VAF logo sightings

Hi Doug and all

I'm spending a month in a kind of interesting location that not a lot of RVers are likely to spend any time in so I thought I would post a photo of Dougs logo from here.



the Photo is taken standing on the end of the most northern public use airport in North America. Grise Fiord. The runway is packed snow over gravel and is 1950 feet long. Twin Otter territory, or Pilatus PC7's which the police force I work for flys. Girse Fiord is on the south coast of Ellesmere Island in Canada's far north. We have a two man detachment here and I am filling in for a month. My first trip to the far north. Everything in this town is supplied by a yearly sea lift or by weekly Ken Borak Air twin Otters.



this photo is taken from the same spot, but looking back at the approach to the runway. Large mountain in the way. The approach lights curve to the right. Landing aircraft can only level from a curving approach very close to the runway. The departure end is not much better, rising ground and a big mountain to the left and right.

Not likely any one without the ability to tanker fuel in a piston aircraft would come here, only turbine fuel available.

Anyway Doug or monitors.....hope this meets the criteria for posting on the site.

Joe Hine
RV4 C-FYTQ
Fredericton N.B.

Hi again

Just checked my post and I don't see the images. When I click edit, the links are there, so I don't understand why the images aren't in the post.....any help?

Joe Hine

The "masked URL" fixer strikes again.....

Thanks Iron.....what did I do wrong?

wow... beautiful, and barren... nice approach.. LOL have fun up there!!




i can imagine that a 2 man det can get pretty old pretty quick!

That was awesome, Joe! Thank you for giving the site a shout and me a smile. Going to GoogleMaps now to see where you are .

b,
d

update:
GoogleMap link - that looks COOOLLLDDD.

Cool guy

That's my buddy Joe... He's responsible for getting me into this whole RV thing. He even got the Van's finder's fee for it.

I've been up around there in December when it's dark for 24 hrs a day, It seemed a little unusual when the PIC asked the radio operator to turn down the runway lights because they're too bright and it's 12:30 in the afternoon.

It's amazing country and unique culture.

Hello Joe

It's amazing country up there for sure. It's Kenn Borek Air Ltd. by the way, I know as that is my employer. I spent Christmas in Resolute Bay and the little daylight on the horizon was really neat to see. If you check out Resolute on Google Earth the resolution is really good, not sure about Grise Fiord.
That far North you are going to see twin engine turboprops almost exclusively.
Have not seen it in the summer with the 24 hours of daylight.
Phil

Thanks for the responses guys. I knew I had spend Borek wrong when I read the post....figures there would be someone who works for them on the list. Sorry! They do a great job of supplying the town though.

Doug it is still very cold...-27 this morning, but the funny thing is if I had YTQ here I think I would be able to fly off the airport. Not very much snow. This area is an arctic desert and doesn't get much precipitation. There is way more snow still on the ground at home 2500KM south and I still wouldn't be flying if I was home.

Joe Hine
C-FYTQ RV4
Fredericton NB (Grise Fiord NVT for three more weeks)

Great White North

HI buddy! I haven't been on the vans site for a bit and was going back a few days when I came across your article. Nice country up there Joe. I spent 6 months in Alert from Nov 88 until May 89 doing the weather for the military and running the airfield. I know all about 24 hour daylight and darkness. For those that don't know where Alert is it is on the Northeast tip of Ellesmere Island about 200 miles from the North Pole. It is Canada's most Northerly Station and is run by the Canadian Military and AES(Atmospheric Environmement Services). AES launches weather balloons there and the military due weather observations and briefings up there. The airliners fly over the Alert Tacan on there way from Europe to Anchorage Alaska and on to the Far East. They also fly back the other way also. It was amazing how much air traffic is up there. I got to talk to alot of pilots over the radio in my 6 month tour. I'll give you a call when you get back Joe. Are you going to be around on the 16-17 May in Freddy. Dylan is having his Air Cadet Final Parade that weekend and Dad and I are going up for it. We are taking the RV4 Radio control models up for display. You haven't seen my new 1/4 scale RV4 yet. Joe drop me a email at [email protected] Latter buddy! Brian(future RV4 owner)