Local accommodations consist of a hunting lodge on the edge of the same little lake we flew over on final. The ground floor is a large kitchen/common room area with better-than-expected wireless inter
We get a call from the customers, still on the
edge of nowhere, waiting for both workable weather
and an airplane. Today the weather is starting to
clear, and they expect it will be good enough
It's Friday and we discover that in this hangar
they celebrate Friday with a barbecue lunch. The
entire extended family is present, and it's a
little confusing because despite the flat maps we
Next day I spend more time scrubbing the
airplane belly, and crouching under the wing getting oil off the flaps. It's not so much that cleaning is unpleasant, as working above your head in a cramped
I had a kind of ear block this morning. Not a really serious one that would prevent me from climbing or descending in the airplane, just water in my ear in such a way that sounds all came through glub
You know I love to look at instrument panels, and that I go crazy over unusual or clever instruments. Here's a panel I saw recently. There's nothing particularly unusual about it, but the sum total is
My coworkers is married and getting a mortgage, so wants insurance. He asked on company e-mail if anyone knew of a company that would sell him life insurance for a reasonable price. I don't have any l
This morning the weather is worse, and is
forecast to be that way for several days. The
decision is made--and I say it that way because I'm
not sure who proposed it, approved it or finalized
i
It's go day. The airplane is jammed full of gear so our AME and clients are taking the airlines. It's amazing where airlines go in the US. And it's not a Twin Otter, either. They drop us off at the FB
Before he goes to the wilds of remote Alaska, the AME wants to buy some consumables that weren't worth hauling on the airlines, but that we can carry on board the plane for his use at destination. We
After spending all day overflying it, we're going back to the airport today, this time to see the local air museum. We follow the signs off the main road to the terminal, then somehow miss the museum
The next day I check the METAR to determine the
temperature, and then dress accordingly to go for a
run. Anchorage in June (yeah that's how far behind
I am in blogging!) is really comfortable. T
So I slept, or at least held my eyes closed and
thought about how I'd better be sleeping, or I was
going to be really tired tomorrow, from around six
p.m. to 2 a.m., woke up, turned on the compu
The source of charts that was recommended close to the hotel appears to be primarily a doctor's office that does pilot medicals. They used to sells charts, hence the "Pilot Shop" neon sign visible fro
When you fly, even if you're a jaded, experienced traveller, and know how to hide your notebook computer under your jacket when the flight attendant looks at you, please put it away. Stow your carry o
In Whitehorse we're cleared to taxi and then take-off, with no restrictions on turns or altitude, so we're quickly on course for the United States. (I keep saying that, because it's so weird). The wea
The next day we load the airplane with our personal gear, cursing as usual the paucity of tiedown points in this thing. Once everything is packed and secured, I call the customs broker to tell him we
The head of maintenance drives all night then calls me midmorning. I get along with him well and we get into these silly preaching to the converted routines where we follow our shared philosophy to th
You wonderful, wonderful people! I always knew I was blessed with some of the best readers on the internet, so I shouldn't be surprised that you can put your money where your fingers are. I posted
I think maybe there was giant earthquake in Alaska overnight. Before I went to bed I ran my nav program to determine that in good VFR weather with calm winds Anchorage is five hours and fifty minutes
No, I didn't get lost on the way to Alaska. This blog entry is out of sequence, for reasons that will become evident when you read it. I will return to the Alaska adventure with the next post.
Nonrevving back to Buffalo two weeks later proved much easier than anticipated, and we touched down shortly after 11PM on Friday, May 29. The final leg of my adventure was planned to go up Canada's Br
The airplane is still away. The pilot who is with it tells me that they could have completed the minimum scheduled maintenance work and had it back today, but the weather here isn't appropriate for ou
I was chatting online with some non-pilots who knew I was a pilot and one, whom I have dubbed Rhubarb, asked me, "Why doesn't each airport have a local positioning signal?" They kind of do, so I asked
No, not my decision. Although, considering the cost of my airplane, the equipment and other airplanes around me, I technically make four million dollar decisions every time I taxi to parking. But this
This posting is utterly off the regular topic of this blog. It was inspired by the fact that I had bacon from a free range pig for breakfast, and it was extremely delicious.
Pork bellies are a
As a commercial pilot I undergo regular medical examinations to ensure that I am fit to fly. I had an audiogram (hearing test) when I was first licensed, but now I'm just tested without really noticin
There was a notice in the terminal window, next to the airside gate, about a fly-in breakfast. Today. The mission specialist (the one who helped with my jelly bean game) and I decide to attend, althou
Grant linked to this in a comment yesterday. It is spot on, taking the Onion`s usual formula of perfectly copying the format of a familiar news story while twisting it silly.
July 27, 2010
I see from the journey log that the airplane got back late last night. It would have been outside my duty day. There's still enough time left on the airframe for my flight. I do all my preflight thing
The next day there is no delay. I wake, eat breakfast and go. Today I add two litres to the left engine and one to the right. You can tell we're getting close to maintenance when the oil consumption i
I almost won a car today. Really. Here's how you almost win a car. You get up in the morning, do your daily exercises, and check the weather. Then you go and discuss the day's flying with the client a
After picking up a part in Regina, and stuffing it in the nose locker so it will be available wherever we are for the next maintenance, I'm going to Dawson Creek. That's Dawson Creek in Norther
This video is perfectly named, because the behaviour of the parachutists in their wing suits is exactly like downy chicks trying to copy their parents flight before they have developed the feathers, m
Exactly eight hours after I put my head down on the pillow, the alarm tells me to wake up and go
back to work. I get out of bed, switch on the computer, and put on my clothes while it reloads window
For the first part of my flight there is very poor visibility in smoke. At Ottawa (because that's where it was, and I have no doubt you've guessed it correctly by now) the ATIS called it four miles vi
Happy Bastille Day, everyone. I'm at a a swanky FBO within easy walking distance of the passenger terminal at a large Canadian airport. There's a spacious waiting room with windows
looking out on the
An aviator I met many years ago had a retirement party not too long ago. I have attended a number of
formal ceremonies marking the end of various pilots' careers, but this one is special. I'll tell
Here's your Caturday post. Note that that is not just any old cat lounging
on any old piece of paper, it's a twenty-four toed cat lounging on one of my op
spec sheets. The standard specification f
airline
11:09
