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PUFA NEWSLETTER
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September 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
Summers over and the fall weather is making itself known. We have experienced a typically mixed season as far the warm months go. Our PUFA expedition to the Yukon was somewhat of a victim to the fickle weather. See "Yukon or Bust" for further details.
The King George Airpark Committee was formed sometime ago to combat Surrey's attempts to shut down the airfield. Of the original committee, there were four active members - Fred Glasbergen, Jerome Carsh, Bruce Archibald and Janet Archibald. Since then, it was deemed necessary to have representatives from other interested parties. These now include Jose Caballero for the pilot's sector; Walter Gordon of the Sun Fun Airfield on 152nd Street; Joseph Kietaibl, representing aircraft owners; Raymond Kats as youth representative, myself representing PUFA members and Beverley Lawrence as secretary of the committee.
The committee was responsible for the successful motion to affect the outcome of Surrey candidates running under the Surrey Electors Team (SET) banner. This was done by encouraging as many ultralighters from Surrey as possible to become SET members, thereby enabling us to block vote for the candidates of our choice. The result of this action has seen all of our choices winning their respective SET candidacies. Much lobbying was also directed by committee members to potential councillors, pressuring them to vote down the existing injunction against Airflow Ultralight Aviation Ltd. I am happy to report that the latest information is that the injunction has been indefinitely postponed.
The last committee meeting brought a strong resolve to further involve ourselves in a political solution, seemingly the best and, possibly, only way to save our airfields. I encourage everyone to do their utmost to make things happen in this political arena. There will be further discussion at our next meeting of PUFA this month. Speaking of the next meeting, I hope to see a large turnout of members. This is your club and only active members will keep it vital and interesting.
The recent SET candidates' election meeting at the Shannon Hall in Cloverdale was a first time initiation into grass roots politics for me. Because the speeches were for the most part uneventful, it was surprising to learn from media reports later that police had been notified of a possible shooting and that one of our chosen candidates, Del Virk, has been the target of a venomous political handout. Despite these disturbances, however, the Surrey Ultralighters' presence was deemed to be a success in that the approximately forty of us that attended the meeting did get the attention of all candidates who were made very well aware of the aviation issue. All eight candidates supported by the Surrey Ultralighters - Barbara Steele, Dianne Watts, Judy Higginbotham, Pam Lewin, Edmund Caissie, Del Virk, Marvin Hunt and Mike McLennan - were elected as SET candidates.
On another matter, I wish to note the untimely passing of Romeo Leclair who died of a suspected aneurism on July 29th, 1996 while on a camping trip with his wife Pat at Campbell River. He was 55 years old. As a fellow ultralighter, we shall miss him and offer sincere condolences to Pat.
YUKON OR BUST
Lifting off from my strip on 152nd street at 5.45 am, I watched the sun rise to meet me. The plan was to meet up with fellow pilots Ken Hicks, Julius Szalontai and Joseph Kietaibl, all from Surrey King George, and Bob Christen from Intergalactic. The idea was to rendezvous in the air at six am between Surrey and Langley and from there embark on the longest trip of our lives, to the Yukon and return. A great deal of planning and discussion had been directed toward our excursion to the north country, as the rest of the members of the Pacific Ultralight Flying Association (PUFA) will attest to. The following is a summary of each day's events.
Everyone was pretty much on time with all five aircraft only slightly spread out on the first leg to 100 Mile House. We were five for the Yukon. Joseph had the foresight to bring along some company, his wife Pat! The rest of us had only our maps and snacks to keep us going. He also had the advantage of having Pat act as navigator, something I could have used a couple of times.
Julius and I diverted to Lillooet for fuel while Bob, Ken and Joseph
opted for a straight through for 100 Mile House. The latter had finished
lunch and refueling by the time we arrived so we quickly ate and gassed
up so as not to hold up the proceedings. Next stop Prince George!
However, we were in for a disappointment if we thought a landing could
be made there during the scheduled air show at the airport. We were told
by tower, one by one, that a delay of 45 minutes was facing us before we
could land. This was contrary to information I had received two days
before when I had talked to the Prince George tower by phone. The chap
had definitely said the airport was open to normal traffic all day.
An interesting side note to this is that normally we ultralighters don't
file flight plans, with the exception of travel north of Prince George
where flight plans are mandatory. Had we done so in this case, we
would have been advised of a Notam informing us of landing delays!
Our alternate site would have to be North Caribou Airpark, situated some
ten
miles west of Prince George. Easier said than done! While
Bob found the strip readily, the rest of us fumbled and flew in circles,
each of us announcing that we knew which way the field was only to find
that we didn't. My excuse was that there were no clearly defined
landmarks to go by. Eventually we all landed safely.
We fueled and tied down. We met the owner operator, Jasmine Moore, then decided to stay in Prince George for the night. Jasmine and her husband, Jim, own the property at the airpark where they are building a large and elegant log house. The single strip is long (2000 feet) and wide. There are hangers and aviation fuel and all are welcome. Jasmine said bed and breakfast facilities were on the horizon. Our host offered to drive us the 30 minute trip to Prince George. We accepted, cabbing it back in the morning.
Bob Christen (C-FLQV), by previous arrangement, saw us off on our next leg. Due to prior commitments, Bob would not be able to accompany us any further. As we turned to the north, he swung to the south and back to the Coast. Four left for the Yukon.
It was on this leg to Chetwynd that I discovered new reserves of adrenalin. Some 30 miles from Chetwynd, my engine lost power. Revs went briefly from 2300 to 1900 and back a couple of times. I opened all my fuel valves and set carb heat to on as a precaution. I decided, after informing the others, to try to make Chetwynd. The engine hesitated again ten miles out but it kept ticking and I landed without further incident.
A couple of days before we left, we had a pilot meeting. One of the things we discussed was what to do in the event someone experienced serious mechanical difficulties. We had decided to spend a short time trying to remedy the problem and, if no solution was forthcoming, the unfortunate one would be left to his own fate. After spending two hours cleaning the suspected carburetor, we were no closer to finding my problem. Considerable conversation followed with Ken and Joseph deciding to carry on, and Julius opting to stay with me. Two for the Yukon!
More repairs, and after air tests judiciously conducted in the Chetwynd circuit, we decided one of the magnetos had temporarily quit. I decided to chance it to Fort St. John where there were repair facilities and parts. That was another 48 miles. With my Renegade escort beside me, I made the 35 minute flight with considerable nervousness. The mags held up and we landed at the huge Fort St. John airport. There wasn't much we could do with the plane as it was late in the day. We checked in at a local motel and found out through Flight Services that Joseph and Ken had gone on to Fort Nelson.
By this time Bob was back at home and he became our liaison with the other flyers. This enabled us to update each other's progress, or lack of it.
Sunday, July 28th
The mags I needed were not available in town and there was no way I was going to fly any further without replacing them. It was arranged through a supplier in Kamloops that two mags would be flown in. One would come from Kamloops and one from Vancouver on two different flights. This was accomplished through no mean feat by many phone calls made by Julius. His determined efforts were rewarded by a promise that the much needed mags would arrive the next afternoon. We rented a car and bedded down at a local lodge.
Monday, July 29th
By this time Ken (C-FLTI) and Joseph (C-FRTJ) had arrived in Watson Lake as they pressed on toward Whitehorse. They had encountered good weather all the way and had been confident enough to fly the IFR route from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake. That's 240 miles as the crow flies! Later that day, they made it all the way to Whitehorse. That's Whitehorse, Yukon Territory! In two and a half days no less. We were not so fortunate.
The first mag arrived in the early afternoon and we promptly installed it and waited at the airport for the other. As we hung out, the weather began to change. Black clouds were moving in from the east and electrical storms were predicted. As we stood in the waiting area of the North Caribou Airpark, the power went out along with the phones and the worst storm in 15 years (according to the locals) hit the area. We watched with alarm as the view of our planes one hundred feet away was obscured by rain and hail. I had added extra weights to our tie downs. These were comprised of giant drill bits, leftovers from some mining concerns. They weighed about two hundred pounds. Fortunately they held, as the wind blew the rain at right angles.
We were standing there with several other people in the gloomy terminal when someone wondered aloud about whether the jet from Vancouver could land. With a start I realized that my mag was on that plane. We listened intently to the radio as the pilot and airport manager conferred. The pilot decided to orbit to the south and wait it out. Forty-five minutes later we watched as the jet skirted some mean looking thunder clouds while on a short base, then slam-dunked the plane in on an even shorter final. Finally, my mag had landed safely, along with the passengers of course. By the time we had installed it, the storm had passed but darkness was now on us. Back to town to eat and sleep.
Tuesday, July 30th
I hoped we could test the plane and leave, but several circuits around the airport had left me uneasy. After landing a major oil leak was found and, although repaired, the engine just didn't seem to have full power. I later discovered that the combination of altitude and humidity left the engine a little short of RPM without careful management of the leanness mixture. As well, I had put the incorrect pitch in the prop. Too coarse.
Meanwhile, our number one team had made it to the Yukon, but was defeated in an attempt to make it to Northway, Alaska, having been turned back by high winds. Next stop for them was Watson Lake, and then on down the Stewart-Cassiar Highway pass for a different route home.
Our weather meanwhile was a no go. We decided that if we fly at all it would be in any direction, just to get out of Fort St. John.
Wednesday, July 31st
Winds; 20-25 Knots. Severe mechanical turbulence in the mountain passes. We could have bucked the winds back to Chetwynd as we had decided to head closer to the coast, but it wasn't much of an advantage so we stuck it out. In the afternoon, we took the rent-a-car to the WAC Bennett Dam near Hudson Hope to view the spill from Willingston Lake. Big water spout! Later, back at our lodge, our moderately surprised host checked us in once more.
Thursday, August 1st
Weather V.F.R.! Winds light! We're out of here. One more delay. We needed a top up to make it safely to our next stop. The gas truck was successfully called out at 5.45 am. I have never been so happy to leave a place. I crossed my fingers that the engine would hum and we lifted off.
Neither Julius nor I expected to make it home that day, but we did. In trying to outrun more bad weather, we just kept pushing. McKenzie, Prince George, Williams Lake, 100 Mile House, Cache Creek, Chilliwack and home right at downtime. It was a flurry of flight plans, refueling, quick drinks, and bolted food, along with long hours flying. As if someone were trying to tell us something, our Chilliwack stop found us arriving ten minutes after the gas pumps closed. Julius, with his usual guile, managed to talk someone in the restaurant into unlocking the pumps. Without the gas, we probably wouldn't have tried for home due to obvious concerns.
Friday, August 2nd
A weather delay in Smithers was not bad enough to hold back our Yukon crew for long and they arrived in 100 Mile House later in the day. Joseph decided to stay there and visit friends, while Ken attempted a dash home. The cloud ceiling in the mountain passes had other ideas. There was no way he could get through safely. He was turned back to 100 Mile House for the night.
Saturday, August 3rd
C-FLTI Flight Plan closed in the mid afternoon. Ken had made it home!
Tuesday, August 6th
Joseph and Pat, after concluding their visiting, attempted to return on the Monday. A wall of cloud blocked the pass near Lytton and they turned around fortunately. He related to me the harrowing feeling of losing sight of terra firma as they attempted to turn back in the building clouds. They finally put down at Airflow safely Tuesday.
Although Julius and I didn't make it all the way, we like to equate ourselves to those brave few who try to conquer Mt. Everest. Only a select number make it to the top! It takes the rest of the group to get them there. This gives us at least some solace. One small regret. While stuck in Fort St. John, we had made plans to fly to Sikanie Chief, weather permitting. Ha! That's about one hundred miles north west of Fort St. John. We had arranged to land on the Alaska Highway at a gas station/coffee shop, where the proprietor had told us she would wave down any conflicting traffic. Vehicular that is! She assured us that this was done all the time though the regular wartime 5000 foot airstrip was only a half mile away. Both Julius and I relished the thought of actually landing on the highway but it was not to be.
All in all we had some good luck and bad. Lovely weather and not. Flying all that distance in ultralights proves once more that these crafts, and their pilots, are to be taken seriously. There has been conversation about going again next year. ONE FOR THE YUKON!
Jeff Rochon
July 27th, 1996