TALES OF A WAYWARD AVIATOR

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:30 pm

When are you coming over?

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 1:48 pm

I am sure it will be Sunday. I will phone Sunday AM.
Back to the top.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 7:37 pm

Here is a link showing the sistership to "Hyperlas" , the 54 foot yacht that I have been invited to crew next month on her maiden voyage from San Francisco to Vancouver.

Interestingly , the skipper/owner is the chap that made me fly his Pitts S1S.

We are setting up an e-mail reporting system where our progress can be charted online.

Should be fun.

Sometimes it's tough being a Duke.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 10:38 pm

.

I have been somewhat tardy in writing lately mainly due to a daunting event regarding my upcoming date with infinity.

The oncologist sat across the table from me at the Surrey Cancer Clinic and told me his version on my situation.

He told me I was going to die.

Pain management is the next thing for me , he says.

With movements devoid of flourish and with a professional monotone , he explained with the use of graphs and statistics that the general population survived this long if you did this... blah blah blah....this long if you did that....blah blah blah...

I spied the weakness in his arguement right there : I pounced !!

"How dare you include me in the "general population !" says I ... he laughed.

So anyhow , we disagree on when this event is forecast to occur.

I told him I will continue to buy green bananas.

Phlyer · Post by **Phlyer** » Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:14 pm

I look forward to your stories greatly. I hope I will get to read many more of them - better still to meet you and hear them first hand.
Keep up the good fight Duke - my prayers are with you.
FF

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:13 am

.

Well I spent the last four days over on Vancouver Island visiting my grandkids with whom I cherish every minute.

A friend flew me over in his six banger Cessna 172 on a nice , smooth , sunny day. Skies through which I had aviated in King Airs and Navajo's in all sorts of sh*tty weather , under stress and usually behind schedule. I loved it though.

I found myself coaching my friend but it is always well recieved.

The secondary purpose of my mission was to do the bottom of my forty foot cutter named Baka.

I accomplished this by sailing her onto the tide grid at high tide which , wouldn't you know it , was at 0100 hours. I secured her to the pilings and waited for the tide to go out. Next morning we pressure washed her clean and off to the paint shop I go.

I was driving along thinking "HHMMmm. Those egg-heads at the cancer clinic said I was supposed to croak this summer sometime..what will I do? Man! I have some decisions to make...Thoughts raced through my mind. Decisions...I had to put some order into these thoughts.

I wheeled into the parking lot and went to the counter to ask for some anti-fouling bottom paint. I told her the brand name.

"Do you want one year or two year paint , the latter being more expensive?." she purred at me.

I'd already made my decision.

"I'll take the two year , my sweet." I proudly postulated.

Mitch Cronin · Post by **Mitch Cronin** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 10:43 am

I think you'd qualify as what some would call a curmudgeon Mr. Duke... Good on ya!

By the by.... it's about flippin' time you piped up in here! Some of us might have been wondering you know!... I know you must think we're all unconcerned unattached never-knew-you types... but some of us could've been your best friends, given the chance... and you've done such a damned good job of letting us know who you are, we do give a s#it!...

so keep in touch will ya? y'ol' curmudgeon you.

Cheers,
Yer would-be pal,
Griffon

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:02 am

A curmugdeon you say Griffon. He He He He..

Well my atti-' ferkin- tude is a lot better now that I know how to plan for a pleasant summer.... regardless of what fate has in store for me.

And friends Griffon , I regard you all that read my tales as MORE than friends.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:27 am

.

I have pinned to the wall in front of me , a memorial card.

A beautiful picture of Mt Cheam take from Cultus Lake graces the cover.

It is titled:

He loved the Earth and Skies

Inside is a picture of young Peter Deck , looking rather dashing in his RCAF uniform proudly flying his wings above the left pocket on his tunic.

And another picture of the aged frame of the old teacher.

January 7th , 1914-Dec 29th 2002

The third picture takes my breath away.

Taken from the cemetary here is a picture of five airplanes flying a perfect V formation . Except that one is missing. A gap .... middle one on the starboard side of the V.

The Missing Man

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:36 am

The missing man formation originated during WW1 where a fallen aviator was honoured by his squadron mates with a fly over of his funeral.

This tradition has been carried out by pilots from the Chilliwack area who are invited to participate. I felt honoured to participate in Peter's flyover.

More to follow....

Phlyer · Post by **Phlyer** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 11:50 am

I heard a good expression once in Africa:
'Keep your pecker up!'

Always fine advice.

North Shore · Post by **North Shore** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 2:13 pm

Duke,

Did you do the sailing trip yet?

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 6:54 pm

We leave Vancouver next Wednesday the 21st for San Francisco.

The" Hyperlas " will have already undergone sea trials so we plan on casting off on Thursday after a day for food provisioning.

It looks like we will have e-mail capability on the yacht so I plan on reporting our Lat/Long to my family every day.

Maybe a post or two to Avcanada can be made.

North Shore · Post by **North Shore** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 7:20 pm

Great! HAve fun! Looking forward to the story (posted here, of course)when you get back.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 11:15 am

Today we fly to SanFrancisco for the maiden voyage of the 54 foot sailing yacht Hyperlas. Our mission is to deliver her to her berth in Point Roberts on the Canadian border. The voyage should be around a thousand nautical miles , maybe ten days... maybe...

We five crew are all offshore veterans but the weather at this time of year is unpredictable and we are bucking the Pacific Current that will rob us of over one knot. We must also stand two hundred miles offshore to avoid the Columbia River outflow and coastal weather.

We met a couple of days ago and our chef , Johnny O , compiled a menu fit for a Royal cruise. I , however , am on a natural uncooked food regimen as part of my cancer battle so I planned for a big bag of trail mix , dates and nuts with some fresh fruit and veggies occasionally. I suggested that they buy trail mix for five because things can easilly go for ratsh*t if we get pounded by a storm or two and the "cock o vin with sauteed mushrooms" gets splattered on the polished teak and origional artworks on this $1.2 million dollar palace.

I am taking two Patrick O Brien novels , "Master and Commander" and "Port Captain" so the nautical flavour and inspiration should be everpresent..

The last sea voyage I completed was San Diego to Hawaii on a mere 32 foot cutter. On that voyage I read The Right Stuff and soon thereafter was to meet . Yeager personally in Australia.

Also , I am the only non gazillionaire on board.

I hope once again to immerse myself in the universe , alone , in the cockpit , on watch as the star scene pinwheels around the North Star Polaris.

But I am ready for battle against the cruel angry sea that has shown me her fangs before.

I look forward to sharing a few sea yarns with my aviator bretheren upon my return.

SOMETIMES IT'S TOUGH BEING A DUKE.

Northern Flyer · Post by **Northern Flyer** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 4:53 pm

Have Fun, I wish that I was going with you. You should bring a deck of cards and lighten some of those billionars pockets.

29chev · Post by **29chev** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:06 am

Back to the ttop with you

hz2p · Post by **hz2p** » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:34 am

I always like to whistle a few bars of the theme to Gilligan's Island (three hour tour ...) as I head out of the harbour.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Sat May 01, 2004 2:39 pm

I cast my eye upon her. I felt a stir in my loins. This fifty four foot sailing yacht sure was sleek. Sleek and panther like .. much like myself.

Skipper Dave had parted with $1.4 million Canadian in order to procure her. She was now his slave.

Skipper Dave , Johnny O , Harry , Larry and the Duke. It doesn't get much better than this.

We cheerfully provisioned her in San Francisco and readied her for the Northward slog up one of the most treacherous coasts on earth... from California to Canada via Oregon and Washington state. We feared for the early summer Northerlies into which we must sail. The other door to hell were the South Westerlies that whipped hard againts the Columbia River outflow. These , hopefully had retreated for the year only to awaken next fall to stare down the south bound mariners.

We cast off on a sunny day and purred along at eight knots out from Oakland into San Francisco Bay , navigating by the GPS moving map with all bouys clearly marked. A few points off the port bow towered the Golden Gate bridge under which we must steam. And steam we did right into a hornet's nest ... fifty racing sailboats hard tacking to weather with no mind for a transitting ocean bound yacht. With deft manipulation of the helm I stroked her through this nest only to be pounded by steep , short white cappers through which she plunged with her fine bow as she carried most of her beam aft in a saucy fashion.

She trembled with excitement as I plunged her.

Duke Elegant · Post by **Duke Elegant** » Sat May 01, 2004 2:41 pm

Northern Flyer

He He He Ha Ha Ha!!

Good one, sir , ... stay posted.

TALES OF A WAYWARD AVIATOR

The Teacher