Purchasing Property

I placed an offer on 160 acres 8 miles north of Dawson Creek. It is a court order sale so I was unable to "view" the property. Now having ones own plane gives one the opportunity to get a birds eye view of the property. I started with high pictures to capture the entire property and then dropped down for some detail pictures. However I had grabbed near dead batteries so was unable to capture pictures from low. ( click on pictures to enlarge.)

The property I have an offer in is the centre 1/4 section with the forested area in the middle. A house is under construction with the second floor framed over half of the main floor. This construction is built on steel piles. I may complete it for a work shop.

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There is a large new dugout on the property for domestic water supply. There is also a septic cesspool in the forested area.

One double wide trailer and four single wide trailers are on the property but not included in the purchase price. The owner has the option to remove said trailers. There are approximately 40-50 vehicles on the property as well as rows of rolls of hay. If he is unable to come up with all the money owed by Dec. 5th the property will be mine. There will be a lot of clean-up required but it will be well worth it as I believe the value to be a lot greater than what I am paying.

Cross Country Home

We had a couple of weddings we wanted to attend at Abbotsford so I thought it would be a good opportunity to pick up my airplane. I called ahead of time and was told it shouldn't be a problem. That was the 18th. On the 30th Doris & Shaun left for Dawson Creek and I caught a ride with them to the airport. I knew my plane wasn't quite ready but I thought I would sit in the plane and honk. I know how well that works when I'm sitting in the car waiting for Doris.


To make a long story short my plane was finally ready at about 11am the next day. Then the paper work started. They wanted me to fly off 2 hrs. of testing before heading over the mountains. I gave them 30 min. I flew past Cultus Lake. I was impressed with the new found power. I landed and they gave everything a quick check.




I finally took off for Dawson Creek at 1:00. The weather report was clear till about Quesnell. Then there were some low ceilings as well as high winds expected for the north. 40 kt. winds, or 73 km. if you are so inclined. So I knew turbulence was in my future.



The flight to start was very calm winds and smooth sailing. I set my GPS for 100 mile house which is as direct towards Dawson Creek as you can get. If you drew a line from Chilliwack to Dawson Creek you would pass directly between 100 mile house airport on the right and 108 mile house on the left.

When I arrived at 100 mile house I reported my position and requested a weather report to determine if I could possibly fly direct or whether I had to take the pine pass. The report still called for low ceilings ahead so I set my GPS for Quesnell.
Nearing Quesnell the ceilings became lower and lower. I continually dropped altitude to maintain visual. It soon began to snow.



Leaving Quesnell the ceilings lifted somewhat and I was able to climb from 100' above ground to about 4000'. I set my GPS for Prince George.






I am descending in this picture to get under the cloud cover.















I finally ended up approximately 500' above the ground to get through. The snow was light and didn't last very long.
Nearing Prince George is where the winds began. You can see how the clouds indicate a more unsettled front moving in. My ride became a bit more turbulent. I called up Price George tower and notified them of my passing through.

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One could see the exact place where the front was moving through and as I passed under the final edge of it the turbulence was bad enough that I had to slow down to try to calm down the tossing of my poor little airplane. Once clear of the zone Prince George gave me clearance ahead and radar services were terminated. The Sky's cleared up and I figured I could probably make it over the top the rest of the way and set my GPS for Chetwind and Dawson Creek so if I needed to abort I didn't fly too far off course. About 30 min ahead I could see a band of cloud I would need to get over.


Reaching the band I climbed and climbed until I was barely above each cloud I was climbing over. I reached 12,500 feet and had approximately 500' left to go to get over. It is my experience that a cloud bank such as this one begins lower and rises to the centre. Past experience also told me that if I continued I would get myself into trouble so I turned around and headed into a valley.

My GPS doesn't have main roads indicated on it in Canada. I assumed the valley I was in was the one headed for Chetwind. I was wrong. As I got lower I noticed the road I was following ended. The valley split to the right so I followed that and descended into the valley. The clouds became lower and lower in the valley and as I dropped I could see I was in a place I didn't want to be. I'm sorry but I don't have any pics of this area. 70km winds down through a valley is like an amusement ride gone very bad! I applied 10 degrees of flaps and slowed the plane as much as I dared to make as tight a turn as possible on the narrow valley floor. I climbed back up out of the Valley now with a head wind slowing the process.

I had no idea where I was and really wasn't feeling much like flying around looking for the right valley. So I set my GPS for Prince George and headed back. Because I now had a head wind it took me almost 45 min. to get back to Prince George where I spent the night.








I woke early the next morning and called for a weather briefing. The weather report was clear sailing with winds only 30 kts. (55km). It was still dark when I got to the airport. I grabbed some toast and eggs at the airport and headed for my plane. I was disappointed to find my plane covered with frost. I brushed off the frost best I could I checked the oil and added a liter. ( New motors use oil till they are broken in.) I had fueled up the night before and was ready to go. With frosty wings, full fuel, and high altitude it seemed to take a little longer for takeoff. But I had lots of run way. I set my GPS for Dawson Creek.

I could see that same band of cloud 30 min. ahead but I continued on anyway. It appeared to be lower and I was right. I skimmed over the beginning of the ridge at 9,000'

For the next 30 min. or so I just enjoyed the beauty of the clouds.




Once over the clouds I set my descent for Dawson Creek at 200' per min. I was at 11,500' with temperatures of minus 20 degrees c. I'm glad I got my heater fixed as I had nice warm feet. Last time flying in minus 30 temps my feet were soo cold I couldn't walk after landing. The decent to Dawson Creek was uneventful till I was 3 min from landing and I went to make my announcement. My radio didn't transmit. As I flew around the zone trying to get my radio to work I started looking for emergency numbers. Trying to read a book and control an aircraft in 50km mechanical turbulence is quite a feat! I finally got the right person on the phone and received clearance to land. All in all it was a good flight!!

Puzzle challenge Gazebo I built in Chilliwack

Here is a challenge for you. Shouldn't have too much trouble to beet my time of almost 25 min.

Hawaii sunset on ship puzzle

During a Luau in Hawaii. I watched until the sun was centered on the ship. It was a very nice evening!

Forest service rd. Puzzle Tumbler Ridge BC

I received a lot of requests for more puzzles so here's a couple more! Enjoy!!

This one was taken on a forestry service road where we went quading. Ah memories!! There is nothing like getting out into nature.

Do a puzzle created by "me"

I took this picture ,coming home from California, in northern Washington.



Click on picture to "scramble". Enjoy! (took me 10 min.)

First Cross Country Flight

When training for your pilots license one plans a cross country flight with your instructor and then make the flight with your instructor. Your next flight would then be your first solo cross country flight and you would repeat the same course, alone. The usual course for the first cross country out of Chilliwack is a touch and go at Pit Meadows, land at Seachelt, touch and go at Abbotsford, and back to Chilliwack. Of course I had to be different so we planed a touch and go at Pit Meadows, Seachelt, and land in Powell River, touch and go in Abbotsford, and back to Chilliwack.

At a later date I took the picture displayed of a search and rescue aircraft taking off at Tofino. It is not one that I flew. I chose this picture because it displayed the flying conditions of that day. It was mostly sunny with a few scattered cloud. A beautiful day for a cross country flight. A fellow student had booked the aircraft I was using for his first cross country as well and was eager for us to return so he could complete his flight before dark. So my instructor and I quickly did a walk around check and headed for the skys.

It was a short flight to Pit Meadows and I completed a touch and go. A touch and go is when you don't come to a complete stop or leave the runway. Once the wheels touch the pavement the flaps are raised and full power applied and you return back to flight. We then flew along the north shore mountain range past Coquitlam, over Vancouver's infamous Stanly Park, over horse shoe bay where we could see the fairies loading or sailing their course. We enjoyed the beauty of the shore line, flew off course so I could show my instructor a shopping mall in Gibsons that i had been a site supervisor to construct, and completed a touch and go at Seachelt airport. We then continued to Powell river. Flying the shore line of BC is definitely a recommendation for all readers. It was truly an enjoyable flight.

We landed at Powell River and stretched our legs for a bit, and of course a potty break. We then headed back choosing to fly the West side of Texada Island for some new sights. We also made a few deviations to our plan taking in as much site seeing as possible. Unknown to us Chilliwack was quickly, unexpectedly,and unforecasted, being engulfed in cloud which was moving in from the East.

My other instructor, who was waiting for our return so she could fly with the next student on his cross country, knew we were in trouble when, from the view of her desk, the run way began to disappear in a mist of cloud. Knowing we would be touching down in Abbotsford, she called control and requested that they divert us from Chilliwack when we checked in with a radio call. Because our flight had taken longer than expected, and the plane was booked for another flight, we dropped the touch and go at Abbotsford and did not make any radio calls to Abbotsford.

On our return we rounded the south side of the north shore mountains and noted the increased cloud cover. By the time we flew over Pit Meadows I had descended below 2000' in order to maintain ground visibility. By the time I got to Mission I was down to 800' above the fraser river. By the time I got to the pass between the north shore mountains and Sumas Mountains I considered myself to be past my comfort zone and requested my instructor to take control. My instructor took over the controls and began flying back and forth looking for the highway that would guide us to the airport which runs parallel with the highway in Chilliwack. I became very disoriented very quickly. I lost all sense of direction. I knew that mountains stood much higher than we were every direction we could go. I actually thought we were past Chilliwack and my instructor was still searching for the airport. Actually we had just flown to the east side of Sumas Mountain and suddenly we flew into Sumas Valley with more than adequate visibility. I then took over the controls and flew to Abbotsford where we called my other instructor to come and pick us up. Needless to say the next student didn't get to make his flight.

This is another one of my experiences with a flight instructor that I consider to be extremely valuable. Not all students get the chance to experience unusual flight conditions like these. But they can, and do, happen unexpectedly. Even within a 3 hr. flight conditions can unexpectedly change. To have the experience of flying it with someone whom you trust completely is a lesson I wouldn't have wanted to miss for anything. I had complete faith and trust in my instructor and use that experience to watch and avoid similar conditions. Clouds can, and do, come right down to the earth making landing under visual flight rules, well lets just say, rather interesting!

Stormy Flights

If you have been reading my blog you will have noticed that my experiences of flight are in a random order. This blog experience took place during my flight training.

I tried to fly at least once a week for an hour and booked my flight time a week ahead. The day for my lesson was, well lets just say not ideal weather wise. The wind was gusting briskly. Now I've already discussed my views on restrictions. Being restricted by weather is also annoying to me. Even though the thought of turbulence is enough to make me noxious. I still wanted to go flying. Perhaps most people wouldn't consider taking a lesson on a day like that, but I look at it this way: The first time you fly in adverse conditions would you want an instructor sitting beside you or would you rather be alone, or worse with passengers, and find yourself in a situation you have never been in before? I wanted to experience all flight conditions with an instructor by my side. So I took 3 gravel and headed for the airport.

My instructors may have been a bit surprised that I showed up, and I was surprised that they were still there. The head instructor shook his head and said, " don't go". But my instructor was willing to go and we set off in the wind to fuel the plane. As my instructor was fueling up the plane the wind was rocking the plane and yanking the controls back and forth. When my instructor asked me to put in the control locks I told her I already had. We set off and were careful to taxi slowly with the controls placed correctly in the wind so as not to be flipped by the wind. I took off and was informed that it was time to be introduced to instrument flying. What great conditions to start instrumentation. I was very glad I took the gravel.

The first lesson my instructor taught me about instrument flying is why it is taught. A pilot flying into cloud without instruments has a life expectancy of 90 seconds. That's how long it takes to find something to hit. Usually, ( 100% of the time), it's the earth. To drive this point home one lesson was for me to establish straight and level flight. Once I was comfortable with the established flight I was to close my eyes and continue with straight and level flight. Then I was told I could open them when I was sure that I was straight and level. I didn't believe I was. I knew I was ok directional but felt that I was descending. Then I heard the stall buzzer indicating I was about to stall from climbing beyond my ability to maintain flight. So I dropped the nose of the plane. The instructor then asked me how I thought I was doing. I stated that I was still ok directional but once again descending. She told me to open my eyes. I was about to stall in a climb and was 90 degrees off course. This all happened in about 15 seconds.

Another lesson we often did was where I closed my eyes with my head down. My instructor would put the plane through several maneuvers so I no longer knew whether we were going up, down, left, right, or any combination thereof. Then my instructor would state, " you have control!" at which point I had moments to assess the "unusual attitude" and react accordingly with the appropriate control.

Once my lesson was up we headed back for the runway. Needless to say my approach to land was less than satisfactory. My instructor took control and circled around in order to "show" me how to land when weather conditions were less than ideal. Now I might add in here that this instructor trained in Ontario where the wind always blew so she was in her element. When we were on final, about 800' above the ground, we hit a gust of shear wind that turned our plane 90 degrees in a fraction of a second. My in stinks took over before I even thought and I grabbed the controls to level the aircraft. I looked at my instructor and she just smiled at me. Moments later we dropped as though there was no air below us. Now I'm thinking, " How in the world can you land when you can't control the aircraft better than this??" It is called "ground effect". Once an aircraft is within half the distance to the ground as the length of the wingspan the air pushing off the ground helps to stabilize your flight. Now if the first time I had ever encountered such conditions, and if you do any serious flying at all you will, for the first time when I was alone I don't know if I would ever have the courage to get the plane anywhere close to being within ground effect. Though the flight left me rather noxtious the rest of the day, I went home straight to bed, I have never regretted going out that day. I have been in worse situations since.

Last December my son was flying into Grand Prairie to be with us for Christmas. The wind was quite strong but I was determined to pick up my son by plane. It is about a 1 hr. 10 min drive to Grand Prairie from Dawson Creed. Why drive if you can fly?? I left in time so, should I abort the idea of flight, I still had time to drive. I fueled up the plane and fired it up. Sitting warming up the engine the controls would snap with the wind causing me to hold the controls very tightly. I taxied to the runway and took off. No sooner had I lifted off I burst out laughing thinking about my son flying back with me. It would for sure be the last time my son would EVER step into a small aircraft. I radioed control and notified them that I would be remaining in the circuit and landing as turbulence was too great for flight. On my approach for landing I had full rudder and turned way into the wind to keep from drifting off track. I was actully quite impressed with my landing. In the dark no less. A vehicle approached within the runway taxiway and waited for me. I stopped in the parking area and walked over to the vehicle.

"Oh it's you!" stated the airport maintenance manager. " You've got balls!" He then told me about the last guy who flew in similar conditions and he took out the papi lights. That landing cost him several thousand dollars. My total flight time: 5 min. I later learned wind gusts were up to 80 km. per hr.

Night Flying

As soon as I achieved my private pilots license I began working on my night endorsement. I'm not one to enjoy any restrictions on me. To have a pilots license without a night rating would drive me nuts. I'm not a time watcher at the best of times and to have to be watching the time as to when you can fly and when you can't would be far too restrictive.

One time that nightfall would have become restrictive is a trip I made with my wife, Doris, from Dawson Creek to Abbotsford. Now this should be a 4 1/2 hr. trip at best. Unknown to me my motor was very tired and was insidiously loosing power. Trips were taking me longer and longer. I just thought that I was the unluckiest pilot in the world as the wind was against me no mater which direction I flew. After all the engine only had 1/2 the hrs of life expectancy.

We left Dawson Creek after Doris finished work. Plenty of time to make it in daylight. Once again I was determined to fly direct. After all this is the most economical means of transportation. And once again there was a cloud cover just above the rocky mountains. The clouds were heavily scattered and I began flying under, over, and around in an attempt to get over the top. At one point I reached 13,300' above sea level before the clouds began to lower and break up. I was able to drop back down to 10,000' above sea level.

After almost 4 hrs. of flight, and not being close to our destination, I began to calculate how much fuel i had on board. I have a tendency to error on the side of too much fuel. I don't like the anxious feeling one gets as a pilot without enough fuel. I once asked my instructor which was better: to be overweight and have extra fuel, or be under maximum weight and barely enough fuel. I knew he couldn't give me an illegal answer, such as to fly overweight, but i did like his answer. He said, " The only time you have too much fuel is if you are on fire!"

The sun was setting quickly and my gps told me were were approaching 108 mile house. Feeling the need for a leg stretch, (and pee break), I decided to drop down and pick up a bit of fuel just to make sure we would have enough. 108 mile house has pilot activated runway lighting so I activated the lighting, entered the traffic pattern and landed. After all there were few airports between 108 mile house and Abbotsford with lighting. Something to consider should the flight not go as planned. Most small airports have self serve fuel stations so I pulled up along side the pumps. A gentleman approached us and by now the idea of a pee break was a little more urgent. He instructed us where there was a washroom we could use and we were off. Upon return we found that he had filled us to the rim with fuel. So now we set off once again getting close to maximum weight with fuel for another 6 +hrs. of flight.

By now dusk was well underway as we left 108 mile house and headed directly for Abbotsford. Darkness quickly developed and all indications of any horizon soon faded away. Flying direct left no highway or civilization below us causing any visual below to be black. This darkness blended with the dark horizon which blended with the darkness of the night sky. Even the stars gave little light. The eye strain of trying to establish a horizon while maintaining our course became very tiresome. The lighting required to read the instruments just made looking out that much darker. Finally I just quit looking out and began to fly strictly by instruments. I may as well have been flying in the clouds for all one could see.

After approximately an hour of flying by instruments I could see horizon ahead of us. This horizon was created by all the city lights of Vancouver and the valley. We were about an hour from our destination. I could once again fly by visual. We arrived in Abbotsford just after control said "good night". We parked our plane and called our son to let him know we had arrived and he could pick us up. Total flight time almost 6 1/2 hrs.

The engine made that trip two more times before I brought it in for an annual check-up and the mechanics found iron filings in the oil filter and iron slivers in the screen. I am now waiting patiently while the entire motor is rebuilt to factory specs. 0 time as it is called. Some day soon we will once again sore with the eagles.

Clouds

One morning I was gathering supplies to repaint a suite. Each time I would go outside the skies would beckon to me. After the third or forth time I couldn't take it anymore, so I grabbed my flight bag and headed for the airport. ( click on pictures to enlarge! A must if you want to see any details.)


These pics are near Chilliwack. This was one of the most memorable of my flights. Never before, or since have I seen clouds soo perfect for exploring. I was sure glad I went.




The clouds started around 2000' and topped out around 8000'. The puffy whites, ( or cumulus for you more technical folks), were spaced far enough apart that I could fly under, around, or over and still maintain view of the ground. Click on picture to see the city.



The above picture is looking down on Chilliwack. The picture to the right is just east of Chilliwack overlooking the Fraser River.



More holes over the Fraser river.






These clouds are framing the Vedder mountains along the east side of Sumas valley.




I've arrived at the tops of the clouds. You have to click on this picture to see the deep valley.






You can see the mountain tops peaking out above the clouds. Sunny skies from here on up!


Doesn't it just make you want to jump into the puffies? Not recommendd. The darker tips sticking out are quite hard!



Here the altimieter shows that we are at 10,150' above sea level and climbing at 200' pr. min.



It is very peaceful up here. The cares of the earth are long gone.





Mt. Baker stands majestically above the clouds.


Mt. Baker below at 10,800' above sea level. Well time to go back to reality and get that suite painted. Happy flights!!