Up in The Air: February 2006

Friday, February 24, 2006

Sunset @ 16,000'

When I started doing this split day, bag run stuff, the majority of the flying was done in the dark. Now, with two minutes being tacked on to both sides of daylight every passing day , we're starting to fly with the panel lights off more often. In fact, on the Smithers - Terrace run I've been doing quite a bit lately, Vancouver is just becoming illuminated by the sun's warm light (if it's not overcast and raining) as we leave in the morning. Coming home, we're seeing the sunset just as we're leaving Terrace for Vancouver. Last night we caught the sunset just on our way into Terrace from Smithers at 16,000'. It won't be long till the long, hot, mostly VFR days of summer are upon us, and night flying becomes a rare event.

Friday, February 17, 2006

Crew Change.....

A flock of 1900's at the Kemess strip picking up people to take home. My plane for the day was CMY, the 'D' model in the foreground. From here we went direct to Kamloops, on to Kelowna, and home to Vancouver, enjoying clear skies all day long.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

The Journey Continues.....

“When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,

full of adventure, full of knowledge.”

Constantine Peter Cavafy

"What a cool job"

I took the above photo while I was logging hour 1002 of my aviation career. It was a gorgeous evening, and I was enroute from York Landing to Thompson in the Bandit. A year and a half, two provinces, three employers, and four aircraft types later, I logged hour 2000 yesterday. Lucky for me, it was another gorgeous day to pass the milestone. A high pressure system lying over BC made for clear skies as I flew a 1900C, Vancouver - Terrace - Smithers in the morning, enjoyed a sunny day in Smithers, and returned Smithers - Terrace - Vancouver in the Evening. Enroute from Terrace to Vancouver, at 23,000 feet, 30 minutes into the flight, I passed the 2000 hour mark. I was blessed one more time with a gorgeous sunset to mark the occasion. 1000 hours later, this job gets cooler every day.....

158 Nautical Miles from TRENA interesection

Some photos of my office in the dark

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Blue River (CYCP)

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

What is that weird glow?

The Navajo at Boeing Field

This week we've been doing two flights daily to the Seattle area. One in the morning in the 1900 to the Sea - Tac airport, and one afternoon flight in the Navajo to the Boeing Field airport. In the back we're carrying some interesting cargo, radioactive isotopes created at the Triumf facility at UBC in Vancouver. We get them to Seattle where they meet connection flights that take them to cancer treatment facilities all over the United States. It's an interesting flight. The pre-flight work is a little busier as the dispatchers and pilots need to file reports with US customs and Canadian customs, as well as accepting the cargo and making sure the dangerous goods paperwork is all in order. The flight itself is pretty quick and easy. In the 1900, we're off Vancouver to join the JAWBN 9 arrival into SeaTac. We're on the runway in Seattle in about 30 minutes. After the turnaround, we're headed to the Paine VOR to join the ACORD or GRIZZ arrival into Vancouver. In the Navajo, we've been down around 5000' flying south, over Puget Sound, towards the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, to join the localizer onto 13R at Boeing Field. Coming home, we usually get vectors to join the 140 degree radial off the Vancouver VOR, taking us over pretty much the same route we took coming down. So far, the weather has cooperated and the flights have been gorgeous. Looks like today will likely be the same (knock on wood)....