows about the stoic and selfless friendship its northern neighbour has given it in Afghanistan?

Rather like Cyrano de Bergerac, Canada repeatedly does honourable things for honourable motives, but instead of being thanked for it, it remains something of a figure of fun.

It is the Canadian way, for which Canadians should be proud, yet such honour comes at a high cost.

This week, four more grieving Canadian families knew that cost all too tragically well.
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(Kevin Myers is an Irish journalist and commentator, who currently writes for the Irish Independent. He is a former contributor to The Irish Times newspaper, where he wrote the An Irishman's Diary column several times weekly. Until 2005, he also wrote for the Sunday Telegraph in the UK.)
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As I have mentioned in a "Post" before, "Thank God, the bloodlines run deep"..............

Canada's "Unknown Soldier"....

An unknown Canadian soldier, buried in a grave near Vimy, France for more than 80 years, has been brought to Canada. His remains have been entombed near the National War Memorial as a symbol of thousands of Canadians lost in wars of the 20th century.

The Unknown Soldier will represent the 27,500 Canadian service people who have no known grave. During the 20th century, more than two million Canadians served in uniform. Over 116,000 Canadian lost their lives during four wars and dozens of peacekeeping missions. During the Second World War alone, some 17,000 airmen were lost - about one in six among flying personnel. May they all....."Rest In Peace".

Yes, I can still remember Andre Pepin "yelling" years ago...."Maintain the centerline!".... as I was "wildly departing". Andre was my CPL Instructor. OK, today I have finally "mastered" maintaining the centerline on takeoff, but it took 25 years. "Oh yeah... what about landing?" Obviously the "centerline" should still be "maintained". Well, I am still working on that, so give me at least, say....."another decade"! Anyways, here is a pilot that can "maintain the centerline" even in an "emergency situation". Watch! (The aircraft damage must have been "minimal" compared to what it could have been, as he "kills" the engines and "feathers the props". Also notice the flaps were left "up", or at least "minimal", so as not to "mangle" them and possibly damage the wing. Gotta' love "long runways"!)

VIDEO - "Maintain the Centerline"!

Beech "King Air"! One tough machine!

The "Mounties" are world-famous, and held in "high regard", and have a "storied" history. I love the stories of "Sam Steele", the third officer sworn in to the newly formed North West Mounted Police (NWMP), entering as a Staff Constable. He was one of the officers to lead the new recruits of the NWMP on the 1874 March West, when he returned to Fort Garry, present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba. To him fell the rank of Staff Sergeant Major and the responsibility-- as an accomplished horseman and man-at-arms--, of drilling the new recruits. In 1878, Steele was given his own command at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan.

In 1877, he was assigned to meet with Sitting Bull, who, having defeated General Custer at Little Bighorn, had moved with his people into Canada to escape American vengeance. Steele along with U.S. Army General Alfred Howe Terry attempted unsuccessfully to persuade Sitting Bull to return to the U.S. (The Sioux did return a few years later.)

During the North-West Rebellion Steele was dispatched with a small force. Missing the Battle of Batoche the Mounties were sent to move against the last rebel force led by Big Bear. He was present at the Battle of Frenchman's Butte, where Big Bear's warriors defeated the Canadian forces under General Thomas Strange. Two weeks later, Steele and his two dozen Mounties defeated Big Bear's force at Loon Lake in the last battle ever fought on Canadian territory. The contributions of the NWMP in putting down the rebellion went largely ignored and unrewarded, to Steele's great annoyance. By 1885, Steele held the rank of Superintendent. He established Fort Steele in 1887 before moving on to Fort Macleod in 1888. He married Marie Harwood at Vaudreuil, Quebec in 1890 (they had met at Fort Macleod the previous year). They had three children, including Harwood Steele, who would fictionalize episodes from his father's life in novels such as Spirit-of-Iron (1929).

The discovery of gold in the Klondike, Yukon in the late 1890s presented Steele with a new challenge. Although he campaigned unsuccessfully for the position of assistant commissioner in 1892, in January of 1898, he was sent to succeed Charles Constantine as commissioner and to establish customs posts at the head of the White and Chilkoot Passes, and at Lake Bennett. He was noted for his hard line with the hundreds of unruly and independent-minded prospectors, many of them American. To help control the situation, he established the rule that no one would be allowed to enter the Yukon without a ton of goods to support themselves, thus preventing the entry of desperate and potentially unruly speculators and adventurers.

Steele and his force made the Klondike Gold Rush one of the most orderly of its kind in history and made the NWMP famous around the world, which ensured its survival at a critical time when the force's dissolution was being debated in parliament. By July of 1898, Steele commanded all the NWMP in the Yukon area, and was a member of the territorial council. As the force reported directly to Ottawa, Steele had almost free rein to run things as he chose, always with an eye towards maintaining law, order and Canadian sovereignty.
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Yes, the "Mounties" sure have a "history", as detailed in the above short history of some of Sam Steele's exploits. My father was actually a "Mountie" in the 1950s, and during training in Regina, I believe he had a horse named "Wag", if my "marginally-coherent cranial mass" remembers correctly. Anyways, I ran into some "Mounties" the other day and their "mount", and the great tradition continues today. The "Mounties" travel to where they are needed, and they get there "post-haste"! Check out the "mounts" the "Mounties" use today!

What a "horse"!

"Pilatus PC-12"!

I introduced myself to the pilot, Peter, and he just loves the airplane. He told me that his "routing" that day had been; "Winnipeg - Berens River - Thompson - Tadoule Lake - Lac Brochet - Thompson - Berens River - ... and he was still going to Poplar River, and then Winnipeg"! He said the "work" you can do, and the speed, is amazing. He loves "the bird". Look on a map, folks, and check his routing. Must be close to a couple thousand miles, with many stops, hauling prisoners, and changing "members" from the Detachments!

No "reining-in" this horse, she likes "to run"..........

"Superintendent Sam Steele" would be "proud"!
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(PS - Today, Ian Odger, "Sturdy" Dan McBeath, and I, went to Little Grand Rapids in "marginal" weather and runway and ramp conditions on charters. Here are some pics.)

"UAL"!

The snow continues........

The snow is getting a "little deep" on the ramp.........

.....and the last word of my "Post" goes to Ian Odger, flying the "Airvan"! We were actually in Little Grand Rapids to pick up the "Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Pageant Finalists", and they were just standing out of the picture, "hence" Odger's "non-chalant, Clark Gable" pose..........

"Adios"........!

Absolutely hilarious. Two great "faces" from the past. Thanks for the tip, Oly! (By the way, Oly is an "airline pilot"!)

VIDEO - "Excuse Me. Have You Ever Been In Schenectady?"

My buddy Clive Pearce recently sent me a story, and it was outstanding. Clive is very reputable and knowledgeable about aviation, and I figured the story was "accurate", so I did a little research through the "BBC", and, yes, it is absolutely true. Here is the story, with some additional "links" at the end.
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*Charlie Brown's Story*

Charlie Brown was a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot with the 379th Bomber Group at Kimbolton, England. His B-17 was called 'Ye Old Pub' and was in a terrible state, having been hit by flak and fighters. The compass was damaged and they were flying deeper over enemy territory instead of heading home to Kimbolton.

After flying over an enemy airfield, a pilot named Franz Steigler was ordered to take off and shoot down the B-17. When he got near the B-17, he could not believe his eyes. In his words, he 'had never seen a plane in such a bad state'. The tail and rear section was severely damaged, and the tail gunner wounded. The top gunner was all over the top of the fuselage. The nose was smashed and there were holes everywhere.

Despite having ammunition, Franz flew to the side of the B-17 and looked at Charlie Brown, the pilot. Brown was scared and struggling to control his damaged and blood-stained plane.

Aware that they had no idea where they were going, Franz waved at Charlie to turn 180 degrees. Franz escorted and guided the stricken plane to and slightly over the North Sea towards England. He then saluted Charlie Brown and turned away, back to Europe.

When Franz landed he told the CO that the plane had been shot down over the sea, and never told the truth to anybody. Charlie Brown and the remains of his crew told all at their briefing, but were ordered never to talk about it.

More than 40 years later, Charlie Brown wanted to find the Luftwaffe pilot who saved the crew. After years of research, Franz was found. He had never talked about the incident, not even at post-war reunions.

They met in the USA at a 379th Bomber Group reunion, together with 25 people who are alive now - all because Franz never fired his guns that day.

Research shows that Charlie Brown lived in Seattle and Franz Steigler had moved to Vancouver, BC after the war. When they finally met, they discovered they had lived less than 200 miles apart for the past 50 years!!
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-CREDIT - 'WW2 People's War is an online archive of wartime memories contributed by members of the public and gathered by the BBC. The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar'. This story was submitted to the site by Chris Chandler of the 8th Air Force Historical Society. He has a video and pictures of the event, and can be contacted at usaaf379bg@aol.com.
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Unbelievable story! Talk about "honour amongst adversaries"!

LINK - BBC - WW2 People's War

LINK - The Eighth Air Force Historical Society

Outstanding, "as usual", Clive, "thanks"!

Check out some other B-17s, "battle-damaged"!

"Rodger the Lodger"

"Matchless" men................

(Hey Illo, "Boeings".........)

Check out some "departures"! Love the "outboard gear" on the "B-52", and she "smokes" like a "woodstove"!

VIDEO - We're "Outta' Here"!

The Airbus A380 is nicknamed the "Flying Forehead" because of the shape of the double-deck nose drop to cockpit. It visted Vancouver, B.C., recently, on it's "around the world airport and GSE (Ground Support Equipment) compatibility proving flight". Rodger Hamilton sent me some fine "pics" of this "grand dame" in Vancouver. Check them out.

Here "she" is, "The Flying Forehead"!

Rolls Royce "Trent" 900s......"Wow"!

No "chicken legs" on this female..........

Amazing size.........

The "bridge"........

"Staircase", a "throwback" to the old "Clippers"......

Imagine the "wing flex" in "turbulence".........

"Skookum" tail-wheel, but they put it "in the front"........."What the....."?

"She is" a "behemoth"..........

Great "photo-op"..........

"Welcome", to Vancouver's "warm, temperate" climate......

Thanks for the "pics", Rodger!

(PS - Give me a good "North American product" anyday, give me a "Boeing"........)

"Adios"!

I tell you for sure, the "pilots" never forget the work the "grunts" are doing on the ground! Watch this pilot "rally the troops"!

VIDEO - KC-135 "Buzz Job"!

The morning was nice, no "bumps", so I thought I would fly low and check out the "winter road" from Berens River to Poplar River.

"Cut" right through the "bush and swamps".......

"Packed" by snowmobiles, and then "Bombardiers", so the "frost" will penetrate, and it will freeze. The "locals" will be driving this road soon.....

Later, I was at Bloodvein River Airport, as Doug Burton was preparing to leave in Northway Aviation's Caravan.......

"We're outta' here"!......

Later on I was at Little Grand Rapids as the "Ethiopian Chicken" arrived........

.....and then Provincial Helicopter's "machine" arrived, to refuel, as he was "slinging loads"......

The "Ethiopian Chicken" "fires up"!

The "Chicken" today was being flown by William Mowat, "trapper", "fisherman", and now owner and founder of WAMAIR Service.

William and the "Ethiopian Chicken" depart Runway 18, Little Grand Rapids!

The next "sling-load" for Provincial Helicopters.........

As I taxied out to "backtrack" Runway 18, I snapped a "pic" of the Berens River, as it runs past the airport. Still "open", and it will be all winter, even at -45*C temperatures.

Later, in Poplar River in the afternoon, I "spied" a Beech King Air 200, operated by Keystone Air Service!

The "boys" fire up the "right side"....

......and then the left! Notice the "gunny sack" underneath her belly!

Today, the last word of my "Post" goes to Perimeter Airlines "Metroliner" as she "honks off the runway" at Berens River! "Adios"!

(Forget about the "floral arranging course" I alluded to in a previous "Post", I have decided to enroll in "Underwater Basket Weaving"!)

"Cheers"!

"Corrugated aluminum", and "BMW radials"! "Three" of them! What a "recipe"!

VIDEO - "Jukin'", in a "Junkers"!

I think maybe I am at a "crossroads" in life. I need some "excitement" in my life. I am still very healthy, and as "agile" as a "cat". I need to get away from the "mundane". "See" what I mean.........

We start "early", folks. "Sturdy" Dan McBeath warms up C-207 C-FBHP, early AM, snow "falling"!

Later on in Berens River, I met up with Ryan Cook, flying WAMAIR's Caravan, WAM. This is the first Caravan WAMAIR owner William Mowat purchased.

Later in the day, I met up with John, flying Caravan LXY, also owned by WAMAIR. This aircraft is on Wipline "amphibs" during the summer. I call it the "Ethiopian Chicken", as it looks rather "wiry" without a "cargo pod", and is only slightly slower than a Piper Chieftain. In other words, without the pod, it is quite quick, just like an Ethiopian chicken would have to be............... (No offense intended, just a nickname, and I am not making "fun" of the "plight" of "poor, starving people", that I wish I could help........)

Later on I was "final" for Runway 27, Poplar River........

.......right behind Northway's Caravan, flown by Doug "The Farmer" Burton.........("What's that, why do we call him "Farmer"......?")

The "Farmer and the Dell"!

Doug retrieves his "paperwork".........

Later on I was in Little Grand Rapids, waiting for Provincial Helicopters to transport my "Pauingassi" passengers to the Little Grand Rapids Airport. They "arrive"......

At the end of the day, I just made it back to "Base" as the "sun was setting". So you see, a "life" involving the outdoors, blue skies, snowstorms, frozen lakes, airplanes, turbine and piston engines, ice-covered runways, -30*C temperatures, sunrises and sunsets, and helicopters "could use a little excitement"! There is a new course in "Floral Arranging" being offered at the University of Manitoba, I think I will apply..........

The last word of my "Post" goes to the "setting sun"........."Adios"!

Yesterday I "posted" about a "Date Which Will Live In Infamy", but I also mentioned the "Battle of Britain". Check out the type of machine, flown by "gallant young men", that "thumbed" their noses at Hitler, Goerring, and the "Nazis", and prevailed "triumphantly"!

VIDEO - "Spitfire"!

(Nothing sounds better than a "Merlin"!)

Four key "turning points" from World War II, above all, are "burned" into my brain, and I love to remember, refresh, and absorb new information regarding them whenever new info presents itself. In no special order they are: D-Day, when the Allies "stormed" Normandy; the "Battle of Stalingrad", when that "obese idiot" Hermann Goerring's Luftwaffe bombed the city to oblivion (or so he thought), but in reality turned the city into a "Fortress", due to the collapsed buildings that fell into the narrow streets, which made it impossible for the Wehrmacht to get their "tanks" into the city; the "Batttle of Britain", when a number of "brave", fine young lads "beat back" Goerring's (the guy was a "blustering buffoon", a "failure from the get-go") Luftwaffe; and "Pearl Harbor", a "Date Which Will Live In Infamy"! Pearl Harbor was the turning point, when the Americans knew they had to fight, and the "isolationists" were "shown the door". It was the beginning of a "very dark time" in history, but today the U.S. and Japan are strong allies, and Japan's economy "booms". Anyways, here is a brief "overview" of the "cowardly sneak attack" on Pearl Harbor.
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The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America, unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought into the Second World War as a full combatant.

Eighteen months earlier, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had transferred the United States Fleet to Pearl Harbor as a presumed deterrent to Japanese agression. The Japanese military, deeply engaged in the seemingly endless war it had started against China in mid-1937, badly needed oil and other raw materials. Commercial access to these was gradually curtailed as the conquests continued. In July 1941 the Western powers effectively halted trade with Japan. From then on, as the desperate Japanese schemed to seize the oil and mineral-rich East Indies and Southeast Asia, a Pacific war was virtually inevitable.

By late November 1941, with peace negotiations clearly approaching an end, informed U.S. officials (and they were well-informed, they believed, through an ability to read Japan's diplomatic codes) fully expected a Japanese attack into the Indies, Malaya and probably the Philippines. Completely unanticipated was the prospect that Japan would attack east, as well.

The U.S. Fleet's Pearl Harbor base was reachable by an aircraft carrier force, and the Japanese Navy secretly sent one across the Pacific with greater aerial striking power than had ever been seen on the World's oceans. Its planes hit just before 8AM on 7 December. Within a short time five of eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, with the rest damaged. Several other ships and most Hawaii-based combat planes were also knocked out and over 2400 Americans were dead. Soon after, Japanese planes eliminated much of the American air force in the Philippines, and a Japanese Army was ashore in Malaya.

These great Japanese successes, achieved without prior diplomatic formalities, shocked and enraged the previously divided American people into a level of purposeful unity hardly seen before or since. For the next five months, until the Battle of the Coral Sea in early May, Japan's far-reaching offensives proceeded untroubled by fruitful opposition. American and Allied morale suffered accordingly. Under normal political circumstances, an accommodation might have been considered.

However, the memory of the "sneak attack" on Pearl Harbor fueled a determination to fight on. Once the Battle of Midway in early June 1942 had eliminated much of Japan's striking power, that same memory stoked a relentless war to reverse her conquests and remove her, and her German and Italian allies, as future threats to World peace.

- from the Naval Historical Center
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Torpedo planes attack "Battleship Row" at about 0800 on 7 December, seen from a Japanese aircraft.

The forward magazines of USS Arizona (BB-39) explode after she was hit by a Japanese bomb, 7 December 1941.

USS Arizona (BB-39) sunk and burning furiously, 7 December 1941. Her forward magazines had exploded when she was hit by a Japanese bomb.

Sailors in a motor launch rescue a survivor from the water alongside the sunken USS West Virginia (BB-48) during or shortly after the Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor.

FDR's SPEECH - "A Date Which Will Live In Infamy"!

Hey, when you have to come in "low and slow", land "in the mud", inside of "2 and 1/2 aircraft lengths", "Buddy", you need a "Twin Otter"! "de Havilland Canada products", like none other!

VIDEO - "Twin Otter"!

As reported by Aviation.ca this morning, the TSB has released it's report into the crash of a Morningstar Cessna Caravan on the morning of October 6, 2005. I remember hearing the news on the radio last year, and loading "Google Earth" and "zeroing" in on the area of the crash, which was luckily a railyard, therefore there wasn't extra loss of life. Living close to Winnipeg, and being a pilot, this tragedy hit home.

What gets me, is that the only "people who get it", are the "pilots". The FAA, Cessna, TSB, investigate and make recommendations, but they "don't get it". "Single-engine" aircraft, with "wing-struts", "fixed-gear", and large "cargo pods" do not belong in any icing conditions. Yes, you get away with it "time after time", but when the icing and weather happens to be worse than forecast, you're "closing your sphincter". I flew a Caravan for a number of years, but I flew strictly VFR ("nudge, nudge, wink, wink") and knowing the characteristics and speeds of the airplane, the last place I want to be, is in a Caravan in "icing conditions". I remember years ago my friend Rob McIntyre flying from Winnipeg to Edmonton in a Caravan, IFR, and having to descend due to the ice build-up, losing airspeed, and having to make an unscheduled fuel stop. Luckily for him the freezing level wasn't the surface! It was a few thousand feet, so he shed the ice. I have friends who flew from Thompson, Manitoba, who actually left the company they were employed with due to the "white-knuckling" they did in ice in a Cessna Caravan. Some of the recommendations made after the accident are "leave icing conditions" if you can't maintain altitude, and maintain 120 kts.! 120 kts.? Where are you going to get to, descending due to ice buildup, at 120 kts.? Don't get me wrong, the Caravan is a great airplane if it is used in situations that suit it. IFR in warm climates, or during the summers, on floats, scheds, freight hauling, etc., like I say, a great aircraft, just "keep them out of any ice"! Obviously, this wouldn't be "politically popular" due to the number of Caravans in use, and the "clout" of Cessna and FedEx.

Anyhow, it seems Caravans have a very poor "win/loss" record when dealing with "icing conditions", and the TSB Report even states that the previous day, being flown by a different pilot from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg, the accident aircraft had to descend "due to ice", but the freezing level was higher, and the "ice was shed"! Maybe some "alarm bells" should have sounded. So, before I go, check out some previous "situations" where the Cessna Caravan encountered "ice", and check out the outcomes. These are straight from the TSB Report.
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Appendix F - Other Occurrences

On 27 February 1990, at Denver, Colorado, United States, a Cessna 208A was destroyed with one fatality. The National Transportation Safety Board factual report (DEN90FA068) indicates that moderate-to-heavy icing conditions were forecast for the Denver area, freezing drizzle was observed, and the aircraft encountered icing conditions on final approach. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be "the accumulation of structural ice and subsequent stalling of the aircraft."

On 30 November 1995, at Ardmore, Oklahoma, United States, a Cessna 208B sustained substantial damage and the pilot sustained minor injuries. The NTSB factual report (FTW95FA129) indicates that freezing drizzle was reported at the airport. The aircraft rapidly accumulated ice during the approach, resulting in an inability to maintain altitude and a controlled impact with terrain during an off-airport forced landing. The NTSB determined that "icing conditions prevailing at the destination airport" were a factor in the accident.

On 04 March 1997, at Barrie, Ontario, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The TSB investigation report (A97O0032) indicates that moderate rime icing and moderate mixed icing in light freezing drizzle were forecast, and freezing drizzle was reported in the vicinity of the airport. The TSB made a finding that "ice accumulation on the unprotected leading edge surfaces of the aircraft degraded aircraft performance . . .," and that "the aircraft struck the ground for undetermined reasons."

On 25 November 1997, at North Bay, Ontario, a Cessna 208B sustained substantial damage and two people sustained serious injuries. The TSB investigation report (A97O0247) indicates that light-to-moderate rime icing in cloud and moderate-to-severe mixed icing in freezing drizzle were forecast. The aircraft stalled on final approach. The TSB found that "ice accumulation on the unprotected leading edge surfaces and underside wing surfaces degraded aircraft performance, increasing the stall speed."

On 20 January 1998, at Grand Island, Nebraska, United States, a Cessna 208B sustained substantial damage and the pilot was not injured. The NTSB factual report (CHI98LA084) indicates that the aircraft encountered icing conditions en route. When the pilot reduced power for landing, the aircraft stalled and landed hard. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be "ice build-up on the airplane's wings and empennage which led to an inadvertent stall and hard landing."

On 05 March 1998, at Clarksville, Tennessee, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The NTSB factual report (MIA98FA091) indicates that light occasional moderate rime icing in cloud was forecast. The aircraft encountered icing conditions, resulting in degraded performance, loss of control, and impact with the terrain. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be that "the pilot did not maintain control of the airplane due to undetected airframe ice, resulting in an inadvertent stall, and subsequent impact with the ground."

On 07 March 1998, at Bismarck, North Dakota, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The NTSB factual report (CHI98FA119) indicates that the aircraft encountered icing conditions en route, and that a loss of control occurred during final approach, resulting in impact with terrain. The NTSB determined that "factors associated with the accident were the icing conditions."

On 28 April 2001, at Roque Perez, Argentina, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with 10 fatalities. The NTSB preliminary report (MIA01WA133), based on information from the Argentine investigation authority, indicates that conditions aloft were favourable for the formation of airframe icing, and that the pilot requested permission to descend to a lower altitude due to ice formation on the wings.

On 05 May 2001, at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The NTSB factual report (DEN01FA094) indicates that occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in clouds were forecast. The aircraft stalled on final approach, resulting in impact with terrain. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be "an inadvertent stall during an instrument approach, which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing factors were . . . conditions conducive to airframe icing."

On 06 March 2002, at Barrow, Alaska, United States, a Cessna 208B sustained substantial damage and the pilot and four passengers were not injured. The NTSB factual report (ANC02FA020) indicates that severe icing was forecast and that the aircraft stalled on approach. The NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident to be "the pilot's continued flight into adverse weather conditions, and an inadvertent stall. Factors associated with the accident are . . . icing conditions."

On 15 March 2002, at Alma, Wisconsin, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The NTSB factual report (CHI02FA093) indicates that severe mixed and clear icing conditions in clouds and in precipitation were forecast. The pilot encountered icing inbound to an en route stop. The pilot did not have the aircraft de-iced, choosing instead to chip the ice off the aircraft before departure. "The pilot departed with the airplane contaminated with ice, into known severe icing conditions, and was unable to maintain altitude, subsequently impacting trees and terrain." The NTSB determined that one of the factors associated with the accident included the icing conditions.

On 08 November 2002, at Parks, Arizona, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with four fatalities. The NTSB factual report (DEN03FA012) indicates that moderate mixed and rime icing was forecast. The flight encountered icing en route at 15 000 feet and a loss of control and impact with terrain occurred.

On 24 January 2003, at San Angelo, Texas, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with two serious injuries. The NTSB preliminary report (FTW03FA089) indicates that witnesses "observed between 1/4 and 1-inch of ice on the various protected and unprotected surfaces of the aircraft." This investigation is ongoing and no final report is available.

On 29 October 2003, at Cody, Wyoming, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with one fatality. The NTSB factual report (DEN04MA015) indicates that the pilot reported light rime icing at 12 000 feet. A loss of control and impact with terrain occurred. The NTSB determined that an inadvertent stall and the snow and icing conditions were contributing factors.

On 04 November 2003, at Bangor, Maine, United States, a Cessna 208B sustained minor damage and the pilot was not injured. The NTSB factual report (NYC04IA023) indicates that occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in precipitation and clouds were forecast. The flight encountered freezing rain en route, and the pilot requested descent and diversion to Bangor. The pilot "had no forward visibility through the windshield" and the aircraft landed hard on the runway without any landing flare. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the incident was "the pilot's inability to see through the windshield, which was obscured due to icing conditions. . . . A factor contributing to the accident was the wing icing."

On 06 December 2004, at Bellevue, Idaho, United States, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with two fatalities. The NTSB factual report (SEA05FA025) indicates that occasional moderate rime or mixed icing in clouds and precipitation was forecast, and that an aircraft on approach ahead of the Cessna 208B encountered light-to-moderate rime ice. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was "the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while on approach for landing in icing conditions."

On 19 November 2005, at Moscow, Russia, a Cessna 208B was destroyed with eight fatalities. The Russian investigation is ongoing. Information from the Russian investigative authorities, based on data from the on-board flight data recorder, indicates that the aircraft was in level flight into icing conditions and experienced a reduction in airspeed. The crew lost control of the aircraft at about 102 knots, and an impact with terrain occurred.

On 22 November 2005, near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, a Cessna 208B was not damaged and the pilot and five passengers were not injured. The TSB occurrence (A05C0217) narrative indicates that the flight encountered icing conditions and degraded performance while diverting en route and climbing to 9000 feet. A loss of control occurred at an airspeed just above 100 knots. The pilot regained control with a loss of about 1500 feet, and the flight returned to Yellowknife. The graphic area forecast indicated light icing; however, moderate mixed icing conditions were forecast in freezing drizzle.

On 22 March 2006, near London, Ontario, a Cessna 208B encountered icing conditions at an altitude of 4000 feet and climbed to 6000 feet, but was unable to avoid the icing conditions (TSB occurrence A06O0076). The de-icing system was activated but was unable to keep up with the rate of ice formation on the wings. Aircraft performance was deteriorating and, at full engine power, the aircraft was unable to climb at 120 knots, at a gross weight of about 7150 pounds. The autopilot was off and the crew noted that the controls had become sluggish. The aircraft diverted to nearby London and the flight crew performed shallow turns when heading changes were required. The aircraft landed safely at the London Airport and continued to destination after the icing conditions had cleared the area. The flight crew had checked the en route weather conditions approximately one hour before take-off and there were no reports of icing conditions for their flight. Several pilot reports (PIREPs) were received from other aircraft (both were de Havilland DHC-8), which also encountered icing conditions in the area. No reports of control difficulties were received from these aircraft.
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FINAL SCORE

ICE - 19 CARAVAN - 0

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Me, pre-flighting C-GJJM, the "Viking Express"! The first Cessna Caravan operated commercially in Manitoba. Purchased by my "good friend" and "aviation mentor" Jim Johnson.

Me and JJM on the "ice-strip" in Pauingassi, Manitoba. The only ice a Caravan should encounter is "2 feet thick" under her gear! "Adios"!

READ THE FULL -
TSB Morning Star Air Express Investigation Report

This video was sent to me by Rodger Hamilton, an old friend of my Dad's and Robbie Stevenson's, from the "Pleistocene Epoch", when I was a kid. I can still remember going fishing as a kid with Robbie on Vancouver Island in his 4X4, and my Dad, Robbie, and Rodger hunted together, and all of us share a love for the bush, wildlife, outdoors, and any "vehicle" that can get you "there and back"! Two of my brothers, Corey, and Kenny, are "chopper pilots", and during their daily routine, I'm sure these "unusual attitudes" aren't included, but the MBB 105 is "one helluva' machine"! Check it out!

VIDEO - "Man", "Machine", and the "Sky Is The Canvas"!

Great tip, Rodger, "Thanks"!

Diego Garcia is an atoll located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, some 1,000 miles south of India's southern coast. Diego Garcia is the largest atoll by land area of the Chagos Archipelago, and is part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Since the depopulation of Diego Garcia in the years leading up to 1973, it has been used as a military base jointly by the United States and Britain. The base serves as a naval refuelling and support station. It has an Airbase that supports the largest of modern aircraft. Heavy bombers were deployed from Diego Garcia on missions to Iraq during the 1990 Gulf War, to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, and to Iraq again during the 2003 invasion. High-tech portable shelters to support the B-2 Bomber were built on the Island before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and a fleet of B-52s, B-1s and B-2s from Diego Garcia also led the "shock and awe" attacks on Baghdad on March 22, 2003.

Well, Spanky (Remember him?.... Finally, Decent Weather, or, "Spanky" Freezes His "Balls", or how about Destination: "Spanky's Reach"!) sent me some fine photos of an incident that happened at Diego Garcia this past May.
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At about 10 p.m. local time on May 8, 2006, a 7th Bomb Wing B-1B Lancer based at Dyess AFB, Texas, made a wheels-up belly landing on runway 31 at Diego Garcia, skidding 7,500 feet down the runway. The aircraft was landing at the end of an 11 hour ferry mission that started at Andersen AFB, Guam. During the landing, the B-1B caught fire and emergency crews extinguished the flames. The four-person aircrew escaped from the plane through the overhead escape hatch. The aircraft was finally removed from the runway 4 days later. The USAF estimated the damage to the B-1B at $7.9 million, and the damage to the runway at $14,025. Those old SEABEES made one tough runway, that's for sure! Check out the landing "aftermath"!

"Wounded girl"!

The "hangar boys" get to work!

Get out the "airbags"!

Major "road rash"!

Up on "jacks"!

The "Grove" at work!

"Inflation"!

"Blowing" the nose gear!

Back on "her feet"!

"Embarassed", but she will "fly again"!
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"Amazing"! Whether "human error" (no such thing as "pilot error", realize it, and quit stating it), or mechanical malfunction, you can't keep a "good girl down"!

Thanks, Spanky, great pics! By the way, Spanky is a fantastic pilot, and is "stunning" when wearing an apron! He makes a "Quiche Lorraine" like none other! (Ha, Ha, got you again, "Spanky"!) Till next time, "Adios"!

Nov. 19 I made a "Post" entitled "Hello!", ....from "The Equator!". My Buddy Rob McIntyre is down in the Maldives, flying a Borek Twin Otter. Well, it seems Rob started a "Blog", and a YouTube account, and has "posted" some video. Let's check it out.

VIDEO - DHC-6 "Airshow"!

ROB'S BLOG - Barefoot Pilot

ROB at YOUTUBE - Seaplaneman

-20*C, clear skies, no wind. I love the mornings. Then I saw Dan McBeath shaking his head. His aircraft, C-207, C-FBHP was "stone cold". The "Little Buddy" heater inside the cowling had "cut out" last night. BHP would need "pre-heat". So, we built a campfire underneath it, careful not to "singe" the paint........Just kidding, we used a "gas-fired blow-pot", just like the Aviation Pioneers of the past used to use......Just kidding again. Today we have an easy life, due to technology. We used a.............

"Herman Nelson"!

Actually, an "Arcotherm EC 20 "diesel-electric" heater!

Filling the "old girl" full of hot air!

Actually, a funny story from the past comes to mind. I was at Northway's hangar in Arnes in the early 90's, when the door flew open, and my old pilot buddy Shiloh Tegart blew in. It was winter. "Steve, where is the 'Thurman Munson'?" Shiloh was flying an Islander. I looked at Shiloh. "The what.....? I said. "The Thurman Munson, you know, the propane-fired heater to pre-heat the aircraft!" I said..."You mean the 'Herman Nelson'! Thurman Munson was a "catcher" for the New York Yankees!" Then we laughed "our asses off"! Of course today, I call any large industrial heater similar to a Herman Nelson a "Thurman Munson"! Shiloh? Today he flies a Dash 8 for North Cariboo! He is an outstanding pilot, and he sure came up with some funny sayings.

Dan "gets her going"!

Notice the "aluminum tape" on the oil cooler, helping to restrict the "frigid flow" through the cooler at these low temps. Works like a charm, and I always carry a roll in my "daypack". Also great for covering the wing air inlets, the "shark gills" on the side of the cowlings, the cabin air inlets, and the instrument cooling scoops.

Later, I was airborne myself, and I headed north along "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg", and she is finally "hibernating".

The ice "pressure ridges" are already forming on Lake Winnipeg.

Ah, my "Garmin 296", taking me straight to Berens River, CYBV. Notice the detail, showing the North Etomami River, Sandy Bar, Flathead Point, and the "Big Lake" herself.

"Touchdown", Berens River!

About 45 minutes later, I had left Berens River, and was on final for Runway 18 at "Bloodvein River", CZTA!

Short, steep "final", using the 4X "zoom" on my Canon PowerShot A530. Actually, I don't recommend taking pictures on "final" if you are flying, basically, "do as I say, not as I do".

Today, the last word of my "Post" goes to Darren Manganaro, flying Northway's Gippsland GA8 Airvan, as he leaves for "afternoon sched"......"Adios"!

No doubt about it, nothing beats an "Airshow"! Certainly not a "parade"!

VIDEO - "Portrush Seafront Airshow", Part 2!

I am a "Proud Canadian", and I regularly listen to "Stompin'" Tom Connors' masterful CD entitled "Proud Canadian", volume "cranked". On it he sings about every region in this great "Geographic Jewel", and it's people. Diversity of people and geography at it's finest. As I write this, many of our "men and women" are overseas combating hatred and evil, and I am "proud" of them. Take time to think of them, and what they are doing to protect what we have. What we "have" is a "way of life", and an abundance of "natural treasures" that are "unparalleled" on earth. Check them out.

WHAT WE HAVE - Canadian Treasures

"Stompin'" Tom Connors, true "Patriot" and "Proud Canadian". Look for the CD. (Mural by Bill Wrigley)

Everybody loves an Airshow! I love the "throb" from the Antonov AN-2!

VIDEO - "Portrush Seafront Airshow", Part 1!

Years ago, in the "early 90's", when I previously worked for Northway Aviation Ltd., Jim Johnson, Northway Aviation owner, decided the company needed a larger twin-engined aircraft than the Robertson-equipped Piper Seneca that we had, for charters and sched. The company already ran 3 Britten-Norman Islanders, 2 "high gross" BN-2A-27s, and 1 BN-2A. The decision was made to acquire a Piper Navajo. A deal was made that would see Jim trade his world famous Mk.VI Norseman, CF-GUE, to Freddy Muskego, of Mid Manitoba Air Ltd., for his Piper Navajo, C-FBKK. I was flying Otter CF-UKN at the time, along with GUE, and was sad to see GUE and her "history" leave the company. Anyways, we acquired BKK, and myself and some of the other pilots were "proffed" on her. She was quickly nicknamed "The Pumpkin" by Blair Rutherford, and the name was appropriate, and you will soon see why. The company today still operates BKK, and I met up with her the other day. Meet, "The Pumpkin"!

The name is obviously "self-explanatory"!

CF-GUE, coming in to land by my house, on the Icelandic River, Riverton, Manitoba. Photo by my good, "late" friend, Irv Bjarnason, early 90s. I still miss "him", and "her", today.

Today she was being flown by Ian Gould, "The Newf"........

.....and the last word of my "Post" goes to Kelly, Kody, and Shane, 3 of my kids, posing in the early 90s. Kelly is now a 4th year U of M student, Kody is a 2nd year U of M student, and "my toque keeps falling in my eyes" Shane is in Grade 9. "Adios"! (Photo by....."Me"!)

I have already told you about my wish for a "helicopter" and a "gatling gun" for Christmas. Well, here is another item on my list. Hey, I don't fool around. I consider myself still a "kid", in "middle-age", but I like "full-size" toys!

VIDEO - Shinmaywa "Flying Boat"!

WEBSITE - Shinmaywa!

Northway Aviation operates a Piper Cheyenne, and I was able to get "her" to pose for me this past week. She is certainly a "looker"! She flies scheduled service, and is also available for charters to anywhere in North America. Check out her "lines".

Here she is, "C-GNWD"!

"Coming at you".........

Sharing the spotlight with 1965 Turbo Beaver C-FOEE!

NWD warms her "backside"!

NWD and her Northway "fleet sisters"; Caravan NWV shows her prop in the foreground, NWD, and Piper Navajo BKK, nicknamed "The Pumpkin", in the background.

NWD "spools up".........

.....and today in Berens River, Chief Pilot Jeff Tillapaugh transports a Manitoba Hydro crew from Berens River to Little Grand Rapids! Throttles forward, dust billowing, the Pratt and Whitney turbines beat the air! We're outta' here! "Adios"!

Last week I was at St. Andrews airport, and witnessed a "hot section" inspection on a Pratt and Whitney PT6A-114 turbine engine. The Northway "hangar crew" were "splitting" the engine, and a Standard Aero technician would inspect the "innards".

Kelly and Steve start to "split" the engine, supervised by "Scooter".......

Good "learning experience" for Steve.........

"Apart"!

"Power section" gone............

"CT wheel"..........

"CT wheel removed"..........

"CT wheel" on the bench. It was in "fantastic" shape, looking "new".

The "burner can" was also in fantastic shape, minimal wear for the hours on it. The "mechanics" were quite happy, and the Standard Aero technician, Aaron, explained numerous items he looks for when assessing the "health" of a turbine "hot section". This one passed with "flying colours". The "hangar boys" put her back together, and Caravan NWV returned to the "flight line" to face the elements and the world. Here she is, "back on line"...........

"Adios"!

Yup, you read it right. Kind of like strapping wings and engines onto your "soap box entry"...........

VIDEO - "Two Cylinder, Twin Engine"......

WEBSITE - Cri-Cri Aircraft

I have been at Northway's hangar in St. Andrews Airport, Manitoba, for the last two days. I took one of the company 207s for maintenance, and was also there to witness a "hot section" on the company Caravan (more on that in the next day or two). While there, yesterday, an old friend I had met briefly was on the ramp outside our hangar. I had met her two winters ago, when I was doing an "elk survey" in the Duck Mountains, with a Cessna 185 on skis, in western Manitoba. She was in a hangar, in Dauphin, looking quite forlorn. Apparently she is owned by an American couple, and I heard one of them was recently deceased. Too bad. The weather was beautiful yesterday, and she posed for me.

"Hey girl, haven't seen you in awhile"!

"You're looking fine"!

"What a figure"!

"Such fine lines"!

She is "Carl and Helen's Gilley Ga Lew Bird"!

DHC-2 Mk.III, S/N 1598, born in June 1965, "Turbo Beaver", C-FOEE!

The "bridge", of this fine ship!

"Power quadrant"!

"Gear configuration office"!

She is on "Wipline 6100s"!

In the afternoon, Doug Burton fired up Northway's Caravan to do "sched", so I took the opportunity to "snap" a photo. Notice the Caravan prop still in "feather".

"Damn", I sure had a "woody" checking out this "fine gal"! No offense intended, I just love de Havillands that operate on floats, skis, or wheels, in Canada. They are "living history".

And the last word of my post goes to Carl and Helen's Gilley Ga Lew Bird......"Adios"!

From reading my Blog you know I hold all Armed Forces members in "high esteem". Well, if I had the opportunity to have a career in the Forces, I would have wanted to be onboard an Aircraft Carrier, preferably as a pilot. Anyways, I would have loved the discipline, regimentation, and working together with the other thousands of members aboard, ready to "meet" and "overcome" any challenge thrown our way. The following video displays the fantastic "unit cohesiveness" necessary onboard an Aircraft Carrier. Check it out!

VIDEO - "Life Onboard a Carrier"

WEBSITE - Carrier Airborne Command And Control VAW-116 Squadron, "The Sun Kings"

(Good job, "Dano", "Heed", and "Princess"!)

On April 26 of this year, I made a "Blog Post" entitled A "Blois"t From The Past and a New Specimen at "Jurassic Park"!. It detailed how my old friend Rob McIntyre was returning to the local area to fly an "amphib Caravan" for WAMAIR Service and Outfitting. Well, Rob flew the Caravan all season, and in September headed west, back to the "wet coast". (Wet coast is definitely appropriate, especially with the "precip" they continue to receive, and the flood warnings in effect, as I type.) Anyways, Rob just sent me an e-mail, and it seems now he is down in the Maldives, having been hired by Kenn Borek Air Ltd.. What a guy, when we are up here waiting for Lake Winnipeg to freeze, Rob is down in the ......."Maldives", flying a Twin Otter. "Hey Rob, I hear the local extremists have just issued a 'Fatwa' against Twin Otter pilots with Scottish last names!" Ha ha! Actually, just kidding, I am just jealous of the temperatures, white sand, and the "Twin Otter". Here is a portion of Rob's e-mail..........
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "ROB MCINTYRE"

Subject: Hi from the equator

To: otterflogger@yahoo.com

Hi Steve,

..............The Twin Otter is quite the plane. No problem remembering the water rudders as there aren't any! It is crazy how maneuverable it is. I've attached a couple pictures, I am sure you'll get a kick out of my footwear. It is much safer to go barefoot, for the footing on the floats. Not exactly flying in the north but it does have its challenges as I am soon to find out. I hope you are doing well.

Rob
-----------------------------------------------------------------Challenges, I am sure there will be numerous. Let's check out the pics Rob sent.

"Wow", white sand and warm weather in November.......

"Twin Otters"........

Fine "Canadian" engineering, nothing beats them........And the last word of my "Post" goes to Rob......

"Adios"!

(Mark my words, after his first "severely stubbed toe", Rob will be wearing shoes! "Good luck, Buddy"!)

WEBSITE - Kenn Borek Air Ltd.

The "coming of winter" so far this year has been a "roller coaster" of temperatures, wind, and "lake effect weather". Check out some recent photos!

The fishing community of "Pine Dock"!

"Ice"!

"Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg" is trying to freeze, and I wish it would, as freezing minimalizes the "lake effect weather" we experience.

The "winter road" to Bloodvein Indian Reserve will soon be in use once the "Big Lake" freezes.

Later, at Little Grand Rapids, Dan McBeath touches down in C-207 BHP.

Backtracking.......

Shutdown!

At Little Grand, access to the airport for the "locals" is by "boat", so when the lake is freezing, helicopters are needed to ferry the people around. The community of Pauingassi is 9 miles north and also uses the airport, and the "choppers" also service them. Once the ice is thick enough to travel on safely, the helicopters return to their Base, as people can drive, walk, or ski-doo to the airport. The helicopters in Little Grand are owned by Provincial Helicopters, from Lac du Bonnet, MB.

Provincial Helicopter's Bell 206, the local "cab".

Firing up.

Before liftoff.....

Here is a "shot" from a couple days back of Provincial's "spare" 206 slinging......

.....but today it was "resting".

Later I made my way to Bloodvein Indian Reserve to pick up passengers. As you can see, "winter's steely grip" is tightening around us. Last word today goes to Garth Knott, as I captured him in Northway's Caravan departing Bloodvein......

"Adios"!

So, you are a little "over gross", "land long", with a "quartering tailwind", and then the realization hits; "What a dumb idea"! The end of the runway is coming up quick, so you "hop on the binders"! No problem, right? The brakes will stop her by the end! Check out what happens on an Airbus A380!

VIDEO - "Burnt Brakes"!

(After the "unplanned runway excursion" and "brake fire", the pilot was later seen relaxing, having a "smoke"!)

Maybe I missed something along the "highway of life", but I just "don't get it" about certain types of art. Recently a De Kooning sold at Christie's for $27.1 million, and a Warhol sold for $17.3 million. Look, if an "abstraction" by Willem De Kooning and a "lunatical smearing" by Andy Warhol are worth that kind of "coin", the following "Masterpiece" is an "unparalleled bargain"!

BARGAIN - Real "Masterpiece"!

Definitely, two items at the top of my Christmas "wish list"!

VIDEO - "Helicopters" and "Gatling Guns"!

Saturday a number of "hearty souls" braved the -5*C temps. and 25 knot southeast winds to remember "Our Fallen", "Vets", and "Men and Women" in conflict today. The ceremony was held at the Camp Morton Cenotaph. I was especially proud because two of my kids, Air Cadets from GM 182 Stefnufastur Squadron, were present, laying wreaths, reciting "In Flanders Fields", and "flag-lowering". It was a great, "stirring" ceremony. It wasn't long, but it was important. There were some Veterans present, and they were honoured.

Camp Morton Cenotaph.

Names of 120 "Fallen Soldiers", all local.

Geoff Barlow plays "Last Post", and "Reveille".

Ernie Fontaine from Riverton, Veteran who served with Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry's famed "Black Watch", lays a wreath. The "Black Watch" were time and again "tasked" with some of the most dangerous missions.

"We salute you for your Service, Ernie".

The Cadets commence the "flag-lowering", supervised by Capt. Colin Heathcote, another proud Veteran.

My third oldest daughter, Sgt. Kaitlan Taylor, lowers the flag.

Leading Air Cadet Shane Taylor, my only "boy", and his older sister Sgt. Kaitlan Taylor.

The Victoria Cross is the highest decoration that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, and there is also a Monument at Camp Morton recognizing a "true hero". Christopher Patrick John O'Kelly (VC, MC), (November 18, 1895 - November 15, 1922) was a Canadian recipient of the Victoria Cross. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, O'Kelly was 21 years old, and an Acting Captain in the 52nd (96th Lake Superior Regiment) Bn., Canadian Expeditionary Force, during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 26 October 1917 at Passchendaele, Belgium, Captain O'Kelly led his company with extraordinary skill and determination. They captured six pill-boxes, with 100 prisoners and 10 machine-guns. Later his company repelled a strong counterattack, taking more prisoners, and subsequently during the night they captured a hostile raiding party consisting of one officer, 10 men and a machine-gun.

He later achieved the rank of Major.

After the war, O'Kelly became a prospector in Northwestern Ontario. He died in a boating accident in 1922 at Lac Seul, near Red Lake, Ontario.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Canadian War Museum.

O'Kelly Monument.

An extraordinary man who answered the "Call of Duty", performed "valiantly", and saved many of his "buddies". A "True Canadian Hero"!........."Lest We Forget!"

........and "ribbon-cutting" at 22' off the ground, doing 160 kts., ....."inverted"! Yup, Patty Wagstaff can fly "stick and rudder", like it is meant to be! What a girl!

VIDEO - "-8Gs to +10Gs".........

WEBSITE - Patty Wagstaff

***This "Just In"!***
For Immediate Release: November 10, 2006

TIMBERWEST SEEKS BUYERS FOR MARTIN MARS WATER BOMBERS

Vancouver (BC) -- TimberWest Forest Corp. today announced that it is selling its two Martin Mars water bombers.

"We have made the decision to seek buyers for the Martin Mars water bombers as the planes are not part of our core business functions", said Paul McElligott, TimberWest President and CEO. "TimberWest is a forest land management company and we believe there are other private sector interests who are in a better position to operate these planes."

TimberWest has made arrangements with public and private sector agencies to ensure that its forest land holdings on Vancouver Island continue to receive forest fire protection services.

"The company is confident that by working with the systems in place, we can protect our land assets on Vancouver Island from forest fires," said McElligott.

The Martin Mars water bombers, initially conceived as military bombers, have been providing fire-fighting services in British Columbia for over 40 accident-free years. They are based in Sproat Lake, near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, and were originally operated by a consortium of partners, including TimberWest. However, for the last five years, TimberWest has been the sole operator.

"Over the years, the company has put significant resource into upgrading these planes. We believe the two planes have been rigorously maintained to keep them in a safe and effective operating condition. They will be attractive to those parties whose business interests are suited to operating these types of aircraft," said McElligott.

As a condition of sale, TimberWest will require that one of the planes be donated to Port Alberni upon retirement for use by the community as a heritage attraction. "This is consistent with a commitment we made to the people of Port Alberni and reflects our support for local communities," added McElligott.

Some interest has already been expressed by the private sector to operate the aircraft, which, in addition to forest fire-fighting capabilities, have solid tourism and marketing potential for the right buyer.

The tendering process for the sale of the Martin Mars aircraft closes on December 31,
2006.

For more information:
Steve Lorimer
Manager, Public Affairs & Government Relations
(250) 729-3727
lorimers@timberwest.com

BACKGROUNDER

- A total of five Martin Mars aircraft were built in Baltimore, Maryland in 1942-43.

- They were originally conceived as a military bomber for long-range mission and patrols.

- The planes were redesigned and classified for long-range general transportation because of their demonstrated heavy lift capability.

- In 1959 a consortium of British Columbia coastal forest companies formed Flying Tankers, which then purchased the remaining aircraft and converted them to water bombers.

- Two of the aircraft have continued to operate, providing unsurpassed fire-fighting protection services to British Columbia’s coast and interior and as required to neighbouring jurisdictions in Alberta, Washington State, Oregon and California.

- The planes are operated by a crew of four, including a captain, first officer and two flight engineers.

- Each plane can hold over 27,000 litres (7,200 US gallons) of water/foam load, enough to cover three to four acres in a single drop. The planes have the capability to use fresh or ocean water.

- It takes the aircraft a skimming distance of about two kilometres to pick up a load of water. They can operate from a body of water as small as six kilometres depending on surrounding topography and other approach and departure requirements.

- Both aircraft have the capability to drop either straight water or water mixed with foam onto fires. In 2005, one of the aircraft was also fitted with long-term suppressant.

- Once the planes are airborne, foam concentrate is injected into the water load at a ratio of 30 U.S. gallons into the 7,200 U.S. gallon water load.

- Once dropped, the tumbling action causes aeration which converts the water load into a foam load, a process repeated for each drop.

- The planes are housed at Sproat Lake on Vancouver Island, but have the capability to operate for extended periods away from their base.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- from the TimberWest website

WEBSITE - TimberWest

"AWESOME"!

(My "great" fear is that an American company will "snap" these birds up, and put them to work in California. Let's hope that doesn't happen, and they "reside" in B.C. until retirement, and afterwards.)

Always factor in the "wind", and "terrain", before you jump. Also, when hanging from a tree 50' up, don't "wiggle"!

VIDEO - "Painful" Sky-Dive!

I sat for the last couple of nights trying to think of what I would write about today, as Remembrance Day is very important to me. If you have followed my Blog, you know I hold our fighting men and women, past and present, in the "highest regard". I hadn't quite decided what I would write, but I knew what I wanted to say. Then, I stumbled across a patriotic lad by the name of Terry Kelly. Terry wrote a song called "Pittance in Time", and it "blew my socks off". It was everything I wanted to say, only said a thousand times better than I ever could have. Some people just have that gift and talent to be able to express a point of view so clearly, and to humble some that need "humbling". He wrote the song a number of years back, after an experience he had. On November 11, 1999, Terry Kelly was in a Shoppers Drug Mart store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At 10:55 AM an announcement came over the store’s PA asking customers who would still be on the premises at 11:00 AM to give two minutes of silence in respect to the Veterans who have sacrificed so much for us.
Terry was impressed with the store’s leadership role in adopting the Legion’s “two minutes of silence” initiative. He felt that the store’s contribution of educating the public to the importance of remembering was commendable. When eleven o’clock arrived on that day, an announcement was again made asking for the “two minutes of silence” to commence. All customers, with the exception of a man who was accompanied by his young child, showed their respect. Terry’s anger towards the father for trying to engage the store’s clerk in conversation and for setting a bad example for his child was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, “A Pittance of Time”.

- Terry Kelly's..... "A Pittance of Time"

"Terry, from one patriot to another, well-said, and thanks for saying it so clearly." I don't think anything annoys me more than people who "disrespect" our soldiers or Vets. Anyways, today is Nov. 11, and in 1918, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the eleventh hour, the "guns fell silent". Please, "Remember"!

WEBSITE - Terry Kelly

"Lest We Forget".......

Only in Russia, you say? "Pity"! You would be in a "pile of doo" if you tried this in Canada or the U.S.!

VIDEO - Wilga "Buzz Job"!

A couple of days back I posted some pics Clive had sent me of Forde Lake Air Service's Otter, C-FBEO. They are "stellar" pictures. I also stated I would post pictures of their Beaver, C-GRAP. She is in basically the same paint scheme as BEO, and I am sure the two aircraft supplement each other quite well. C-GRAP is known as "The Crystal Ship", and by the end of my "Post", all will be explained. Without further adieu, here is Beaver C-GRAP, "The Crystal Ship"!

BEO and RAP tethered to the dock!

C-GRAP. She is a fine-looking machine.

RAP taxis..........

Dawn breaks..........

C-GRAP is known as the "Crystal Ship"......

Time to meet "the real Crystal"!

Crystal Zwicker, Forde Lake Air's Beaver pilot. A farm girl from Port McNeil, who is doing her apprenticeship "in the bush", and has aspirations to fly for Air Canada. I have always said farm kids make the best pilots and hockey players, and I am sure Crystal "fits the mould". I once hired a farm girl from Birtle, Manitoba, named Wendy Fulton. Wendy flew the Cessnas, Beaver, Otter, Caravan, and now flies for Westjet. She did an outstanding job while working for Northway. So, enjoy your time in the bush, Crystal, what you learn now will put you "heads above" other pilots that haven't had the "bush experience". Good luck with your career in the future. In closing, I will give Crystal "the last word"...............

"Adios"!

Is there a place on earth that "geography, nature, spectacular vistas, and desolation" are as beautiful? Somehow, this old "Bush Rat" doubts it.

VIDEO - Alaska! The "Underside of Heaven"!

If you have followed my Blog at all, you have seen how Forde Lake Air Service "rescued" an Otter from Australia, registered VH-OTR. They brought her home, overhauled her, and put her "back to work" from Hornpayne, Ontario. Well, my buddy Clive Pearce from Forde Lake Air sent me some outstanding pics a number of weeks back, and I have been meaning to "post" them. "Procrastination" is not one of my "better qualities", although we have been busy, and have had some "less than stellar" weather, which, at the end of the day, has me holding a pickle jar full of "liquid intellect", rather than a "computer mouse". Anyways, here are the pics, of C-FBEO, from the "Forde Lake Air 2006 Float Season"! Enjoy, they are exceptional!

C-FBEO, beautiful ship.

"Wow"! Great early morning shot, shrouded in the mist!

BEO at home on her "element".

BEO and Russ, her captain. Amazing, Otter pilots sure are "robust-looking"!

"Airborne"!

BEO, "air to air"!

Photos taken from Forde Lake's Beaver!

Who says "1-tons" can't fly?

A "picture" truly is "worth a thousand words".............

The "old girl" has another 40 years of service left in her, easy!

"Yup", I sure love that airplane! "Hey", stay tuned, as in the next couple of days, I will post photos of Forde Lake Air Service's Beaver, C-GRAP. She is known as the "Crystal Ship", and you will soon see why...........

Till next time,

"Adios"!

Cliff Wright left Florida and walked into the "Alaskan bush" in 1966, built a cabin, and is still there. Meet Cliff in his environment.

VIDEO - Meet "Cliff Wright"!

The "Russian Air Force Museum" at Monino is a place I could get lost in for weeks. Unimagineable equipment and designs, sitting silently, as their "sand of usefulness in the hourglass of time" has long fallen. To me aircraft such as these are still alive, the embodiment of all the men and women who dreamt of the concept, designed her, built her, serviced her, and flew her. Like I have stated before, if aircraft could only "speak", what marvelous "tales" they could spin. Anyways, Colonel Tom Whitlock, USAF, Ret., visited Monin last year in August, and made an outstanding Powerpoint Presentation. There are many types of aircraft here, the Mi-12 "Homer", the Su-26 "ski-equipped" jet, the Tupolev Tu-4 "Bull", which is a Russian-built B-29, and many, many, more. There are also some hyper-links in the text to some other outstanding aircraft photos. So, let's take a "stroll" with the good Colonel, as he explains the aircraft we see in the slides.

Power Point Presentation - Russian Air Force Museum

Mil Mi-12 "Homer"

-photo by - Richard Seaman

One "heckuva" way to save fuel, but this exercise certainly must keep one's "hands, feet, and eyes", in top form!

VIDEO - Alaskan Dead-Stick: "Purposely"!

Snow, snow, and more snow. I couldn't believe it when I "abandoned the rack" this morning. "Crap", doesn't it ever quit? This "Fall" we have experienced some of the worst weather in memory, locally. "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg" keeps sharing her "bounty", in the form of "lake effect snow". Early this morning Merlin and I pulled Darren and Jessica, both Northway employees, from "snow compromised" positions (read: ditch), and then headed to the airport. I didn't even bother to try and move my vehicle.

Barely see "across" the runway!

The M.V. "Edgar Wood", down at the Float Base, is smart, "freezing in", and hibernating for winter.

The "Airvan" buried "again"!

BHP buried also..........

Riverton Transport hauls us our freight,.........

......and they got stuck this morning!

Our St. Andrews Airport "sched" aircraft made points north this afternoon, and stopped at Pine Dock on the way south to "deplane" 4 pax. Doug "McLeod" Burton was flying Caravan NWV. He had to park "cross-strip" on the runway to remain "into wind", as the snow banks were still 3-4 feet high on our "ramp".

Doug "fires up"...........

........and "backtracks"! Notice the new "boot" on the cargo pod!

Doug "rotates" NWV.........

.........and is gone! And how was "your day"? (Our "snow clearing" continues!)

It is amazing how "angle and distance" can be manipulated to create an illusion, as demonstrated with this model of a Junkers Ju-52. Watch!

VIDEO - "Optical Illusion"!

"Dear God, Please, Look After Our Kids"............They are in "Harm's Way".

They are "Our Best", please keep them safe. "Amen"

-a prayer by all Canadian parents

At 6:30 AM Doug "banged" on my door, and I told him to "enter"! "Holy Shit", he said, "it is still snowing like a banshee"! Sure enough, the snow continued exponentially due to the "open water" of Lake Winnipeg, and the wind direction. We headed for the airport, "plowing" snow with my Dodge.

Doug's aircraft, Caravan NWV.

The Airvan "shivers"............

The "Bowling Alley" shivers..........

Finally, around noon, the weather started to improve, and we could start to clear the runway and taxiways.

Out on the snow, nothing runs like a "Deere"........(Remember that "jingle"...?)

We didn't get a foot of snow, but close. The runway "reappears".

Doug finally heads south!

After Doug left, I headed for the Float Base. Yesterday, the M.V. "Edgar Wood" had arrived to "berth" for the winter against our breakwater. The M.V. Edgar Wood is the Manitoba Highways Ferry that connects Bloodvein River Indian Reserve with the mainland, and is Captained by David Stefanson.

The M.V. "Edgar Wood"!

I think Captain Dave's timing was impeccable.

Ready to "hibernate"...........

.........but "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg" does not yet "sleep"!

When the rains come, watch how the wetlands retain the moisture!

VIDEO - Jared in Alaska; "Wetlands", Nature's "Flood Control"!

Today a major storm was supposed to "whack" Manitoba, and it eventually did. Our sched service, two airplanes, departed St. Andrews Airport this morning, and made all points north. Of course the storm arrived two hours early, and "diversions" were necessary for the southbound scheds. Walter Turbine Otter, C-FVQD, servicing Pauingassi and Little Grand Rapids, made it south to Silver Falls, and landed at Blue Water Aviation's Base. Caravan C-GNWV, servicing Bloodvein River and Poplar River, made our Base at Pine Dock, as the heavy snow was only about 20 miles south. Company van shuttles were dispatched to pick up southbound passengers, and although a slight inconvenience, everyone made their destination safe and sound, and that is the "prime directive". Anyways, I took the opportunity to snap some pics of Northway Aviation's Grand Caravan. Here is..........

......C-GNWV, before the clouds "opened up"!

Fine-looking "ship"!

"Workhorse"!

Well-outfitted "office"!

Then, Doug "McLeod" Burton, who was flying NWV, and I, decided to take a ride to Matheson Island, to pick up some "overnight necessities" for Doug, as there is a store there. We would have to cross a channel between Matheson and the mainland by cable-ferry, operated by Manitoba Highways.

The Lake Winnipeg "self-propelled" barge, the "Poplar River", in the background, as Doug and I head across on the ferry. The weather is just starting to arrive.

As we approach the "Island", whitefish boats, high and dry for the season, greet us!

The cable ferry is the "C.F. Ingemar Carlson".

As we left the ferry, we were greeted by the WAMAIR Service and Outfitting sign, so we thought we would take a "tour" past their Float Base. We never expected to find..........

........an Otter!

"Girl", it is October 30th! Get south like the geese, and get off "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg"!

This is DHC-3 Otter, S/N 445, C-FRHW, owned by Venture Air, from Thompson, MB. One "frozen" ship!

We had to have a "peek" inside. Yup, "Standard Otter". Fantastic "pieces of iron"! We did our business, visited the "boys" at Wamair, returned by ferry, and cleaned off the Caravan before any precip froze to it. Tomorrow, we start again! Till next time,........"Adios"!

We aren't done with Alaska yet! Climb aboard, the "ride ain't over"!

VIDEO - "Back to Alaska"!

My "buddy", Ed Gaffray, owner of Blue Water Aviation Services Ltd., from Silver Falls, Manitoba, sent me a story he had received recently regarding a "hunting story" from September. Of course, it comes to us from Alaska, my "favourite place". It is an amazing story, and without further "adieu", let's hear the story from the "principles" involved!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE LONGEST MINUTE

by Doug White

September 16, 2006

We all have read about or seen movies entitled, ‘The Longest Day’, ‘The Longest Yard’, or ‘The Longest Mile’. Well, I am going to tell you about “The Longest Minute” of my life.

Reed Thompson and I had been hunting hard for five days. The day was Thursday, September 7, 2006. The weather had turned from beautiful sunny skies to gale force winds and the blasting rain that comes with fall storms. Never has the weather dictated hunting time to us, so out we ventured into the Alaska bush. Not seeing a single bull for several days, we decided to hunt an area downstream that had always produced one.

Late in the evening, we were walking down a raised half mile long finger of ground that was full of grass and alders. This turf was slightly higher than the swampy tundra on either side of it. We had slogged across the swamp as quickly as possible, during a sudden deluge, to get to the downwind point. Our hope was that our passage would not be observed with the sudden increased wind and rain. About halfway down the finger, Reed turned to me and said, “I think there is a moose up ahead. It looks like two white sticks in the grass. It would surprise me if it was not a moose.” I glassed the area about one hundred yards ahead and to the left. With Reed’s help, I zeroed in on the two white sticks and watched them for several minutes. With the slightest movement, the two sticks transformed into a white paddle and then back to the two sticks. The bull had moved his head ever so slightly.

I moved my scope out to ten-power and focused in on the two white sticks as Reed moved about ten yards further down the high ground. Then as Reed focused on the white points, I moved to his location for a better shot. Reed began moving toward our quarry as I watched for movement though the scope. With nothing solid or high enough to rest my rifle on, I was forced to aim free-hand. When Reed had taken a few steps, I saw the horns rock to the right and then back to the left. The big boy then stood up and was looking directly our way. Even with the forty mile an hour winds blowing directly at us, he sensed our presence. I squeezed off a round from my Browning .338 and felt good about the shot, but the bull took two or three steps to my right and disappeared out of sight behind some alders. Reed could still see him and shouted, “Do you want me to shoot him?” I yelled back at him to go ahead because I did not want the bull running too far. I heard his shot as I was scrambling forward to get a better look. After a thirty yard hustle, I was able to see the huge fellow still standing. I put another shot into him and watched him drop. We both hesitantly, but with great excitement, approached this giant and realized that he was dead. This was a mature bull with a beautiful rack and the biggest body mass I had ever seen. The fun was definitely over; now, the real work was ready to begin. After consulting the GPS, we noted that we were a half mile from the slough and boat. It was decided that both of us should return to the boat to discard unnecessary items and return with the gear needed to prepare and pack out the meat. We placed red and blue handkerchiefs high in an alder bush so that the sight could be located from the adjacent high ground. This was the easiest half mile hike of the day. I was pumped up and excited beyond explanation.

At the boat, we left our heavy rifles. We gathered our pack frames, game bags, ropes, and knives. After Reed repositioned the boat, to compensate for the upcoming low tide, I asked him, with hand signals, if he remembered to get the handguns. He did not understand my award winning charade performance, but I let it pass after observing his revolver strapped to his chest.

Upon returning to the moose, we were hot, sweaty, and wet. The rain had abated for awhile, so we removed our rain gear and hung them in a small tree about five yards perpendicular to the moose’s belly. Reed removed his revolver, hung it on a branch opposite his jacket, and brought to my attention that it was hanging there.

With darkness approaching, we decided on removing the top front and rear quarters, tie them to our pack frames, gut him out, and then roll the behemoth over to cool through the night. We would return in the morning to finish up. Two non-spoken traditions when hunting are: whoever pulls the trigger 1) does the gutting and 2) hauls the horns out of the woods. After removing the two quarters, it was time to remove the internal organs. After cutting, tearing, and ripping, I had removed all but the heart and part of the esophagus. Darkness was settling in pretty fast and I could barely move my arms. At this point, Reed said that he would trade places with me. Instead of moving up behind the moose, I just scooted to the rear leg area and watched Reed crawl up inside the gut cavity. After a couple of cuts the ordeal was over. As Reed pulled the heart out and tossed it behind us, a loud “HUFF” snapped us to our feet. Turning around, we saw standing before us, on his hind legs a large, chocolate brown grizzly bear. The next minute seemed to last an eternity. The term surreal is so over used, but the next minute was dreamlike, bizarre, fantastic, and unreal.

The bear was standing next to the tree where the pistol was hanging. We both started shouting and waving our arms back and forth, as we moved somewhat to our right, toward the tail end of the moose. The bear came down off his back legs, onto all fours, and started circling to his right -- toward the head of the bull. My only thought was to get to the gun so that we could scare him off. I sensed that he charged us from the head of the moose as I broke for the gun. Reed commented later that the bear vaulted over the moose and went straight for him. Halfway to the tree, I tripped on a fallen log and went down on all fours. From my peripheral vision on my right, I saw the bear going after Reed, who had moved into the tall (5 foot) grass. It appeared that the bear had knocked Reed down and was standing over him. My worst fear was that my friend was being mauled. I did not know how I would get him back to the boat and then home.

I grabbed the holster but was unable to remove the revolver, regardless of how hard I tugged. As I looked up, I saw the bear charging toward me. I started backing up as I continued screaming and hollering at the bear. I was frustrated that the pistol would not break free from the holster. With the bear almost on top of me, I fell over another log. I did a back drop and felt him grab my left leg. His huge head was above my lap, just out of reach of my holstered club. I tried to hit him with the pistol but a crazy thought entered my mind that I could scare him into thinking I was going to shoot by waving it back and forth. Unable to remove the pistol from the holster, I tried to shoot through it, but the strap held the hammer down on the single action revolver. Just when I thought all was lost, the bear rose up, pivoted 90 degrees to his left, and was gone. The grizzly had charged back in the direction of Reed as he had jumped up and yelled once again. Later, Reed stated that he had seen the bear knock me down and thought he was mauling me. The thought entered his mind that he was toast. He was alone in the grass with no weapon. I was down and I had the gun. When the bear started moving toward him, Reed dropped back down into the low wallow area where he had fallen during the initial charge. Reed saw the bear’s face about a foot from his own. He could hear the bear trying to sniff him out. At that point, the bear stood up, pivoted to his right, and charged back to me.

When Reed distracted the bear from its attack on me, I had time to concentrate on the holster. I saw a buckle with a strap running through it. I could not figure out how it held the gun in place, so I grabbed the buckle and attempted to rip it off. To my surprise, the buckle was actually a snap and the strap peeled away. As I pulled the revolver out, a sudden calm came over me, and I knew everything would be fine. I looked in the direction of Reed only to once again see the bear charging at me. He was about ten feet away coming up and over the initial log that I had tripped over. That was when I pointed the revolver and fired at center mass. The .44 magnum boomed in the night and the bear fell straight down, his head three feet away from where I stood. As he fell, he bit at the ground and ended up with a mouthful of sod. I stood in a dumbfounded stupor. I had no expectation that the pistol would kill the bear. My hope was that the shot would sting the bear and help scare him away along with the flame and loud report. As his head sagged to the ground, I shot him three more times in quick succession, out of fear and anger.

My next sensation was hearing Reed’s voice ask if the bear was dead. I answered, “Yes”. He then yelled at me to save the rest of the rounds because we still had to walk out, and he did not have any more bullets with him. The minute was over. We hugged each other for a long time, before packing out the two quarters.

Doug and the bear. Look at the paws and claws!

Doug and the moose and bear, holding his "six-shooter"!

"Wide-eyed" Reed, and the bear!
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Great story, thanks Ed, for the "heads-up"! What an adrenaline rush the "Longest Minute" must have been! Doug and Reed are "bonded" for life. By the way, in closing, here is a picture of Ed Gaffray from 20 years ago, as he was learning the "in and outs" of being a good "Bush Pilot"!

Yup, Ed will have a great career! Till next time, "Adios"!

A 4-engined aircraft that can operate from "carrier decks" and can be operated on "skis". Just what every "red-blooded Canadian boy" needs to occupy his leisure time on weekends!

VIDEO - "On Deck" with the C-130 "Hercules"!

I have been flying "Sched" this past week from Pine Dock. Yesterday was beautiful, and I made a couple of trips to Berens River Indian Reserve with pax and freight, flying Northway Aviation's C-207. I had some time to kill while there, so I grabbed my "digital" and went strolling.

On the shores of "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg".........

C-207, C-GUAL.

Then, Ryan Cook arrived with a load of freight, flying Wamair's Cessna Caravan.

A Caravan is well-suited for the gravel strips around Lake Winnipeg.

Then, later on, the Perimeter Airlines sched arrived. Yes, "The Tube" is here. A good old "Metro".

Oh, yah! The "Deere" part of the title. I made a short hunt, and I found a "Deere".

I still figure "John Deeres" look better "in green"! Till next time, "Adios"!

LINK - Northway Aviation Ltd.

LINK - WAMAIR Service and Outfitting

LINK - Perimeter Aviation

I think "God's Country" kind of "sums" it up quite nicely about Alaska. What a mistake of major proportions Russia made parting with this "geographic jewel". Check out Alaska by air. (Who the heck is Jared Leto, anyways? Sounds like one of the characters from the Star Wars "bar scene"!) To be continued.............

VIDEO - Welcome to "God's Country"!

Check it out!

VIDEO - "Bush Flying", Alaska Style!

Today I needed my "Medical" renewed, and I went to see Dr. Maurice Shnider. Dr. Shnider has done Cat. 1 MOT Medicals for years, and I have seen him numerous times. I love going to see him, although I hate going to see Doctors in general. Nothing against the Doctors, as valued, outstanding humanitarian professionals who have taken the "Hippocratic Oath" are high on my list of respected people, it's just that I am from "The John Wayne School Of Men", and if you see a Doctor, well, it's because you need a "bullet" cut out of your shoulder, not because you have some minor ailment. Anyways, back to Dr. Shnider. Dr. Shnider, born in 1923, is an amazing man to talk to, and listen to. He enlisted in the RCAF at 18 years of age, in 1941, and became a Navigator on Catalinas. For the most part, his flying boat squadron was engaged in tedious convoy escorts and anti-submarine missions. He and his crew achieved their most dramatic success in two long range air/sea rescues of downed American Superfortress B-29 crews off the coast of Thailand. The duration of the second mission (a total of 23 hours and 35 minutes) is considered a war time record and Maurice and his Captain were each awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Dr. Shnider became a practicing Physician in Winnipeg after the war in 1951, and still practices there today, and never misses a Winnipeg Blue Bomber home game. His mind is as sharp as a "finely-honed Damascus Steel blade", and he also writes occasionally about his life experiences. Here is an experience he wrote about a few years back, when he had a chance to return to England, where I am sure the memories of a "much younger man" came flooding back.
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RECALLING FALLEN COMRADES
By Maurice Shnider

Bournemouth is a beautiful resort city on the South coast of England. With its favorable climate and dozens of hotels it was the ideal location for #3 Personnel Reception Center of the RCAF during the Second World War. The beaches and cliffs overlook the English Channel and, even on bright days, the horizon is usually obscured by a haze. On occasion a fearful sight emerged from that haze; the so-called tip-and-run raiders of the Luftwaffe.

At times these were ME 109 fighter bombers, but the favorite attacker was the Focke-Wulf 190. They operated out of a number of airfields in the vicinity of Cherbourg and Caen. The pay-load was a 500 kilogram bomb carried under the fuselage. Their objective was to hit the railway, stations, or gas depots, but other inviting targets were the hotels of Bournemouth and Torquay where the German Command knew the Canadian Airmen were billeted.

For the most part they were young, recently graduated officers and NCOs awaiting posting to operational Training Units or active Squadrons. The time usually chosen for an attack was lunch time or tea time when most everyone was eating or relaxing.

On May 23, 1943, the peacefulness of a beautiful Sunday morning was abruptly shattered when 22 German aircraft, led by Lieutenant Leopold Wenger, conducted their most audacious raid on Bournemouth. The Kingsway Hotel, the Congressional Church and Beales Department Store sustained significant bomb damage, but at the Landsdowne Circle the Metropole Hotel was virtually destroyed when it took a direct hit.

Casualties were high. Among the 128 killed that day were 51 service men. Members of the RCAF are recorded in Les Allison’s Memorial book They Shall Grow Not Old and they include two Manitobans, Sgt. David Rainnie Chalmers, age 38, from Rosewood, and 21 year old Flight Sgt. Air Gunner William Geoffrey Abbott from Winnipeg.

ANNIVERSARY

My wife, Renee, and I visited Bournemouth this past May (2000) and I had the opportunity to read the Anniversary copy of the Bournemouth Echo. It contained a picture of Rhonda Taylor, the wife of Renee’s nephew Leon. At the time of the raid, Rhonda was a pretty seven-year-old girl who narrowly missed death when she and her sister answered their mother’s call to lunch as they were playing in the garden behind her uncle’s tobacco shop on the Landsdowne

Leon agreed to drive me to the Bournemouth Echo building where I could start my research on the Canadian casualties. I identified myself to an attractive young receptionist, but if I expected any assistance in what might prove to be a special human interest story, then I was sadly disappointed. Rather than direct me to the reporter who had written the Anniversary article, she suggested that I might find the desired information at the Bournemouth Library. I silently wondered whether she had heard of the Second World War and if she had, did she know that the streets of Bournemouth were once alive with young Canadian aircrew proudly sporting their recently acquired wings that identified them as Pilots, Observers, Navigators, Bomb aimers or Wireless Air Gunners, Air Gunners, and Flight Engineers? Did she know that thousands of them made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of her country and that many were buried right here in Bournemouth?

Leon then drove me to Charminister Cemetery where an obliging member of the Legion directed us to the military section known as the North Cemetery. The grounds were immaculately maintained and there were spring flowers at each grave site.

I recorded the names of all the 21 Canadians, three of whom were fighter pilots killed in training accidents, and three in an earlier tip-and-run raid when an ME 109 fighter bomber hit the Anglo-Swiss hotel on June 6, 1942.

Among those killed were 21-year-old Pilot Officer Russell Norman Bailey, a Wireless Operator Air Gunner from Winnipeg, and Pilot Officer Jacob Alexander Epp, a 25-year-old Wireless Operator Air Gunner from Manitou.

As a matter of interest, that Messerchmitt was pursued towards France by two RAF Spitfires and shot down over the Channel. I discovered that Christopher Gloss, an aviation writer and historian who lives outside of London, is completing a book on the tip-and-run raids over Southern England.

Shortly after my return to Canada, I left a phone message on his line and I was pleasantly surprised when he called back within the hour. I had a delightful chat with him and I can't wait to obtain his book.

In the process of researching his book, Mr. Gloss had corresponded with Lieutenant Wenger’s brother in Austria. He obtained a picture of a hotel on the East Overcliff Drive taken from the cockpit of the Focke-Wulf 190 as it swooped in from the Channel at roof-top level. This hotel was later identified as the Cumberland, which is only two doors away from the Cottonwood where I was first billeted in January 1943.

As a footnote Mr. Gloss learned that the enemy pilot was awarded the Knight’s Cross for bravery in January 1945 and was killed three months later when his aircraft was shot down by the Russians.
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NOTES

*Maurice Shnider, a longtime Wartime Pilots & Observers Association Member, is a Winnipeg family physician. He was a Navigator during WWII in the RCAF, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross after completing a tour of operational flying in the Far East on Catalinas.

** The Bournemouth Echo wrote Dr. Shnider later to apologize for its behaviour.

***This article first appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press, November 10th, 2000.

Yes, it is said that the young men and women who fought and triumphed over the Nazi and Japanese "aberration" during World War II are our "Finest Generation". I concur. Dr. Shnider, was, and still is, one of "Our Finest".................

The Otter and the Beaver are now "Snowbirds", gone south for the winter. Well, the other day Pontiac had a window and took venerable old 1953 Cessna 180 C-FHDL south. The morning of his departure was "crap", everything frozen, but we de-iced the aircraft, and it was "clean". Then, the "light snow" started again, but Pontiac made his "getaway"!

Pontiac tries to undo the frozen ropes. They are similar to "tree branches" when in this state, and the knots are easiest untied with a "knife", although we didn't resort to that, we loosened them with water.

We finally get the C-180 in condition for flight, and "she" taxis out.

"Adios, Old Girl"! The "white" you see on the wings is light snow, not sticking, and was "shed" immediately with takeoff power application.

Pontiac "stokes the boiler" and HDL heads south!

I had been "south" myself for a couple of days after Pontiac and HDL made their "escape", and I came back to Pine Dock last night. As I came around the last corner before the turnoff to the airport, I saw............

A "Dodge in the ditch"!

Apparently everyone was OK, lots of water in that ditch.......... Then I headed for the Float Base.......!

Yup, Cessna 185 C-FZZP, the last "one to go".........

Time to head south......

You are "the last" for 2006, the "One To Go"......, if you can "snatch" this feather from my hand, "Grasshopper", you, too, can go south............ "Adios"!

Life is good! What more would you need? OK, OK, some "beverage"! Check out the scenery as our intrepid pilot "slices through the skies"!

VIDEO - The "Bush", a "Beaver", and a "Boat"!

LINK - 60* NORTH at 500 FEET!

There are so many stories regarding the Canadian "Bush" and the impact that floatplanes have had on it's exploration and development. Well, with the Internet, we are starting to hear more and more of them. "Today's Tale" comes to us from a fellow by the name of Don Kramer, a "Good Old Canadian Boy" presently living in "Mongolia". Here is Don's e-mail and story, I call it....."From South Knife to the Burntwood, by Otter..."
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From: "Don Kramer"

To: otterflogger@yahoo.com

Subject: Action Shot

Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2006

Hello Steve!
I check your site out daily, lots of good stories and pictures. I am working in Mongolia, in the Gobi Desert. We are putting a mine shaft in for a copper mine, for a Canadian Company. When I am home in Northern Manitoa, I also work for a couple of Lodges, doing some guiding, and also taking lots of pictures. I will never forget my first ride in an Otter back in 1987. We flew up to South Knife Lake to salvage a 1983 Turbo 206. We got there and the plane was half a mile from the shore on a big hill in small trees. We had to cut a road down to the lake first, then we carried the wings and tail down and brought up a nose gear and 3 skis. With a chain saw winch we pulled the plane to the shore of the lake. Took out the engine and loaded it into the Norseman. Also, we put both floats on the Norseman, also some smaller parts. Then we waited for the Otter to show up to fly the fuselage out. This was late September, the weather was very shitty, freezing rain, light snow. The Otter was a day late but finally got there just before dark. We took 2 single mattresses and put them on the right float. I think it was six of us that carried the fuselage out in the lake to where the Otter was heeled into the sandy bottom. We tied it on, and waited for the morning to take off for Thompson, 180 miles south. That night it rained and in the morning the planes were covered in a thin layer of ice. The pilot went inside the Otter and got a tiger torch and melted the ice off the 3 blades of the prop. The pilot was a guy named Randy Winters, I think the Otter was CF-ODQ. Well, when we went to take off, we were stuck on the sand, but with some help we got free, taxied for a bit. I was in the right seat and when I looked down I could not even see the float. When he "opened her up" the old plane took off in no time. We stayed over the lake as long as we could. The Otter did not want to climb very well. The weather was bad, and the pilot gave me the map. I was navigating, looking for lakes on the way home. We could not climb higher than 150 feet for, I bet, 80 miles or so. The stall light was on, I think we were doing 60 miles an hour. Anyways, the weather got better and the ice melted off, and the Otter gained more speed, and climbed higher. The rest of the flight went well. When we landed in the Burntwood River, the Otter pulled really hard to the right on the landing, but we made it there, and that was my first ride in the Otter! Great airplane, and a skilled pilot.
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Wow! Great story, Don, thank you very much. There are so many stories to be told, "let's tell them"! If you have a great "bush" aviation story to tell, just send me an e-mail. In closing, view a photo below that Don sent me of Robert Noorduyn's "labour of love".......

.....the "Norseman"! Thanks again Don, as the photo of this "Thunderchicken" enters my eye, I can hear the sound from takeoff power setting, and I "clasp" my ears! What a "symphony"!

Antilles Seaplanes is currently in the process of setting up the necessary manufacturing machinery to build "new" G-21 "Goose" aircraft, a fantastic old Grumman design. The Grumman "Goose" is definitely a legend, and some of these venerable aircraft "ply" the British Columbia coast to this day. Check out what Antilles Seaplanes is up to! (P.S., watch the vid "right" to the end, the Beaver crash from the film "Motherlode" makes a "guest appearance" at the end!)

VIDEO - Get a "Goose"!

LINK - Antilles Seaplanes

"Classic lines" on this "waterfowl".........

The C-121 Constellation has these beauties hanging from her wings. I love the audial and visual spectacle of the engine starts. Check out the exhausts on takeoff! Way better than "Four Calling Birds"......I know what I want for Christmas!

VIDEO - Four Wright R-3350-34 Radials Rated at 3,400 SHP each.....

This morning the wind let up a little, and we decided it was time to take Beaver QQG south to "Drunken Point", on Lake Winnipeg, by Arnes, and pull it from the water. I pre-heated her, fired her up, and I was airborne.

"Trucking south", knobby fingers on the yoke!

I circled Northway's hangar at Drunken Point, then checked out the lake conditions. They weren't ideal, but I figured I could manage the landing, and drive the airplane onto a trailer attached to a John Deere 4020 tractor that was backed into the lake waiting for me. The wind was still blowing, quartering, and the swells were coming around the point and rolling back in on shore. The old de Havilland touched down close to shore, and cut the side-swell, and settled in. The wind was crosswind as I lined up on the trailer, and I felt the floats ride up on the wooden trailer deck. Another burst of power, and I put the "skegs" over the center of the trailer. I was on, albeit on a slight angle, due to the crosswind forces! Scott Williamson, Chief Engineer, put the 4020 in gear, and pulled me to shore. I shut down, and we secured the Beaver to the trailer.

Scott and the John Deere pull QQG from "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg"!

She is "out"............

.....and up the hill.........

........then into the "hangar yard"!

Under the "hoist"..........!

The weather continues to deteriorate daily, nice to have another floatplane "high and dry"! Two Cessnas to go! Till next time, "Adios"!

In early May of this year, I was contacted by a young Bush Pilot who needed some advice, by the name of Louis-Gabriel Lavigne. Well, I e-mailed him back with some words and suggestions that he might find valuable, and I hoped that they would help him make his decision. Here is his original e-mail, my reply, and his last e-mail that I received at the beginning of October.
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From: "LG Lav" bushpilotguy

To: "Steven Taylor" otterflogger

Subject: Re: Flying the North.

Hello Sir,

First off, I wanted to tell you how interesting it has been reading your "Blog" on Aviation.ca. As a young Bush Pilot (24), I've read with great interest about your adventures in the bush. I've got a question for you..... 4 years ago after completing my PPL, I purchased (1/2 share) CF-KAI, a 1957 Cessna 180 which I have been operating on skis and floats. 1200 hours later (800 of which on floats), and after completing a CPL, I'm ready to "hit the market", so to speak. I've been offered a few jobs already and I'm now in the process of deciding which offer to accept.... The first job is flying a Buck 85' out of Schefferville, "the boss" has guaranteed SIC time in their single piston Otter when not flying the 85'. (Otter time, is a dream come true!) However, their season only lasts for 2 and a half months and well, I was looking for a "longer" period of employment this summer. The alternative is flying a Beaver and Norseman out of Pickle Lake, Ont, for the whole summer. My question is: At my age, and with my level of experience (or lack of compared to guys like yourself), Otter time seems priceless.... Is it worth taking a "financial hit" to get some Otter time, or should I accept more hours, and a longer season on the Beaver/Norseman? Both operations have a very good safety record, and are "good employers", according to my friend Jacques Dupuis who's worked for both outfits back in the late 60's and early 70's (He's a former Otter pilot by the way). When I asked him, he shrugged his shoulders and said "Your call, you'll be more then happy working for either one"! (Not much info there eh?!!!) Thanks for taking the time to read this, and again, your Blog provides great insight for the "up and comer's" in our industry.

Regards

Louis-Gabriel Lavigne, Ottawa, Ont.
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Date: Sat, 6 May 2006

From: "Steven Taylor" otterflogger

Subject: Re: Flying the North.

To: "LG Lav" bushpilotguy

Hello Louis-Gabriel. I will "cut to the chase" immediately. You want to take the Beaver and Norseman job. SIC (second in command), if that is what that means, does not take the place of PIC time. In the years to come, any operator that is hiring will take a pilot with Beaver time and Norseman time to fly their Otter before they choose a pilot that has sat "right seat" in an Otter. "Swamping" on an Otter gains a
person great experience, but PIC in a Beaver or Norseman is much more valuable. Once you have flown the Beaver and then the Norseman, you will be ready for PIC time in the Otter. It is the natural progression. If you can get Norseman time, "go for it". It is a great airplane, and is "hands on". You will learn a tremendous amount. Once you get experience on the Norseman, transitioning to the Otter will be easy. I hope this helps you.

Cheers,

Steve
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Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2006

From: "LG Lav" bushpilotguy

Subject: Re: Flying the North.

To: "Steven Taylor" otterflogger

Steven,

I wanted to thank you once again for your advice. I just finished my first season in Schefferville, where I started flying a Beaver (C-FLIX) for Air Saguenay. Half way though the season, I was promoted to the conventional Otter (C-FJZN), as the former pilot had a mental break-down and had to leave. It was a great season, filled with bad weather, big loads, and lots of caribou meat boxes! Had I taken the job on the 85' and SIC on the Otter, I doubt that I would have gotten the experience that I did. Your advice was fantastic!

Happy tail winds,

Louis
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Sounds like Louis-Gabriel had a great season, learned a lot, and got some Otter time. Also nice to see someone young who actually wants to "fly the bush". It is by far the best environment for "honing" one's skills early in a career, and if the airlines are in your future, well, when you get there, you will actually "know how to fly". "Good luck", Louis, if an employer like Air Saguenay put you on the Otter after half a season on the Beaver, your skills must be exceptional, and you proved "something to somebody". Now, an Otter on "wheel-skis" for the winter, there is a "challenge" for you!

Cheers,

Steve

This is 1966 Otter C-FUKN, S/N 456, the Otter I fly today, about 10 years ago. I flew it for three winters on wheel/skis. "Bags of fun", and a good challenge for Louis-Gabriel.............(Photo by "Me".....)

Leather helmet, goggles, bomber jacket, leather gloves, open cockpit. Flying at it's purest. Just you, your machine, and a "beckoning" sky!

VIDEO - For the Pure Thrill..."Fly, Baby"!

LINK - Bowers Fly Baby

Yesterday, I detailed how I took Otter C-FUKN south for "changeover". Today I was hoping to take Beaver C-FQQG south also, but overnight "meteorological mayhem" struck again.........

"Damn" freezing snow again!

Pontiac and I started to clean the airplanes, as the weather was forecast to get worse. Water is 10 lbs. per gallon, and wet snow has sunk many a floatplane, so the quicker you clean airplanes, the better. I worked on the Beaver, and Pontiac "got busy" with the Cessnas.

Pontiac cleans 1953 Cessna 180 C-FHDL.

Now, Pontiac has a Golden Retriever named "Timber", and lately a "mongrel stray" dog showed up at the Float Base, and Timber befriended him. He is a "goofy-looking" dog, and I named him "Pauingassi". We haven't been feeding him, hoping he goes away, but he stays close by. He is always wet, but seems to survive quite handily. As we cleaned aircraft, Timber and "Pauingassi" started "howling and moaning" up the road leading to the Float Base, and it continued, and continued. Finally we went to look and see what was going on, in case one of the dogs was caught in a rabbit snare. They were both barking at the bottom of a small poplar, looking up. "Shit", they had treed a........

"Mink"!

First time in my career in the bush I have ever seen a mink in a tree, and it was a poplar "sucker", way smaller than a "pecker pole"!

Yup, white chin! Healthy-looking specimen. I always laugh at these situations, as the dogs consider themselves "heroes", but if they ever cornered the mink, and he lashed out, the dogs would be "Ki-yi-yi-ing" down the road, tails between their legs!

After finishing our cleaning, as the "mixed precipitation" started, Pontiac and I went for coffee. The dogs "romped" outside, as I wondered how "Pauingassi" survived. Then Pontiac and I noticed him "digging" under a "birch stand". He pulled something out, and started "chewing". "MICE", I thought. The story "Never Cry Wolf" by Farley Mowat immediately came to mind. I called Pontiac, as "Pauingassi" pulled out another large mouse, and took it, and squatted in the snow, paws on the mouse. A couple of "bites" and a few "shakes", he then pulled it in half, and ate both pieces. "Survival" at it's finest.

Pauingassi's "mouse diggings" under the birch stand.........

You do what you do to survive.........( we think Pontiac has found a home for "Pauingassi" this coming Friday..... ) Till next time, as we ride out the "storm" tonight "AGAIN", "Adios".............!

BOOK - Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat

MOVIE - Never Cry Wolf

Today I took UKN to Blue Water Aviation's Base at Silver Falls, Manitoba, where we will put it on wheels in the next few days and fly it to Northway's hangar at Arnes for some winter-time "TLC". Basically, UKN's "float season" is "finis"! Good thing, too, the weather is "turning".

UKN arrives at Silver Falls!

The next flight "she" makes will be "on wheels"................

An old "female" friend from the past, Walter Turbine Otter C-GBTU...........

Hey, this new Canon digital camera seems to take some nice shots...........

.........and the 4X "ZOOM" works great! Stay tuned, till next time, "Adios"!

"Buffalo" Joe McBryan and his Air Service belong in the "Legends File". Check out some of his equipment, Joe runs "radials" like none other!

VIDEO - Buffalo Airways of Yellowknife, NWT; Propliners of the North

LINK - "Buffalo Airways"!

DVD - Buffalo Airways: Propliners of the North

The other day I detailed how I became a "human submarine" and my digital camera was ruined. The old Kodak Easy Share CX 7300 took a trip to "Davey Jones' Locker", and returned, but "lifeless". It was time for an upgrade anyways. 3.2 Megapixels, no optical "zoom". Today I picked up a Canon "Power Shot" A530, with 5.0 Megapixels and 4X Optical "zoom", we will see how it works in the next couple of posts. I know I will love the "optical zoom", and my research indicates Canon probably sets the standard for optics quality. By the way, I don't pretend to be "Joe Photographer", more like "Steve Point & Shoot", but I have been practising techniques to get some good aviation motion shots. You can also try out your own "photography skills" at the following site...........

TEST - "Motion Photography Skills"

"Cheers"!

(How did you do? 121 is my best score!)

You all know I love aircraft designed in the former Soviet Union. It seems as if they were built by sturdy farmers. Don't laugh, farmers are the most straightforward of people, and build things for practicality and robustness. Just like the Antonov An-72 "Coaler".

VIDEO - Russian Aircraft Designs: "Bold and Innovative"!

LINK - Antonov An-72 "Coaler"!

A "4x4" with "wings and jet engines"!

(PS - Can't wait to watch "ABOVE & BEYOND"! Make sure you "tune in"!)

Yesterday AM we figured we had a slight window to get our last moose hunter out of the bush, from the Pigeon River. We were going to de-ice the Cessna 185, pick up the hunter and his gear, as the winds were forecast later in the day to hit a possible 50 KTS.! As Pontiac and Odger prepared the "de-icer", I went to grease the pulleys, fairleads, and cables on the C-185's PK 3500 floats. Nothing worse than arriving at destination and finding out your water-steering system is frozen. I took the grease gun, and crossed the "Jesus wire", connecting the two front float ballards, to the far side. I was well-dressed, full-size quilted winter suit, and lined rubber insulated "Baffin" boots. I proceeded to grease all pulleys, fairleads, and cables, using my bare hands, which were starting to get chilled from the conditions. I finished the one float, and proceeded across the Jesus wire back to the dockside float. "CRACK"! I knew what the sound meant even before I hit the water. The "wire broke"! "Sploosh"! I seemed to pass all bubbles on the way down, and instinct took over. I kicked upward, coming up between the Cessna's floats. One loud "expletive" escaped my lips, as I grabbed onto the metal docks, covered in 5" of snow. I hoisted myself out in about two seconds, surprising, as I was carrying an extra 80 lbs. of water. I slowly walked from the docks to change, leaving a trail of water as I walked and mumbled. Pontiac and Odger looked ready to laugh, but they didn't dare, until probably when I was up the hill, out of earshot. I would have asked one of the guys to take a picture of me "soaked", for the Blog, but my camera was in my breast pocket, full of water, and now ruined. Anyways, I changed, warmed up, finished cleaning the Cessna 185, and just after lunch Odger made it onto the Pigeon River, in a constantly-stiffening wind, and retrieved our last hunter! Done! Hallelujah! Good thing the wire broke on me at the dock, instead of breaking on Odger on the Pigeon River, having him drenched, and having his aircraft float away. Anyways, we secured the aircraft before the wind hit even harder last night, and crossed our fingers. The winds gusted to 50 KTS. but the aircraft fared well. Today, the "storm continues unabated"...........

After some melting yesterday, the "storm" continues today......( No, my little "dip" yesterday never gave me pnuemonia, I'm "far too robust" for that! )

The "Alps", that famous mountain range, stretch from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, to France, in the west. "Strap on" an aircraft, let's go check them out!

VIDEO - Conquer "The Alps"!

I posted yesterday about our first winter storm, and this AM broke pleasantly, but very cold, with light winds. I went down to the docks, to see the "frozen" floatplanes, and hoped the sun would rise quickly, and no cloud cover would move in. It is amazing how the sun helps "thaw" the frozen precip off of an airplane, even with air temps below freezing. Aircraft painted with quality paint such as "Imron" also thaw quicker, as more heat is absorbed. I arrived at the docks, and UKN greeted me.

My "horse" is "frozen"!

We had de-iced C-185 C-FZZP, and were working on C-180 C-FHDL, when the "lake effect snow" started, as the wind picked up.

Our de-icing contraption. Designed by Ian Odger, seen de-icing HDL in the last photo. A 45 gal. plastic drum with hose fittings, connected to a gas powered Karcher pressure washer. We fill it with lake water, put a cattle trough heater in the drum for half an hour, drive it onto the docks, fire up the "Briggs" powered Karcher, and "blast ice"!

"Damn snow never quits"!

UKN "re-freezes"!

The "Float Base"!

We cleaned all the planes off twice, as the snow weight was substantial. As I sit tonight consuming a "pickle jar" full of "liquid intellect and water", I remember why I dislike "flying floats" in the close proximity of "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg" in October! Till next time,......."Adios"!

LINK - Lake Effect Snow

It hit today, with a "vengeance"! I knew it was coming, but I did a 180 mile return-trip this morning to pick up the "Northway Apisko Outcamp Closing Crew"! Newf, Garth, and Merlin, two pilots and the Ops. Mgr., were waiting when I landed at Apisko Lake in the rain, the temp. being about +2*C. I told them we had 10 minutes to load, and I was right. As we finished, the snow, rain, and ice pellets started, and the wind switched to northwest, and we taxied out! UKN cranked up, and I took a stiff crosswind to become airborne, before UKN and all of us were "stuck there". Well, we made it back, and then the snow started!

UKN receives a "coat of snow"!

Cessna C-185 C-FZZP rides out the snow.

Cessna C-180 C-FHDL.

DHC-2 Beaver C-FQQG.

.....and this evening, just before dark, the storm "continues"..............Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg becomes a "tempest" when freezing cold winds from the north caress her 11*C water at this time of year...........

*** MOOSE UPDATE ***

The other day I picked up Bryan Minnis and his son Brad from Button Lake, as they had been moose hunting, and had harvested one. It was a beautiful animal, with a nice rack. Years ago I suggested to Bryan to hunt this lake, and he still hunts it today. Check it out.

"Beautiful"!

Actually, Bryan didn't shoot this moose, his son Brad did! Way to go, Brad! Till next time, "Adios"!

Got your attention, didn't I? This isn't to say my wife Lucille is old, and I prefer her, I was talking about "airplanes"! Aircraft are considered female, as ships are. Anyways, check out this "old lady", another Junkers Ju-52. Made from "culvert material", boxy, full of "exhaust stains", leaking oil, brakes squeaking, and three "radial" engines playing a "symphony", what a "Masterpiece"!

VIDEO - I Prefer "Old Ladies"........

My heart and condolences goes out to the families of the Canadian soldiers who have fallen in Afghanistan in the last number of years. People who have a "sense of duty", and are "honour-bound" to play their part in "global stability". They were called upon, and they answered the call. I personally haven't felt the pain of losing a child in a "conflict", although that time may yet come. I do think about it "nightly", though, and the "possible anguish" keeps me from sleep. They are "our best", "honour, and remember them".
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Canadian death toll in Afghanistan
-------------------------------------

Since 2002, 40 Canadian soldiers and one Canadian diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan. Here is a list of the deaths:

2006

Oct. 7 - Trooper Mark Andrew Wilson of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed when his armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside explosion in the Panjwaii district.

Oct. 3 - Sgt. Craig Gillam and Cpl. Robert Mitchell of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in series of mortar, rocket attacks just west of Kandahar city.

Sept. 29 - Pte. Josh Klukie of First Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed by explosion in Panjwaii while on foot patrol.

Sept. 18 - Pte. David Byers, Cpl. Shane Keating and Cpl. Keith Morley, all of 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry based in Shilo, Man.; and Cpl. Glen Arnold, 2 Field Ambulance, based in Petawawa, Ont., killed in suicide bicycle bomb attack on foot patrol in Panjwaii.

Sept. 4 - Pte. Mark Graham, who was based at CFB Petawawa, killed when two NATO planes accidentally strafed Canadian troops in the Panjwaii district.

Sept. 3 - Sgt. Shane Stachnik, Warrant Officer Frank Robert Mellish, Pte. William Cushley and Warrant Officer Richard Francis Nolan, all based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., killed in fighting in Panjwaii district.

Aug. 22 - Cpl. David Braun, who was based at Shilo, Man., killed in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar City.

Aug. 11 - Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, of Comox, B.C., stationed with 1st Field Ambulance, based in Edmonton, killed in suicide attack.

Aug. 9 - Master Cpl. Jeffrey Walsh, 33, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Shilo, Man., killed by apparent accidental discharge of rifle.

Aug. 5 - Master Cpl. Raymond Arndt, 31, of Loyal Edmonton Regiment, killed when large truck collided head-on with his G-Wagon patrol vehicle.

Aug. 3 - Cpl. Christopher Reid, 34, of 1st Battalion of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, killed by roadside bomb. Three other members of same battalion killed in rocket-propelled grenade attack by Taliban forces west of Kandahar: Sgt. Vaughan Ingram, 35, Cpl. Bryce Keller, 27, and Pte. Kevin Dallaire, 22.

July 22 - Cpl. Francisco Gomez, 44, of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, based in Edmonton, and Cpl. Jason Warren, 29, of Black Watch, Royal Highland Regiment of Canada, based in Montreal, killed when car packed with explosives rammed their armoured vehicle.

July 9 - Cpl. Anthony Boneca, 21, reservist from Lake Superior Scottish Regiment based in Thunder Bay, Ont., killed in firefight.

May 17 - Capt. Nichola Goddard, artillery officer based in Shilo, Man., with 1st Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, killed in Taliban ambush during battle in Panjwaii region. She was first Canadian woman to be killed in action while serving in combat role.

April 22 - Cpl. Matthew Dinning of Richmond Hill, Ont., stationed with 2nd Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Petawawa, Ont., Bombardier Myles Mansell of Victoria, Lieut. William Turner of Toronto, stationed in Edmonton, and Cpl. Randy Payne, born in Lahr, Germany, stationed at CFB Wainright, Alta., all killed when their G-Wagon destroyed by roadside bomb near Gumbad.

March 29 - Pte. Robert Costall of Edmonton, machine-gunner, killed in firefight with Taliban insurgents in Sangin district of Helmand province.

March 2 - Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., killed when their armoured vehicle ran off road in Kandahar area.

Jan. 15 - Glyn Berry, British-born Canadian diplomat who had served with Foreign Affairs Department since 1977, killed in suicide bombing near Kandahar.

2005

Nov. 24 - Pte. Braun Woodfield, born in Victoria and raised in Eastern Passage, N.S., killed when his armoured vehicle rolled over near Kandahar.

2004

Jan. 27 - Cpl. Jamie Murphy, 26, of Conception Harbour, Nfld., killed in suicide bombing while on patrol near Kabul.

2003

Oct. 2 - Sgt. Robert Short, 42, of Fredericton, and Cpl. Robbie Beerenfenger, 29, of Ottawa, killed in roadside bombing southwest of Kabul.

2002

April 17 - Sgt. Marc Leger, 29, of Lancaster, Ont., Cpl. Ainsworth Dyer, 24, of Montreal, Pte. Richard Green, 21, of Mill Cove, N.S., and Pte. Nathan Smith, 27, of Tatamagouche, N.S., all killed when U.S. F-16 fighter mistakenly bombed Canadians on pre-dawn training exercise. Eight other Canadians wounded in friendly-fire incident.
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Brave, brave people, doing what was and is asked of them in the name of "Freedom". The same condolences are also for all the "Coalition Countries", trying to "stem" the "infection" of "Islamofascism", American, British, Australian, and all the others. I have "pondered" a negative outcome of the present conflict, and it "isn't pretty".
-----------------------------------

They shall not grow old
as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them,
nor the years condemn them.
At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning,
we will remember them.
--------------------------------------

Vimy Ridge Memorial, "Thank God" the "bloodlines" still run strong..............

I have "posted" before about the "Beast from the East". The Antonov AN-225 "Mriya" (Ukrainian for "Dream"), is a "colossal machine" and a testament to the "skill and ability" of aircraft designers from the former Soviet Union. The Nato reporting name for the AN-225 is "Cossack", and I would concur that it is a "fitting" name. Check it out on Oct. 1, 2006.

VIDEO - Return of the "Beast From The East"!

LINK - Antonov An-225 "Mriya"

The Fall Commercial Fishing Season on Lake Winnipeg is drawing to a close. The fishing for pickerel (walleye), some say, is the best it has been in 50 years, and the local fishermen will soon have some leisure time and full pockets. When they fish, they use nets, and don't have to worry about the "predatory species" our "hapless hero" in the next vid is exposed to........

VIDEO - "Shark Fishing, 101".....?

Watch Benjo Licer fly his Zlin 526 under the Solkan Bridge in Slovenia to celebrate the bridge's 100th anniversary. Somehow, I can't see this being allowed in Canada. Imagine if he damaged the bridge? Watch!

VIDEO - Under the "Solkan Bridge"!

I have posted before about Apisko Lake, a fantastic jewel on the Assapan River in Manitoba. The outcamp on Apisko is owned by Northway Aviation, and is the location of the "Manitoba Record Northern Pike", caught by Gary "Omar" Weber, in 2004. It was 60 1/2", and released! Well, Apisko Lake also crawls with "moose"! First, though, yesterday morning, I had to pick hunters up from Assapan Lake, just east of Apisko!

"Oh, for crying out loud, Assapan Lake is covered in fog"!

I circled for 15 minutes, low, using my "wing-tip vortices" to help "swirl" the fog away, and finally the camp appeared! "Hey, it worked"!

Still pretty "shitty" on the surface when I landed, though, but "blue sky" above.

These hunters were "skunked", and I took them back to Pine Dock. Then, I departed for Apisko, where three moose had already been harvested, and "the boys" had one more, "de-boned". I landed, picked up four guys, gear, and the moose, and I had Ian Odger following me in C-185 C-FZZP tp pick up three hunters and gear. We both arrived back in Pine Dock...........

Beautiful rack!

Me, UKN, and the "rack"!

Biggest I've seen so far this year, 51 1/4"!

"Amazing", then I was airborne for "Squarehead Lake"! They also had two moose, between three hunters! Squarehead Lake was an "unnamed" lake years ago, and the first hunters we ever took in were Germans, "hence the name" today! Moose hunting is going well, until next time,.........."Adios"!

LINK - "Apisko Lake"!

The Commemorative Air Force AIRSHO is Oct.7 & 8 this year, at Midland International Airport, Texas. Next year, 2007, will be the "50th Anniversary" of the Commemorative (Confederate) Air Force. Every year the AIRSHO is a spectacular event showcasing World War II aircraft, Korean and Vietnam era aircraft, and today's military aircraft. At last year's show, tribute was paid to Col. Ollie Crawford, who has flown the CAF's P-40 "Warhawk" for the past 20 years, and started flying P-40s in 1945. He was also the last WWII "Warhawk" pilot to still fly in air shows. He had planned on retiring from flying in the summer of 2005, but at the AIRSHO in the fall, Ollie gave the crowd a great surprise and a big thrill. He would take "One Last Ride"..............

LINK - Col. Ollie Crawford's "Last Ride".......

IMAGES and INFO - CAF AIRSHO 2005

HOME PAGE - Commemorative Air Force

Thanks for the tip, Ken!

There is a new Air Service just commencing operations in England. From the information I have gathered regarding the new airline, I think it will be a "smashing success". Form your own opinion, though, by first checking out their "promo video"!

VIDEO - "Yorkshire Airlines"!

Yesterday I "cranked" off early, as I had to pick up a group of hunters from the "Long Lake" area on the Berens River.

"Airborne"!

"Touchdown"! Glassy water with a beautiful "mirror" surface.

Loading the hunters. They never shot a moose, but had been bothered by a young bear repeatedly. He had broken into their cabin, demolished it while they were out hunting, and kept coming back night after night. Silly bear, "R.I.P."!

Boy, there sure is lots of wildlife on the Berens River. "Look", there is an "Otter" swimming under my float!

"Airborne" again, and "southbound"!

Then I had to fly Ray Durupt out to Poplar Falls on the Pigeon River. I was concerned about where I could "drop" Ray off, as the water levels are so low, you can't get to the natural riverbank. We decided if "worst came to worst", we would load directly off the Otter into his big Scott "square-stern freighter canoe".

"Touchdown", Pigeon River.

We backed into shore, right into the "mud"! I actually got closer to "shore" than I figured I would, but it was too muddy to unload onto.

Ray unties his canoe, held on with nylon 1/2" double-braid solid-core rope.

We unload into Ray's canoe, and he "fires up". Ray was hunting alone, as his partner backed-out at the last minute. Actually, he did have a decrepit-looking "Beagle" named "Dog" with him for company, and in this photo he is buried under the freight.

Ray sets out alone on his 10-day adventure.

After dropping off Ray, I heard there was more "moose meat hanging" in the bush. The day was supposed to be fairly warm, and the hunters were worried about their meat. The meat would have been quite fine hanging in the shade, but I wasn't going to argue with them, "no problem", I will just pick them up a couple of days early. Paint Point Lake was then my destination, and this was the second moose to be harvested from this lake............

"Hey, there is the moose"! This one was harvested by Reg Skrupski, the first one he ever shot, and he was quite proud of himself, and rightly so. Notice the elaborate "beer can" alarm system, designed to alert the boys if any wildlife comes around for a free meal of moose.

A smaller moose, but the meat will be "prime". I loaded the meat, and Reg and his buddies, and flew back to Pine Dock. So, you can see, every destination was a new experience. Then, at the end of the day, some of the boys and I sat around to "swap" stories. We only had "one" drink each, as the next morning would come early, and we would "fill the skies" again. Till next time, ......."Adios"!

(I told you we only had "one" each......)

I have "posted" before about the Beriev Be-200, a "flying boat" with "jet engines"! Check it out in a firefighting "scoop and drop" role! Russian aircraft designers are, and were, outstanding! (Remember, Igor Sikorsky is my favourite!)

VIDEO - More "Beriev Be-200"!

Yesterday I did some more pick-ups of moose hunters we had in "the bush"........First stop was Paint Point Lake, where they had harvested one moose!

The "meat" hanging...........

The "meat donour".............

I loaded my passengers, and took them back to Pine Dock. Then I picked up two hunters from Viking lake on the Pigeon River, who were unsuccessful. Then, I refuelled, and headed for the Berens River............

"Heeled-in" against the boulders, at Smooth Rock Falls, on the Berens River!

"Smooth Rock Falls", nowhere near as "raging" as usual, due to low/no water!

I view the shelter the boys erected for one of their harvested animals..........

The "rack"...........

UKN awaits her load............

Back at "Base", myself and UKN pose with the racks from the two moose, one about 51", the other 48".........

Beautiful!

Yup, Gerry and Norm Rosset, and partners Todd and Clarke harvested some nice animals off the Berens River! Stay tuned..............!

Till the next time,......"Adios"!

I received an e-mail the other day from my buddy Ernie Robb, "outstanding Veteran" and "skilled Beaver pilot", from Southeast Aviation in Alaska. He had seen one of my "Posts" on my Blog regarding our moose hunt, and he sent me an e-mail and some pics. Check them out!
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To: otterflogger@yahoo.com
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:24:05

Steve,
I can appreciate your post about moose hunters. Over here this time of year it's goat hunters. This is a typical goat area called Todd's Lake in the majestic Misty Fjords National Monument. It's at 2900 hundred feet and a little tricky if the wind decides to act up. We do a number of these hunts starting around the middle of September and into October. Hope all is well with you and yours.

Ernie

WOW! "Todd's Lake"!
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Yes, I can imagine it might be a little "tricky" if the wind decided to "act up"! Great shots, Ernie, thank you very much. From one "Bush Rat" to another, "Hope all is well with you and yours also"! Definition of "majesty", from the Otterflogger Encyclopaedia; "Alaska"!

LINK - Southeast Aviation

Great "Website"!

Check out this "hilarious" interview with some of our "best drivers"! Real "stick and rudder" pilots, "YEE-HAW"!!!

VIDEO - "So", You Want To Be A "Pilot"..........

I "Posted" yesterday about our "Moose Season" in full-swing, and moving a camp from lake to lake yesterday. Well, I actually had to pick up the crew from Northern Lites today, as they had been moose hunting for a few days. The weather was "putrid" this morning, and "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg" is a "real bitch" as she adds moisture to the already "tempestuous local meteorological churnings". As I made the lake, killing all the "tree-top squirrels" along my route in the process, I pulled up to the rock!

I tied up at Northern Lites Lake, and the wind and weather quickly improved, and the "moose hunting crew" dis-assembled their camp!

"Uh-huh!" Success!

Loading the moose in UKN!

I tell you, moose hunters haul "way too much gear" in, and of course you have to "haul it all out again"! Stay tuned...........

***P.S. - The first day I dropped the group off, they thought they would catch some fish close to camp for supper. Two people in a canoe, with a fishing rod, as a "Bull Moose" crashes out of the bush, into the water, and swims the lake in front of them, and they realize their rifle is "back in camp", because they are "bush rookies", all I can say is "PRICELESS"! They figured it was a "50 inch rack", that is still "roaming the bush"! "HAW"!

Boy, they let large aircraft "fly low" in Budapest..........!!!

VIDEO - "Hang Onto Your Beverage", Here Comes the Red Bull "DC-6"......!

We have been very busy this past week "hauling" moose hunters into the "bush". Moose hunters are a "strange breed", and the amount of gear they need for a week is "astronomical". Oh well, they look forward to their "hunt" all year long. It just gets a little "stressful" being able to depart small lakes and narrow rivers when their hunt is over, with all their gear, plus any moose they have harvested. As you just "clear the trees", all the "plaque" in your arteries "lets go", and is absorbed by your body. I guess that's why old "Bush Rats" like Punch Dickens lived well into his 90s, with his "mobility and his marbles" still intact! Anyways, we moved a camp for Dave Pomarenski from Fraserwood the other day, from Shebaylo Lake, as he wanted to go back to his old hunting spot at Northern Lites Lake! Here's how it went...........

We arrived at Shebaylo Lake, I tied a rope on Otter UKN, jumped on shore, and was greeted by part of a ......

..."Moose Jaw"!

Otter UKN tied up!

We pulled out the two canoes we had to move, and I believe these were the first two canoes "Moses" ever made!

"Pontiac" carries down the rest of their gear......

UKN wasn't the only "Otter" present at Shebaylo Lake, as this "scat" bears witness, full of "crayfish shell"........

UKN was loaded, canoes tied on, and we were airborne............

Arriving at "Northern Lites Lake", Pontiac unties a canoe..........

"Unloaded"........

The new "old" camp structure.......

Shit, the "Beaver Logging Company" has been harvesting recently....... ***Steve's Trivia***!!! Were you aware that after "man", the "Beaver" has had the most "impact" on "Earth's Geography"? *** Answer*** TRUE! (after "natural occurrences", obviously)

The "log slide" to the lake.......

Then we went and moved their boat..........

Tied on with "double-braid solid core" 1/2" nylon rope. Can't beat it! Let the "moose hunt" begin...........!!!

Check out this TSB animation, with actual "audio", from an incident that happened at LAX on Runway 24!

VIDEO - "That Was Close"!

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes. He stays up for days on end. You take a warm shower to help you wake up. He goes days or weeks without running water. You complain of a "headache", and call in sick. He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward. You put on your 'Anti war/Don't support the troops' shirt, and go meet up with your friends. He still fights for your right to wear that shirt. You make sure your cell phone is in your pocket. He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags. You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you. He knows he may not see some of his buddies again. You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls. He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists. You complain about how hot it is. He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow. You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong. He doesn't get to eat today. Your cleaning lady makes your bed and washes your clothes. He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean. You go to the mall and get your hair redone. He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today. You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over. He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months. You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight. He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home. You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday. He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume. You roll your eyes as a baby cries. He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet. You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything. He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting. You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him. He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded. You see only what the media wants you to see. He sees the broken bodies lying around him. You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't. He does exactly what he is told. You stay at home and watch TV. He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat. You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable. He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire. You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him. If only there were more "men like him"! "Thank God " for our "Servicemen and Servicewomen", and their understanding of the "Global Situation", and when I hear someone "slag" them, they"re "Walkin' On The Fightin" Side Of Me"!

A "Spitfire", a "Mustang", and a "Corsair"! Three "all-time Classics"! Listen as they "harmonize" across the skies! The "Spit" and the "Stang" look great in D-Day "Invasion" markings. Notice at the end of the vid the contra-rotating props on the Spitfire. It is a Mk XIX, with Griffon engine. "Crank" the volume!

VIDEO - "Dogfight"!

In this next vid, an aerobatic maneuver is attempted much too close to the ground. I am sure that at airshows and aerial displays the accident rate would "fall" if the aircraft had an "altitude floor" below which they couldn't perform below. Maybe they already do, I don't know. It just seems to me that some of these maneuvers are performed 'Much "Too Close" to the "Ground"!'

VIDEO - Much "Too Close" to the "Ground"!

Too many people in this day and age of "consumerism" and "laissez-faire" lifestyle don't understand, or don't care, and don't support, our "finest" people. Before I "take off" on a "rant", remember why your life is "easy" and "enjoyable", it isn't "owed" to you by any means, it is because of the sacrifices of our "Great Veterans" from the past. Remember them. In "Their Honour", also remember and support "today's finest", sacrificing and doing their best for you and I, "humanity" is at stake!!

"We are all in debt to them"..............................

Pretty good "hands and feet", but this guy pushes the envelope. Listen to his engine "burp"! Purposely? "You be the judge"!

VIDEO - "Aerobatics", in a "Stock" Stearman!

LINK -National Stearman Fly-In
Official Website

Watch as the Messerschmitt Me 262 takes to the skies again! The first successful operational jet fighter, thankfully it came too late to "turn the tide" in favour of the "Nazi Menace"! The Google Video states it is a restored aircraft, but it is actually newly manufactured. Check out the info after the video!

VIDEO - "Messerschmitt Me 262"! From the "What If.....?" Files!

LINK - Me 262 Project!

............."Want to go for a ride? I have to go pick up another load of.............."Wild Rice"! Absolutely, I said, and I jumped in BTU. We would be flying to Round Lake, just northeast of Silver Falls. Round Lake is harvested by friend Lindsay Carlson from Pine Falls. Dave turned on the "fan", "lit" the "stove", and BTU spooled to life, flaps down, trims, water rudders up, throttle open, and we were "airborne"!

I have "posted" before about "Wild Rice a couple of times, one of my posts being Wild Rice! - (also called " Mahnoomin, Folle Avoine, Canadian Rice, Water Oats, Blackbird Oats, and Marsh Oats"). When we used to fly out to haul wild rice from lakes in the fall years ago, we called them "rice fields". The name stuck, but when I try to explain to people why we call them "fields", when it is a "lake", they find it hard to fathom. Well, you will soon witness visually, a "rice field"!

Arrival at Round Lake!

Dave banks to land.

Turn to final!

Runway in sight!

On the water!

At the dock. See, folks, it is a "field".

Looks like a "hay field"!

Lindsay had a load of rice ready for us, and more being prepared in a pile.

Lindsay's camp at Round Lake.

Life in "Canada"! I love being out in the "bush"!

Loading BTU.

Lindsay's "rice-picker"!

This machine is powered by a 5.7L V-8 with a "pusher" prop!

Then, it was time to depart, as we were loaded. We bid Lindsay "adieu", fired up, and prepared for departure.

Runway in sight!

Lined up.........

Airborne, and climbing out!

Dave monitors the aircraft on "climb-out".......

Arriving back at the dock at Silver Falls, with cargo net removed, I survey our cargo.........

Then, Steve Gaffray helps Dave unload.........

So you see, quite an interesting scenario, "hauling rice". And to think it was only 10 AM. Boy I need some excitement in my life. Also, you can see why I call them "rice fields". Anyways, maintenance issue addressed, I departed in UKN, and I was back in Pine Dock just in time for lunch. Therefore, till next time, "Adios"!

LINK - Great Northern Wild Rice

Yes, seems like the Abbotsford Airshow 2006 was a "smashing success"! Great audio, and great display at the end by the "Falcon" pilot and his ground crew!

VIDEO - Abbotsford Airshow 2006, Part 2!

Yesterday I had to fly to Pine Falls, as I was meeting AME Scott "Scooter" Thom, who would be doing some regular maintenance on UKN. I was to meet him at 8 AM, and I was to set out early. A cold front had gone through with rain the previous evening, but the morning was fresh, partial blue sky, but quite a bit of ground fog, though as you will see it dissipated quite quickly once the sun arose. I phoned Blue Water Aviation's Base in Pine Falls, and was told the weather was good, just some lingering ground fog. With that, I "strapped on my spurs", "saddled up" UKN, "opened the throttle", "whipped the reins", and was airborne.

Airborne!

Some lingering fog.

The north end of Black Island, where I once had a cylinder failure in an Otter.......

"Yup", there is the beach I made it to.

This is called "Pow-wow Bay" and is a sacred place to the Native people of Hole River.

On the east side of Black Island, an abandoned "silica sand" mine.

Apparently this sand is comparable to the best in the world. There had been talk of re-opening the mine, but it still sits idle........

The atmosphere slowly "absorbs" the fog.

The community of Little Black River awakens.

The "mist" clears from the eyes of the residents of Fort Alexander, on the Winnipeg River. The Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Alexander in 1792.

The Tembec pulp mill at Pine Falls, on the Winnipeg River.

I arrived at my destination safely, and "Scooter" went to work. A familiar noise filled the air, and I recognized the whine of the Walter turbine. From the northeast a shape appeared, landed, and taxied in. It was "old friend"........

Otter C-GBTU!

BTU made the dock, and was being piloted by Blue Water Aviation Chief Pilot Dave Martin. Dave unloaded his cargo, and prepared to leave again. He turned to me and said..."Want to go for a ride? I have to go pick up another load of.............."

***TO BE CONTINUED.....***

You know, we always seem to go overseas to see scenes from an Airshow. Well, check this one out from Abbotsford, British Columbia, in Canada, God's "unspoiled masterpiece"!

VIDEO - Abbotsford Airshow 2006, Part 1!

I believe most everyone has heard about the tragedy at Airventure 2006 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this year. Gary Palmer, 63, of Nepean, Ontario, was killed when the propeller of a Navy warbird sliced into his home-built airplane on a taxiway at the Oshkosh airport. Gary was the president of the Experimental Aircraft Association's chapter in Ottawa.

NEWS STORY - Crash victim was EAA Official

I have just received photos recently of the two aircraft after the mishap, and I thought I would share them. I "battled" with myself whether I should "post" them, but in the end I decided I would. I realize they are educational, as when I first saw them I understood exactly how this accident could have happened, although it shouldn't have. The difference in sizes of the aircraft is astounding, and to me, just reinforces the fact that when dealing with aircraft, runways, taxiways, and all aspects of aviation, all the "players" have to have a "keen awareness" of the "environment". No "finger-pointing" is intended here, just check out the photos. My condolences to the family of the deceased, and to the warbird pilot who now has a long-term "inner burden" to bear.

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High Flight

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth.
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings,
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind swept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee Jr.

FDR had it right when he spoke about the cowardly Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,...."a date which will live in infamy".........., on Dec. 7, 1941. Well, Sept. 11, 2001 is in the same category. A "cowardly" attack by people who have failed miserably with their own ideology, against a "prosperous, free" people. I call it "jealousy". Anyways, remember 9/11 and those who died, and those who lived, the "heroes" that emerged, and "never forget". Rekindle the "horror" and "rage" you felt that day, and "NEVER FORGET"!

VIDEO - 9/11, First Plane Attack

VIDEO - 9/11, Second Plane Attack

An attack on civilians orchestrated by "cowardly bastards". I leave you with some fine words I have come across recently, sent to me by Michael Reutzel.

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TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)

Two thousand one, nine eleven
Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate,
Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat
Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat."

They settle down in seats of clouds
A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did
The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray
Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine."
The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear
"The only thing we have to fear..."
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest,
Trust us sir, we've passed that test."

"Courage doesn't hide in caves
You can't bury freedom, in a grave."
The Newcomers had heard this voice before
A distinct Yankee's twang from Hyannisport shores.

A silence fell within the mist
Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say
What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day.

"Back on Earth, we wrote reports,
Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs
Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought
Unlike you, great we're not."

The tall man in the stovepipe hat
Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see
You died for freedom, just like me!"

Then, before them all appeared a scene
Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust
And people working just 'cause they must.

Hauling ash, lifting stones,
Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman
Side by side helping their fellow man!"

So said Martin, as he watched the scene
"Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."

Down below three firemen raised
The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before
On Iwo Jima back in '45.

The man on sticks studied everything closely
Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears,
I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."

"You left behind husbands and wives
Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong
But look very closely. You're not really gone.

All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you
Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done?
You've brought them together, together as one."

With that the man in the stovepipe hat said
"Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven
On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven.

Author UNKNOWN

----------------------------------------------------------

Powerful, powerful words. Well-said.

"GOD BLESS AMERICA"!

You didn't think I meant "a violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and pendent from a cumulonimbus cloud", now did you? Watch!

VIDEO - ***Warning!***: "Tornados" Spotted Over "Labrador"!

Every year I tell myself, "Self, we have to make it to Airventure at Oshkosh this year". Of course, this scheme turns out as well as the Harley-Davidson I would like to purchase every year. No "Hog", no "Oshkosh". Float flying season is in full swing during the Airventure timeframe, and it is just too difficult to get away. I have tried to think of ways of getting time off for Oshkosh, but to no avail. One idea I had was to "feign" dementia, walk around "drooling" into a bib, sneak to Oshkosh to photograph the old aircraft, and upon my return miraculously recover. That didn't work, I couldn't find a big enough "bib". Yes, someday I will actually, "physically", make it to Oshkosh to drink beer, and "get a boner" looking at all the old aircraft and old radial engines, and savouring the sounds as they "crank-over". Until then, with a little imagination, wonderment, "Technicolour" mind's eye, and the following "link", I went to Oshkosh this year. I even actually flew there via Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevadas, the Great Salt Lake Desert, then Wyoming and Nebraska! So folks, if you are like me, and would love to go to Oshkosh,......let's fly there!

LINK - "Now Boarding, Flight to Airventure 2006 at Oshkosh"!!!
(Click the LINK again on the next page that appears, and you are off to Oshkosh!)

(Love "Howard Row" and the "Cub" on shaved "Monster Mudders"! Great pics, guys!)

Picture yourself climbing aboard your Mitchell B-25 medium bomber and departing the aircraft carrier "Hornet". You are led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, and your mission: Bomb 5 Japanese cities, in the first U.S. "air retaliation" since Pearl Harbor!

VIDEO - North American B-25 Mitchell "Duke of Brabant"

Enjoy the "music" of those radials!

LINK - Doolittle Raiders

(A great site!)

Jimmy Doolittle received the "Medal of Honor" for his gallantry!

This past Saturday morning I flew a group of canoers to Night Owl Lake, on the Berens River, just downstream from Family Lake. One of my passengers was none other than Geoff Cowie, of "Quest for the Bay" fame. "Quest for the Bay" is a living history documentary series that follows the journey of eight Canadians – outfitted as fur traders from the 1840s – as they travel in a York boat from Winnipeg to Hudson Bay. Equipped only with food, clothing and supplies of the period, the crew must traverse Lake Winnipeg, a great inland sea, navigate dangerous rapids, and haul 4000 lbs. of cargo through several portages on their arduous journey across the rugged Manitoba wilderness. Geoff Cowie is actually the great-grandson of an 1800s York Boat crewman, Isaac Cowie. There were 6 people going canoeing, and I strapped one canoe externally, and 4 people would be using what are known as "Pakboats". They are "take-apart" canoes that eliminate the problems of trying to position 17' canoes into remote locations. Basically, they are the size of a large duffel bag when disassembled, and fit "inside" any aircraft. I was skeptical at first, but further on in my "Post" you will see one "unfold". Great idea, but quite "pricey". Anyhow, let's fly to Night Owl Lake, on our "Quest for the Berens"!

1966 Otter, C-FUKN, as she prepares to depart on our "Quest for the Berens"!

Boy, the "algae" is still thick on Lake Winnipeg.

Arrival at "Night Owl Lake"!

Canoe off!

"Pontiac" arrives at Night Owl Lake with his passengers, in old 1953 Cessna 180 C-FHDL!

Geoff Cowie's father, the "Grandson" of a "York Boat man"!

What a beautiful day!

Geoff Cowie is on the left, shirtless.

The "Pakboat" assembly!

Pontiac "supervises" the boat assembly.

The boat is starting to "take shape".

Just about finished.....

Seats in!

Complete! Amazing! There is also a "splash skirt" that goes on the boat.

It was time to leave, and Pontiac taxied out first.

Here are his "slip" marks he made when he arrived, getting his feet wet "again"! The water is very clear on the Berens this year.

Then I climbed in UKN, and I departed also.

QUESTION: A first sign of "Fall" is the swamps turning brown. What is an even earlier sign? ANSWER: The vegetation in the shallow lakes turns colours!

I'm sure Geoff and his crew will have a great time, the Berens is a beautiful river. Before you leave, check out the links below. Till next time,

"Adios"!

LINK - Quest for the Bay 5 DVD Set

LINK - Pakboats

Your "buddies" are down on the battlefield! Better call in the "Blackhawks"!

VIDEO - "Insertion", and "Extraction"!

Very "good advice"! Apply that to the "aviation industry", and it translates into "use the proper airplane"! My buddy Lance Tremaine, an outstanding Commercial Pilot in his own right, sent me photos of a mishap that occurred recently just "North of 60*", north of the Manitoba border (Lance was not piloting the "mishap" aircraft). With mining exploration in "full-swing", aircraft are needed to supply camps and haul out samples. In this instance, a Cessna Caravan was being used, though I "question" the logic. de Havilland Canada built a DHC-3 Otter and a DHC-6 Twin Otter specifically for these purposes. "Hey", call me a "hometown booster", but this is de Havilland work. This is an "esker/tundra" strip, and a Cessna Caravan just doesn't cut it. "Hey boys", hire a "de Havilland Canada" product! Cessna Caravans don't belong in the "real bush"! Check out the "mishap in "sequence"!

"Take-off" roll!

"Haulin' the nose off" before she is ready to fly!

"Splashdown"!

"Helluva' resting place" for a Caravan!

Thank God for "shallow water"!

There it is. I know the pilot "feels like shit", and the good thing is there was no serious injury or death. Just a "bent airplane". The pictures "speak for themselves", and I would question the Ops. Mgr. for allowing such operations. For my final remark, all I can say is,............

"USE a de Havilland"! A real "no-brainer"!

(To see the pics "full-screen", click HERE!

Recently I was re-introduced to some friends I hadn't seen in awhile. You know how life is, to be re-acquainted after a span of time goes by, it is a joyous occasion, calling for glasses of "liquid intellect" at the end of the day. Without further adieu, here are some pictures of some of my "old" friends! The first one arrived at Pine Dock Float Base just the other day...........

C-FICM! How you doing, "Girl"?

She is a 1948 Stinson "Voyager"!

What a profile!

Beautiful "rear-end"!

This aircraft was once owned by my friend from Riverton Jack Monkman many years ago, and is now owned by a fellow named Gerben Tigler. Gerben was in Pine Dock recently getting fuel as he was giving two fellows from Austria "Float Ratings". Gerben is an old "Bush Rat" who ended up in the airlines, and is now retired, but looks "robust" enough today to climb back in a "Norseman"!

Sure was nice to see C-FICM again. This evening I went to the airport to see an "Old Gal" I have seen on occasion in my travels in the last 20 years, but hadn't seen in awhile, and she still looks "stunning". Take a look at her, she is............

C-GCHT!

The "old girl" has been "slinging" equipment to Berens River to do maintenance on communication and navigation towers at the community. Berens River is on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg.

"Bodacious" lady!

Operated by the Coast Guard, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Twin "turbine"!

She is a "Bell 212", S/N 37!

A real "pin-up" girl!

This next "gal" didn't show up "in person', but she visited me again via the Internet. I have "Posted" about her before, she works for Forde Lake Air Service in Hornpayne, Ontario. She is my favourite, she is............

C-FBEO!

DHC-3 Otter, built like Margaret Thatcher, a real "Iron Lady"!

Hard-working "lady"!

So there you have it folks, three of my "lady friends"! Damn, I keep good company! I love when friends come to call! Especially "females"! Till next time, "Adios"!

(C-FBEO pictures by David Jaremy, all others by myself!) "Thanks, Dave"!

Before I go, a Public Service Announcement from the U.S. Marine Corp!

What a "filthy", despicable piece of dirt, sending kids to self-induced oblivion! Check out his eyes!
"Go, Gyrenes"!

As pilots we all know the inherent dangers of overloading an aircraft, or loading it "out" of C of G limits. Sometimes in an "emergency situation", the safety margins erode, and catastrophe results. Were they "overloaded" or "aft"? You decide for yourself.

VIDEO - "Overloaded", or "Aft"?

Man, those Rolls Royce Merlin engines sound like none other. Thousands of finely-tuned parts "whirring" in unison! Unbelievable symphonic sound!

VIDEO - A "Hurricane", a "Spit", and a "Lanc"!

Aug. 20th I "posted" about a trip I had made to Gimli on Aug. 18th entitled "Gimli Model Fest 06". Well, the afternoon of the 20th I returned to Gimli, as it was the final day for the R/C modellers, and they were putting on an Airshow, complete with experienced announcer. It was great! All different types of crafts took to the air, including "Snoopy" atop his "Doghouse", as anyone who ever read "Peanuts" knows that was the craft with which he always fought the "Red Baron". I couldn't get a picture, though, because after "dispatching" the Red Baron, Snoopy had a landing mishap, and the doghouse portion of his craft turned into a pile of splinters, but even now is well on the way to being repaired. Check out some of the other aircraft at the show.

This craft was amazingly fast, with a "jet" engine!

Royal Canadian Air Cadets!

Pitts!

Focke-Wulf FW 190, the best German fighter of WWII!

The "Gimli Glider"......

....but this one is "prop"-powered. This craft flew very majestically.

Beautiful "biplane"!

I would love to have a machine like this one, whether an R/C model, or full-size!

P-51 Mustang!

Cessna on floats!

F-18, and it was actually "twin-engined"!

So you see, folks, all different types of crafts. The announcing was excellent, and so was the skill of the pilots, as it was very gusty that day. One of the jets actually did a fly-past and hit 248 mph!!! Amazing! This is a great hobby, and a way to meet new friends and fellow enthusiasts. I plan on finding a good "starter" model, even though I am pushing 14,000 hrs. on "larger" aircraft. Also, one of the modellers has contacted me since, his name is Ken Kanyluk. He owns the Harvard and the P-51 shown in my Aug. 20th "post". He says they are "tons of fun", and 1/5 scale. He invited me to drop by at Gimli next year, which I will do, and sent me a link for anyone interested in the pastime. Here it is.

LINK - "SportRC"

Thanks Ken, and in closing, the final image I leave you with is the F-18, as the Gimli show ended, and the clouds rolled in!

"Adios"!

Watch what happens when an R/C aircraft "encroaches" on the territory of a "bird of prey"!

VIDEO - "Fighter" at "6 O'clock"!

My good buddy Larry Danard sent me an e-mail and pics regarding an aviation incident that apparently happened Aug. 10th. I did a little research and did find some info on one other site about the incident, but many times incidents that happen are not widely publicized. Anyhow, there is no doubt in my mind that the following COULD HAVE taken place, and would have been "one helluva' ride" for everyone onboard. I never heard about it or read about it in the papers, but, see what you think! Check it out!
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Subject: BAX Global Flight 705BX

Date: Fri, 11 Aug 2006 15:56:01

Last night circa 2300 our BAX aircraft flight 705BX encountered severe weather over Alberta, Canada. The aircraft was cruising at 35,000 feet when it encountered tennis ball-sized hail. The pictures below show some of the damage. All landing lights were destroyed, as was the radar. The crew was forced to make a "blind" emergency landing. Upon safe return to the ground the first officer and flight engineer quit. It is expected that the aircraft is a total loss as its structural integrity has been compromised.

Regards, Eric Collins

Outbound Operations Supervisor

Minneapolis, Minnesota

As you can see, this aircraft, which I believe is a Boeing 727, encountered a "severe environment". I can just imagine the "racket" inside the airplane. Anybody have any additional info on this incident? Leave a "comment"!

"Adios"!

I have always loved helicopters, and the "Airborne". Talk about tough "fighting men"! Watch how the "men and their machines" practise as they prepare to "face the enemy" when called upon!

VIDEO - 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)

Two Boeing PT-17 "Stearmans" and two "wing-walking beauties"! Sounds "utterly butterly" to me!

VIDEO - "Utterly Butterly"!

WEBSITE - "Utterly Butterly" Wing-walking Display Team

Look what you can find on eBay! This 1952 model DHC-2 Beaver was built for the Canadian military, and was featured in the film 'MOTHER LODE' starring Charlton Heston and Kim Basinger. While filming on location in northern British Columbia, this aircraft was crashed on landing on floats in a north country lake with the cameras rolling. The crash was sufficiently spectacular that the film was revised to write the crash into the story line. Subsequently, the aircraft was totally rebuilt from the frame up and received a key modification in the process - the Baron STOL (short take off and landing) kit.

Beauty!

INFORMATION - "Mother Lode" Beaver!

Make sure you check out the pictures and read the description. This is one aircraft with a "storied" past, and she could "spin yarns" if only she could speak! By the way, I love that movie!

One of the latest offerings from the "Crashman".........Educational, at the very least.

VIDEO - Crashman Presents...."Head Over Heels"!

Friday I had to pick up my daughter Kaitlan at a badminton camp she was attending in Gimli. It was also the practise day for Gimli Model Fest 06, when R/C modelers from all over meet and fly their aircraft, and then put on an Airshow on Saturday and Sunday (today). We watched some of the aircraft perform, and viewed all the ones that were there. There sure were a number of different types.

Anyhow, let's head back to Friday, as we set out for Gimli down Manitoba Hwy. #7. South of Arborg I noticed something at the side of the road. Quite the old fossil, "but what year"....?, I thought, as I "slithered" under the "barbed-wire fence", appearing on the other side, skin intact!

What a beautiful old girl!

Should still be "roaming the farm" instead of sitting in a field.

"Straight 6" engine still installed.

Needs restoration, but would be a "labour of love".

Built like an "old Ukrainian farmer"!

The "Data Plates" are still attached, but I couldn't make out the year. I say 1948-1952. Anybody know what year? Leave a comment.

"Crap"! Sidetracked again, better pick up Kaitlan, which we did, and then headed for the "grass strip" that would be used all weekend for Gimli Model Fest 06. We watched some "aerial" warmups and test flights, and then checked out some of the fantastic aircraft. Follow me as I stroll about, trusty "digital" in hand...............!

Edge 540!

This jet was amazingly fast, with a real gas turbine engine.

Love the old "Harvard" and her P&W 1340 engine.

Beautiful "Corsair"!

"Mosquito"! I can just see Russ Bannock climbing into the cockpit as he prepares to "save London"!

Needs wings!

Beautiful "Mustang"!

"My P-47 is a pretty good ship......" "She took a round comin' across "The Channel" last trip........"(words by Steve Earle). Nicknamed "The Jug", the Republic P-47 "Thunderbolt" was a "brute" of an airplane, very robust.

And of course "The Munch" was there and had to have her picture taken. We are going again this afternoon, and I will get photos of any new or exotic types of aircraft I haven't seen yet.

Till next time,

"Adios"!

LINK - "Gimli Model Fest 06"

This achievement still astounds me, done privately. Obviously, Burt Rutan has a mind like few others, but who would ever think of powering Spaceship One with "shredded rubber tires" and "laughing gas" (nitrous oxide)? Only in the "Good Ole USA"!

VIDEO - "Spaceship One" and the "White Knight"!

Watch this beautiful specimen from the "Shuttleworth Collection"! I love the "starting apparatus"! Check out the "Bleriot" at the end of the vid, and hear the pilot manipulate the "blip switch" as he lands!

VIDEO - "Hawker Hind"!

LINK - The Shuttleworth Collection

Check out this accident that miraculously resulted in no "loss of life"!

VIDEO - F/A-18 Hornet vs. A-4 Skyhawk "Mishap"!

A-4 "Skyhawk"!

F-18 "Hornet"!

........time marches on, the summer progresses, and the "AVGAS" keeps getting burned! We picked up the "Forestry Boys" at Pawn Lake recently........

Man, "the boys" had lots of gear!

Uh-huh, they sure did!

UKN hangs off the end of the point at Pawn Lake.

C-185 ZZP and the "rice-picker"!

"Newf" prepares to leave........

"Sailing backwards".......

Homeward-bound, there is the "Bloodvein River Indian Reserve"!

Successful landing, with my "rear seat" passenger still with us!

Now, let's head "up" the Bloodvein River to drop off some..........

....."canoers"!

I gave the folks a free lesson entitled "How to Heel-In an Otter"!

I spotted an "archaeological artifact". The "ribs" from an old "wood and canvas" canoe the old trappers used to use. Maybe this one once belonged to my old buddy William Moar...........

Unloaded! "Adios"!

"Oh yeah", did I ever mention what you should do with a 14 year old boy to occupy him during the "lazy" summer months? That's right, send him to Penhold, Alberta, to the Royal Canadian Air Cadet Physical Education and Recreation Training (PERT) program!

LAC (Leading Air Cadet) Taylor at the airport in Winnipeg.

I can just imagine a "parent's pain" during WWII, as "boys" barely older than Shane went to fight the Nazis. Some didn't come back, and the ones that came back were "men". Our "Veterans" sure were and sure are outstanding, "matchless" people.

For the "Vets"!

....and of course "The Munch" had to get in on the "photo-op"!

By the way, Shane's older sister Kaitlan is also in Air Cadets, and is a Flight Sergeant. She just returned from the Military College in Kingston where she achieved a mark of 85% in the Athletic Instructor (AI) program, and has received a "high recommendation" for Athletic Instructor "Staff" for next year! Way to go Kaitlan! Till next time,

"Adios"!

JOIN - "Air Cadets"!

This is a great video showing how pleasurable and diverse General Aviation can be! A great pastime!

VIDEO - "VFR on Top", in a 1975 Bellanca "Super Viking"!

I have flown and worked alongside many "characters" in my career, and a lot of the "characters" were good pilots and good people. One of those "characters" was (is) Shiloh Tegart. I first met Shiloh in '86 or '87, when he first worked for that "infamous scoundrel" Bill St. Pierre, working from a Base at Little Grand Rapids. Shiloh and I then both worked for Reg Treacy, owner of Little Grand Rapids Air Service, and later on Northway Aviation Limited. When we weren't working together, we still flew in the same geographic region and spoke quite often. Anyways, Shiloh went "West" awhile back, and is working for North Cariboo Air. He was flying a Twin Otter, and I showed pictures of him and his new "mount" at the end of a previous Post I made entitled A Float Pilot "Sick Of Water"? Who'd A' Thunk It?. Anyways, shiloh e-mailed me recently, here is the e-mail, as now he is flying a Dash 8!
---------------------------------------------------------

From: "Shiloh Tegart" sjtegart2@hotmail.com

To: otterflogger@yahoo.com

Subject: Dash 8

Date: Fri, 04 Aug 2006 19:05:20 -0700

Hi Steve,

Here are some pictures of my new toy!!!

North Cariboo Air

Reg: C-FNCG

Dash 8-100

Engines PW-120/1800 shaft HP. Automatic uptrim to 2000HP in event of
engine failure

Take off weight- 34500lbs

Zero fuel- 31000lbs

Landing- 33900lbs

OEW- 23254lbs

Max cruising altitude- 25000ft

37 pax, one flight attendant, and two pilots

Take care: Shiloh

Shiloh on the right.

Hey, pretty "sweet" new ride. Shiloh looks good in a white shirt, too, although I am sure there must be a "grease stain" on it somewhere! Take care Shiloh, thanks for the e-mail and pics!

(PS - Shiloh is "still" the only person I know that threw a cat out of an airplane!)

This is a very encompassing piece, by TVR Photography. The music is well-chosen and well-matched, and I think "Old Leonardo" would approve. Enjoy!

VIDEO - "Best Aviation Imagery of 2005"

So, the Islamofascists are at it again, trying to "blow up" airliners enroute from Britain to the States. Some of the suspects are British-born. Years ago their parents were embraced as immigrants and refugees, and the second generation now tries to do harm to the "welcoming" country. Figure that one out. Anyways, let's check on New York City, the site of the "cowardly 9/11 attacks", and see how resilient New Yorkers, Americans, and the "city herself" really are.

Hey, an "airshow"!

"Liberty Island"!

What a "skyline"!

"Might"!

"Blue Angels" and "Lady Liberty", 2 very powerful "world-wide symbols" of "Freedom"!

"Airpower"!

Ellis Island in the background, where so many "downtrodden" people were welcomed.

A picture is worth "10,000 words"!

Wow, nothing like an airshow! Yup, it seems like New York is recovering nicely, and still living life to the fullest, although I can tell you this, "no one has forgotten". So, "time" for vigilance, but also "time" to enjoy life. "Thanks for the pictures, Clive"!

Watch as the Pilot and Navigator "belly-land" an F-111. They couldn't have done a better job, as the outcome was "optimum"!

VIDEO - "Picture" Perfect!

Reminds me of "Rocky, The Flying Squirrel"!

VIDEO - "Glider-Man"!

What a mix! B.C., Viking Air Ltd., old de Havilland Canada designs, and Canadian "desire". This time, maybe the Ottawa Transport Canada "hierarchy" will see fit to "support", rather than "subvert" this idea, and we will see 200 "Twin Otters" built in the next 10 years!

STORY - "Viking wants to Revamp Rugged Canadian Aircraft"

"Hey Buddy? Where do you want to go? I can get you there"! Kenn Borek Air Ltd.! "Top of the heap"! What a "machine"!

Hey, nothing like a little excitement in life. Don't ever let "fear and good judgement" hold you back! (Sarcasm!)

VIDEO - How To "Catch Up" to Your Carpool if You "Sleep In"!

Merlin Johnson, Northway Aviation Ops. Mgr., sent me some new information that has "come to light" regarding an aircraft accident in British Columbia that occurred "38 years" ago!!! Check it out.

----------------------------------------Occurrence 9----------------------------------------
_________________________________________________________

Occurrence No. : A76P7969 / Occurrence Type: ACCIDENT
_________________________________________________________
Class : CLASS 5 / Reportable Type:
_________________________________________________________
Date : 01-01-1976 / Time : NOT ENTERED
_________________________________________________________
Region of Responsibility : PACIFIC
_________________________________________________________
Location : GOLDEN, 20 NM N, BRITISH COLUMBIA
_________________________________________________________

Aircraft Information:
_________________________________________________________

Registration : C-FWUR / Operator :
_________________________________________________________
Manufacturer : CESSNA / Operator Type:
_________________________________________________________
Model : 320 A / CARs Info:
_________________________________________________________
Injuries: Fatal : 3 Serious : 0 Minor : 0 None : 0 Unknown : 0
_________________________________________________________

Occurrence Summary :

A76P7969: For historical purposes only: The Cessna 320A (CF-WUR) was reported missing on a flight from Vancouver, BC to Edmonton, AB, on 8 January 1968. The aircraft's last known position was Enderby. The search for the aircraft was re-opened in August 1968 with negative results. In July 2006 the wreckage of CF-WUR, with human remains onboard, was discovered by heli-hikers at the 7000 foot level of a mountain approximately 20 nm north of Golden, BC.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Man, unbelievable, the mountain "gave up" one of her secrets. Like I said, some "closure" for the families involved. Read the story.

STORY - "Gone Missing"

Hey, do you think that is how they originally got their name? (I doubt it!)

VIDEO - Turning "Blue", with "The Blue Angels"!

I received an e-mail from one of my good friends this past week, detailing an accident his ex-wife had recently. Here is the e-mail.
-----------------------------------------------------------

To: otterflogger
Subject: Luckily(?), Injury "Narrowly Avoided"......
Date: Sat, 05 Aug 2006

Hello, Steve, you know my ex-wife. She had started taking flying lessons about the time our divorce started (2002) and she got her license shortly before our divorce was settled (2003).

Yesterday afternoon, she narrowly escaped injury in the aircraft she was piloting when she was forced to make an emergency landing in Southern Tennessee (flying to Illinois) because of bad weather. Some could call it a crash; an accident at the least.

Our kids were with the grandparents, "Thank God", this weekend. National Transportation Safety Board officials have issued a preliminary determination citing pilot error contributed to the accident, and she was flying a single engine aircraft (a basic model, at best) in IFR (instrument flight rules) conditions while only having filed a VFR (visual flight rules) flight plan.

The absence of a post-crash fire was likely due to insufficient fuel on board. No one on the ground was injured.

Photographs below were taken at the scene show the extent of damage to her aircraft.

Check out this grand old "corrugated" bird. A civilian airliner in Germany in the 1930s, the Junkers Ju-52 would see much action in WWII. A total of 5,000 Ju-52s would fly the Nazi colours performing every imaginable mission from troop transport to mine-laying on all fronts. With three BMW engines of 725 horsepower each, the Ju-52 had a maximum speed of 171 mph and a range of 800 miles.

VIDEO - The "Flying Culvert" - Junkers Ju-52!

On July 26, I made a Post entitled Return to "Reefy Lake"!, giving details about a group of guys I used to "fly", and a spot in the bush I used to "fly to". Well, there is another cabin on Reefy Lake, owned by Cliff Zarecki, who flies a Maule based in the Lac du Bonnet area of Manitoba. I hadn't been to his spot for years, and Friday I hauled 8 of his friends to his camp, as he was entertaining for the weekend. They were all thrilled to be out in the bush, and were looking forward to enjoying their weekend at Cliff's place. After I unloaded them, Cliff gave me a tour of his camp, starting with the "hot tub"!

The "hot tub" building!

"Welcome to 'Cliff's Cabin'!", the "moose skull" seems to be beckoning!

A shower in the corner........

.....and the "hot tub"! Now I understood the comment one of my passengers made when we were taxiing in when he said "Cliff has the hot tub going", as smoke was coming from the chimney.

Canadian ingenuity, folks. The wood stove sits in the tub itself, and the wood is loaded from the top. You make a fire, and the stove heats the water! Brilliant! This stove is made from aluminum.

The view from the hot tub, all "screened-in".

Then Cliff offered to show me his main cabin, a beautiful A-frame structure.

Set in the trees, facing the lake. All Cliff has left to do to the outside is finish the siding. We went inside........

Beautiful interior, natural wood, and some "locals" adorning the walls!

Nice "beaver blanket".

Red fox and a mink......

"Yogi"........

..."Wile E." .....

...all in all, the walls are adorned quite nicely.

"Wall of Fame 1"......

"Wall of Fame 2".....

The central trophy at Cliff's camp is this "Barren-Ground Caribou" taken just south of the Nunavut border with Manitoba. Believe it or not, I flew Cliff and this trophy back to camp, as I was flying Polish Otter C-GBTU from a base at Munroe Lake Lodge, doing the caribou hunt in 2003. Check out a story I originally wrote in Dec. 2004, regarding an incident that happened while I was at Munroe Lake.

STORY - Tales From The Cockpit- Munroe Lake Lodge!

On the "2nd floor", the beds are large and hand-made, with an outstanding view of the lake, as UKN can be seen through the window.

Cliff's "Maule"....

Cliff says it is an "outstanding performer".

Then, I saw UKN was waiting patiently, and it was time to go. I said good-bye to the folks, and I was airborne. Cliff has had this cabin for a number of years, and slowly continues to make improvements and upgrades. I sure would like to have a similar cabin in the bush, maybe some time "down the road". Anyways, it seems to me like Cliff has created his own personal "Shangri-La". Beautiful spot. Well done, Cliff. Till next time, ........ "Adios"!

Hey, ever wonder how you land a helicopter on a smaller, "pitching", ship? Well, you use a "Bear Trap"! The Bear Trap is a device invented in the '60s by the Royal Canadian Navy. When landing, the chopper lowers a cable that attaches to the Bear Trap. The line is tensioned by a winch on the Bear Trap, the chopper applies power, and the winch "sucks" the chopper onto the deck. Then the Bear Trap "locks" around the chopper skids. Helluva' deal! Watch these Sea Kings!

VIDEO - "Bear Trap"!

INFO - Bear Trap

Depart from the water, and land on the runway! (Hey Buddy, you missed the centre-line!)

VIDEO - Key West, and an "Amphibious" Caravan!

I received an e-mail and some photos from Clive Pearce recently, and they were outstanding as usual. Our tastes sure seem to be similar. Anyways, here is the text from his e-mail, and the photos.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:46:59 -0400
From: "Clive Pearce"
To: "Steven Taylor" otterflogger@yahoo.com

Hi Steven,

This is aviation related – and I haven’t seen it on your BLOG yet!! (I wonder how much fuel this is consuming a second)?

Clive

"This is somewhat rare, to see three carriers in battle group formation-- and a B-2 leading the F-18's is a real photo rarity.............."

"Holy Shit"! (my words added)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow"! Great photos. Good to know we have the air power and sea power to combat any threat. As the situation in the Middle East deteriorates, with the "Hezbollah Cowards" luring Israel into the "fray", we might need to "flex our muscles" in the area, even if just as a deterrent. Yes, this "Islamofascist threat" needs to be dealt with now. One other thing,..........."Hezbollah, Hezbollah?.... Weren't they the "filth", backed by Iran and Syria, that destroyed the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983? My mind gets "foggy" with age, but I swear it was them, but I haven't forgotten, and I am sure there are many "Marine families" that haven't forgotten also. There should have been "payback" then, and there wasn't. Maybe now is the time.................. You can't reason with "scorpions"......"

Thanks for the pictures, Clive! A-1 as usual!

"Adios"!

Watch some jet aircraft land, takeoff, make a lot of noise, and blow some local "peons" across the beach!

VIDEO - "Amazing Landings and Takeoffs"!

Forde lake Air Services of Hornpayne, Ontario, purchased an Otter last Fall that was "residing" in Australia. They brought her back to Canada, gave her her original registration, C-FBEO, overhauled her, and put her to work. I followed her progress in my Posts:

1- "Canadian Girl" Returns Home!

2- DHC-3 C-FBEO Straps On Her "Gear"! (or, How to "Hang" an Otter....)

3- Forde Lake Air Services: "Open For Business"!

She has performed well this year, and I am told she flies marvelously. I hadn't seen any pics of her, though, recently. Then I received an e-mail from David Jaremy who has a cottage by Forde Lake Air Services on Government Lake, and asked if I would like some pics of BEO and Forde Lake Air's Beaver, C-GRAP. Of course I said "yes", and David sent them. Here are some recent shots of BEO and RAP!

C-GRAP stands ready.

A beautiful, "colourful" day, at the "Float Base".

And here she is, the "Star" of the show, "BEO".............

What a fine looking machine!

Then BEO did what Otters do best. She took to the skies to "flog the bush"!

Thanks for the photos, David, they are outstanding. If you "snap" some more, they are always welcome. Good luck with the Rec License! Till next time,

"Adios"!

This boy knows how to "rodeo ride". Talk about an "aerial artist" with a "cast iron stomach"! Watch!

VIDEO - Sean D. Tucker "Straps On His Spurs"!

LINK - School of Aerobatic Flight - Sean D. Tucker

What a brute! A tremendous asset! Now converted from her "Cold War" Nuclear Mission role, the B-1B stands ready to meet new threats in her Conventional Mission role! Check her out!

VIDEO - North American Aircraft/Rockwell International B-1B "Lancer"!

In days past, to get the "Marines" to the fight, a transport aircraft and a transport helicopter were both needed. Today both roles can be filled by the V-22 "Osprey". Basically a large helicopter that converts to a fast turboprop airplane for flight. Let's watch it in action.

VIDEO - Bell/Boeing V-22 "Osprey"!

LINK - V-22 Osprey! Lots of INFO!!!

A "Pawn Lake", that is. Pawn Lake is on the headwaters of the Etomami River system in Manitoba, about 35 miles east of the community of Berens River. Berens River is on the east shore of "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg". It is a shallow lake, and produces a large quantity of "wild rice" every year. The lease on the lake to pick the rice is held by Laurie Gaffray from Silver Falls, Manitoba. I personally have hauled numerous loads of rice from this lake in the "Fall". With this information in mind, we recently took a Manitoba Forestry crew into Pawn Lake. They will be studying the rate of forest regrowth around the Etomami River and the Berens River locally, as there has been logging occurring in the area for many years. Having been familiar with the lake previous was a bonus, as I knew where the deeper water channels were, and where the rice doesn't grow. In no way would we want to damage any of the rice. I have always stated that taxiing an aircraft through thick standing rice on a rice lake is like driving a pickup truck through a mature wheat field, and is to be avoided. The rice is not yet standing above water, but nevertheless, all due caution was applied when considering landing and taxiing areas. It was a beautiful day at Pawn Lake when I dropped the boys off.

"City boys", dropped off in "the bush"! No "7-11" close by, boys!

These boys had a lot of gear.

UKN "towers" in this picture!

"Bush" transportation. You can make a case for all aircraft involved, of which contributed most to the development of northern Canada. The "hands-down" winner is the de Havilland Otter. The Beaver is a great aircraft, but never accomplished close to what the Otter accomplished. From Antarctica to the Arctic, operating in temperatures from +50*C to -50*C, the Otter is an "unsung hero"! Don't believe me? Ask a "higher authority"! Ask........."Max Ward"!

This is Laurie Gaffray's "rice-picker" at Pawn Lake.

During rice season he will attach a 24' "header" to the front to scoop the rice, and attach a "prop" to the engine, making it a "pusher".

That is a 350 CI Chevy engine, folks, "balanced and blueprinted".

Heading south after dropping the boys off, here is what the "winter road" that goes past Pawn Lake looks like in the summer. "Winter Road", is self-explanatory", as this swamp would have a hard time supporting a vehicle when not frozen!

Then I hit the Berens River, and I enjoyed the scenery on the way back. So, what "awe-inspiring" views did you have at work today? Till next time, "Adios"!

You bet! For those sky-diving enthusiasts that don't personally want to become a "meat missile" and "deplane" from a perfectly-running aircraft mid-flight, here is the alternative. It actually looks like it could become a great hobby!

VIDEO - R/C "Sky-Diving"?

Could you just imagine the "adrenaline rush" from a leap as such? This guy has big "Kahunas"! This looks like it could have been filmed in the "Angel Falls" region of Venezuela!

VIDEO - Imagine "The View".....

A few days back I took some fellows into Reefy Lake (the name says it all)! Reefy Lake is at the headwaters of the "Goose Creek" drainage area, which eventually flows into the Berens River, and is just north of Viking Lake, which is on the Pigeon River. I used to fly them in years back, and hadn't seen them in awhile. Gord, Pat, and Dwayne, now bringing their sons with them. Great to see. The "elder boys" were a little older and greyer than I remember, but I guess vice-versa also. Gord, Dwayne, and Pat figured in a remarkable episode that happened years ago, and we "rehashed" the whole affair so their sons could hear the story again. I will leave a LINK for the story at the end of my "post". Anyways, we loaded up (I'm sure the guys used to bring more beer), and we were "airborne"!

Arrival at "Reefy Lake"!

The "fish cleaning shed"! My mind wandered back, and I remember "the smoke"............

The boys built this cabin in 1983, and still own it to this day.

We finished unloading, we all "bullshitted" a little more, and Gord told me he had missed coming for the last 2 years. I asked "why"?, as Gord always came to the camp a couple of times a year. He told me the story, and my jaw dropped. Some of the key components to the story were an "11-storey balcony", a "river", and "gravity", and of course "numerous injuries". Let's just say he looked good, and the rest of the story is for "his Blog". Anyways, I bid them "adieu", fired up UKN, and taxied out. I have to pick them up July 27th.

Taxiing out........

Quite the "rocky shoreline"........

Reefy Lake geography! Have you ever seen water "so blue"? Till next time, "Adios"! (make sure you click on the LINK and read the following "previously-occurring" story!)

LINK - UKN Saves The Reefy Lake Boy's Bacon!!!

Self-explanatory! Watch!

VIDEO - Aviation: A "Kaleidoscopic" Compilation!

What was this guy thinking? Obviously out to try and impress or "scare the innards out" of his passengers. To top it off, lands beside 2 small children at the end. Don't try this at home, what a "BONEHEAD"!

VIDEO - "Fine Display of Unprofessionalism"

On Friday, December 17, 2004, I made a "Blog post" regarding an experience I had one day while flying "trappers" in the bush, many years back. I experienced true "silence", and it was while waiting for my friend Joseph Owen beside his "trapper's cabin" at Frances Lake. Read my original "post" to get the background story.

ORIGINAL POST - The Silence Is Deafening At Dogskin Lake

Then in January of this year, I was asked to do a Blog for Aviation.ca, a great Canadian Aviation website, and I gladly agreed to. I also placed my "The Silence Is Deafening At Dogskin Lake" story on the Aviation.ca website. Well, this past week I received a comment on my "post" at Aviation.ca about the trapper's cabin tucked into the trees. The comment took me back in time, and I could see the "trapper's cabin" again in my "mind's eye". Following is the comment.
----------------------------------------------------

Comment from: James Kullbom

Just found your story and was stunned. My son and I fish Dogskin Lake
and after going by the trapper cabin for years, we stopped there last
month. The two cabins are still full of Joseph's belongings and have not
been disturbed except by critters. The calendar is November, 1993. His
snowshoes, canoe, axe, saws and rods are still intact. We found a picture of
him fileting walleye. Also found his trappers license. All still there.
-----------------------------------------------------

Wow. I was "stunned" to read the comment, and have tried to contact James for more information. November 1993 would have been around the time Joseph had his stroke. Anyways, I was glad to receive the comment, and amazed to hear everything was still at Joseph's cabin, basically awaiting his return. Read the post from the Aviation.ca website, including the actual comment.

POST and COMMENT - The Silence Is Deafening At Dogskin Lake

HOME - Aviation.ca

I hope in the next month or so I can take my camera, re-visit Frances Lake and Joseph's cabin, and once again return in time to November, 1993................

The North American T-28 "Trojan" was a 1950s-built "trainer", and was powered by the outstanding Wright Cyclone R-1820 "radial" engine. Hey, let's start one up and take her "for a rip"!

VIDEO - North American T-28 "Trojan"!

LINK - North American T-28 Trojan

Old Igor Sikorsky sure was brilliant, and his "design excellence" continues to this day. Check out the maneuverability of the "Black Hawk"! Love the "flyboy walk and salute" at the end!

VIDEO - Igor Sikorsky's "Legacy" Continues...: "UH-60 Black Hawk"!

LINK - Sikorsky BLACK HAWK Helicopters

Another week has come and gone, and UKN and I "flogged the bush" all week. Flew canoers, hauled lumber, got a quick float repair, flew more canoers, flew low, etc., etc.! This is how it was, in random and unchronological order!

Arrive at Silver Falls and be "drydocked" for a float repair.

A CanCar "Tree Farmer" skidder, the perfect machine for pulling large aircraft from the water.

Send Remy into the float to find the leak.

"Found the leak"!

After a couple of hours, the boys put her back in the water, after replacing some rivets and resealing the float, and I was northbound!

Lumber-hauling was on the "agenda" this week.

Load some canoer's packs, ............

.......then load the canoers, 6 young Americans going on a month-long canoe excursion. Wow! The dental industry in the U.S. is very "robust" judging by the "gleam" from these 6 "10,000 watt, million dollar smiles". Outstanding.

Tie on "another" canoe..............

.........and another...........

Ready!

Drop canoers at Artery Lake, on the Bloodvein River.........

Disprove the "skeptics" that state trees can't grow from "solid rock". Canadian "Shield Country", fantastic geography! Sparkling waters, loaded with fish!

At the end of every day, fly low back to Base over "Unforgiving Lake Winnipeg", sometimes seeing UKN's "shadow". Notice the "turbidity" of Lake Winnipeg water at this time of year. A "Great Inland Sea"!

Hey! Calder's Dock! Just about home! Looking forward to another evening of "whisky and stories" with "the boys"! How was your week? Till next time,.........."Adios"!

Progress continues! Check it out!

The "Ghost" of Charron Lake!

Great story!

Now check out a Power Point Presentation of some great Canadian Bush Pilots and their "Fokkers". "Wop May", and "Stuart McRorie", two of our best! Click on the link, then click on "HISTORY"!

LINK - "Wop", "Stu", and their "Fokkers"!

"Insurgent" problem in your neighbourhood? Or how about "In-Laws" that won't leave, holed-up in your "guesthouse"? Then you need the GBU-39 "Bunker Buster"! No longer will unwanted people "encroach" on your space! The GBU-39 "Bunker Buster"! Sends In-Laws and Insurgents "flying" in all directions! Get yours today!

VIDEO - GBU-39 "Bunker Buster"!

Check out the dialogue between ATC and the pilots!

VIDEO - "Unsafe Gear Indication"!

(with thanks to "Bonnie and Larry"........)

My Blog is called "Canoe, Hunt, Fish, and Fly, by Otterflogger", and I usually Blog about "hunting" in "Spring", during "Bear Hunting Season", and "Fall", during "Moose Hunting Season". One "Hunt" I never Blog about is "Bird Hunting". When I was a kid, me and my brothers, and father, loved to bird hunt. Usually "Ruffed Grouse", but sometimes "Sharptails" and "Spruce Grouse". Well, "Bird Hunting with Buddies" has been in the news lately, so it stirred some memories. Anyways, hunting "Upland Game Birds" is a tremendous pastime, and should be enjoyed with friends. Let me leave you a "Link" in closing, I'm sure you will enjoy it, and it will sharpen your skills as you anticipate your next "Bird Hunt"!

Steve

LINK - A "Dick", a "Quail", and a "Harry".........

Our "Man of the Hour" chickens at the last minute!

VIDEO - Don't "Flinch", it's only a "Harrier"!

Saturday, July 16, 2005

The "Ghost Of Charron Lake"

In December 1931, pilot Stuart McRorie was piloting a Fokker Standard aircraft on a freight haul to a mine at Island Lake, Manitoba, and ran into a snowstorm near Charron Lake. He set down on Charron Lake with his mechanic, "Slim" Forrest. The aircraft was disabled, and slowly froze in, as the ice was still thin, as it was just the beginning of freeze-up. The pair of aviators were rescued 2 weeks later. The aircraft sank in the spring.

9 expeditions have been mounted since 1975 to find the airplane, and last week the searchers hit "pay-dirt"! Using sonar, they found it, upright and basically intact. It is the only known model of the Fokker Standard to exist today. It sits in about 140' of water, as Charron Lake was created by a meteor impact, and is quite deep. I am very familiar with this lake, as I worked for Northway Aviation for 9 years and Northway has an outcamp on Charron, and I hauled fishermen in there every spring, summer, and fall! It is a beautiful lake, full of walleye, northern pike, and also lake trout, due to it's depth.

Next summer the aircraft will be salvaged, as a game-plan is now being compiled so that the aircraft is salvaged properly and isn't damaged.

---excerpt from; Canoe, Hunt, Fish, and Fly, by Otter
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This is from my "Blog" last summer, after they located "The Ghost". Well, I am working for Northway Aviation once again, and I have been keeping up-to-date on the progress the crew at Charron Lake has been making in their attempt to raise "The Ghost", as they have been at the site now for a couple of weeks. Recently Northway was contacted by the son-in-law of Stuart McRorie, Howard McLennan, as he wanted to charter our Otter to go to Charron Lake. There would be 8 people, and 3 of the passengers would be Stuart McRorie's daughters. The trip actually took place this past Monday, July 10, as it was to coincide with the planned raising of "The Ghost". The plan was to raise it in the afternoon, as we would arrive about 1 PM. Alas, we arrived and received the unfortunate news it wouldn't be raised that day due to the failing integrity of the lifting "eyebolts", original material on the aircraft. My passengers were a bit disappointed, but were given a tour of the area by boat, were shown the floating "barge" directly over the downed aircraft, and shown where Tom Boulanger's cabin was. Tom Boulanger was the Trapper from Berens River who rescued the "fliers". All in all, I think my passengers had a great time, and were happy to visit the site where their Dad/Grandpa/Father-in-law became part of "Manitoba History" and "Canadian Aviation Lore". Check out the day in photos.

UKN arrives at Selkirk Air's camp at Charron Lake, with some "special people"!

The family moves ashore............

The "media" seizes the opportunity..............

Boats were readied to take the family on a "3 hour tour, a 3 hour tour".............."The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed"..........."Damn! Gotta get that Gilligan's Island Theme Song out of my head"!

The "Camp"!

The "Throne"!

"Bush" living!

After a quick look at the map, our "seafarers" hit the open lake in two boats, with Pat Madden and Annette Spaulding as "helmsmen".

Arriving at the "floating platform", directly above "The Ghost"!

Explanations are given..........

After the family returned from their tour, they were shown parts from the airplane that had just come from the bottom of the lake that day. Amazing!

3 of Stuart McRorie's 4 daughters witness the return to the surface of pieces of their Father's airplane, 75 years later!

Notice the small envelope says "copper tip from #100". I suspect it should say "brass", but I could be mistaken. Anyways, this is "wood" from "The Ghost"!

A piece of wing, with "yellow paint" still adhering, and "nail or rivet holes" visible!

Anyhow, a great day was had by all, and the family had a great time. Of course their father was rescued and lived for many more years, but it is still a great story, and what an amazing ending if "The Ghost" ever sees the light of day! So, as evening descended on us, we decided to return to Pine Dock, another page complete in my personal "Bush Flying Annals". I tell you though, that was one day I couldn't have spent with nicer people!

We prepare to leave, and the family shows off their striking "pearly whites"...........

UKN taxis out................

WEBSITE - KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH "THE GHOST OF CHARRON LAKE"!

WEBSITE - "Ghost" of Charron Lake

"Adios"!

A Beech 1900, that is. Watch this turboprop fly low, and roll!

VIDEO - When You are "Born on the Bayou", Life is a "Beech"!

Friday I flew Dixon Gould and friends to O'Kelly Lake, and my "Post" on Saturday, "O'Kelly Lake", on "Goose Creek"!, stated that when I picked them up Sunday, I would try to take some pics of the old "trapper's cabin". Well, as I waited for the boys to gather their gear Sunday about noon, I stumbled through the bush to where I thought the cabin should be, and here is what I saw. Remember, I haven't seen the cabin in 20 years.

"Aye, Caramba"! The newer "low-slung"cabin Howard had built had been demolished by a large "jack-pine" that went down in the wind!

The jack-pine went straight through it!

Then I looked for the "original cabin", belonging to Howard's Dad.

Found it!

Time and neglect are demolishing this cabin.

Even the "low-slung" log "shithouse" is returning to nature.

"Shithouse" from behind.

A "relic", an old "air-tight" stove, rotting away.

Two more "relics" I found, an old "bow saw" and a piece of a "moose jaw"!

Relics from a "way of life" passing into history. I decided to head back to my airplane.

I emerged from the bush at Dixon's cabin, and the boys and UKN were awaiting my arrival............

We flew back to Pine Dock, and in "my mind's eye", I could see families trapping and living off of the land. It wouldn't have been an easy life, but it would have been fulfilling. The knowledge gained and retained about nature would have been astounding. Unfortunately, the "Reserve System" in Canada has "demolished" the aboriginal "way of life" in Canada, much as the jack-pine demolished Howard's cabin. Too bad. Some of the old trappers I used to fly around when I just started my career are some of the people I still have the greatest respect for today, along with the "Veterans"........

Suddenly, I returned to the present, as I was descending and crossing Lake Winnipeg. Time to be alert! As my ponderings on the native way of life "faded to black" in my mind, I noticed some colour on Lake Winnipeg. I leave you with some pics from the July 9, 2006, Lake Winnipeg "algae bloom"!

"Adios"!

Gotta' love those "wing-suits" and "ankle-jets"! Hey! Who says there are no flying "squirrellies" out and about when it is -38*C? There are in Finland!

VIDEO - "Frozen" Bird-Man!

(QUESTION: If it is -38*C, why can't you see the "breath" of the person speaking? Just an old experienced "Bush Rat" wondering.........)

It is 1951. Picture yourself flying an F-86 over "Mig Alley", that hotbed for air-to-air combat near the Yalu River between the boundaries of Korea and China. Your adversary is the venerable "Mig 15", a great design by Mikoyan and Gurevich, evenly matched against your "Sabre". Climb aboard a "Mig 15", see the skies through the "enemies eyes"!

VIDEO - Flying the "Mig 15"!

Bet the cameraman "pinched a loaf" as one of the "props" knocked his hat off and the Pratt and Whitney R-1830 "Double Wasp" radial engines blew his eardrums!

VIDEO - "Up Close", to a "DC-3"!

My last trip yesterday, Friday, was to take Dixon Gould and 5 buddies to "O'Kelly Lake", which is southwest of Little Grand Rapids, on Goose Creek, where he has a private cabin. I used to fly Howard Moar to his Dad's "RTL" (Registered Trap Line) over 20 years ago to this same lake, and the old "trapper's cabin" is west of Dixon's cabin, but is now collapsing. "Breaks my heart"! I looked at it today as I left, flying over it, and saw that it was "returning to nature". Maybe when I pick the boys up on Sunday I will walk through the bush and find the old trapper's cabin, and take some pics.

"O'Kelly Lake"!

1966 DHC-3 Otter, C/N 456, on the dock at O"Kelly Lake!

"Airborne", heading home for beers!

"Adios"!

Clive sent me a link to a video, it is great. Man has always had a "need for speed", and the closer to the ground you are in an airplane, the more obvious your speed becomes. "Put on your 'spurs', let's go flying"!

VIDEO - "Pure Flying"!

Artery Lake is a "jewel" on the "Bloodvein River", straddling the Manitoba/Ontario border. Years ago when I ran an Air Service in Little Grand Rapids, my "radio man", William Moar, owned the "RTL" (Registered Trap Line) at Artery Lake, and had a traditional "low-ceiling" trapper's cabin there. William has since passed on, but his brother Fred, also a good friend, now owns the "RTL" and built a new cabin there, and visits the lake numerous times during the year.

Along with the abundance of "fur-bearing" animals and "moose", Artery Lake also has some of the best fishing I have witnessed in the area. Bob and Shaun Jackson, also good friends, who own Adventure Air and Jackson's Lodge and Outposts, also have an outpost camp at Artery Lake. I have done flying for them in the past, and they had a practical, functional cabin at the lake. Well, last year they built a new cabin, and I hadn't seen it yet. So, Tuesday evening I took a couple to Artery Lake that were going to canoe the Bloodvein River, and I had a chance finally to see the new camp. "WOW"! I will let the pictures "speak for themselves"!

Bob and Shaun's "old cabin" at Artery Lake.

The old cabin is a very nice camp.

UKN on the dock, as I had just dropped off Howard and Irene Heffler, a tremendously nice couple who would be canoeing the river.

The "new cabin" at Artery Lake!

What a beautiful cabin(?)!

The "deck"! The logs in the deck structure all came from across the lake, from a "blowdown" that happened a couple of years back during a violent storm. They were straight, beautiful "girth", and dry!

The "lake vista"!

Beautiful interior, with handmade "poplar" furniture, and "sealed" pine floor!

Look at the "bunk beds"!

Single beds...............

How is that for a "view"? Priceless!

Love the logs!

Yes, the "cabin/resort" at Artery Lake! I think you have a "hit" on your hands, boys!

"Cheers"!

WEBSITE - Jackson's Lodge and Outposts

WEBSITE - Adventure Air

Sure looks like a lot of fun!

VIDEO - Take A Ride, With The "Wild Child"!

What a pair! Need something "dropped"? One of these fine "specimens" will do the job!

VIDEO - A "Herc", and a "Caribou"!

"On a warm summer evening, on a "Shuttle" bound for orbit, I met up with a "Gambler", but we were both too tired to speak,
So we took turns a'starin', at the "Constellations in the darkness", and when "apprehension" overtook us, he still "refused to speak".............."
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Shuttle Launch on Despite Damaged Foam: By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA gave the green light Monday night for a Fourth of July Shuttle liftoff despite worries about a piece of foam that popped off Discovery's external fuel tank while the spacecraft sat on the launch pad.

"We're go to continue with the launch countdown," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator.

The decision was sure to stir more debate about whether the Space Agency was putting its flight schedule ahead of safety.

Gerstenmaier said there was a "very good discussion" among the NASA officials who made the decision to launch, but "there were no dissenters when we went around the room ... no concerns raised."

He said the Astronauts and NASA Adminstrator Michael Griffin were also in on the discussion. Griffin "didn't raise any question or comments but he listened intently," Gerstenmaier said.

The 3-inch triangular piece of foam that appeared to come from a 5-inch-long crack late Sunday or early Monday is far smaller than the foam chunk that brought down Columbia, killing seven Astronauts in 2003. Gerstenmaier held up the piece of foam, which looked like a wedge of toast.

"I dont think we're taking any additional risk than we did in our original assessment" in going ahead with a launch, he said.

But Managers spent most of Monday pondering the problem.

NASA has spent millions of dollars trying to prevent foam from breaking off at liftoff, threatening the kind of damage it did to Columbia. The foam loss on the launch pad is a rare occurrence.

Some outside experts said they were uncomfortable with the Agency's decision going ahead, although they didn't have all the information.

Paul Fischbeck, a Carnegie Mellon University Risk and Engineering Professor who has consulted with NASA on the Shuttle's delicate heat protection system, wondered why foam had broken off on the launch pad. "It's something you might want to understand before you launch," he said.

The patch of foam fell off an area that covers an expandable bracket holding a liquid oxygen fuel line against the huge external tank. NASA Engineers believe ice built up in that area from condensation caused by rain Sunday.

The tank expanded when the super-cold fuel was drained after Sunday's launch was canceled because of the weather. The ice that formed "pinched" some of that foam, causing the quarter-inch-wide crack and the piece of foam to drop off, Officials said.

The size of the fallen foam was less than half the size of one that could cause damage, NASA Officials said.

Inspectors spotted the crack in the foam insulation during an overnight check of the Shuttle. NASA had scrubbed launch plans Saturday and Sunday because of weather problems.

The forecast for a Tuesday liftoff was better than previous days, with just a 40 percent chance that storm clouds would prevent liftoff.

Griffin decided last week that the Shuttle should go into orbit as planned, despite the concerns of two top Agency Managers — including the top Safety Officer — who wanted additional repairs to the foam insulation.

The mission for Discovery's crew this time is to test Shuttle-inspection techniques, deliver supplies to the International Space Station and drop off European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter for a six-month stay.
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"Countdown to disaster"? Hopefully not. "Clear skies and fair winds", folks!

One other thing. If foam keeps falling off during launch, make a "shrink-wrap" that will hold it all in place until the tank is "jettisoned". I'm sure it would work!

(Hopefully no extra "fireworks" on the 4th of July. I hope Mike Griffin is a good "Gambler")!

Boy, the American Military sure embraced de Havilland Canada products. Check out the "DHC-4 Caribou" in Viet Nam!

VIDEO - "Caribou"!

"Pinesewapikung Saagaigan" Healing Camp is on the Poplar River system at Weaver Lake. The camp is administrated by the Poplar River Band. The Head Co-ordinator is Ray Rabliauskas, a good man I have known for about a dozen years. It is a beautiful spot, on a flat terrace overlooking the water.

To the west of the Camp, a large hill juts from the surface of the earth, towering 200 feet above the surrounding land. It is called "Thunder Mountain", or "Pinesewapikung" in the "Saulteaux" language, the local Ojibway dialect. "Saagaigan" means "lake" in Saulteaux, therefore "Pinesewapikung Saagaigan" means Thunder Mountain Lake. The Elders state Thunder Mountain is the home of the "Thunderbird", the Guardian who watches over all.

The Poplar River Band uses "Pinesewapikung Saagaigan" Healing Camp as a "healing" and "meeting" place. It is a traditional place, with no running water or electricity. People live and interact like they did years ago at a purer time in history when the land sustained the people, and was respected in return. The Poplar Band is rejecting any development or road-building on their traditional hunting and trapping lands, after seeing how the Cree of Northern Manitoba were lied to and violated by the Manitoba Hydro hydroelectric projects. Anyways, "Pinesewapikung Saagaigan" Healing Camp is a "natural jewel", let's have a look around, as I was at the Camp on Friday.

UKN at "Pinesewapikung Saagaigan" Healing Camp!