Victoria Flying Club
August 2005
Inside
'Victoria Flying Club's very own Sentimental Journey, this Fleet Model 80 Canuck is similar to the ones used for training by VFC in the 1950' & 60's. During this period, thousands of Canadian pilots earned their wings in the popular, two-seat Canucks at flying schools all across the nation. This photograph of CF-DPH was taken at Penticton, BC during the Summer of 2001.'
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Short Final
Letters to the Editor
Wisdom from the Future
Squawk Ident
My First Airplane Ride
Pages
Eleanor’s
The
Patrician
S hort F inal
Newsletter of the Victoria Flying Club
AUGUST 2005 Editor:
Eleanor Eastick PatricianEditor@shaw.ca Advertising inquiries: Bob Mace (250) 361-6996 or bmace@shaw.ca Publisher: Seaside Designs seasidedesigns@shaw.ca (250) 383-7777 Published monthly. Unsolicited articles welcome. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, August 24, 2005.
Board of Directors President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Directors
Sean Steele Bob Mace Eleanor Eastick Steve Ray Doug Marin Colin Dormuth Don Goodeve Lloyd Toope
General Manager Chief Flying Instructor
Gerry Mants Graham Palmer
1852 Canso Road Victoria, BC V8L 5V5
Phone: Fax: Email: Web:
(250) 656-4321 (250) 656-2833 (250) 655-0910 info@flyvfc.com www.flyvfc.com
Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any format without the written authorization from the publisher or author.
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advertising solutions f o r YOUR b u s i n e s s .
Well, it seems as though summer is finally really here – and it’s been a long time coming! Flying weather has not been the best until this last week or two, so we’ve got to get out there in the air and make up for lost time! The Summer Solstice Barbecue, meant to draw Club members out for a longest day flight, was, shall we say, a qualified success. The two or three dozen people who turned out for the Ritual of Fire certainly enjoyed themselves and the food was great. Only problem was, the Longest Day was also the Rottenest Day of June with cold temperatures, low overcast and belting rain – oh, yeah, and thunder and lightning!
Flyouts All the 2005 Flyouts have pretty well bombed, owing to lousy weather, which was perversely even worse on long weekends. Now, there are only three flyouts remaining in the season, so let’s hope for an Indian Summer and maybe a revival of interest in that oncepopular Club activity. We really need volunteers to plan and organize Club outings and come up with some new ideas. How about it? Can you help?
can assume there is no need for the service. Well, you live and learn! Since the Pats are archived on the Club’s website, the classifieds are still available to potential buyers.
Tsuniah Lake Back in ’95, some intrepid VFC members flew into Tsuniah Lake (CAF4) for a little fishing holiday at the beautiful lodge there. The Lodge owners are offering VFC members a special break in the price this summer, $160 Canadian per day per person. That includes lodging, meals, mountain biking, fishing, canoeing etc. AF4 is a 4000’ turf runway at 4000’ ASL situated on Tsuniah Lake by Chilko Lake at the end of Bute Inlet. What a great spot – CYPW, Powell River is about the halfway point from CYYJ. It would make an interesting destination for late summer. Would anyone like to try a flyout to this beautiful spot?
New Procedures Speaking of new stuff, CYYJ now has some new arrival and departure procedures. These are detailed in the current CFS and Dispatch has also prepared copies to keep handy in your kneeboard. There are several new checkpoints and some of the old ones have been moved a bit. Be sure to read up on the new procedures if you haven’t been flying for a while.
The Patrician SEASIDE
d e s i g n s 250.383.7777
seasidedesigns@shaw.ca seasidedesigns.net
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I have decided to discontinue the Classified section of the newsletter. There have been no new ads submitted since the inception of the idea, so I cont’d p.5
Letters to the Editor August Mystery of the Month Name this aeroplane, photographed at Kelso/Longview on the August/03 Mount St. Helens Flyout.
Send your educated guess(es) to PatricianEditor@shaw.ca. Gerhard would like to praise a column today that he looks forward to the most every time. It is Graham´s "Squawk Ident". The articles are so well written and each topic is great and helps him improve his flying skills.
Dear Editor Mike and I always enjoy reading The Patrician online - you do a great job! Trish Bridson Tina and Gerhard Weber are still staying in touch with friends at VFC through reading the Patrician. They recently took a little trip to Chicago to celebrate their 20th anniversary and were kind enough to write: Gerhard had made arrangements with a local flying club to rent a plane and we had a great instructor who went with us on a sightseeing flight. It is a good way for him to stay current even though we are always in different places. In Chicago it is still possible to fly along the skyline very close over the city and the beaches. It was amazing. We read the "Patrician" every month. It is our way of trying to stay in touch with what is happening at the Flying Club and flying in B.C. in general.
Please say hello and thanks for his great work. It is very much appreciated. But we have to thank you too. You are putting so much time and hard work into it. It is worth it. It´s a great magazine. We will have vacations again in October before we are off to the Caribbean for the winter. Late next spring we want to try and come to Victoria for a short visit and some flying. We are looking forward to seeing you again. Well, thank you Tina and Gerhard, both from Graham and myself. I too, greatly enjoy our CFI's articles. Ed.
Part-time Line person needed see Marcel at VFC
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from Wisdom the The day was better than perfect. It was one Mother Nature saves up to bestow on all her subjects when they’ve been particularly good to each other. Sometimes we do deserve it. Sunshine, a warm gentle temperature, the perfumed scent of wild flowers drifting in a refreshing breeze. I was fortunate to be free and sitting on a rocky beach on Gabriola Island that flawless spring day. Tiny waves stroked the shore following the occasional passing of a boat. Over the course of the afternoon, a few small airplanes droned by on their west-northwest headings for destinations up Vancouver Island. A 172 from the Vancouver area flew westbound, altering course at Pourlier Pass and was soon overhead, probably enroute to a hundred dollar hamburger joint. That’s what I’d be doing if I were flying that day! Using my daypack for a pillow, it seemed the right thing to do was have a nap. In short order, a great sense of relaxation flooded through me, and all was right with the world. The next thing I remember was the distinctive sound of a radio controlled airplane. It seemed strange that someone would be flying one so close to the water. The “pilot” was standing a short distance down the beach, totally concentrating, enjoying his flight. It was a terrific aerobatic display performed by an obviously seasoned flyer. The little airplane finally landed on an impossibly short, flat stretch of sandstone. Always curious about anything that flies, I approached the owner and as expected he was genuinely pleased and open to discussion. Generally, the fellows who fly RC models are predictable. He fit the mold. Late sixties, retired,
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Future
relaxed, sincere, optimistic and had definite ideas on how the government should and should not be involved in aviation. His story too was familiar. A flying career that began with a PPL when he was 20 and seeking a future with the airlines. Those dreams were put aside with the birth of his first child, when money was needed more than ideals. Flying was relegated to the back burner, his medical lapsed, and for the next 18 years, life was back to “normal”. But the flame never died. Anyone who has the dream of flying knows that feeling. It smolders, then flares up when an airshow comes to town, or when the wife decides it’s vacation time in Hawaii. Even boarding that Airbus fans the flames and they lick at his heart. Life carried on, the children became independent, even left home, for a while at least. The mortgage was paid off, and things settled down. The security of a savings account and promise of a pension were comforting, but the restlessness of the mid life crisis was upon him now. That’s the point in time that signals some men to buy the motorcycle, the sports car, or some other toy to caress an ego. And so it came to pass that this man’s flying career resumed. Armed with a renewed medical, he was back in the air as a private pilot. He worked hard and obtained a commercial license, even did a bit of flying as a jump pilot, a tow pilot, a charter pilot and an instructor. Not much money, but a whole lot more fun than he’d had in his entire life. Flying was good, but he was haunted by his health. The doctor wasn’t optimistic when there were changes in his ECG. Transport Canada was even harder on him, and
BEAR’S AIR by Barry
Meek
soon his medical was invalidated. His time in the pilot’s seat was over. Ironically, this man was healthy enough to drive a car, but he was considered unfit to fly an airplane. But those are the rules. The next step was obvious. Radio controlled models. Along with age comes wisdom. The man on the beach flying the RC airplane shared his wisdom with me on that gentle spring day. After the initial criticisms of government regulations, he seemed to soften. He spoke of caring for yourself, both physically and emotionally, of being aware of the stress life heaps on us all, and of managing it. “Stay on course with your values” he said. “Remember the Golden Rule and maintain the courage to change what you can, while accepting what you can’t. Develop the wisdom to know the difference.” “It’s the only way to stay sane,” he reasoned. “And above all, live with integrity, the conviction to do the right thing even when no one is looking.” Eventually, he seemed to have said his piece. He picked up his model airplane and walked away, leaving me alone on the beach. I found myself sitting on a rock, looking for the flat sandstone he’d used for his runway. It was gone, perhaps covered by the incoming tide. A float plane was departing Silva Bay, the sound thundering off the rock faces of a few closeby, small islands. It became apparent to me that I’d been sleeping, and I wondered, could the encounter have been a dream? There was something strangely familiar about him. Some 20 years my senior, he vaguely resembled my father, or was it my grandfather? In many ways, he cont’d p.5
Short Final cont’d from p 2
The Q 100.3
Caribbean Night
The popular radio station was at VFC on July 22, doing their regular Friday “workplace” broadcast. Seems as if everyone had a good time, the mood was upbeat and The Q even provided lunch for all comers. A big thankyou to Doug Marin for arranging this fun time!
Graham Palmer does it again! The famous Caribbean Night tradition continues this summer with the gastronomical extravaganza taking place on Friday, August 26, starting around 6 PM in the Lounge/Patio. Remember those golden sunsets from years past, the cold beer, coolers and margueritas! It’s all going to happen again. Don’t miss it! Be sure to get your tickets in advance from Dispatch – don’t take a chance on missing out!
Wisdom from the Future
cont’d from p 4
reminded me of myself! Had I actually been privileged to see into the future, catching a glimpse of myself in 20 years? Except for the part about the heart trouble, the history fit. Did this come from someone much wiser, or from within? One thing is certain, I’ve never found that sandstone runway again.
The encounter that day, real or imagined, has encouraged me in a couple of ways. I will work at staying physically healthy and emotionally happy, so that I may fly as long as possible. And if my health fails, RC models may be in my future too. Barry Meek bcflyer@propilots.net
July Mystery of the Month Look carefully at this photo. It may be closer than you think!
Hi Eleanor I think the picture is of Active Pass - the aircraft is facing west so Mayne is on the left and Galiano on the right. cheers Trish Bridson Right you are, Trish! Flying into the late afternoon sun gives the photo an eerie nighttime look - Ed.
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Google Earth Here is a letter from Ken Browning about Googles new Earth, a new, much-touted service. Read this and decide whether you want to try it: Hi all. I had sent an email in April about Googles new aerial photo service. Now there is something way better. It is called Google Earth. You have to go to earth.google.com and download a 10 meg file to install. What you get is a program that shows a representation of the earth that can be rotated, panned and zoomed in on. Wow, is it ever fantastic. I can easily see the house I used to own in Courtenay. For pilots it gets even better. You can turn on the terrain feature and see the mountains in depth and then pan, tilt and zoom in to have a practice fly through the canyons before a flight. You can also see many airports in great detail. For aeronautical stuff of course you can get the lat & long from a VNC. The only downside is that it is composed of thousands of satellite photos and the level of detail isn't consistent. For example you can barely see YYJ but in little old Courtenay you can easily see the runway numbers. I have attached a photo showing what it is like on final to 31R in Boeing Field. You can see the ridge to the right but the airliners on the ground are flat as it is only a 2D photo.
Just amazing! But Marty Davidson continues: Note on google's earth: When I downloaded the viewing software from earth.Google.com, an invisible spyware also installed itself (without warning)! It reads keystrokes and sends consumer data to advertisers to help focus ads! I didn't like that so I'm a bit mad at Google, who claim that spyware helps pay for their freeware.
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F r o m th e Boa r d : You‘ve noticed the recent physical changes to the Club. In the next short while you will see the new and improved Club website. It is increasingly important that our web profile reflect the quality and professionalism of the Club, be attractive to prospective members and still remain a useful information source for existing members. Our new website design I believe does all this (and more!) and builds on the strong foundation left for the Club by past director Bjorn Olsen (to whom we owe our gratitude for getting us on the web in the first place). The project to revamp the website has been spearheaded by Director Don Goodeve, with much help from VP Bob Mace and Director Doug Marin to whom we owe our thanks for the hard work they‘ve put in to giving the Club a strong web presence and a good foundation for our future marketing initiatives. Sean Steele, Pres.
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Graham Palmer VFC/CFI
Squawk Ident
hat effect would a blocked static source have on your flight? During flight training we learn what may stick, what may under read, and what may over read. While knowing what will happen to the instruments is important, it’s even more important to know how pilots may react to the errors associated with their malfunctioning instruments.
W
gradually catch up to the correct indicated altitude; this altitude being higher than the target altitude would necessitate a descent to the correct altitude. The reverse is equally as dangerous; a pilot descending may undershoot his target altitude coming close to another cruising altitude, thereby requiring a climb back up to the intended altitude after the altimeter equalizes.
For example, the effect of a blocked static source on the airspeed indication would cause the indicated airspeed (IAS) to under-read the actual true airspeed (TAS) in a climb. This situation is obviously hazardous to a pilot during a take-off climb, as the IAS being lower than the intended TAS would most likely cause the pilot to lower the nose to increase the IAS. This in turn would shallow the rate of climb, and may place the aircraft dangerously close to obstructions after take off. At night, this situation would be worse, as the pilot may not see the obstructions he is approaching. An equally hazardous situation could develop during descent for landing, as the IAS would tend to over-read the TAS. A pilot targeting a minimum approach speed for a short field landing would erroneously set up an IAS lower than the desired TAS thereby placing the aircraft into the slow flight speed region close to the stall. Additionally there would be an increase in the rate of descent, and a decrease in effectiveness of the elevators. If the pilot doesn’t stall/spin, in the flare there may not be enough elevator to adequately decrease the rate of descent for landing.
Additionally a blocked static source will cause problems with the vertical speed indicator. A completely blocked static source would essentially lead to a frozen or stuck needle on the vertical speed indicator, a partially blocked static source on the other hand would cause the VSI to over-read in the climb, and under-read in the descent. Here a pilot would have difficulties establishing specific rates of climb or descent if managing an aircraft with a turbo-charger, geared engines, or a complex pressurization system.
Keep in mind that one could expect problems with the altimeter if the static source is blocked too. If the static source is completely blocked, the altimeter will essentially freeze at the altitude the aircraft was located at when the blockage occurred. This problem may be evident during taxi and run-up, and the flight may be rejected prior to take off. Keep in mind that when you set your altimeter to the current altimeter setting, it should be within +/- 50’ of the aerodrome’s elevation; if not reject the flight. If a static blockage occurs at altitude, the altimeter will freeze and not register a loss or gain in altitude. An equally hazardous situation with the altimeter is a partially blocked static source, here the altimeter will under read in the climb, and over read in a descent. A VFR pilot may overshoot his target altitude while climbing, and stray close to an IFR cruising altitude. Upon leveling off, the altimeter will
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In any event, if you feel that the information displayed on your instruments is incorrect, try opening the alternate static source. When the alternate static valve is opened you would see the needles twitch on the altimeter, airspeed, and vertical speed, and in most cases indicate different values. Remember though, that the alternate static valve opens a source in the cockpit under the dash. The pressure in the cockpit may not be exactly the same as the outside ambient pressure, however it would provide you with safer indications than with a blocked static source. If your aircraft is not equipped with an alternate static source, one could open an alternate source to the cockpit by breaking the glass on the vertical speed indicator. This instrument is less valuable to a pilot in an emergency compared to the airspeed or altimeter. Keep in mind that cracking the glass on the VSI would only be needed if you were IFR, a flight home from Tofino would not be nearly as hazardous!
In Case of Emergency… Break Glass!
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CANADIAN AVIONICS & INSTRUMENTS Calgary Int’l Airport (403) 250-5665
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BOB CAMERON President
9548 Canora Road Sidney, BC V8L 3R1
Tel: (250) 655-0665 Fax: (250) 655-0664 E: cav#2@islandnet.com
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COMOX AIR SHOW Sunday August 7 A coach trip is being organized to the Comox Air Show by Peter Garnham. The coach will leave the BC Aviation Museum parking lot at 8:00am and return at approximately 8:30pm. There will be a rest stop on the return trip at a fast food restaurant around Parksville/Nanaimo. The cost is $40.00 return trip including admission to the Air Show (food purchases not included). It is a 47 passenger luxury coach so seats may be limited. It also has a washroom. This is available to anyone in the community, and there is a sign up sheet at the BC Aviation Museum front counter.
See the world… from our point of VIEW!! Increase your confidence • Aerobatic Course* • Adventure Rides • Emergency Manoeuvres Training
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When signing up PLEASE FILL IN A SEPARATE LINE FOR EACH FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND. If there is sufficient interest there might be a second coach available. If you need more information please call Peter at 652-2626 (evenings).
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See you at thes e events this summe r!!
Sunday August 21 The US Army Golden Knights Parachute Demo Team will be featured performers at the Chilliwack Flight Fest this year, and Chilliwack is their only Canadian airshow in 2005. The airshow day is Sunday August 21. On Saturday evening, the Chilliwack Flying Club hosts the annual BBQ & Hangar Dance and we are planning a night show - the Golden Knights do a twilight jump. Should be quite something!
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VFC
Aerobatics
C HILLIWACK F LIGHT F EST
Call Dispatch at the club for further information
656-2833
My First Airplane Ride
To set the stage for my first airplane by Glenn Matthews ride I have to take you back many, many years to when Vancouver airport was city owned. The tower and terminal were situated on the ‘south side’ of Vancouver International. Airline traffic back then consisted of four flights a day. Fledgling Trans Canada Airlines was just getting off the ground with their shiny new Lockheed Electras and 14s and United Airlines were popping in from Seattle in lumbering old Boeing 247s. As a kid I remember, while riding my bike on the way to the airport, seeing the signs “Fly with Clancy” spelled out in bold letters with a sub text “Only $5 for 15 minutes!” I think it was my thirteenth birthday when my dad drove me to the airport and I was allowed through the gate and led across the grass by Clancy himself to this large yellow and red biplane. Clancy was not what one would describe as a dashing aviator. From what I can remember he was rather dumpy and nondescript. But this was my introduction to the Kinner Bird. Brunner Winkle was the manufacturer of the Bird, but everybody called it the Kinner Bird because it was powered by a ninety horsepower Kinner K5, five-cylinder radial engine. It was a Sesquiplane design, the top wing being longer than the bottom and it carried three people, the pilot in the rear cockpit and two passengers, side-by-side in the front pit. The aircraft was all yellow with red scalloped leading edges in the wings and tail. The registration was CF-AUB. The main gear featured big, fat balloon tires, no brakes. Back at the tail was a tailskid that helped to slow the plane down when landing and taxiing on the grass. The Bird was one of four aircraft owned by Foggin Flying Service. From a distance the plane looked real neat, but on closer inspection as I climbed up on the lower wing I was surprised to see how old the fabric appeared. Later I learned the term that applied to the aging surfaces. It
Kinner Bird (AUB) -“Elwood White Collection”
credit Elwood White
was called “ringworm” and described the circular cracked appearance of the doped fabric, looking almost like the growth rings in a tree stump. These were random cracked areas, caused mainly by being bumped with elbows or knees in the process of climbing in and out of the cockpits. I didn’t know it then but the Bird was badly in need of a major recovering job. But at the time I only saw it as a “magic carpet” that was going to lift me into the air for my first ever flight on my thirteenth birthday.
Me at age fifteen with Foggin’s Fleet 2 CF-ANF. Picture was taken two years after my first flight (the only photo I have from around that time).
To this day I can still smell the exhaust coming off the five short stacks of the Kinner engine and feel the bumpiness as we taxied across the grass before take-off.
Then there was the wonderful moment when Clancy opened the throttle. No other engine in the world makes that same unique Kapopita-kapopita-kapopita sound that the Kinner does. I sat there thrilled to bits, watching over the leather edge of the cockpit as the fat left tire rumbled across the grass and continued to rotate after we left the earth. There were still bits of grass stuck to the tire as it gradually slowed its rotation, and then we were over the road that I had bicycled on so many times on my way to watch the airplanes. Farmers’ barns and fields were reduced to toy size and cows looked ridiculously tiny. I stuck my hand out past the front windshield and almost broke my arm in the slipstream. But it was just part of the learning experience of flying for the first time in an open cockpit airplane. With no helmet my hair quickly became a tangled mess but I couldn’t have cared less - I was flying and it was beyond anything I had ever imagined. After a few short minutes I detected a change in the steady beat of the engine as it gradually diminished and was replaced with the sighing sound of the flying wires. Looking past the nose I could see that the airport was ahead and we were losing altitude. How did we get around to landing so soon? I could have stayed up all day. But I guess that Clancy was in a hurry to get back on the ground and load up the next paying passengers. I often wondered later as to whether it was actually fifteen minutes or not but it was still a glorious experience, thanks to my father. Little did I know that I would be working on that very airplane a short couple of years later when I started as an apprentice mechanic with Foggin Flying Service. By then Clancy was long gone. But that first flight is still etched in my memory. see Glenn’s bio p.12
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Glenn’s obsession with aircraft started at age five in Victoria’s Inner Harbour when he saw a Boeing flying boat delivering mail from Seattle. After that, he built model aircraft, took his first flight at age 15, apprenticed as an aircraft mechanic at CYVR for various companies then joined the RCAF in WW II although not as a pilot. That came later in a busy and varied career which saw him return to the west coast as a commercial artist. Glenn was instrumental in getting the Abbotsford Airshow started and was an announcer for 25 years. He’s an honorary Blue Angel, artist, teacher, Commercial pilot, but best of all, he says, he’s now married to Kate Beckett, the luckiest thing thing that ever happened to him!
New Members! Wafa Abduljabbar Nick Van Heyst Le Ann O’Bray Ryan Gahan David Beales Ben Orlowski Brandon Dreyer Cameron Hick Peter Dreyer Ingrid Walker Annalee Rice Stan Cosburn Matt Fritz Franck Almairac Tony Arnold Nolan Montgomery Emilia Metaireau Ellen Wood Jon Spalding Jeff Lightheart James MacDougall
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Achievements PPL Flight Test Ed Cunningham Tina Kotthaus PPL Written Test John Saunders Tina Kotthaus Graeme Ferguson Louis Collard CPL Flight Test Vince Mueller Instructor Rating Yorgo Roumanis VFR OTT Davi Joe IFR Written Exam Dawn Hansen IFR Renewal Darren Rich INRAT Exam Vincent Vialaret First Solo Jeff Richmond Marc Everitt James Keith
Glenn Matthews
cont’d from p.11 ‘My First Airplane Ride’
TS U N I A H L A K E R E V I S I T E D I would like to plan a Flyout to Tsuniah Lake Lodge for Labour Day, Sept. 5, in conjunction with the Boundary Bay Flying Club. To that end, I am working with Ray Griffin to try to set something up. It seems like a great idea and I'd like to know who may be interested in going. I figure it would make sense to meet up with the BBFC in Powell River. Our own CFI and others have made the flight, as have several members of the BBFC. Ray Griffin speaks from experience: My only previous trip to Tsuniah was in July 1990. I was with Pacific Flying Club then. We were 4 planes, and flew as a group, on a common frequency. We had lunch, some departed shortly after, but my 2 sons and I rented a boat for trout fishing and hung around the beautiful Lodge all day. As for the airstrip, (CAF4) it is 4000 feet, at elevation 4000.,hard packed dirt/gravel and grass surface, but not paved. A decent strip, no potholes,no gravel problem. A Lear jet got in there, as do many twins, and I last went in there in a C182, without problem. The majority of flyins are American. We flight planned to Powell River to top up fuel. Tsuniah does not have fuel. Our planned route up was up past Campbell River, then up Bute Inlet , over one pass to Chilko Lake, then up the Lake, with a right turn to Tsuniah airstrip. The route is extremely scenic, viewing a glacier, fiords,and the beautiful buegreen water of Chilko Lake. The airstrip is RIGHT AT the lodge.If you approach to land from the East,you come in right over the main lodge building,and backtrack to tie down right near the Lodge. The Lodge overlooks the beautiful, pristine Tsuniah Lake. I am interested in getting to Tsuniah again, Labour Day sounds OK, and I will circulate info to BBFC Flyout Members. We have some avid flyout members, and I know at least one other than I who would likely be interested to go, at least for a daytrip and lunch. A rendezvous at Powell River would work fine. At the very least, it would be a good way to scout the trip out, and make a deal for a bigger future flyout. By the way, we are planning a Tofino/Vargas Beach flyout August 14. Do any of your Members have experience going in there?
For all of us who were so pleased to hear of the birth of little Erik Olsen in June, here is an update from Tromso along with a photo of him and Mom and Dad, Andrea and Bjorn.
Hello Everyone!
Hello Everyone! Erik is one month old on Sunday, unbelievable for us that the month has passed so quickly. We have had many different experiences over the last few weeks that have kept us smiling, laughing and crying! (I guess that this is normal life with a new person in the house) Overall I have to say that Erik is an amazing baby. He regularly sleeps from 2130 until 0800 with only two peaceful, quiet feedings during the night (knock on wood). Daytime continues to be a bit challenging as he only sleeps if we are in the car or out for a walk with the buggy. Needless to say, I try to go out for a walk everyday :-) We are now past the midnight sun period in Tromso, so from now on our nights will begin to have longer and longer periods of darkness. But August is the time in Tromso when the vegetation is at its fullest. Everything around us is lush and green. All of the flowers are out and the weeds are thriving (weeds grow exceptionally well when they have a moist environment and 24 hours of sunlight!) you should see the size of the dandelions some have leaves that are over a foot long and the flowers themselves stand knee high. We hope that everyone is doing well, enjoying their summer and life in general. The arrival of the baby has given us a chance to exchange emails with many friends and it is great to hear news from all of you. We are blessed with friends from quite literally around the world, from Hong Kong to the United Arab Emirates and everywhere in between. I hope that you are enjoying the pictures and updates of Erik and look forward to talking to you all at some point in the near future.
Andrea, Bjorn and Erik.
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P A G E S
Spare Time Reading
Wings Across the Water Wings Across the Water is a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish, an absolute must for aviation buffs and an enormous source of information for anyone interested in the history of Victoria. It’s amazing to see what a busy place the Inner Harbour has been for over 100 years – float planes have been coming and going since WW I along with many more ships than at present. After all, what connected Victoria to the rest of Canada except ships and aeroplanes. Wings provides wonderful vignettes of Victoria’s Flying Heritage from the first balloon ascents in 1871 when visiting “professors”, many with the singular inability to spell the word balloon, came to town to demonstrate the aeronautical wonder to the amazed and enthralled public. Some of these flights also included a demonstration of a parachute drop, a new invention at the time.
by Eleanor Eastick
on a building in Chinatown. (On a personal note, I got a firsthand account of this tragedy from an old friend who witnessed it as a teenager.) The pages of Wings are studded with familiar names and Victoria Flying Club gets a fair bit of space. The year 2006 marks the 60th anniversary of VFC which had a pretty hard go getting started in 1946. The Pat Bay airport was a military base at that time and it was uncertain if civilians would be allowed to use it but the Club was eventually able to settle into hangar 3, and finally in 1965 into its permanent home in hangar 4. A proposal to create the Gordon Head Memorial Airpark as a base for the Club was voted down by the Saanich rate-payers in 1948. Wings is crammed with information in its 200 pages and laid out so that each page is a story in itself; it makes for very easy reading. Every page is chock-a-block with photos and news clippings presented in an entertaining and informative way. Most of the photos are from author Elwood White’s own collection and have never before been published. Mr. White was born in Victoria and began photographing aircraft at a very early age. Coauthor Peter Smith is also a Victoria native. The book ends with the building of the “new” terminal at CYYJ in 1971.
The Club is selling Wings Across the Water for $28.95. Buy a copy – you won’t regret it!
By 1910 the first aeroplane was flying in Victoria, the Gibson twin-plane; a replica of this flimsy craft may be seen in the BC Aviation Museum. Three years later Johnny Bryant had become Canada’s first aviation fatality, taking off from the Inner Harbour and crashing
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What’s to Do This Summer August 1
BC Day Club Flyout to Pemberton
August 6
BCAM Annual Open House
August 7
Comox Airshow
Remembering
August 13&14 Abbotsford Airshow Aug 14
Jeff Bowles August 23, 1949 - Aug 22, 2003
Kamloops Pancake Breakfast
August 19
McMinnville (KMMV) Vintage Fly-In
August 21
Annual Chilliwack Flight Fest
August 26
Caribbean Night, 6pm, VFC Lounge
Sept 5
Labour Day Flyout - open to suggestions
Sept 14-18
Reno National Championship Air Races & Air Show
BCAM Open House
The BC Aviation Museum is planning it’s Annual Open House Event for 2005.
It will be held Saturday August 6th. Our gate will be open from 9 am to 5 pm. This year marks our 15th anniversary since we opened the doors to the original hangar. We are highlighting this year the fact that our volunteers have reconstructed and put on display 5 aircraft in those 15 years. The Eastman Sea Rover, Bristol Bolingbroke, Norduyn Norseman, Sikorsky S55 and Avro Anson Mk II have all been a labor of love and are proudly displayed. We will again have displays and activities, including a flight line and invited fly-in aircraft. Anyone at Victoria Airport is welcome to join us in presenting the aviation story to the public. Aircraft or displays, an extra hand on the busy day, please feel free to contact us and join us in our celebration. 15