USA - Eureka: routing and fuel

[down north]

To give you an idea of the user fees at the Eureka Weather Station. PM me if you have questions.

[down north]

I have been thinking about your trip.

If I were you my routing for the first leg would take me from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay via overflying Lupin Mine (65°45'33.24" 111°14'57.01") and Bathurst Inlet Lodge (66°50'60.00" 108° 1'60.00"). Lupin Mine has a nice long strip should the weather go bad along the coast. As previously stated during the summer months the Arctic enjoys a surprisingly high amount of VFR days. That being said I have seen the weather change very quickly without very little warning. You might be able to find a drum of AVGAS for emergency use at Lupin. Mind you who knows how old the fuel might be. Boyd at Bathurst Inlet Lodge is known to stock drums of fuel but at a very high premium. Adlair has a supply of AVGAS at Cambridge Bay. Have not used them since last summer so call before you go.

My next leg would be Cambridge to Resolute Bay. 100LL in Resolute Bay would be a problem. Call the airport and get in touch with Aziz. He runs the show over there, owns the hotel, and pretty much controls the supply of aviation fuel. He may have some 100LL in drums but at a very very high premium. The man loves money and I'm sure he can arrange anything for the right price. He's the only guy I've heard of who had delivered and owns a Benz north of 70. If no luck I believe Summit Air in Yellowknife runs a supply run to Eureka from Yellowknife or Iqaluit via Resolute Bay every 2 weeks or so. I hear the flights are generally fully loaded but it would not hurt to call and see if they can send a drum of 100LL for both Resolute and Eureka. I believe Aziz also controls what gets on these flights. Last option might be Kenn Borek to bring in fuel from down south on a supply run into Resolute.

AVGAS in Eureka would be a big challenge. If you had any sort of mechanical problems up there you would be in a world of hurt. The only way to get a mechanic up there would be to charter an aircraft to fly someone in. We're talking big bucks here.

If you have time you could always have 100LL brought into any of the coastal communities on the Summer resupply ship/barges. You would experience the least headaches taking this option.

Your trip is certainly doable, but with some good planning and logistics.

I plan on flying my Cessna from Yellwoknife to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk via Whitehorse and Dawson City along the Alaska and Dempster highways. Not quite a Eureka endeavor but a great trip non the less.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[sheephunter]

Down North, keep in mind that digits is coming from Florida and to fly Eureka via Yellowknife takes him a long way to the NW to head NE. However, your information is excellent and is well worth taking notes of and weighing all options he has. This is quickly approaching. The rates for Eureka are somewhat surprising. Most appear to be very expensive while others are not too far from what you would expect although $120.00 dinner in Eureka may not be quite the same as one in NYC but $300.00 to get to and from the airport once each way is a little spendy especially if you do it 2 or 3 times a day for a week or so.

[down north]

digits, I'm wondering what you have decided in regards to routing.

A trip along the eastern Arctic would be hard to plan as last time I checked Churchill no longer supplied AVGAS. I guess you could always go Thompson direct Rankin but that is a bit of a long haul.

[NunavutPA-12]

Getting the fuel in place via sea-lift has practical limitations: 1) you'd have to make your trip the following year since sea lift normally arrives at the time of the year when the weather starts becoming not-so-great, and 2) you'd have to have a trustworthy individual or company look after your fuel for about ten months.

This is the rig you need!

Larry

[digits_]

Hello again,

I got the price list from Eureka. I'll walk to the Weather station, camp outside (which is allowed), and bring my own food. So that leaves 280 $ for the takeoff/landing and 20$/day for utilities in the station

The routing at the moment is:

CYQA CYKX CYMO CYPO CYYQ CYRT CYYH CYRB CYEU CYGZ CYRB CYUX CYFB CYAS CYMU CYKQ CYUY CYQA

I contacted Aziz for the expensive as hell fuel drums. I'll get in touch with Summit Air.
Kenn Borek air doesn't have/sell/transport AVGAS.

The maintenance problem if something breaks down is still my main concern. Soo far, I haven't found a solution for that.

I'll definately keep you all posted. I'll see if the spot device has a track function, I have no idea. I hope it does, that way you can all come and rescue me if the plane breaks down
Any mechanics on this board ?

Regards,
Digits

[culver10]

He is a SPOT example of a fellow flying to Alaska http://share.findmespot.com/shared/face ... W5UOArqQuf it is a GREAT very safe system!!

[just curious]

You can talk to Art, when he gets back from the Pole, about buying the fuel he has positioned at YRB and YEU.

I see you have Grise Fiord on your return itinerary. While a magnificent spot, you will want to talk with the pilots at resolute bay regarding the safe wind limits there Just a little bit of wind on approach makes Grise a very dramatic arrival.

[NunavutPA-12]

Yes - Grise Fiord can be a challenging airstrip for sure.

Keep in mind that SPOT uses the Globalstar a geo-stationary satellite and therefore might not be useable much past the mainland coast. Works where I am at 67-30N but maybe someone can comment on how far north it's good to.

The Iridium sat-phone uses a constellation of polar orbiting satellites and is good anywhere, right to the pole. DON'T take a Globalstar 'phone - they just don't work reliably (or not at all) when north of the Arctic Circle.

[sheephunter]

Nunavut-PA12, Good info. I did not realize that spot worked off the Globalstar Sats. As far as Globalstar sat. phones, they are junk and if anyone argues elsewise... please buy mine from me. My old Iridiums work anywhere in the world that I have been so far.

[jspitfire]

You can talk to Art, when he gets back from the Pole, about buying the fuel he has positioned at YRB and YEU.

Is that the 'Antarctic Air' Cessna 185? I saw it in Cambridge Bay yesterday, heading south. According to his website he didn't make it past Eureka due weather.

[just curious]

That would be the one.

[SAR_YQQ]

I'll walk to the Weather station, camp outside (which is allowed), and bring my own food. So that leaves 280 $ for the takeoff/landing and 20$/day for utilities in the station

What is the time frame for your trip again? The snow is not completely gone from Eureka until early July. Nevertheless if you are up there between June - Aug, there will be a sizeable military presence. Like I mentioned before, drop in camp <can't miss it as they are right beside the runway> and say hi to the folks there. If you smile enough they might even have a bunk for you to stay in for the night.

[digits_]

I'll walk to the Weather station, camp outside (which is allowed), and bring my own food. So that leaves 280 $ for the takeoff/landing and 20$/day for utilities in the station

What is the time frame for your trip again? The snow is not completely gone from Eureka until early July. Nevertheless if you are up there between June - Aug, there will be a sizeable military presence. Like I mentioned before, drop in camp <can't miss it as they are right beside the runway> and say hi to the folks there. If you smile enough they might even have a bunk for you to stay in for the night.

I'll be in Eureka sometime between 13th and 25th of july, depending on the weather. I'll put the military camp on my list of things to visit Thanks again!

[medEvac]

a true challenge, WEATHER, fuel, route and maintenance

i know its been said but filter, filter, filter. make sure the drums are sealed, unopened and take a sample. last year in rankin inlet there was a small twin on route to europe that had a double engine failure due to contaminated fuel. m and t in yrt sold a drum of bad fuel and it was use at your own risk. no liability! apperently it was a drum full of the fuel samples from the tanks.

be certain of all your fuel as it was said before the fuel is years old and if the drums arnt full they go bad, they lose their vapors and collect moisture.

[digits_]

One more question: do any of you know what the most northern location is, where I can get a normally priced faa valid 50h/100h maintenance for a N-registered C172 ? I found some addresses around the US border, but a little bit more north would give me more margin in case of bad weather etc.

Thanks!

[NunavutPA-12]

I imagine Resolute Bay. Kenn Borek should have a mechanic based there during the summer. Whether they'd be willing to do the work - I don't know. Give them a call.

[just curious]

There will be a half dozen engineers in Resolute. Whether they have sign-out authority on a US Cessna...
Dunno. I'll ask one tomorrow.

[digits_]

I contacted Resolute Bay (First Air) but they can't do it.

Contacted Kenn Borek air in general, but they don't do maintenance on a C172 either.

Soo far the most northern I found is in CYCN.

Iqualuit was going to call me back, didn't hear anything, so doesn't look good either.

[NunavutPA-12]

There are a couple of resident C172's in Iqaluit. I wonder where they get their maintenance done?

Call Bert Rose in Iqaluit (867) 979-6424. He has (had?) a C172. He'll be able to give you the info you need.

[Groundloop]

Ask whoever you're renting the plane from to do a fresh 100hr on it just before you pick it up. With the number of hours your trip is going to take they should be willing to do it. Be careful bout having this done at a different shop than the owners as you might be stuck on the ground for up to a week while their waiting for parts. The only 50 hr inspections will be signing off any visual inspection AD's or changing the oil with an additive that any engineer in Canada should be able to do in under 45 minutes.

[digits_]

Ask whoever you're renting the plane from to do a fresh 100hr on it just before you pick it up. With the number of hours your trip is going to take they should be willing to do it. Be careful bout having this done at a different shop than the owners as you might be stuck on the ground for up to a week while their waiting for parts. The only 50 hr inspections will be signing off any visual inspection AD's or changing the oil with an additive that any engineer in Canada should be able to do in under 45 minutes.

Just got confirmation that's what's going to happen

NunavutPA-12, thanks for Bert's number, very big help!

[bezerker]

CYIO. Rumored to be out of gas.

[digits_]

Luckily not me. Waiting for my customs slot to cross the border.

More information soon

[rigpiggy]

Have you set up the spot tracking page?