Wednesday, November 25, 2009

And This Makes Three

"And those small dots...blockin' our path? I supposed it's too much to hope dat's just snow."

Today is Hallowe'en. It snows all day again. The GFA includes snow, freezing rain, and a gigantic, ugly, trowelly low wrapped around the north. The shape is like a fist with one giant focused finger of weather pointing from here to our destination. We're supposed to be there today starting work. But at least the customers waiting for us will have the same weather, so we couldn't have worked anyway.

The town Hallowe'en fireworks display is cancelled because of the snow. They'll have it next weekend instead, probably. For most Canadians, public fireworks displays are more of a summer thing, like for Canada Day but fireworks work best in the dark, so in the north they save them for winter holidays. Literally save them, as Ottawa gives municipalities grants to celebrate the nation's birthday with fire, but allows northern communities to take the grant and shift it to a more appropriate date. I meet someone from way up north, I can't remember where, who says they let theirs off to celebrate the first sunrise of winter, a tiny peek of the sun on the southern horizon, only lasting a few minutes. I think she said it was in late January.

After nightfall, the snow stops falling and we make plans to get the eight a.m. shuttle to the airport, and fly out of here.

15 comments:

GPS_Direct said...

Just a question...

Having lived through some horrendous blizzards in the Twin Cities, I can understand waiting out the snow fall. But, the day it first started to fall, you aborted the flight due to lowering ceilings. Since I'm certain you are IFR rated, is the plane not appropriately equipped? Or are there no Navaids nearby? Perhaps no approaches?

The 60th parallel is up there, but I wouldn't have thought it was far enough to rule out IFR flight.

Verification word: quisi. Maybe you didn't file since a coworker gets quisi in the goo.

Aviatrix said...

Mumble mumble autopilot mumble mumble single pilot SOPs mumble mumble.

Chad said...

Translation: In commercial operations single pilot IFR is only allowed with a functioning autopilot.

E said...

Having grown up in the "lower 48" I was used to fireworks on the 4th of July at about 8pm... I moved to Alaska in 2004 (and have moved again since) but remember seeing the "4th" of July fireworks at about 12:15 am on the 5th of July. A bit weird to get used to. They also do a bigger fireworks display at a ski resort near Anchorage at New Years though... probably at about 3 PM after it's dark.

GPS... thanks for asking the question I've been thinking the past three days. I was thinking it might have been icing.

Aviatrix, I'm sure you could handle single pilot IFR with no autopilot... but what would you think if you read an NTSB report about a pilot who didn't make it flying single pilot IFR with no autopilot? I work in an aviation safety job right now so my mind always is looking at the safety aspect.

Aviatrix said...

E your question doesn't make a lot of sense. I'm having a hard time not interpreting it as a preachy accusation of having flown IFR without a legally equipped airplane. I haven't, and I'm not going to and that's it.

gmc said...

Do you not have two "functioning" human pilots on board? I'm curious why that doesn't qualify for commercial IFR? You mumble SOPs so I'm guessing it has something to do with the company procedures/certification etc..

"let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooowwwww."

Aviatrix said...

We have two pilots. We don't currently have two-crew SOPs.

GPS_Direct said...

Ah, that clears it up. You seem to operate 99% single pilot - except when ferrying - so I can see the lack of dual SOPs.

Of course, I was leaping to the conclusion that when you said "we," you were referring to the flight crew. Now that I think about it, the "we" could have signified you and an Equipment Operator that your company provides...

Maybe you need some "cool" acronym like the military uses for "backseat" guys - WSO (whiz-oh) for Weapons System Officer, or EWO for Electronic Warfare Office, or something like that...

Anonymous said...

LMAO... I can see it now! Here she sits cursing at the laptop and her company at the same time. "I told them they should've done that this past summer so we wouldn't be here again!" MUMBLE MUMBLE.

Keep up the good work, or lack of it.
LT

Traveller said...

Could use the generic 'GIB' (guy-in-back).

A Squared said...

hmmm, the the US you would have been long gone. First off, in Part 135 (commercial flying) Ops, the second pilot or autopilot is only required when carrying passengers for hire. More to the situation at hand, this wouldn't be a commercial flight. As I ub=understand it you are only positioning the airplane, not transporting passengers or property for hire. A positioning flight would not be subject to part 135 requirements; it could be conducted solely under part 91 (general flying regs)

I was scratching my head wondering why you didn't fly IFR out of there also. I didn't realize how much more restrictive the Canadian regs are.

Aviatrix said...

In Canada, the regulatory barrier between private and commercial flights appears as soon as the pilot is paid or otherwise compensated for the flight.

E said...

Not my intent at all to be preachy. Sorry it came off that way.

In my aviation experience there have been a lot of rules that I have followed while mumbling under my breath about them, full well knowing they were there for a good reason. Just knowing that others under different circumstances (i.e. non-commercial) could legally do whatever it is I wasn't allowed to do was the source of my grumblings. I apologize if my thought process applied to your "mumble mumble" was inaccurate.

Keep up the good work (both flying and blogging)!

Sarah said...

I love the idea of fireworks in the depths of winter. The clarity in the dark, and the sound - the report from the cannon shells must be incredible in -20 degree air. Best to fire them off in a finale burst though, I'd not like to stand outside a long time to watch.

Aviatrix said...

Thanks E. It all goes to show that I should speak clearly and not mumble. Between Chad and Anonymous 22:31 you guys have translated the mumbling pretty well, but now I see what you were reading, too.