A JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN AND BACK IN TWO RVs (part I)

...by Jake Thiessen

In March 2007 I delivered a new RV-7 to GLO Custom Aircraft, Inc. in Texas to be painted. I had asked my friend John Howroyd, from Victoria, B.C., to accompany me in his RV-4 to fly cover because the -7 only had 29 hours on the Hobbs. A special ferry permit was issued by FAA Hillsboro, OR enabling me to fly off the final 11 test hours on the flight to the Dallas area. The first day we flew from Independence, OR to Tucumcari, NM . The following morning, March 14th we finished the remaining distance to 52F in 2 ? hours. We had to throttle back to ensure the Hobbs registered 40 hours at touchdown in Roanoke (home base to Doug Reeves). We were fortunate to pick that week for the delivery, because the following weeks were unflyable due to weather in NorthTexas.
During the return trip in the RV-4, with me in the back seat listening to Buddy Holly, John mentioned a trip to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (NT) he was planning in July, 2007. The purpose of the John?s trip was to take his friend Carol to see the Yellowknife area, where she had been a flight instructor 30 years ago. John asked whether I would like to join them on the flight in my RV-9A. After returning to Oregon I checked my GPS for the straight-line distance to Yellowknife and answered in the affirmative. About 2 months later, John called to say he was now considering extending the trip to Tuktoyaktuk, NT. I generally knew my Canadian geography but didn?t know where this place was with a long name starting with ?T?. I did a Google search and found the place locals call ?Tuk?, with a population of 900 on the shores of the Arctic Ocean above the 69th degree latitude. At first I thought that Tuk was remote and too far to take my ?9A. I was also concerned about high fuel prices. The reason for John wanting to see Tuk was that he had spent one summer there 41 years ago working on a research ship out of Victoria. On Memorial Day 2007 I mentioned the planned flight to RV-9A builder, Kelly Wilson, living at the same Airpark where I reside. I asked whether he would be interested in the trip for the experience and to share expenses. Within a few days of my asking Kelly, he agreed to go with the plan. Kelly is retired after a career flying heavies in the US Air Force, Eastern Airlines and Airborne Express. Kelly is a CFI, and a good passenger to have in the right seat. He did a major part of the hand flying even though we had an autopilot onboard.

Fast forward to July 6, 2007. After loading the aircraft with survival gear, some food items, tools, some spare parts and personal effects we were ready to go. The contents of our baggage compartment weighed about 125 lbs. Canadian Customs had been notified that we would be arriving in Abbotsford, B.C. at 12 noon, and that we would have a rifle onboard. Kelly had researched the Canadian rules on firearms and knew what was legal. After filing our US flight plan, we were on our way at 10 am. The border crossing squawk code was obtained after we were north of Seattle. Upon arriving in Abbotsford, we were met by two Canadian Customs officials. My personal experience over many years has been that Canadian Customs officials normally don?t show up in person. After a brief disagreement about the legality of the rifle we were carrying, the officers checked with a higher authority, then issued a permit for a $25.00 fee. We left Abbotsford at 12:20 pm and made a short 15 minute flight to Chilliwack were we topped our tanks, had lunch, then departed for Prince George, B.C., about 2 hours away. Kelly and I stayed in Prince George at a bed and breakfast that was suggested by the FBO. The B & B came to the airport, picked us up and returned us the next morning. I highly recommend the ?Chalet Sans Souci? to anyone passing through Prince George and needing accommodations. Total flight time from Independence, OR to Prince George, B.C. ? 4.1 hours.

Saturday morning, July 7th, John Howroyd and passenger Carol departed Victoria, B.C. about 7:15 am in the RV-4 on a GPS direct flight, over the Coast Mountains, rendezvousing with us in Prince George at 9:30 am. After topping tanks we departed Prince George, crossing the Rocky Mountains shortly after, then continuing to High Level, Alberta for fuel. That leg took about 2 ? hours. The flight from High Level to Yellowknife, NT (largest city in NT) was 2.2 hours. Total flight time, Prince George to Yellowknife ? 4.7 hours.

We spent two nights in Yellowknife at the Bayside Bed & Breakfast. Highly recommended, as it overlooks the shores of Great Slave Lake with a lot of floatplane activity outside the window. For those unfamiliar with Yellowknife, it is the commercial center for Canadian diamond mining, with three producing diamond mines, located about 160 nautical miles north of Yellowknife. In the last 10 years, diamond mining in the NT has become the primary mining, producing billions of dollars in gems. Of course DeBeers, of South Africa is involved in one of the mines. Polishing of the gems is done in Yellowknife adjacent to the airport, providing local employment. Tight security is evident. There is also still a lot of gold mining in the area. For those interested, a Google search will provide a wealth of information about the Canadian diamond mining industry. The story of the two men that discovered the presence of diamonds in the Northwest Territories is in itself a great story. Canadian diamonds are equal to or better than African diamonds, and do not have the reputation of blood diamonds. Interesting points to visit in Yellowknife are the Legislative Building and the Heritage Museum, which includes a lot of early Northern Canadian aviation history.



End Part I

A JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN AND BACK IN TWO RVs (part II)

Monday, July 9th we filed a flight plan for Norman Wells, NT, but a NOTAM advised there was no 100 LL in Norman Wells. After calling Norman Wells we were advised a fuel barge coming down the Mackenzie River, from Great Slave Lake, was expected July 11th. No other fuel was available in the direction of our next leg within RV range. After a delayed departure, preceded by many phone calls to Norman Wells, we were finally assured that they had enough fuel on hand to top two RVs. They couldn?t fill a C-46 or DC-3, but they could accommodate our two airplanes. We departed shortly after receiving that news. About 2 1/2 hours after leaving Yellowknife, flying across flat tundra, and countless lakes, no roads and no sign of life or wildlife, we finally reached the Mackenzie River, which empties into the Arctic Ocean. In another ? hour we had Norman Wells in sight. Norman Wells, with a population of about 800, has a great airport, and modern terminal that accommodates Boeing 737s. The pilot of the 737 unloading and loading passengers came over to admire our two RVs on the ramp. When leaving Norman Wells, the day was still quite early, there was 24-hour daylight, weather was great, so we decided to continue to our most northerly destination, Tuktoyaktuk (Tuk). Weather in the north is subject to major changes from one day to the next, so we didn?t want to take a chance and leave the Tuk trip for the following day. About ? hour after departing Norman Wells for Tuk, we crossed the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is 66 degrees, 33 minutes North of the Equator. Tuk is located at 69 degrees, 26 minutes. Less than 2 ? hours after leaving Norman Wells, we had Tuk in sight on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. There is a 5,000 x 150 foot gravel runway, with a packed sandy surface. Not friendly to props. Even these remote villages that have a fair amount of air traffic, have local trained traffic advisers at the airports giving advisories. Tuk has no vehicle roads to service the community of 900 during the summer season. All shipments in or out during the warm season arrive via air, or barge down the Mackenzie River. During the winter, an ice road is maintained that enables vehicles to drive to Inuvik, about 80 miles inland. Our walk from the airport to the village took about 20 minutes. While walking around the village, we did see one native family cooking down a beluga whale they had killed the day before, for their winter food supply. Whale meat was hung outside around their modest cabin, waiting for room in the half-barrel they were using as their cooking utensil. I must mention, even though we were above the 69th latitude, it was about 80 degrees F. on July 9th. John swam in the Arctic Ocean at Tuk 41 years ago, and did it in our presence again on July 9, 2007. He did not appear to be shivering when he came out of the water.

The Mackenzie River delta area, where Tuk, is located, was our most northerly destination. The Mackenzie River together with two of its headstreams, is the second longest river system in North America. The longest is the Mississippi.

From Tuk we flew back south about 80 miles to Inuvik, where we spent the night of July 9th-10th at a bed and breakfast. The B & B was just okay. Prices in Inuvik were high. While we had planned to stay in Inuvik for two days, we all decided that one day would be enough and would leave the next morning for Dawson City, Yukon. After walking around the village after dinner, we all returned to our B &B. Kelly and I both fell asleep in the living room area and awoke about 10 minutes to midnight. THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHTLY AT MIDNIGHT. We were impressed with the Inuvik airport and terminal, but not a solitary tiedown could be found to secure your aircraft overnight. We did the best we could with a light post and sign post.

We departed Inuvik the morning of July 10th for Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The Dempster Highway, a road completed in 1978, connects Inuvik with Dawson City (476 miles by road). This road follows valleys through the mountains. The flight time to Dawson was 2.4 hours. Dawson City is a tourist mecca. All sidewalks are boardwalks. It is the site of the late 1800s Klondike gold rush, with many of the buildings from that era still being used. There are many things to do and see in the Dawson City area. The airport has a 5,000 x 100 foot gravel runway that is serviced by 48 passenger turbo-prop commuter aircraft. In-flight and departure advisories are available from the staffed flight service station. All flight plans must still be filed by telephone. They only provide visibility, wind and barometric information. We stayed one night at the Downtown Hotel, a vintage hotel that has been upgraded to modern standards and is very comfortable with a restaurant on site. Dawson is the site of the first Canadian gambling casino, now called ?Diamond Tooth Gerties? which is run by the Klondike Visitors Association that uses the proceeds to promote local tourism. A professional can-can show is presented nightly.

We left Dawson on July 11th for Whitehorse, the largest city in Yukon. The flight over mountainous terrain took 2.1 hours. We had no reservations in Whitehorse, and all hotels were full. After calling the sixth bed and breakfast we finally found a place that could accommodate all 4 of us. We rented a car and toured the city, then found our B & B. Actually it was a private house, next door to the B & B that was leased to the operator. We thought we were the only ones in the house, locked the doors and thought we had the place to ourselves. There was a downstairs that we thought was unused. In the morning Carol went downstairs to dry her hair so she wouldn?t wake everyone else, when she found a body in a bed and rushed back upstairs. Unknown to us, the downstairs did have some occupants who gained entry to ?our house? through another downstairs entry. Before discovery of the other entry, we couldn?t figure out how someone else got in. The B & B operator had filled our refrigerator with all necessities and we took care of our own breakfast.

End Part II

A JOURNEY TO THE MIDNIGHT SUN AND BACK IN TWO RVs (part III)

On July 12th we were ready to go at 9 am, but didn?t departed Whitehorse until noon, due to a low overcast that did not improve during our waiting period. We had a flight briefer in Whitehorse FSS that was the most helpful briefer a pilot could ever wish for. His briefing for the area ahead to Dease Lake was accurate. The first 50 miles or so were down low following a road until reaching Teslin where conditions started to improve (as advised) after which we were able to climb to altitude for the remaining flight to Dease Lake under scattered clouds. The leg to Dease Lake, B.C. took 2.1 hours. We fueled in Dease Lake for our next leg to Smithers, B.C. which took 2 hours over high, snow-covered mountains. We again fueled in Smithers with our final destination being Raven Field which is John?s private airstrip identified on Canadian charts
as CML2, located about 15 miles northwest of Victoria International. We crossed the Coast Mountain range near famous Whistler Mountain ski area, exiting near Squamish, crossed the Straits of Georgia, which separates the mainland from Vancouver Island, and then turned left for the final 20 miles to CML2. We arrived at John?s home base at 8:15 pm, after a 7+ hours flight from Whitehorse. We had substantially completed our journey, except that Kelly and I still had to clear US Customs back into the US and fly 1? hours south to Independence.

On Friday, July 13th, on our way to Oregon we had planned to take in Arlington Northwest EAA Fly-in, but morning weather did not permit that. We cleared Customs at Friday Harbor (FHR), had lunch in town and then departed FHR, arriving back at our point of beginning one week after we left at 3:30 pm.

This trip again shows the utility of RV aircraft. It made all of us smile when we got out of our airplanes in Tuktoyaktuk to know we had accomplished what we set out to do. It was interesting that the RV-9A with 180 HP and constant-speed propeller, considerably heavier total weight could not walk away from the RV-4 with 160 HP, fixed-pitch propeller in a climb to 8,000 feet. In cruise, the ?9A needed to throttle back to a lower power setting so the ?4 could keep up without exceeding a reasonable RPM. The 0-360 used about 15% more fuel all around than the 0-320.

The trip ended without any mechanical problems and no major weather issues. It was a great experience for all of us and we were all happy we went. Kelly Wilson and I covered about 4,000 statute miles that week, used 207 US gallons of fuel at an average cost of $5.87/ US gallon. The highest we paid per US gallon in US dollars was $6.66 in Dawson City, the least in Canada in Duncan (near John?s private strip) at $4.92. No engine oil was added during the flight.

RV-9A used 6.98 gallons per hour / Hobbs time- Total Hobbs time for trip 29.6 hours.
7.77 gallons per hour, based on actual flight time from my Garmin 196, which starts recording after gaining 500 feet altitude.

Jake Thiessen
N-194JT ? based Independence, OR. @ 7S5
RV-9A ? 0-360 Lycoming
Hartzell Blended airfoil prop
E-mail: [email protected]


Kelly Wilson based 7S5

John Howroyd
C-FHUM ? based Duncan, B.C. @ CML2
RV-4 ? 0-320 Lycoming
Sensenich prop

Jake,

Great write up--very inspiring!!!

Glad to see that you finished the 7 and can now have some fun with your 9a.!

Best Wishes,

db

Northern Canada Trip

Great writeup. Brought back lots of memories. I lived in Yellowknife back in 73/74 and moved to Inuvik 75/77. Thanks for the writeup.
Russel
RV9A Emp almost done and QB fuse and wings in hanger