Military landing planes on Dempster highway for training

[midwingcrisis]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sto ... ml?cmp=rss

[BE20 Driver]

We have really lost our way if the military considers landing on a rarely used stretch (relative to southern roads) of highway a challenge out of the ordinary.
While I commend them for doing something other than circuits in Yellowknife, how is this making the news? Other operators do things like this several times per day, although maybe not on the Dempster.

[jet a1]

we land on the dempster 3 times a week... it's a lot of fun! i'm guessing they just wanted to have some fun as well... like you say most of their monthly flying is touch and goes in yzf. i would assume that if you asked anyone involved with this they would say it's not news worthy, just something to put out there advertising the latest exercise. my heart goes out to the guys flying the military twin otters... first off they have to use the name "vampire" on the radio, they are limited in what they can do with the plane and then they're surrounded by others who are using the twotter to its full ability... and having a good time doing it.
they do have the nicest paint and pensions though

['CauseTheCaravanCan]

and I thought "gonzo" was embarassing

[SAR_YQQ]

Hardly newsworthy at all.. The CO of 440 Sqn certainly didn't help by making it seem like it was out of the ordinary for those crews. They land on dry riverbeds, eskers, tundra, etc on a daily basis. Heck the official run way at Tanquary Fjord is in worse condition than that highway.

FWIW all RCAF call signs are based on tradition and are meaningful in their own way. Vampire is not a horrible callsign to be broadcasting, I have heard a lot worse coming from civilian carriers.

[Moose47]

"first off they have to use the name "vampire" on the radio,"

You make it sound like its a bad thing.

The callsign has been around for many many years. The squadron's heraldic crest has a red bat in front of clouds on it. The bat suggestive of night flying and use of radar, and clouds conditions of poor visibility.

While the squadron was still operating the Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck in the all-weather fighter role, it was nicknamed 'Herbs Batty Squadron' after its commanding officer Wing Commander R. F. Herbert

The mass squadron reloction to No. 3 (F) Wing at Zweibrucken, FRG in May 1957 was called 'Nimble Bat III'.

Cheers...Chris

[BE20 Driver]

I agree. Vampire 7215 is a cool call sign to have. It would have been a cool callsign with aircraft they historically flew. It just doesn't really fit with a big 172 doing circuits 20 hours a month.

Like most of the operators up there, I've landed on way worse than that stretch of the Dempster and not thought twice about it. This article seemed to make a big deal of something a civilian pilot would find routine.

My point wasn't to make fun of the military. I would love to see the government get serious about our airforce. Put our money where your mouths are and really fund the military. We are a northern nation. Most of the civilian pilots out there do a great job of developing the north and flying in some really challenging conditions. It seems that the military would have a hard time keeping up because they now find themselves with both hands tied behind their backs.

[single_swine_herder]

I think Lt Colonel Brophy did an excellent job of describing in layman's terms why they are landing where they are as they ferry in supplies and personnel in support of an exercise "scheme" for the summer in the north.

When the Dempster was under construction about 35 years ago, it was regular everyday stuff to land on the road with all kinds of different aircraft types to fly in parts, food, people, etc. So there's nothing unusual in it today.

Col Brophy no doubt was called for an interview by the reporter, based on his/her questions to DND which would have been generated by a standard issue News Release from the Communications personnel at NDHQ.

"Broph" has a lot on the ball, and has done a very commendable job in turning around 440 Sqdn since he took over as CO.

[Sasquash]

And here I thought Peter McKay was up there hunting and needed a pick up back to the office...shame on me...

[Rowdy]

vampire aka circuit bats

[mcrit]

and I thought "gonzo" was embarassing

What the hell else are you going to call something with a big blue nose?

[randallg]

Drove the Dempster in 1986. There are a few places intended to be landing strips and have signs that say "Watch for Aircraft Using Highway."

[wallypilot]

Drove the Dempster in 1986. There are a few places intended to be landing strips and have signs that say "Watch for Aircraft Using Highway."

That looks like Eagle Plains, no? if not it is mighty similar. I loved flying in and out of there! actually quite a nice strip of road to land on.

[just curious]

Yep, it is...

['effin hippie]

I think the thing about 'Vampire' s is that they are supposed to be supernaturally fast and silent killers.

Which in no way describes a twin otter.

ef

[Shadowfax]

I thought the interview was pretty good considering standard Mil rules - especially conservative Mil rules . Ease up a bit there boys. Brophy is an ex 18 driver and was frontrunner for our astronaut program - honest down to earth guy who earned his way up and with an IQ bigger than most log books. His pa was the best TC examiner on the prairies for a long time. Just don't let him be banker in a game of monopoly....

[single_swine_herder]

Shadowfax .... agreed on all about "Brophy the Younger," and quadruply so with respect to his father, Dave Brophy.

Heaven forbid that somebody should ever make a positive comment about somebody from Transport Canada on this site without provoking sneers, but Dave was a superb fellow that helped countless pilots advance their careers, taught students more on a flight test than they had learned in their entire course of training, and saved who knows how many lives which may well have been lost due to aviation ignorance which he played a large part in eradicating.

[imarai]

According to CADORS, a VAMPIRE busted a strut and collapsed a nose wheel...

[AuxBatOn]

Nice troll assh*le!

[Axial Flow]

He's not trolling, they apparently busted the nose wheel off yesterday.

[redlaser]

Looks like a cool place to land, no trees no obstructions, better than some runways in Ontario.

[linecrew]

Parts of the Autobahn are intended for use as backup runways: Link to photo

I wanna see a C-17 land on the Trans-Canada.