Ice Pilots of NWT Series on History Channel this Fall!

[North Shore]

Time card issue...........pay her a good yearly salary and the problem is solved.

Indeed!

Cool to see a 3 on skis.

Does anyone know what became of the CL 215 that Mikey was scoping out down in Venezuela? Or is that being saved for a future episode?

[SAR_YQQ]

Does anyone know what became of the CL 215 that Mikey was scoping out down in Venezuela?

Still no paper work to be found.

[flyinhigh]

It's finally nice to see it live to its name, middle of season 2 and finally some landing on ICE.

As for the kid, TOOL. His type is the reason we need a college of pilots.

[floatpilot]

Holy crap, people here take things so literally! He wasn't seriously saying that he would actually work for free.

um ya he did! On national tv to boot. I hope he taped that episode and plays it back in years to come when he wonders why he's still has nothing to show for all his hard work!

[CpnCrunch]

Holy crap, people here take things so literally! He wasn't seriously saying that he would actually work for free.

um ya he did! On national tv to boot. I hope he taped that episode and plays it back in years to come when he wonders why he's still has nothing to show for all his hard work!

Um, no he didn't. Just because someone says something doesn't mean they actually mean it. Ever heard of irony, sarcasm or humour?

He was obviously kidding/exaggerating...he was just saying how much he liked flying those old planes, but I very much doubt he would seriously fly for free.

[Cat Driver]

Somewhere, I heard that an IQ of 140 is a room full of pilots with their individual IQ's added together.

If you lock a pilot in a room with two steel balls and leave him there overnight, what will you find come morning?

Answer:

He has lost one and broken the other.

[LuckyPilot]

Everybody here seems to have some level of self rightious indignation when it comes to this young pilot trying to make his way in Canadian aviation. First off, the statment was made in jest and not to be taken in any other way. Secondly, how many guys/gals here sold their soles to the devil for that first job, I for one flew a Buck80 for a lodge for four and half months. I worked from sun up to sun down and very little of it had anything to do with flying, all for the grand total of 1200 bucks a month plus room and board. What's the difference between myself and the young buck, not much. I would bet my bottom dollar, the one's complaining the most, were the biggest prostitutes in their day.

[Slats]

+1

[warbirdpilot7]

Is any of this reality? It's fun to wach, but you cant take everything at face value.

[Defy Gravity]

Arnie has not been around as Chief Pilot for quite some time now.

I understand he is battling lung cancer and has been in Kelowna for many months...

From the last episode, his daughter has cancer as well....wow

[Hedley]

self rightious indignation

Yeah, I shudder to think about how everyone here is going to crap on me from a great height when our episode airs. Whatever.

[oldtimer]

On last nights episode, there were clips of various ski airplanes. I recognised a couple of Norseman and what I thought was a Fairchild 71. There was also a clip of Joe in earliers times flying a weird single engine airplane. This thing looked like a piss pot with a wings and a pole for a tail. I saw this wierd thing in Edmonton a century ago but cannot remember what kind of airplane it was/is. Anyone recognise this wierd thing? If I find anything about it I will post what I find but any help will be appreciated.

[ArcticKat]

I just got around to watching that episode of the Rick Mercer Report in which he flies with Buffalo. While he was there they were actually filming the show. Since the current shows on air were recorded 2009/2010 it would be safe to assume that season 3 is well under way.

[imarai]

Hey oldtimer, that weird piss pot thing with a pole for a tail was perhaps a Percival EP.9 Prospector. Northwest Industries operated the type from Edmonton's Municipal Airport back in the late 1950s. The aircraft is presently on display at the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

[imarai]

Or possibly the aircraft in question was this Otter wanna-be, the Fairchild F-11 Husky:

[North Shore]

^ I think that it was actually the Percival Prospector..

[oldtimer]

It most certainly was the Percival EP 9 Prospector. I flew a Fairchild Husky in Manitoba so I would remember that type.
I remember seeing this odd ball airplane in a hangar in Edmonton in the early '60's. Buffalo Joe must have operated one years ago. I do believe I saw him getting into the thing when they were doing the clip on ski planes. It was just a short but intresting clip.
Thank you for looking it up for me.

[RVgrin]

Just watched "The Flight Line" episode (S02E07), which showcased the "nail biter" C-46 return from Holman Island to Yellowknife "running on f**ckin fumes". To save fuel Capt. Devon makes much of the 3-hour journey at 11,000 feet with no oxygen. (legal in USA, not so much in Canada.) Headache, anyone?

[ArcticKat]

Just watched "The Flight Line" episode (S02E07), which showcased the "nail biter" C-46 return from Holman Island to Yellowknife "running on f**ckin fumes". To save fuel Capt. Devon makes much of the 3-hour journey at 11,000 feet with no oxygen. (legal in USA, not so much in Canada.) Headache, anyone?

Okay, this is not meant to be a smart assed comment, but an honest question regarding this section of the CARS from someone who doesn't know better.

CARs reference:
Entire period of flight exceeding 30 minutes at cabin-pressure-altitudes above 10,000 feet ASL but not exceeding 13,000 feet ASL

I don't have all the data...and I'm just trying to think this through...but Cabin Pressure Altitude would also be density altitude right? If it was cold enough and the air dense enough, would it be permissible for an unpressurized plane to fly at 11,000 feet if the cabin pressure altitude(density altitude) is below 10,000 and thereby still be within the regulations?

Here's a calculation:

Altitude 11,000ft
OAT -30
Altimeter 30.14
Dewpoint -40

Equals a density altitude of about 8,460 feet.

I guess the gist of my question is: Are Cabin Pressure Altitude and Density Altitude in an unpressurized aircraft the same thing and if so, would it be legal for me to fly given the example above?

[RVgrin]

I guess the gist of my question is: Are Cabin Pressure Altitude and Density Altitude in an unpressurized aircraft the same thing and if so, would it be legal for me to fly given the example above?

The generally accepted definition of pressure altitude is the altitude indicated on an altimeter set to 29.92 (ISO standard). To get to density altitude you have to adjust for non-standard temperature. So "no, they are not the same thing" and "no, it would not be legal to fly for more than 30 minutes at the altitude in your example". Turning your cabin heat off at 11,000' does not make you legal.

A more interesting question is "would a flight at this higher altitude be physiologically the same as flying at a lower altitude with an equivalent density altitude?". In other words, does a pilot feel the same at two equivalent density altitudes that are at different pressure altitudes?

The answer here is, again, no. By the time the air reaches your lungs it has warmed and humidified to pretty much the same temperature and dew point regardless of ambient conditions, leaving pressure altitude as the only significant variable.

For a detailed answer. see: http://www.dr-amy.com/rich/oxygen/

[ArcticKat]

Thanks RV. I knew that pressure altitude and density altitude were not the same thing, it was the addition of the word "cabin" that threw me off because the cabin pressure altitude of a pressurised plane can be significantly lower than the actual altitude of the plane, yet the cabin pressure altitude of an unpressurised aircraft would be the same as the current altitude.

It just seemed to make sense to me that if the density altitude was lower than the pressure altitude that the physiological effects would be reduced. Then again, the only time we are really concerned about density altitude is during take off and landings I suppose, and aside from some performance issues it is not really something we consider during cruise. Additionally, I hadn't considered the fact that cabin heat would reduce the density within the cabin either...good thinking there.

[Canuck223]

Part of me can not fathom how Buffalo can stay in business? I'm not suggesting Joe is a poor businessman, but I look at the fleet of aircraft, the hangers and buildings, and the associated equipment, and wonder how much charter and freight work must be generated to support the costs.

I love the show, but hate the phony drama. I love learning about some of the problems, challenges, and unique solutions to northern aviation. I particularly like listening to some of the crew explaining the background behing the problem/solutions.

[DHCdriver]

Was just wondering why no tailwheel ski was being used ? Is that normal? Good to see this part of the operation. Eventually those days will come to an end, hopefully not. Cheers.

[ArcticKat]

Not that I have all the answers, but from what I've gleaned from the show is that YellowKnife is only a small part of the operation. Buffalo has 28 aircraft in operation and bases in Red deer, Edmonton, and up North. One can assume that during the summer months they put those water bombers to work too.

[RVgrin]

They also appear to make some money buying and selling specialty aircraft. Probably have juicy contracts with Canada Post, and a bunch of other government agencies. Anyone know if they get direct government subsidies for servicing remote communities?

Even if not, most of their revenue likely flows from our tax dollars one way or another. Moving gov't staff and welfare-recipients over great distances of rock and snow...

Did you see that RCMP member get a whole plane to move his 10 year-old clunky big screen TV and other junk from one frozen nowhere-ville to another.