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PUFA NEWSLETTER
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January 16, 1996
Jeff Rochon, President
Bernie Strotmann, Vice-President
Ken Buck, Treasurer
Glenn Ursel, Secretary
Mail to: Pacific Ultralight Flying Association
102-16071 82 Avenue
Surrey, B.C. V3S 2L6
PUFA Newsletter published by Glenn Ursel
No one was more surprised than I was to find myself the latest President of P.U.F.A. Events unfolded rather quickly that Wednesday night of November 29, 1995; however, I am sure that I will enjoy the experience and plan to give it a good effort.
With a new executive, except for Ken Buck who now takes on the dual role of Treasurer and Newsletter Editor, Bernie Strotmann (Vice President), Glenn Ursel (Secretary) and myself will try to bring a fresh approach to the club while continuing to uphold the traditional aspects that we have come to enjoy and expect.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing executive for their contributions with a special bouquet for Marilyn Parsons, our hard working secretary cum treasurer cum hostess.
I would hope to see an increase in the membership in 1996 and, to that end, I would ask that all of our members actively promote P.U.F.A. to potential candidates in an effort to bring in new people along with new ideas to the association.
I look forward to the next year as President and to the many flying experiences I expect to share with all the flying fraternity. I hope to see many of you at the next meeting on Wednesday, January 31, 1996 when we will have a discussion about a summer fly-out to Alaska!
In this first issue of the PUFA Newsletter for 1996, we publish Jon Ormaechea's intriguing story of his flight up the Rocky Mountain Trench to Watson Lake, in the Yukon Territories.
Jon Ormaechea, Commercial Ultralight Instructor at Airflow Ultralight Aviation, Surrey, B.C., has been instructing on 3 axis advanced ultralights for 3 years on a full time basis. He has a Pilot Licence Aeroplane, and is currently working towards his Commercial Aeroplane ticket. The Ultralight types he is current for instruction on, are the Spectrum Beaver RX 550 wheel and amphib, the Rans S-6, S-6S, S-7, S-12, and the Progressive Aerodyne Searey amphib flying boat.
For any questions about ultralights, ferry flights, the aircraft mentioned above or the article, please feel free to contact the author at: Jon Ormachea, Airflow Ultralight Aviation Ltd., Surrey, B.C.; email: mormaech@direct.ca
UP THE TRENCH
The mission entailed that I depart as soon as possible with a Rans S-7 Courier, fitted with a Rotax 912, warp drive ground adjustable prop, and rough field landing gear. It was also equipped with a flip flop VHF, intercom, Portable ELT, and a 3way valve to run "auxiliaries" in the back seat. I would need that because I was to fly the plane to Watson Lake, Yukon Territories, Canada. There meeting me, would be the proud new owner Alan Puckett. He would be checked out in his plane, and when he was proficient, I would return via Whitehorse courtesy of Alan and an air carrier of his choice. The thoughts were vivid, if I were foiled in completing the mission, of having to endure a flight in a cargo plane that usually hauls dead animals. Needless to say I was determined to complete my mission successfully.
Gathering six VNC, an airfacilities map, Canada Flight Supplement, and plotting out a VFR course along the preferred routes, I put all pertinent information on a note pad to be kept close to an E6B and a good timepiece. The survival kit was regular A.I.P. requirement, with the addition of a machete, tarp, dozen candles, and a Zippo. Satisfied with the integrity of the plane after a thorough preflight, I began to load it.
The rear stick was removed to accommodate three 6 gallon jerry cans secured to the rear seat. They were coupled to the 3 way valve, via a line and cap. I would have to switch to mains and change the line from jerry can to jerry can. In the rear cargo hold I loaded the survival kit, sleeping bag, extra boots, warm clothes, gloves, extra oil and coolant, and a gallon of fresh water. A quick wash of the exterior and my chariot was ready. A call to the FSS in Vancouver assured me I would have VFR for the next two days possibly more. There was a high pressure area covering most of British Columbia moving eastward. The weather seemed promising. The plan was to leave early the next day, but dealing with a bank during my early morning travels, I ended up not being able to get to the airfield until after noon. After the final walk around, FSS was called for a final check of weather. I folded my maps for the initial leg of the journey. It was 3:00 pm Sept 12, 1995. I was on a Flight Itinerary, to Williams Lake.
A quick good bye, I jumped into the Courier switched tanks to mains and fired up the 912. A few minutes later I was in a 1000 fpm climb to 2400 asl where maintaining a listening watch, I skirted around Vancouver Control Zone on my way to Indian Arm, Mt Seymour Provincial Park, where I continued to 7500 asl levelled off and switched to one of the jerry tanks on the back seat and followed the valley to Squamish. I picked up the VFR route there and continued on through Whistler, and Pemberton. Approaching Carpenter Lake and Seton Portage. I cut the corner to Big Bar Creek and picked up the Fraser River and followed it north, flying over the edge of The Fraser Plateau, all the way to Springhouse Airpark where I radioed Williams Lake of my imminent arrival. I switched back to mains and reported base to final for rwy 29 . The leg took 2 hours 45 minutes for the 280 miles. The next morning over a hearty breakfast I pondered my next leg.... Prince George to refuel, and direct to Watson Lake.
The departure from Williams Lake was uneventful it was a beautiful clear
morning, up, down, sideways. Then about forty miles out of Prince
George, I noticed that the wind had picked up. Smoke near Strathnaver
was horizontal near the ground and about 120 degrees off from the light
3 to 4 mph southwesterly flow when I departed Williams lake.
It was a strong North northwesterly at about 25mph. I slowed down
to 75 mph and braced myself for the turbulence. The call to Prince
George Tower over Red Rock must have sounded like I was sitting on a washer
during the spin cycle. They spaced me in between a couple of charters
and a Canadians Regional, for a left base onto rwy 33. There was
a variable 10 - 15 deg. x-wind 15 mph gusting to 25mph. The Courier
handled it just fine with a bit of power, lots of stick into the wind and
rudder to check, wheel landing her no flaps at 65 mph. The 130 mile
leg took 1 hr and 25 min. Given taxi clearance, I parked the plane
by the gas pumps and asked the guy to fill up. I had flown
on the jerry cans most of the way, burning only about two gallons off
the mains. "We don't do Jerry Cans", the guy says... "hmmm, where
can I park it?", I ask. The guy points over to the visitor parking
nearby. Parking the plane, and tying it down well, I proceed
into the terminal, stopping into the FSS to tell them of my endeavour.
"Watson Lake?! Why?!", "What are you flying in?", they ask.
When I tell them, they suggest to stay on the ground. There's
extreme LeeWave Turbulence from the north, a couple of 185's on floats,
and a 206 reported moderate to severe turbulence at Mackenzie and Ft. Ware.
It was forecasted to last the whole day.... it could last the whole week.
Something you have to deal with when you fly in the mountains.
I walked back to the plane and drained the fuel from the main tanks into the jerry cans. After about an hour my main tanks were empty and my jerry cans were full. I secured the jerry cans back on the rear seat, hooked up the middle one, and called the gas truck over. The gas guy pulls up and says, "I told you we don't do jerries". With a big smile on my face I tell him, " I know, that's why I did the jerries and you can do my mains". The guy laughs and fills the plane's mains up to the collar. I pay, lock up the plane, and hail a cab for Prince George.
The next morning I'm at the FSS, and it looks like the Lee Wave Turbulence has let up. My flight plan will be Prince George to Watson Lake. Which way to go from Prince George was still to be decided. The specialists at the FSS provided me with, A Briefing Guide: Mackenzie to Watson Lake via The Trench, an invaluable source of information regarding alternates and procedures. "There are a number of small landing strips on the "Trench" route between Mackenzie and Watson Lake. Due to the geographic location, weather, and varying degrees of maintenance, these fields must be used with caution. The high pressure ridge forecasted to last the rest of the week, and the weather being CAVOK, Prince George to Watson Lake, I decided to fly the Trench. One cannot stress the importance of a detailed weather briefing and being prepared, especially if flying in the mountains, and in unfamiliar terrain. The Trench, how ever beautiful, is a very Sparsely Settled Area. The weather can change quickly and fiercely. North of Williston Lake there are no roads, hardly even a bush trail hacked out of the dense growth.
The weather was near ideal. The plane and myself were prepared. I looked over my navigation log and found that I'd save a little more than an hour flying the Trench, as opposed to flying the Struart-Cassiar Hwy. or by way of Ft. St. John, Ft. Nelson and the Alaska Hwy. Never the less my heart was pounding. Submitting a flight plan for Watson Lake, via Williston Lake and the Trench, I thanked the FSS for their help.
The Courier fired up and we were airborne by 10:00 am with 110 miles to Mackenzie. With a light southwesterly flow and the wind calm at Mackenzie, I called up long final for rwy 34 and land an hour after leaving Prince George. I shuffle some of the fuel in the jerry cans so that I have two full cans in the back and full mains for the long journey up the Trench. I take a second to relieve myself and talk to a couple of the pilots who just came down the Trench. They say the air is pretty stable. In a couple of minutes the Rans S-7 is airborne, headed for Williston Lake, climbing to 6500 asl and levelling off at an indicated 90 mph above the vast beauty of Williston Lake, North America's largest man made lake, then continuing onward for the next 175 miles up to Fort Ware. Fort Ware is in the middle of a trench made by the Cassiar and Omineca Mountain Ranges to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east . Fort Ware has a gravel strip about 3100', there's a little general store on the east end of the runway. I stretched, talked to some of the locals, and bought a pop. Shuffling the fuel in the jerries to one can and topping off the mains, the Courier and I were airborne in another couple of minutes for the last leg to Watson Lake, 210 miles, of nothing but bush.
As I progressed northward the colours changed to orange then red. The vast expanse brought thoughts of how it must have been for any explorer on a journey outside of civilization. I was concerned when "Auto Rough" set in, but my ears were playing tricks on me. The Rotax 912 didn't so much as burp, thank god. The cold was quite present, it was as if Autumn were accelerated. I was flying into winter. The flight was smooth until about 80 miles south of Watson Lake just north of Scoop Lake, the Trench opens up into another valley near Forsberg Ridge. Noticing the wind change on a couple of small lakes down below, I stayed on the windward side. Things were a little rocky but just fine. I had no radio contact from Williston Lake on to about 30 miles south of Lower Post. I was glad to get White Horse Radio after almost 4 hours of radio silence. It's very difficult to transmit or receive radio signals in The Trench. White Horse Radio promptly instructed me to contact Watson Lake C.A.R.S. (Community Aerodrome Radio Service). Sort of a down sized FSS. I called up left base for rwy 26 and landed with a slight cross-wind. The trip from Mackenzie to Watson Lake took 4 hours and 40 min., with an average ground speed of 85mph. Total distance Surrey, B.C. to Watson Lake, 900 miles. Total Flight time 9 hrs 50 min., over 2 1/2 days. In contrast, a few years earlier, it took Fred Glasbergen of Airflow Aviation 24 hours of flying and 5 days to do a similar trip up the Inside Passage to the Stuart-Cassiar Hwy, on to Watson Lake, in a Spectrum Beaver RX 550 on amphib floats.
Alan was very happy with his plane, and we proceeded to spend the next week on his check out, flying over the country side checking out some of the local mining strips as well as the Alaska Hwy. A week later I caught the Canadian 737 out of White Horse, homeward bound. The lure of the North is as true as they say it is. I'll be back. No Doubt.
After gaining enough proficiency to solo his machine with confidence, Alan is enjoying his plane in Canada's Yukon. Another mission successfully completed.
After hearing the stories of vast beauty from Canada's North, there is a group of Ultra-lighters {headed by ultralight pilot Ken Hicks and the New P.U.F.A.(Pacific Ultralight Flyers Association) President, Jeff Rochon}, getting together an ultralight squadron, for an airtour of the B.C. North, The Yukon, and Alaska, for the summer of 1996.
Jon Ormaechea