Hugh's aviation autobiography (in detail)

 

Subject: auto-biography for web page "ONE CANADIAN BUSH PILOT"

Date: May 14, 2015 at 5:03:49 AM PDT

    I unexpectedly joined the aviation fraternity in 1962 because another University of New Brunswick student (female) who enjoyed parachuting suggested that as I was training for the UNB Cross Country team that I might go faster and farther if I got airborn !   Falling out of aircraft didn’t nor does appeal .

 

The reason for attending UNB ,begining Sept 1961, was to becoming an Herpetologist (study reptiles & amphibians)!!  The 1st year I enrolled in science courses = bad move  . . . all mathematics. (I remember sitting with my Mother in mid

1940’s at Marathon,Ontario/YSP flashing arithmetic cards at me to answer supposedly simple additions & subtractions)

 

My Dad gave me an ARGUS 35mm SLR camera to take photos during my 2nd summer (1962) in the Canadian Arctic.

I had spare cash in the bank (spent the summer on a ”Distant Early Warning” [DEW Line] supply ship in Canada’s western Arctic - cleared $2,000CDN  for 3 1/2 months (was a 6 month contract subject to arctic autumn storms & ice conditions). UNB tuition about $500 . Lots of free time between my courses.

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Oct 10,1962 - Apr 14,1963 — Thirty days after my 22nd birthday I began initial pilot training at Fredericton Aviation

                            Limited (YFC airport) for the Private Pilot License on their Fleet Aircraft’s “Fleet Canuck 80” (80 HP) "CF-EAX” .The Fleet 80 was great for doing full spins , unlike the mass produced Cessna 150’s & 172’s which take a great deal of effort to do more than an incipient spin ! F.A.L.’s aircraft were NORDO (not radio equiped), so the pilot relied on being able to see the Control Tower Operator’s ALDIS flashing green  authorizing take-off or landing, or red not authorizing the same!   Soloed after 6 3/4hrs ; completed training with a total of 37 3/4 hours , including 5hrs on Cessna 172 “CF-NBH” . Cost $450 less $100 which was Canadian Government incentive  given to Canadian citizens who might eventually join the RCAF [I was one of the last who profited by the discount]. My schooling at UNB not successful (tuition approx $500/yr), but achieved Private Pilot Licence # QMP 4241  issued April 17,1963. 

   

               From 1963 through 1969 lived mostly at my parents’ YYZ/Toronto,Ontario home trying to earn a living in

               aviation;except for brief stints trying to get permanent float/sea-plane paid flying work.

Really & truely hooked into aviation    I always thought of flying as a disease & would do anything to fly !!! On 2 

               occasions my Father phoned flexible plastics manufacturing companies to say Hugh not coming back to work 

September 1963 - May 1964   No flying work so went to winter nightschool classes at Toronto’s Central Tech & Vocational 

                           School. Thought it would be a good idea to learn about the nuts & bolts of Airframes & 

      Aeroengines.  Applied & hired as an apprentice for Leaven’s Bros Ltd . They overhauled piston aeroengines. My job

      was dismantling & seed blasting engine parts @ 90cents/hr . . .after 6 months asked for a raise of 5 cents/hr —

DENIED . . .QUIT .  (John F Kennedy assasinated November 1963 - a radio at work was on at 1630/4:30pm ) 

        August 1964 thru’ February 1965  My Father found a warehousing job for me at the new mine site of Wabush Iron 

                    Mines on the Labrador-Quebec border at YWK/Wabush Lake,Labrador[Iron Ore Co Of Canada ,

                    Labrador City was 5 miles away] .Both iron ore companies utilized Quebec Air’s Fairchild F-27 turbo-

                    prop service to YWK airport .    

               During my 6 months in Wabush , I must have met some of the Wabush Lake Flying Club's members , because 

               it resulted  in a Mr.R.McIntosh telephoning me May 1966 at YYZ . . .wondering if I might ferry  their 

               recently purchased Aeronca 11AC Chief "CF-LFE”  from  ZBM/Bromont-Sweetsburg,PQ(la belle province de 

               Quebec)) to YWK .  As of July 5th,1966 I only had 65hrs PIC (pilot in command time; 91.7hrs total) .

               Only had 70 minutes on an Aeronca 65  (March 5,1965 at  YKZ/Buttonville -N.E. of Toronto. 

   

14 January 1965 issued Restricted RadioTelephone Operator’s Certificate  # 4-5455  by Canada Department of Transport

      March - May 1965  worked for John Inglis (in the foundry's Production Control Dept making hydro electric turbines) 

  

      June 1965       tried selling encyclopedias door to door  (many try , success rate low)

      August 1965     applied to join RCAF , 5 days at Centralia airfield. . . same year as Canadian Gov’t pushing to 

                      get French Canadians to join the various forces; and I discovered that I’m not very good at 

                      solving group problems. The LINK TRAINER session was a piece of cake!

              

      September 1965 - January 1966  shelf stocking clerk for LCBO (Liquor Control Board Ontario) its’ North Toronto

                            store. One of staff had been working for AVRo & lost his job when the CF-105 Arrow 

                            project cancelled Feb 20,1959 

      February 1966 - June 1966   inside sales clerk - Nor Baker Ltd (flexible packaging) <still not good with numbers> 

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July 5,1966 - Tuesday    departed ZBM (south-east of YUL/Montreal near 45 deg 17’ 27” N.Lat ,72 deg 44’ 29” W.Long)

                        via YQB/Quebec city ,YBC/Baie Comeau & YMV/Manicouagan where I overnighted (all stops were to buy 80/87 av.gas) flight time 7.6 hrs . The landing at YBC was interesting . . .50 mph 90 degree crosswind, was able to land into wind on the 200’ wide gravel runway ! Stall speed : 40mph , cruises @ 95mph . Can’t remember my take-off! *** YMV is not an IATA Code (2015)*** ; but, was the designator during construction of the 600’ high hydro electric dam being built at south end of the asteroid formed Lake Manicouagan . The construction crews slept in dormitories below the dam — I was really tired ;but, had trouble sleeping just thinking about the then 300’ water up behind the dam !

July 6,1966 - Wednesday  departed YMV (50 degrees 43’ 32” N.Lat , 68 deg 45’ W.Long)  via YGA/Gagnonville(now Gagnon)  & finally YWK (52 deg 55’ 12” N.Lat, 66 deg 51’ 36” W.Long).  Flight time 3.0 hrs .

  

 Mr. McIntosh refamiliarized me on the flying club’s Fleet 80 “CF-ENW” . Flew 5.7hrs locally. 

July 9th,1966  in "CF-ENW" , we flew west via YGA ,YMV to YQB  ,so I was able to get back to YYZ (bus or train or Air

               Canada ?) flight time 4.2 hrs -he let me log it as PIC,even though he sat in left seat)****.

August 1966 - October 1968  took last 2 weeks of July 1967 to try out for LambAir at YQD/The Pas,Manitoba . Not hired.

 At some point during building flight time toward the Commercial Pilot Licence, I spoke to a Toronto based Air Canada 1st officer who said he enjoyed flying the Vickers’ Viscount 4 times/day  4-5 days/week between Toronto & Ottawa  (YYZ/YOW airports) . That didn’t appeal to me , so spent next 4 years accumulating hours & training to obtain both a “Float/Sea plane endorsement” and a "Commercial Pilot Licence".         

        September 24,1966 - June 18,1967  Commercial Pilot training with Central Airways cost $7.50/hr at 

                                  YTZ/Toronto Island Airport.

                                   

      Near beginning of that training , my Dad commented that I wouldn’t be successful at getting the Commercial 

      Pilot License (he was becoming very discouraged , because up til that time I couldn’t stay in 1 job for very 

      long — mathematics/arithmetic & working inside were all parts of the problem!!

  Many people have a fear of heights : one afternoon I was doing circuits with an instructor flying the left-hand

   downwind leg of Runway 090 at 1,000 ft at same time as the 1700ft CN Tower was being built (I happened to look 

   to right  & realized my reference to terra ferma & FROZE = thank goodness instructor : Stuart B.Wollis realized

   what happened & took the steering wheel , I recovered  a few minutes later! The cross-country exam involved my 

   Private Pilot’ training actual cross-country route so was able to correctly answer the multiple choice questions

   (my mathematics have never been good,just enough to get by !)  200 hours was the minimum flight time required 

   for a Commercial Licence .  Instruction paid from the $350/month  working for Canada Foils Ltd,Scarborough,Ont

                                                                   as a materials ordering clerk

               Commercial Licence instruction Cost $639.29                                                                                           

   

                July 1st-2nd, 1967  Float/Seaplane instruction with Cliff Lewis of Orilla Air Services Limited Aircraft

                             (50 miles north of YYZ on Lake St John (1 mile east of Lake Couchiching/Orillia,Ontario) . 

                  The endorsement cost 217.20 .Then continued building up seaplane hours on their Aeronca 7EC “CF-UBY”

                  & Cessna 172 “CF-PNF” & their wheels only Cessna 172  CF-UIB 

                   Accumulated 88.9 hours.  

      Building additional hours with both Orillia A.S. & Central Airways    Cost $2014.89           

         

                   

                 July 18,1967  Commercial Pilot’s License # YZC 9392 with Sea Plane endorsement (restricted to Single

                            Engine aircraft) 

        Next step was building flight hours to get a paid flying job ? Financing came from working in Purchasing

        Departments of 3 well known Toronto,Ont area Flexible Packaging companies and living at home . Even gave up

        bagpipe lessons with Archie Dewar : Pipe major 48th Highlanders because they were $2.50/1 hour/week (still have 

        the ‘chanter' & lesson song sheets)

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       July 20 - 31st ,1967  with a brand new SeaPlane endorsement 5.2 hrs .Flew as a passenger on a DC-3 ,the 315 miles

                             from YWG (49deg 54’14” N.Lat, 97deg 13’33” W.Long) north-west to YQD; to get my 1st 

           commercial pilot job interview with Tom Lamb “Lamb  Airways" at YQD/The Pas,Manitoba(MB) 53 deg 58’17” N.Lat, 

           101 deg 05’27” W.Long. Not hired - not proficient enough.

     

           I was almost 27 = late starting as pilot jobs go , most start beteen 18 & 22 years! Tom was certainly an

           interesting character ! His 6 grown up sons were running the business .The main base no longer at YQD/Grace

           Lake , had moved 190 miles north-east to YTH/Thompson,MB   55deg 48’8” N.Lat, 97deg 51’22” W.Long

           It was at YQD that I took 2 B&W photos of an A.V.Roe (Avro) YORK trans-Atlantic passenger airliner (a variant 

           of the Avro WWII Lancaster Bomber)  used to haul passengers & construction material  mid to late 1950’s …to 

           build the Distant Early Warning-line in Canada’s arctic at about 71 deg N.Latitude providing radar detection

           of incoming ?? Russian aircraft over the North Pole).

            August 4 - 11th,1968  Many pilots got Instructor Pilot endorsements - I tried for 4.4 hours at Hamilton

                                  Flying Club at YHM/Mt.Hope airport on an Aeronca 7FC “CF-MUS” ...the instructor

           'Mr. R. Spence' sat behind me,communicating through a “speaking tube”. Memorizing each of the 12 lessons was

            not for me ,as I learn “by rote” ! My cost $70.70.

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October 8, 1968  Writing & telephoning to many Canadian 'float plane' companies finally paid off with a phone call from Alert Bay Air Services/ABAS

                           giving me a 1st possible paid flying job  as Dispatcher/Pilot trainee ($225/month) -   at one of their bases - Kelsey Bay,BC located east side of Vancouver Island (midway between YBL/Campbell River and YZT/Port Hardy  = 90 miles in either direction).  [the base only had 1 DHC-2 Beaver pilot].  Its’ office & radios located in the Sayward Hotel (the village of Kelsey Bay’s townsite housed employees & families for McMillan-Bloedel's tree cutting division . 

ABAS main base was at CBC3/Alert Bay on Cormorant Island (junction of Johnstone Strait & Queen Charlotte Sound,near Port McNeil on Vancouver Is , plus single pilot bases at Port Hardy (northeast Vancouver Island , and at CAW8/Shearwater/Bella Bella  ** 30 miles West-South-West from Ocean Falls** 

My prior research said the west coast never experienced thunder storms nor snow !!!! not true.   It was a terrible winter : water lines from mountainside dams froze , snow arrived mid December 1968 & still on the road May 4, 1969. We lived in an uninsulated shack across the road from hotel & had to get toilet water in buckets from the almost frozen over Sayward River. The lack of drinking water meant quickly learning how to drink the hotel’s coffee & scotch, plus periodic beer runs, by car to YBL! At least the highway was paved. 

Work schedules quite reasonable : sunrise to sunset with a week off after 4 weeks (I could be wrong?) . For me that meant taking the overnight bus (only allowed on logging roads at night) from Kelsey Bay to YCD/Nanaimo’s Departure Bay ‘BCFerry' to Horsehoe Bay , then city buses or rental car for the week at my 1st cousin’s house in Kerrisdale/YVR.

February 12 - April 21 ,1969   flew 9.6 hours total accompanied by pilots : D.H.Thompson, Reg Hunt, Dave Hutcheon, R.L.Millet, and Glen Rankine. . . on Cessna 172 CF-MXD ,Cessna 180 CF-WXT, DHC-2 Beavers CF-OCQ and  RQW  .

May 3 1969    the last day of a week OFF in Vancouver area I continued knocking on doors of Vancouver area flying companies.   Thus at  AirWest 

                      (CXH/Vancouver’s Coal Hbr)   got 0.3hr   in a Cessna 180  CF-NZJ  with pilot D.Lumsden.  But not hired !    That evening I returned to

Kelsey Bay.

                 .

May 4 , 1969    was laid-off  by ABAS'  owner & his chief pilot who thought I was too slow a learner, not qualified .    Packed up my belongings, took

                     the  bus that night or following night south  to Vancouver.

The BC Coast is a rough place to start . . .no question !  The big factors are : mountain topography, fog, tides, currents, variable strong, gusty winds .   The latter 4 often combine into confusing crosswise wave action . . . requiring a decision of landing into wind or along or into the biggest waves or not landing, or delaying a takeoff ?  Docking is often interesting because if the tide is stronger than the wind , one docks against the tide !!!

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May 26 1969  hired as a Passenger Agent/Pilot Trainee by BCAL(BCAirlines at CAM9/Vancouver airport’s river base on Sea Island . Was flown on a scheduled Grumman Mallard “flying boat” to their ZTS/Tahsis base 49 deg 55’24” N.Lat, 126 deg 39’17” W.long = half way up Vancouver Island's west coast. The Mallard pilots certainly had their hands full either taking off or landing on the huge swells rolling up Tahsis Inlet (caused by outgoing tide & inflowing westerly winds - the latter caused by summer hot air buildup over land mass).

I flew 1.1 hrs total on DHC-2 Beaver CF-IFQ , Cessna 185 CF-XDA  accompanied by BCAL’s pilots - W. Tweed & D.McArthur respectively.    

BCAirlines ceased flying September 1969. 

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July 9 1969  Quit BCAL as one of my persistant phone calls to other parts of Canada resulted in being hired by GBA-

            Georgian Bay Airways at CPS9/Parry Sound water aerodrome, Ontario 45 deg 20’21” N.Lat, 80deg 02’05” W.Long. (east shore Georgian Bay). I was very lucky that they held the position, while I took Greyhound bus from Vancouver to Parry Sd .

July 14 1969  Finally being paid  $225/month + 4cts/mile to fly commercially after 1.4hr check-out on GBA’s PA-18 

             Supercub CF-LAI , with pilot R.Grant . 

              

                          

  Almost 29 years old is a very late start for any flying job. I discovered that available flying positions ran in

7 year cycles. I seemed to be at the back end throughout!)

Most of the work was doing fire patrols over Muskoka District’s “cottage country” for the Ontario Dept of Lands & Forests.  Accumulated 119 hrs on the PA-18.

August 5 1969  checked out on GBA’s CF-SDB  FBA-2C (Found Bros. Aircraft cantilever high wing a/c = similar to a DHC-2

              Beaver , except with a Lycoming horizontally opposed 6 cylinder piston engine output varied from 250 to 315hp vs the DHC-2’s Pratt & Whitney 450hp 9 cylinder rotary piston engine. The FBA was designed & built by 3 brothers named Found :  Dwight Found worked in forestry in Oregon, Mickey was a TCA captain, Bud ran FBA.  (my information that they were employed  AVRoe CF-105 ARROW is not correct per e-mail 7 June 2017 from a noted Canadian aviation writer.  The FBA-2C was designed to compete with the DHC-2 Beaver. The Timothy Eaton Company family (Ontario, Canada’s biggest department store during 1900’s) invested in both the FBA-2C & Georgian Bay Airways . 

I accumulated 117.1 hrs on CF-SDB 

October 2 1969  transferred to GBA’s Northern Division base at CPW5/South Porcupine Lake(Timmins' Ontario water aerodrome) 

                48 deg 29’ 00” N.Lat,081 deg 12’00” W.Long to fly their Cessna 180 CF-JBC. Had a 0.5hr checkout .Most of the flying was for men hunting moose or fishing.   It was at Horwood Lake Lodge (approx 105 miles south-west of S.Porcupine Lake) that I was shown how to tie a canoe on to an aircraft !)   On October 12th , 2 aitcraft dispatched : a Beaver & me in CF-JBC from South Porcupine base to Detour Lake flew 1.2 hrs east to Detour Lake (85 miles east of Cochrane,Ontario) to pick up a canoe & an a moose . While he was loading the moose , I was standing in 3ft of very cold water tying a canoe onto the left side aircraft float. We finally got airborne late that afternoon . We both had to stop at Cochrane to buy 80/87 avgas(aviation gasoline) to enable return to S.Porc . The canoe’s drag was so bad I needed full left rudder to maintain straight line. Took 2.6 hrs to fly home : Detour Lake-Cochrane-S.Porc . My left leg so badly cramped had to substitute my right foot periodicaly . Both legs took a while to recover from the strain !

October 15 1969  of 0.7hrs was my last flight. Lakes had begun freezing . Three of us pilots were laid-off . Accumulated

                 50.6hrs on the Cessna 180. A few days later piled in to one pilot’s car & drove south down Highway 11 to Toronto (it’s the longest street in the world beginning as Yonge Street at Lake Ontario stretching north & west to the Ontario-Manitoba provincial border)

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                                 December 1969 - March 23 1970  Worked for another flexible packaging manufacturer .

March 28 1970  travelled to YYL/Lynn Lake,Manitoba for another flying job with Calm Air(C.A.L.Morberg is owner’s name) 

               at their main base 3.5 miles north-east of Lynn Lake at CKD3/Eldon Lake. The next day March 29th was checked out on skiis by Chief Pilot ‘Don Watts’ on CF-SOP their FBA-2C  . (the 117 hrs at GBA was the key!) 

My Dad once again was given the crappy task of advising the manufacturer that “Hugh not coming back" !!! I could only afford the money to phone my parents that I wasn’t returning to YYZ .  Paid $350/month + 5 cents/mile

April 21 1970  Last flight on skiis as northern Manitoba lakes thawing. All pilots went on vacation while waiting for 

              ice to melt . 

    “D.From” & I drove south & west via YYC/Calgary (accepted flights in an aerobatic Citabria CF-AJE & a Beech T-34A

     Mentor CF-YUL with K.McTavish, YVR/North Vancouver to visit his aunt, BLI/Bellingham & PAE/Pane Field-Everett to 

     see Boeing’s aircraft. And RNT/Renton Municipal airport for general aviation aircraft .

     Then drove 10-15 miles east to Issaquah, Washington state to get our Glider endorsements at Soaring Unlimited,Inc 

     —owner & instructor was Bob Chase. There is a low range of hills at Issaquah , but at that time of year not enough

     sun’ heat to create good thermal activity. The highest the instructor & I got was 3,000ft ASL (Above Sea Level) . 

     His low winged gliders used were a Schweizer 2-33 tandem seating(Bob sat behind) N7704S ; and a Schweizer 1-26 

     (single seat) N5768S.

     April 30 1970  Instruction began for both of us & then daily through May 11 1970 . For me , maximum time aloft 

     was 1 hour with Bob , when we tried to work the light thermals. Otherwise times varied from 14 to 25 minutes. I

     think the tow aircraft was a Piper Supercub.  My total time was 4:05 consisting of : 2hrs 23 minutes “dual” & 

     1 hr 42 minutes “solo”    My cost $170.85USD 

  

     May 03 1970   US FAA issued cert no. 2005989 valid to April 30,!972 for “private glider" based upon my

                                                                                        Canadian Licence  YZC-9392 .

                                                                                                            

May 26th 1970   back at Eldon Lake — floats checkout on FBA-2C CF-RRQ . Sometime during that summer, managed one day 

               to load 2 x 45 Imperial gal drums of gasoline in either FBA-2C  CF-RRQ or CF-SOP - took a while to get airborne. It is much easier to load 45 gal drums into a DHC-2(Beaver)!

 Most of my time was in CF-SOP . . . The floats leaked so badly that I was pumping 600 strokes 1st thing in morning & depending on number of take-offs & landings at least once more during the day & sometimes twice ! 

10 strokes = 1 gallon x’s 8 compartments per float pump strokes = 60 gallons x 10 lbs/gallon = 600 lbs . The mechanics finally tightened the rivets before the 1971 float season . But , my shoulders & elbow muscles suffered resulting in cortizone injections at Lynn Lake hospital . To this day problems continue.

  Like many seaplane pilots , I remember iniating a take-off from a small calm water lake with a full load of 4 men & equipment . . .circling lake once trying attempting to create some waves , told my passenghers to count to 10 - if not airborne , then I’d abort the take-off . As it was , I too was counting & we got airborne at 13 . Somehow we climbed out over the trees unscathed!  

 

  (it’s probably true to this day, that "bush pilots" are still asked to perform miracles ! Some along with their 

  passengers are killed in the process)

 Night landing on water by floatplanes/seaplanes is prohibited by law ! <the problem is that it’s difficult to secure lights in water >  although I did hear (perhaps a rumour) that there is one in the USA .  However, those who do a lot of flying “up north” for any number of reasons do periodically land on water at night ! The pilot usually knows the particular water area very well  (on a clear night, even without moonlight shorelines are distinct) . The pilot can see where he/she is intending to land , begins the descent several miles from the intended landing area , reduces speed , sets a constant rate of descent (for instance 200ft/minute) continues to look straight ahead DO NOT LOOK TO EITHER SIDE!

If it is done properly , the only indication that landing successful is hearing the swishing of water & one’s periferal vision picks up on the spray off the floats .      

Some of the places I flew passengers & freight were : Jackpine Narrows, Kinoosao/Co-op Point (Reindeer Lake), Ruttan Lake, South Indian Lk, Brochet, Granville Lk, Wollaston Lk, Rabbit Lk (future uranium mine), Goldsand Lk, Pelican Narrows, Black Lk & Selwyn Lk (Saskatchewan), Atzinging Lk, Pukatawagan (north of Flin Flon); Kamachawie & Atzinging Lk (geophysists), Nelson House, Snowbird Lk(just north of 60th parallel in North West Territories),Missi Rapids (surveying for Churchill River hydro diversion) .      Wages   $350/month + 5 cents/mile

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         Mid October 1970   laid off over freeze-up . Visited my future 1st wife in DLH/Duluth,Minnesota,USA . Got 

                          0.8hrs on a Piper 140  N414TR . Went back to CKD3/Eldon Lk near end of January 1971. Got 1.5hr checkout on skiis on Cessna 185 CF-YFV with M.D..McCrimmon .  But, laid off - not enough work ??   I think I looked after the base’radios for 1 1/2 months.

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March 12 1971  hired by Lamb Air at YTH/Thompson,MB 55 deg 48’8” N.Lat, 97 deg 51’22” W.Long . Had a 2 hour skiis 

               checkout on Cessna 180’s CF-YQR & CF-YQQ with R.D.Shinnie & D.Robertson respectively, at Moak Lake (12 miles north east of YTH). Most of the flying was taking health workers to aboriginal communities, or surveyors to sites where Manitoba Hydro would be constructing diversion dams on the Saskatchewan & Nelson Rivers . Places such as Nelson House, Kelsey, Issett Lk, Poplar River, Norway House, Playgreen Lk, Split Lk, Partrige Creek, Cross Lk, Pikwitonei, Joy Lk, Thicket Portage, Knee Lk, York Landing, Leftrock Lk, Ilford, Fox 3 & Fox 6 !    Wages  $375/month + 4cents/mile

May 7 1971   floats checkout on Cessna 180 CF-YQQ on the Nelson River at Thompson. LambAir’s original base was at Grace Lake across road from YQD/The Pas’ airport , Manitoba 53 deg 58’17” N.Lat , 101 deg 5’27” W.Long (that was where I took photos of the Avro York in 1967 . 

May 10,11,12  1971 Flew 7.8 hrs off ice-free Grace Lk to XPK/Pukatawagan & Moose Lake. 

Accumulated 136.4 hrs on LambAir’s Cessna 180s CF-SLH, SLV, VSE, YQQ, YQR 

Also on May 12th , rode right seat with G.Tlochelalar in DHC-3/Otter CF-XIL  from Grace Lk to Wekusko Lk/Snow Lake

at 54 deg 52’53” N.Lat, 100 deg 1’ 21.67” W.Long ; and then to Paint Lk - which had open water (approx 18 miles 

south-west of Thompson). 

 ------------------------

May 19 1971  not sure what happened, but think I was asked by CALM Air to come back to Eldon lake to fly floats again

            found myself flying the Cessna 185 CF-YFV (on wheels). Then on floats through the summer & fall flew their Cessna 180, 185’s, FBA-2C’s off Eldon Lake .  Wages $300/mo + 5 cts/mile (my notes indicate an increase to $500 + 5cts/mile ???  I remember us pilots taking a monthly wage cut one year!  (La Ronge Avn was paying less than CALMAIR)

July 4  1971   hairy flight - I acted as the  “navigator” for E.Kopeck ferrying FBA-2C CF-RXA from Eldon Lake to BLack 

                             Lake near YSF no Directional Gyro, no Compass , 200ft ceiling , 1 mile visibility for the 2.3hr flight (no other particulars in my Log Book . Probably whatever the visibility problem , it had cleared enroute

Black lake,Saskatchewan. When we arrived at Black Lake, I took over flying gasoline to Snowbird Lake in NWTerritory .    

 

   July 31 1971 (Saturday afternoon)   married 1st time & adopted her 2 daughters aged 4 & 6 which gave them

                     Canadian citizenship.(were American’s)

     August 25  1971    Taxied for 10 miles in FOG on Barrington Lake to “Opach” in FBA-2C CF-RJV ,then proceeded to SIL

October 1st 1971   sent without family to YSF/Stony Rapids Base to fly, and drive a 5 ton Shell Oil fuel truck 

                 (C.A.L.Morgerg had the gasoline & diesel fuel contract to supply both Stony Rapids white community 

& Black Lake Denesuline reserve) . I had more flat tires than you could shake a stick at. Hated that part of the

job. But, did meet some nice people.

One of the flights north from Black Lake was to Selwyn Lk - we were surrounded by a swimming herd of cariboo which the Black Lake Denesuline 1st Nation people needed for their winter food supply! Now that was an experience to se

(didn’t have my camera)    [Selwyn Lake ,approx 77 miles almost due north of Black lake, straddles the bordr of 

Saskatchewan province & NWT the "North West Territories"]

Keeping in touch with my new family difficult as it was ia radio-telephone best reception was at night ; but ,it was

“an open public line” via Hay River, Edmonton , then  via various means back to Lynn Lake, MB. 

    Picked up some sort of bug — lost 25lbs in 6 weeks or less (a doctor visiting from Uranium City , 50 miles west on

north  shore of  Lake Athabaska wanted me admitted to his hospital) . 

November 27 1971  was my last paid flight. 

  I didn’t fly back to Lynn Lk , suspect someone must have come from Eldon lake, as the flight YSF to CKD3 not in my 

log book . 

                  

At YSF  accumulated 65.4hrs total : combined on both Cessna 180 CF-SLL and Cessna 185 CF-YFV .

------------------------

        The doctors at YYL/Lynn Lake hospital couldn’t figure out what I had . Eventually recovered several months 

        later. My flying virtually ceased for next 6 years. 

        March 1972  got employment with Sherritt Gordon Mines as a Buyer in their Purchasing Department (copper & nickel

        were primary minerals taken from underground, it was shipped by rail to Fort Saskatchewan - just north of 

        YEG/Edmonton,AB-Alberta) to be refined. The mine’ purchasing/warehouse office was located in a temporary ATCO

        trailers complex — not well insulated against noise , so that for several months I had to stop what I was doing,

        go to a window  to visually see what aircraft were flying by . Eventually learned the respective aircraft’ 

        engines noise & didn’t have to visually check !   

        Wage $500/month with progressive increases to $1238/month over the 4 years

        March 11 1972   got to know “Richard" (1st name) the pilot flying for South Indian Co-op Fisheries . He let me 

        fly with him on SICF's Noorduyn Norseman Mark 4  CF-BFU (on skiis)  from  CKD3/Eldon Lake to SIL/South Indian 

        lake to Loon Narrows & return to CKD3 with a load of white fish .

     September 6, 13, 17 & )  - flew & logged right seat day & night time on CALM Air’s DHC-6’s (Twin Otters on wheels)

     October 22 ,23  1972  )             CF-QXW & OEQ with pilots : M.McCrimmon , E.Kopeck, L.Wetzel

     August 19 1973  ferried  CALM Air's FBA-2C (sea-plane) CF-RJV from CKD3 to Black Lake,SK/Saskatchewan

     August 1974    Marriage failed - wife went south to YDN/Dauphin,MB (225 miles northwest of YWG/Winnipeg,MB)

     April 30 1975   right seat on a CALM Air DHC-6  YLR/Leaf Rapids dirt strip 56 deg 30’52” N.Lat, 99 deg 59’10”

                     W.Long to YYL/Lynn Lake airport 56 deg 51’53” N.Lat, 101 deg 4’12” W.Long with R.Woodward                       

                

     1972 - 1976    about 4 years with Sherritt.  Was trying to get back into flying - saving money toward buying a 

                Cessna 180 on floats [then $35,000] . Thought I’d wet lease it to a flying company or fishing lodges. 

            During the slow winter flying months I monitored CALM Air's radios on weekend days. Drank too much coffee!   

      May 1976  I gave Sherritt , what I thought was a proper 1 month notice of intent to resign! 3 hours later I was 

                fired . So much for being proper !!!  Spent a very relaxing June, July & most of August in Lynn Lk.

           

      August 25  1976  Arnold Morberg asked if I would like to become Base Manager at Calm Air’s  YYQ/Churchill base

                       located at 58 deg 44’ 14” N.Lat , 94 deg 4’ 1” W.Long .   $1300/month  Of course !   CALM Air 

      paid for the apartment in the WWII centrally heated PMQ’s at the airport. With visits by polar bears who 

      occasionally got inside the central hallways; usually the mother bears would stand outside on hind legs  put 

      front huge paws on the high window sills & peer in seekking food for their 2 or 3 cubs. My girlfriend came too.

      CalmAir had contract with Canada Dept of Indian Affairs to supply food & other supplies using float equipped 

      DHC-6 twin Otter to the Sayisi Dene aboriginal reserve at XTL/Tadoule Lake   58 deg 42’ 22” N.Lat , 98 deg 30’ 44” 

         W.Long and Inuit communities along Hudson Bay’s west shore :

      YEK/Whale Cove (now Arviat) 61deg  5’ 44” N.Lat, 94 deg 4’ 17”  W.long , 

      YRT/Rankin Inlet (now Nuuk) 62deg 48’ 41” N.Lat, 92 deg 6’ 57”  W.Long       

      YCS/Chesterfield Inlet      63deg 20’ 45” N.Lat , 90 deg 44’ 1” W.long 

      CJK6/Baker Lake             64deg 19’     N.Lat , 96deg  01’    W.Long 

  A twin otter was docked & loaded at Landing Lake , a few miles west of the YYQ airport .  When time permitted, the 

  captains let me fly right seat on either outbound or inbound leg , the 1st officer then flew the reverse leg. 

  August 30 , 31 ) 1976   with H.Danford on CF-OEQ  from YYQ - Bugs Bunny Lk - Kazan Falls,NWT - YTH 

  September 13   )  “           ———— “ --------              - XTL/Tadoule Lk (1.7 hrs due west of YYQ) 165 +/- mph 

  October 10 & 11  1976   with R.McLeod on CF-VTL   YYQ - YCS  &  YRT - YYQ  , YEK - YYQ

   October 21 1976  got talking with Larry Brown , an OCA/Ontario Central Airways' pilot of their DC-3 . He offered 

   to take me in C-GCKE from YYQ to YRT . For freight hauls the aircraft’s insides virtually stripped clean . The 

   charterer or customer literally fills every nook & cranny . Often as not dose not tell pilot exact tonnage loaded .

   Churchill’s westbound runway is about 30 feet above surrounding land .   We finally got airborne , flying for at

   about 100 miles before beginning to get any altitude .

   By mid October    Snow started falling , Landing Lake was freezing over . The twin otter flew southwest to the 

                     YTH/Nelson River Base OR to Paint Lake (18 miles SW of YTH)

                   

    October 31 1976 — My contract ended ; but we left before the 31st.  Girlfriend & I got a ride from YYQ to YTH in a 

                 LambAir helicopter . Our route followed CNR’s (Cdn National Railway) single set of railway tracks,

    initially due south (approx 150 miles) to the Nelson River at Gillam, then south-westerly (approx 170 miles)to 

    YTH/Thompson . Was clear at beginning; but, after 1st half hour or so it started snowing , got heavier & heavier 

    (almost white out condition) . He had to reduce speed . Trees in that part of Manitoba spindly & perhaps 15-20ft 

     tall. I think we set down once (or he considered it) due icing on the rotary wing . That form of flying is truly

     VFR (visual flight rules) “follow rail” or “follow river” . Can’t recall flighttime,but darn cold even though 

     wearing winter clothes.

    The rail line was/is only used in summer to transport a few passengers and primarily Canadian prairie grain to 

    Churchill , where it’s loaded into ships for export.

    From YTH returned somehow to YYL .. 

    I thought I had a verbal agreement with C.A.L.M. ,that if I got an Instrument Rating after being at Churchill ,he 

    would re-hire me for the instrument flying required on the DHC-6’s .       NOT SO…oh well!! 

         

            

-------------------------

    November 6 1976   After 6 3/4 yrs living in YYL/Lynn Lake, drove to YWG/Winnipeg in my 1st car (a 2nd hand blue

                     Pontiac Laurentian) & began training for the Instrument Rating at Perimeter Aviation. Training

                      was done in their Frasca  Simulator CF-PAL once a day through December 3rd  = 34.2 hrs 

                      (instructors were : J.Giesbrecht, R.Johnson, D.Madec, D.Penwarden, G.Sharratt, B.Wehrle) .

    Before actual airborn instruction , we had to write DoT Exam "INRAT 6”  on November 17th . Passing grade was 75% ,

    I got 64% . Normally they required a waiting period of 30 days , however that was waived because my home was an 

    awkward 450 miles distance north travel . I was able to write DoT Exam  “INRAT 5" on November 29th for a $5 fee ,

    passed with 76% .

        December 4 thru' 22nd 1976  In a Beechcraft E-95 Travelair CF-KMZ or CF-YMK  an instructor would take us two

        trainees for actual flying over or near YWG. Each of us would get minimum 1.3 to maximum of 2.6 hrs airwork 

        for 22.1 hrs total   (instructors were : U.Hanus, R.Johnson, F.Willis) .

        I had trouble keeping ahead of the curve (where aircraft was in the air envelope vs what all the signals from

        the various ground transmitters were indicating on the aircraft’s instruments .

   

        December 22 1976  was issued a Class II IFR(Instrument Rating), my Commercial Pilot 

        License YZC 9392 was thus endorsed for it *** a Class I is required by all airlines for their Captains.

        At that time , some allowed 1st officers to have only a Class II IFR. (don’t know if still applicable)  .

        A Class II IFR was valid for 2 years, so mine valid to January 1,1978   Cost $3068 .

     ********** MY TOTAL COST FOR ALL flying instruction and BUILDING FLYINHG HOURS  was    $7,339.07 **********

        Perimeter Avn  is alive & well . . .  still exists today (2015)doing pilot training ; plus scheduled services 

        using Fairchild Metro-Liners & DeHavilland Dash 8’s to many Manitoba aboriginal communities , as well as YWG 

        to YDN/Dauphin & YBR/Brandon twice daily ineither direction . That’s how I fly as a paying passenger to visit

        my daughter, grand daughter ,son-in-law at YDN.

------------------------

March 10 1977    back to bush flying, this time for SFA(Slate Falls Airways) located at CKA6/Savant Lake(Sturgeon Lake) 

                 50 deg 05’31” N.Lat , 91 deg 54’45” W.Long . Sioux Lookout was the biggest town a few miles east.

 Sioux Lookout is also on the CNRailway’s mainline across northern Ontario. Ojibway & Cree aboriginals live in northern

  Ontario.

Had a 1.6 hr checkout with  Check Pilot - J.Parsons  on a Cessna 180-J   C-GEQH (skis , not wheel skis) . Followed by 

a 0.6hr return flight to Lac Seul with a paying passenger . A different pilot D.Baxter came along as a guide of sorts.

March 12th   Was taken on a Beech-18 CF-HWK (as a sort of co-pilot & swamper/loader) & a northwestern Ontario country familiarization. The pilot was G.Colborne . Flight time 3.5hrs routed CKA6 west-south-west 125 miles to Round Lake near Kenora, thence 235 miles north to ZSJ/Sandy Lake (53 deg 03’51” N.Lat, 93 deg 20’40” W.Long)  next stop 80 miles south to CKH4/Pikangikum  51 deg 48’ N.Lat, 93 deg 59’ W.Long, then 60 miles south to YRL/Red Lake  51 deg 04’02” N.Lat, 093 deg 47’35” W.Long, then south-east 100 miles returning to CKA6. We probably carried passengers & frieght.

March 14 , 15, 17   (3 x 0.6hr flights to Lac Seul).

March 18 1977 a nice clear bright sunny Friday —— a charter taking 2 men (possibly Dept of Indian Affairs) from  CKA6

              270 miles north to Kingfisher 1st nation (53 deg 01’37” N.Lat, 89 deg 50’28” W.Long) which is 50 miles 

north of YTL/Big Trout Lake,Ontario . Next stop approx my  12 miles east to CKL3/Wunnummim Lake 52 deg 53’38” N.Lat ,

89 deg 17’21” W.Long . Before I departed Slate Falls , I was told to be particularly careful when landing at Wunnumin because DC-3s on wheel-skis regularly landed there causing deep ruts   . I did several passes & couldn’t spot the furrows (a shadowless day) ,so proceeded to land . I was quite surprised when we came to a stop off-kilter . My passengers were just as surprised!  Nary a scratch to any of us .

The DoT accident report # C70022 indicated “on initial touchdown , the right ski became detached; the aircraft bounced into the air & on the second contact it slid to a stop on its’ left side”.

  One of the other pilots told me after I got back to the SFA base that he had warned the company owner that the 4 pair of skiis that he’d gotten such a good deal were too flimsy. . . just waiting for an accident to happen ! (I believe was in Minnesota , USA )  

  We stayed overnight & got picked up by another company’s aircraft March 19th . Were returned to nearby Sioux Lookout

  airport.

March 20 1977 Sunday   was my last flight for SFA (3 passengers to Lac Seul & 2 back to Savant Lake) . After any    

                       incident/accident its best to do a flight !  Next day was terminated (which was/perhaps still

is procedure at bush aircraft companies. The thought being - there are so many pilots wanting to work it’s easier 

to start afresh ????     Flight time total = 6.4 hrs

I co-incidently discovered on May 5,2015 , while researching Wunnumin Lake co-ordinates for my March 18th accident ,that a Superior Airways  C-47    C-FXXT was damaged beyond economic repair for entirely different reasons . [just pointing out that accidents do happen)  

He aborted take-off on April 11 , 1977 at same location. He deliberately ground looped the aircraft in an attempt to avoid a weak spot of ice . The undercarriage collapsed. (no mention of medical condition of the 3 crew, in the summary I read.   It was a cargo flight ,

no passengers aboard).

-----------------------

          April 13 thru May 10 1977   Back to Manitoba , took up residence in YWG, job hunting again , living on UIC

                  (unemployment insurance) . Got together with another YYL/Lynn Lake ex-pat who chauffered me around

          his hometown of Winnipeg , drinking beer & listening to afternoon jazz at various venues. His father & a 

          brother had been & were in automotive business. My friend  bought/sold used cars. Sold me a good used 1975 

          Olsmobile Cutlass Supreme loaded (could almost drive itself) $2400

-----------------------

May 10 1977   hired by St. Andrews Airways at YWG airport . Its' primary seaplane base was at YIV/Island Lake-Garden Hill,MB 

                          53 deg 51’26” N.Lat, 94 deg 39’13” W.Long . I was flown there via St Andrews Airways' scheduled air service from YWG toYIV utilizing the low wing twin engined Saunders ST-27 (originally built by De Havilland in England & known as a HERON . In Canada , only 12 built in the early 1970’s by Saunders Aircraft at YGM/Gimli,MB 50deg 37’20”N.Lat , 97deg 02’23” W.Long just north of YWG) . It was a stretched version of the DH Heron , with 22-23 seats.

May 12 1977  J.Deasy gave me my float check-out at YIV on Cessna 185 -F model   C-GXAS . That took 0.7hrs.  In the

             1970’s ,bush flying companies assigned each pilot a specific airplane to fly , as if he owned it. . .to better get to know its quirks , sounds , flight characteristics , etc!

 Island Lake was justly named . Also, was home of 3 aboriginal villages (Garden Hill, Wassagamack, St.Therese Pt)  There was another village 45 miles north-east named Red Sucker Lake .  (the combined population was 4,500 souls) . The year round industry was catching  White Fish , which was flown by PBY Canso south toRiverton (25 miles north of YGM/Gimli) to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation a fish packing factory(on banks of the Icelandic River that flowed thru’ centre of town); and was airfreighted to restaurants in New York City,USA or overseas .

  A few of the places I flew to were : Sachigo L. (Ontario) , Stull L, Sharpe & Richardson Lakes , Gods Narrows, Gunisao , Ponask , Bearskin L (Ontario) , Rat Dam , Deer L , Seeber, YGX/Gillam, Echoing L. 

Accumulated 105.1 hr.

June 23 1977  quit SAA 

-------------------------

June 27 1977   joined  Anishneneo Piminagan Inc/API (the 1st aboriginal owned airline in Canada) !!!  a Co-Op of 4500

              aboriginals .Three former employees of SAA (2 pilots : D.Korody (floats pilot) & B.Siemens (ST-27 pilot) 

& 1 accountant) had been approached by the 4 aboriginal villages to form a co-operative airline . They wanted to 

reduce & save money by not having to depend on the commercial services provided by SAA . Since I was the most recently hired pilot at SAA, thus 1st to be laid off at freeze-up , the new  management thought I might like to join them . It sounded exciting . Under those circumstances accepted position.

The co-op members would pay its’ pilots in cash foe each trip flown. No credit given . My salary was $600 + 10%/month.

The co-op initially owned/leased an ST-27 for YWG/YIV/YWG service , plus 1 Cessna 180 , 1 Cessna 185 thru to August 19th

The locals couldn’t pronounce my first name Hugh ,so Mr.Korody suggested  Huff . It stuck & even toddlers learned to say it.

July 1 1977   my 1st trip was on Cessna 180-H  C-FBYL , I flew every day for 25 days, no breaks .My assigned base was 

              at RSL/Red Sucker Lake (now CKT4) . Would switch periodically to the Cessna A-185-F's  C-GMSP &  C-GYOM , which had the bigger 3500 floats vs standard 3200’s ;so maintenance could be done at the Garden Hill Base,

             

August 19th 1977  Cessna A-185-F  C-GYOM was added to fleet with only 11.0 engine hrs. Same day loaded 1500lbs fresh

                  white fish (in plastic bags) at the Savage Island fish plant (15 miles east of YIV) . Water was

like a mirror .Took 3 tries to get airborn . . .would have burned off several gallons 100 octane avgas while creating wavelets to break the surface tension . Later that winter in C-GXRK on wheel-skis did same thing again - but, the fish was frozen , lake was frozen ,and very cold air created super lifting capability!

My 1st 3 days off in YWG occurred August 2nd thru 5th . Back to YIV , daily flying non stop thru' September 10th , when I finally got 10 days off.     Flight time for those initial 69 days was 229.4hrs = 3.3hrs averaging per day  (one day was 7.9hrs , others less than 1 hr) . Flying was sunrise to sunset 4:30AM  to  2200/10:00PM, but each pilot had to put his a/c to bed (ie) pump floats , ensure tied properly to dock , fuel tanks & oil topped up for next day. Often not asleep until 1:00AM ! Then up again at 4:00AM . A regular occurence . I was almost 38 .   Deal was - get used to the long hours , the body will accept the routine. . .one just keeps on flyin’. Food was minimal -junk snacks  during day ; but, 3 of us relied on nightly scotch & ice-cream to keep going!

September 20th 1977 (after those 10 days off) I picked up a brand new Cessna 185-F C-GXRK  on bigger floats 

                    (3500’s  vs standard 3200’s) at St.Andrews water aerodrome (on the Red River north of YWG). 

C-GXRK was my aircraft ,which I flew daily until January 6 1978 except days off in WPG (November 5th - 8th, Nov 12 to 28th, December 25th (Christmas) & 28th & January 1st). For  awhile , I was based at Red Sucker Lake . The band’s chief was Dr. Fred Harper (umpteen university degrees including a Phd) . He had poor eyesight & wore very thick lensed glasses. On November 2nd , a dreary afternoon he wanted me to go flying looking for a moose. He spotted one near RSL on a river. I landed . . he was so excited that he got out on the float while we were still moving & almost took a shot that could have disabled the turning propellor ! Didn’t . . .my pay for the trip was a hind quarter . My cabin didn’t have heat -nights below zero.  I nearly froze sleeping in my Wood’s 5 star sleeping bag , the meat froze quickly too. Took it south November 12th to make nice roasts for a few months.

November 12 1977    I flew XRK from RSL or CKT4/Red Sucker Lake  54deg 09’17” N.Lat, 93deg 33’48” W.Long  to 

                CKC5/Selkirk's grass airstrip  50 deg 10’ N.Lat, 96 deg 52’ W.Long (on the Red River close to

north YWG) because FREEZE-UP had begun!!!   Had never landed a floatplane on grass — was piece of cake . . had to make sure to keep the elevator in up position until stopped 

      **** winter freeze-up and spring break-up were times that bush flying ceased so that the undercarriage ****

              **** could be changed for following season (ie)  skis for winter or floats for summer****

  

November 28  1977    The lakes up north had frozen over & were thick enough for our aircraft to land on. I picked up 

                  a new API pilot ‘D.Baxter' at YWG airport &  flew him to YIV . That was a surprise for us both . . .we had first met 8 1/2 months earlier on March 10th at Slate Falls Airways ***

One close call   Had an early night time short trip from YIV’s airstrip to a supposed frozen bay nearby  . . .on

                 wheel-skis (wheels slightly retracted) realized on landing that I was in slush , applied full power & got airborn again . Returned to YIV airstrip , parts of wings & windshield covered in freezing slush . Took me that night & next day using a coarse manilla rope to rub ice off . Was a wonder I was able to stay airborne & lucky didn’t crash!

      I carried lots of co-op members & their belongings including dogs etc ; fish , bear , moose ,  rabbits , beaver. 

Because API was doing so well , it had seriously cut into SAA’s business . SAA secured a court injunction against API to cease & desist operating . Was on the basis that API was actually operating as a regular charter aircraft business (in fact we were) .

As I recall , all API pilots except Baxter & me had been laid off by mid December . Korody & Siemens & the accountant saw the writing on the wall , so Korody told me to keep all cash COLLECTED from my trips from December 16 thru Jan 6th. because I wouldn’t get paid otherwise.   As it was ,  $1700 work was not paid me.  Korody & Siemen’s had personally invested in the Cessna’s — the court had confiscated those assets.  It was fun for all of us, while it lasted !!!!! 

           

Total flight time at API = 461.9hrs 

            plus 32.6 hrs night flying on wheel-skis (YIV a/port had lighting & frozen lakes good on cloudless nights)

---------------------------                             

       Winter not good time to look for flying jobs east of the Rocky Mountains. Open tidewater on Canada’s west coast

       beckoned.

   

    February 16 1978 loaded my Olds for road trip to Vancouver & BC coast. My intermediate destination was 

                      Carstairs,Alberta  51deg 33’43” N.Lat,114deg 05’43” W.Long   (30 miles north of YYC/Calgary)

     to look after 2 children of another YYL/Lynn Lake ex-pat, going on a 2 week “curling competition” holiday . My road 

     trip took 15 hrs of driving on Trans Canada Highway across the bright snow white Saskatchewan prairie . Nearly got 

     wiped out by a passing fuel transporter in the night time snow storm in Alberta. Total time YWG en route Carstairs 

     was 17 hrs. Only stopped for car gas & quik snacks.

     March 3 1978   departed Carstairs for my cousin’s residence (relocated January 1975 from Kersdale(YVR) to Westham 

                   Island accessable only by a single lane wood swing bridge at west end of Ladner,49°05′25″N Lat, 

     123°04′48″W. Long .The last 2 hours of the 11 hour road trip was at night. Was like flying on a dark stormy night 

     by the seat of my pants .Hadn’t ever been to that part of greater Vancouver — it’s farm country on south side of

     the Fraser River. And only 15 families +/- on Westham Island. Arrived at her door tired & bleary eyed , but safe !

     Her spouse was(retired 2015) an Agronomist(study soils) in the business of recommending ,supplying fertilizers to 

     farmers in the lower Fraser River valley.

     When I wasn’t driving or phoning seaplane charter companies for a pilot job , I drove one of the 5 ton flat deck

     trucks delivering fertilizer to their farming customers.

     March 19 1978   had a sort of check-out with Staron Flight Ltd on their Cessna U206 (utility) C-GIAI . They were

                    based at YVR airport's south side aviation industrial area with adjacent seaplane docks. K.Johnston

     flew us to Cultus Lake 49deg 03’12” N.Lat, 121deg 59’12” W.long — - landed ,stopped & changed seats (to put me in 

     Captain’s(left seat). Did 0.7hr take-offs & landings , switched seats & he flew us back to the river at Sea Island.

     I wasn’t comfortable in that aircraft type which didn’t have direct access door to Captain’s seat , access via 

     right side passenger door !

---------------------

May  9 1978 - phone call - was hired by McCully Aviation at CPW9/Port Alberni/Somass Rvr 49deg 13’55” N.Lat , 124deg

             48’53” W.Long.   Had another base at CAB4(TV)/Tofino Hbr 49deg 09’19” N.Lat, 125deg 54’37” W.Long 

May 10       the owner W.McCully checked me out on his Cessna 180-J C-GJXQ  & then 2 days later a check-out on DHC-2 

             

Beaver CF-IJK . Then an orientation flt with D.King on Sproat Lake which was the base of 2 Martin Mars  fire fighting flying boats [60,000 pounds water retardant capacity]   

May 10 - Sept 4th   Based at Somass/Port Alberni -flying down the Canal as far as Bamfield on Barkley Sd : tourists ; forest company 

                surveyors to various logging camps located in inlets along Pacific Ocean coast north of Tofino as far as Winter Hbr(Cape Scott area). Occasional charters to CXH/Vancouver’s Coal Harbour, Port Renfrew on Juan de Fuca strait . . .required parallel landing on top

of big swells rolling in from Pacific ! 

May 19th  another “type” check-out on a Cessna 172 (on floats) CF-CJY with D.King to YVR . 

         . McCully's fleet included 1 Cessna 172 CF-CJY ; 2 Cessna 180’s  C-GHWP , C-GJXQ; 1 Cessna 185 C-GHJH , 3 DHC-2 Beaver’s  C-FGQP , JPX , C-GIJK. Usually the 172 , one 180 , the 185 &  1-2 Beavers based on Somass R . At Tofino  one 180 & 1-2 Beavers. The Maintenance hangar was at the Somass Base — thus a/c would be repositioned to Somass as required.

    As the Somass River empties into the Alberni Canal/fjiord about half mile east over which big elecctric cables were strung and the river perhaps 175 ft wide (Beaver wing span 48ft). . . flights in/out on the Somass often made for tricky operating conditions in various winds. 

 Port Alberni's industry was making pulp & paper . Frequently , the mill's smoke pollution or fog caused low visibility so one took-off & flew under the cables ! Frequently had to land upstream against strong winds. I don’t remember ever drifting downstream to take-off upstream. Frequently landed upstream ;but, downwind .

June 20 1978   first experience with a falling tide. Until this date I had been landing on the ocean “salt chuck” , then taxiing to docks

              held in place by pilings which allowed docks to rise & fall with the tide.   But today, in Beaver  C-GIJK with 2 Dept of Highways men aboard , flying from the freshwater Somass River to Lasqueti Is -landing & taxiing into False Bay (southwest of Powell River) 

49de 30’ N.Lat, 124deg 21’ W.Long  , There were no docks visible , but saw an older house sitting on a not too steep rock bluff .Shut off engine & glided up nose first , the men got ashore . Turned a/c around , tied the stern pontoon rope to the rock . The men required 2-3 hours for their task. The older couple invited me up for a chat , cake & coffee .  I of course didn’t know that I should have been paying 

attention , so that when my passengers returned IJK was sitting on grey muck “low & dry” . Nothing to do but wait for tide to rise . Had more coffee ,then returned to Somass Bse=PB/Port Alberni -sometimes referred to as “Port”. I know the Hwys Dept not charged for any of the waiting time & probably got a reduction in the flying time. Just another learning lesson , never forgotten!

     July  1978   I usually left my flight bag in one of the Beaver’s overnight (contents were pilot log

                  book,maps,camera.    That ARGUS 35mm (since April 1962)  was stolen !  The Somass River Base , was

                  very much the beaten track & so I thought safe ! Certainly safe since 12 May 1978. 

Infrequent days off. . . but then the plan was to make money.  Got 3-4 days once/month  

 

Wages at Somass R.:  $500/month (May 10th) , then $600/mo (mid August 1978). Total time : ALL Types 304.3 hrs

Sept 5   1978   McCully wanted a change of Base Mgr’s at his Tofino water base/CAB4. I accepted the offered position (winter was coming

               & that Base’s Mgr wanted holidays —— aviation non-scheduled air carriers’ staff traditionally take long holidays in winter).     Paid $1,800/month  .

Tofino is located at north end of Pacific Rim National Park & Long Beach . It was a village of 600 during winter until 2014 (people from mainland BC started building townhouses 1/4 mile east of the Park . And 11,000 during tourist season .

As a newcomer to Tofino , was hard for me to get to know long time residents . During the winter months ,night came early —with nothing to do . . .spent many hours in the hotel’s beer parlor. Although I did introduce GlenLivet Scotch to the village. The 1st case I ordered ,the Liquor store mgr agreed not to charge me the $144/case but charge me as I used it. . . got maybe 3 bottles , as villagers got to know about it! Thereafter , the mgr replenished as necessary !   (When I lived in “Port” , the BCLquor Store wouldn’t stock it; but, would order the case provided I prepaid . Unusual but agreeable!

There are 2 aboriginal reserves close by : Opitsaht 1/4 mile north on its’ own island & Ahousat 12 miles northwest on south-east end of Flores Is.  Several logging camps operating within 50 miles too : Cypre River , Stewardson inlet ,Bedingfield, Mooyah Bay, Kendrick Arm.   We also had flights to villages further up Vancouver Island’s west coast - Hot Springs Cove and (near Tahsis Inlet) : Friendly Cove, Nuchatlitz, Esperanza , Kyuquot , Tssoiwin, Port Eliza. Lots of charters were for Federal departments of Health , and Indian Affairs.

  

Occasional trips farther away included loading our 2 Beavers with fresh “pan fry ready” Salmon . There was an open net hatchery at China Creek located at mouth of the Alberni Canal on the east side - - - as below :

February 15 1979  flying DHC-2  C-FGQP from CAB4 to PB/Somass R (needed full fuel tanks) to  China Creek (loaded 1500lbs -heard electricity

            zapping the fish) ,then a long take-off & low level to SEA/Seattle (unloaded), to YYJ/Victoria (av.gas) & return CAB4 = 4.5hr .

   “     21st - same DHC-2 — this time 1900lbs plus low cloud-fog restricted our height to 100ft ASL (above sea level) and with reduced visibilty hugged Vancouver Island’s west & south shoreline thru’ Juan de Fuca Strait until we entered Puget Sound(USA) . The restaurant at Fort Ward(USA) was happy to see us (they had run out of pan-fry salmon) . En route flight time reduced to 3.7 hrs as we finished at Somass R. base for the night.

Infrequent days off — 1st time was Sept 30 thru Oct 2nd , next was December 5th thru’ 8th (probably drove to Westham Island) . And a 2 week break January 25 thru’ February 11th,1979  (definitely went to cousin’s on Westham Is.

Combined flight time(Cessna 180s,185 & DHC-2s) while Base  Mgr 279.3 hrs

April 2 1979  Resigned  (cabin fever & office politics)  ***** after 10 months (10/5/78 - 2/04/1979) : 583.6 hrs *****

---------------------------

April 4 1979  had job lined up with Gulf Air Ltd (formerly ABAS-Alert Bay Air Services-my 1st BC west coast job 10 

               years earlier) at “the Spit" (BL)/Campbell River   (in 2015 it’s  YHH/Campbell River Water Aerodrome of

Campbell River Harbour Airport ). Was advised that after various checkouts & operations familiarization at then BL  50deg 03’ N.Lat, 125deg 15’ W.long , would be based at YSX/Shearwater/Bella Bella (this time a flying pilot) 52deg 09’ N.Lat, 128deg 05’ W.Long . 

 Wages :$675/month + 13cts/mile on Cessnas & Beavers & 15cts/mile on DHC-3 single engine Otter

April 4th 1979   checked-out on Cessna 185 C-GHEZ with Chief Pilot S. Kaardal .  April 8th - check-out on DHC-2  C-FFHT 

                 with R.Tracy

Island Air was the other big air charter company at the Spit . I think that the 2 companies collectively owned approx 40 seaplanes, including DHC-6 Twin Otters (no flying boats).    **** both companies were unionized ****

One of their combined major events was : each 10 - 14 days - every single aircraft was used to transport loggers to/from the various logging companies' camps north of Campbell River , on BC’s mainland inlets & islands adjacent to Johnstone Strait . The Dispatchers did a phenominal job getting (mostly men) loaded on the correct airplane thru’out the day & ensuring passengers names on the various billings matched each logging companies’ record !

April 9 (Monday)  1979      was one of those days . . . I flew DHC-2  C-FJBP      for 1.8hrs  -routing + passengers :

                  BL  6  > Shoal Bay  1 > Crawford Bay 1 > Fanny  2 > Philips Arm  3  > Quatum 

                    

April 10 to 12th  1979  transferred to the Shearwater Base/BB : Bella Bella (someone else flew me there) now YSX.

                        52deg 9’ N.Lat , 128deg 5’ W.long  (approx 30 miles south-west of Ocean Falls.)

April 13 1979  only one beaver C-FJBP based at Shearwater (had been built as a WWII flying boat patrol base using the

              Stranraer bi-plane  . In 1968 there was still a concrete “pill box emplacement” , and original aircraft hangar built using 12" x 12” fir timbers. Hangar was still useable. My 1st trips that date were 5 pax(passengers) BB-OF and return to BB ; then flew empty to YZT/Port Hardy Bay (now CAW5)   50deg 43’ N.Lat , 127deg 29’ W.Long.(north-east Vancouver Is) picked up 3 pax for Duncanby Landing (a Post Office-General store adjacent to Moses inlet @ west side of Rivers Inlet), thence BB [flight time 2.6hrs]

While based at BB , some of places I flew were Ocean Falls, Klemtu , Bella Coola, Goose is, Owikeno village (head of Rivers Inlet, Four Lakes, Namu (BC Packers “fish cannery”)       total flight hours = 38  

May 6 1979  transferred to YZT airport . We worked 10 x 10 hour days , 5 days off. There were 2 shifts/day -some 

         started at daybreak , others started at noon to coincide with arrival of PWA from YVR loaded with pax(passengers), freight & mail . 

The aircraft based at YZT were all amphibious (floats with hydraulicly operated wheel mechanisms in them).Aircraft based

at YZT were : 1 Cessna 172 C-GIEO ; 2 Cessna 185-Fs C-FCLU, C-GIGJ; 3 DHC-2 Beavers C-FJBP , C-FJFQ, C-FOCQ; 2 DHC-3 (single engine) Otters C-FQRI , C- ? UJM; 1 Grumman Goose G21A (flying boat) C-FEFN ;    1 Britten Norman Islandr BN2A  C-FDEB (high wing with fixed undercarriage); *** no DHC-6’s *****

I flew all except the Islander & Goose  (had a few training flights in both ;but, not comfortable flying twin-engine aircraft)

January 31  1980   Flights were cancelled as winds 40 knots gusting to 60 knots. 

July 1980   Another Gulf Air pilot had upgraded his camera & advised that it was For Sale at Kerrisdale Camera’s in

Richmond,BC . It was still For Sale a week later & I bought his old 1978 Nikon 35mm SLR . Began taking 72 photos per week (slide format). Mostly BC’s coastal scenery plus occasional aircraft photo. Camera still in use May 2015 , however frequencyvery much reduced : 10-20/year !!!! 

 The majority of the work from YZT was scheduled services of passengers travelling from/to YVR via Pacific Western’s Boeing 737 out to logging & fishing camps . . . across Queen Charlotte Sound to BC's mainland inlets from a line running from Alert Bay (Cormorant Island) to Knight’s Inlet & northwest up the coast as far as Ocean Falls & Bella Coola .

Those scheds in an Otter could take 8-9 hours; but, be only 6hrs flight time . Then we did unscheduled charters -as far southas YVR & YYJ & west coast YVR Island .  Other locations were : Sullivan Bay , Kingcome village , Mahatta River, Port Alice . Head of Knight’s Inlet , Owikeno Village , Machmell (east end of Owikeno Lake) , RIC (Rivers Inlet Cannery)

Winter Hbr, Smith Inlet, Seymour Inlet , Hakai Pass (Oak Bay Marine group sports fishing) , Bull Hbr, Echo Bay, Port McNeill, & many others. 

November 1 1980 - coastal airlines began amalgamating because of BC’s slowing economy . Gulf Air Avn  at YZT joined 

                Island Air in YBL to become Gulf Island Air

                

Wages : $1,105/month + 14cts mile Cessna’s & DHC-2’s and 17cts/mile DHC-3's

Memories 34 years ago   (1) - flying a pax from YZT to YVR in a Cessna 185 or a Beaver - weather good near YZT , but going down Johnstone Strait

            visibility iffy . . . chose the more direct route (ie) climbed into partial cloud formations (was high enough to avoid mountain tops) & knew that it was clear sunny blue sky from YBL/Campbell River south beyond Seattle,Washington state,USA . At one point the pax asked if I knew where we were - said “yes” !!!. We broke out 10 minutes later.

            (2) flying a Cessna 185 from some mainland logging camp with 2 Finning Caterpillar mechanics on board , with 

their 2 x 100lb tool boxes, to YZT in late afternoon. Was on approach to YZT a/p , had the wheel gear ‘down’ . PWA was on final to the main runway , I elected to let him land ahead of me (his fuel,etc. . . heck of a lot more money than me)

so cycled my ‘gear up’ . Proceeded to another runway , PWA had landed, proceeded with my nice landing !!!! even with my  

“ears head-set on” , heard an horrendous sound of grinding metal ..ooooops ?  had forgot to extend my “gear”. Lifted off, did 2 passes low over company office for someone to see if any major damage done. NONE . Put "gear down” & landed safely.   Suspended for a few days.  From initial float flying days, I had always thought that a/c engines do fail . . .with my luck at most inopportune time (one can land anywhere on floats - water , land , snow , ice ;but, wheels have their limits) . Admittedly , engine failure is rare , but it happens. One of my problems - check lists were never good ?

            (3) flying a Beaver from Smith Inlet to YZT , late one afternoon in low visibilty caused by snow . I had no pax. Flying south of Cape Caution , in & around the myriad of islands at mouth of Seymour Inlet almost in the tree tops — had the a/c slowed down to 45mph , lots of flap hanging out steep turns trying to see where I was going .To this day I 

don’t know where I was . Eventual broke out & made it home to YZT airport. that was truely a case of get homeitis.

I should have stayed on the water at logging camp at mouth of Smith Inlet. Problem with that is that aircraft accumulating heavy wet coastal snow on horizontal surfaces are prone to quickly sinking. I didn’t want to stay up all night clearing snow of airplane !

   February 9 to March 7  1981     Australian vacation exploring its' Pacific Ocean coast beginning at Noosa Heads 50

                                miles north of BNE/Brisbane . Then in a rental car driving south to Woolongong (90 miles 

  south of SYD/Sydney) . Covering 100 miles of coastline & inland 50 miles each day. I had planned on being downunder

  for 2 weeks. That became 4 weeks because both Quantas & Air New Zealand were on strike ! I was using an ID90 airline

  travel pass flying with CPAir. Initialy paid $250 return. Had to buy my way out of SYD back to Canada $500  .

  Came back to Port Hardy refreshed & ready to go flying .

   

The weather fantastic , warm sunny days , not much wind , great visibilty .  I don’t know what the problem was; but,

I seemed to need some excitment in my life. The result was I was cutting things a tad close (ie) landing on & riding an ocean wave turning too close to a rock face in order to be closer to a logging camp dock , rather than landing a long way out & taxiing for a longer time. I rationalised in my mind that “as long as I was carrying passengers , they & me would be SAFE ?  There wasn’t anyone at  Port Hardy that I knew of that I could converse with concerning how I was thinking or feeling.  34 years later there are now professional psychologists/psychiatrists available for pilots like me.   Perhaps the C-FJFQ accident was a part of that , I do not know ?   

                            

 April 13  1981     Major  Accident     Flew DHC-2 C-FJFQ from Port Hardy (accompanied by our Dispatcher/pilot trainee) along for the ride in clear blue sky & spectacular scenery at 8,000ft looking east toward the 10,790ft Mt Waddington & glacier, plus snow on other parts of Rocky Mtns . We were taking mail & freight to the BCFP logging camp at Head of Knights Inlet , 51DEG 20’ N.LAT, 125DEG 38’ W.LONG. , grab a bite to eat at cook shack , then make a pax pickup 20 miles down the inlet at 1630 .The take-off area was a river slough that was blocked by a dam 3 miles away at tidewater . Was light on avgas (40 gallons), The 1/4 mile take-off space before the 90 degree turn in the slough seemed more than enough . got airborne; but, lacked lift to climb over the 30 ft river bank plus the 30 foot Alders & electrical lines beyond. Made the 90 degree turn . . .oops - a 15ft high floating metal shed in my way . Lifted port/left wing to get floats over shed , felt a bump - thought float had hit , managed to recover in level flight down the 100 ft wide slough,at 80mph. Suddenly, found ourselves high & dry facing downstream among dead grass & stumps 25 yards from & 20 feet above the slough. Took a minute before I said —better get out of here- .   Apparently, I wasn’t flying down centre of slough ; but, at a slight angle , the right nose wheel struck the 4ft high mud/grass bank , turning perpendicular to the river , then up another 10 ft embankment 

No fire , not a scratch to either of us . But, wing was skewed, propellor bent around fuselage' nose , 5 of the 6 float strut attachment 5/8ths inch bolts inside their boxes torn cleanly out of fuselage. Nose wheel gear severely damaged .

The craft was later loaded on a barge, towed to Vancouver & repaired for $65,000CDN . Was flying a year later back at YZT & 5mph faster.

Apparently most DHC-2s after major repair do that. People on shore said that the starbord wing tip hit the water.                        Normally , when that happens centrifugal forces react such that the other wing tip will hit & induce a cartwheeling mothion around the longitudinal axis. We were very lucky not to be accident statistics !!!!!. 

 I had been advised where one should land; but, no one said that I shouldn’t take off from where I did ?

Total flight time all aircraft (9 April 1979 thru 13 April 1981)  :  1448.4 hours  

Britain Norman Islanders; Cessna 172, 180s, 185s; Dehavilland Canada DHC-2 Beavers , DHC-3 Otters

Normally after an accident , one is terminated. I suggested to the Chief Pilot & the Base Manager “W.Douglas” that since I had been flying for 2 years & knew the operational area , that I be kept on as a Dispatcher/Passenger agent ?  My

proposition accepted .Ground crew wages were less, but I didn’t have to go job hunting. Was still alive & well.

     

    In months following , more amalgamations of coastal airlines from Prince Rupert south to Victoria . It became a real   dogs breakfast between competing factions (big money involved) :  Jim Pattison bought Gulf Island Air, , Trans Provincial/Trans Mtn ???    Norm Gold owner of AirWest A/L (biggest worldwide fleet of DHC-6’s on floats) latched on to 

Pacific Coastal at YCD/Nanaimo Cassidy a/p (DC-3’s).  West Coast Air  at YVR with Grumman Mallards (amphibious flying boats) - was waiting to see what would shake out . 

November 27 1981, Jim Pattison put it all together & named it AirBC Ltd . My new salary  was $1370/month .  The BC 

               recession really took hold . . . major layoffs for all positions, which meant seniority & bumping rights. 

         

   April 26 1982  (one year later) - a local YZT aircraft mechanic who also owned 2 Cessna 172’s on wheels

                              C-GJXU , C-FSLT suggested : would be good idea to start  flying again. OKay . Checked myself 

                            out on the 150 & 180HP craft respectively. Discovered that many aspects of flying were much easier after the year of not flying.  I then checked-out others that wished to rent his airplanes thru' to September 1982.          Flight time : 9 hrs

                        

TOTAL FLIGHT TIME --- OCTOBER 10,1962 through SEPTEMBER 21,1982  :    

comprised of following HOURS 

A/C flown        SE-Whls         SE-Whls     Amphib     only       Skis +     Glider    ME - Day     ME -Night:       IFR      Simu-     Totals  

                   DAY            NIGHT      Floats    Floats      whl/ski                                                      lator       on

                 D       P       D     P       PIC     D   PIC     D   PIC     D   P    D   Co   P    D    Co-P    _D_   PIC               Type      

Aeronca                   _

 " 65             .3               .9                                                                                                       1.2

 " 7EC/85        5.2                                  4.6  71.2                                                                            81.0                                                                          

 “ 11AC                          10.6                                                                                                      10.6   

 “ Trichamp      4.4                                                                                                                        4.4

        

Beechcraft

 “ 18                                                                                       4.1                                             4.1 

 “ T-34A Mentor   .3                                                                                                                        0.3          

 “ E95 Travelair                                                                        18.4    1.5    9.1        (26.2) (1.5)             29.0

                            

Britain Norman

Islander -BN2A                                                                                  7.8                                         7.8

Cessna

 “ 150           29.3  12.0     88.2  18.8                  1.2                                                                           149.5

 “ 172           4.5    3.7     85.9                  0.9  12.1                                                   (20.7)                  107.1 

 “ 180                                 (.7)           1.5 363.5       172.3                                        (2.2)                  537.3   

 “ 185                  7.0            (.9)   425.4   0.4 799.5         1.5                                                              1233.8                           

 “ 206                                                      0.7                                                                             0.7

Citabria         0.8                                                                                                                        0.8 

DC-3                                                                                        1.0                                             1.0

DeHavilland

 “ 82 Tiger Moth        0.8                                                                                                                 0.8

       

DeHavilland Cda

 “ DHC-2                               (.4)   667.3   1.3 387.9                                                                          1057.3                                                                               

 “ DHC-3                                      201.8         1.0                                                                           202.8 

 “ DHC-6                                                                                   16.4            6.1                             22.5

Fleet Aircraft

  “ Canuck 80   16.0   42.0                                                                                                                58.0                    

Found Bros. A/C

 “ FBA-2C                                             2.9 688.7    0.3 46.3                                                               738.2         

Frasca                                                                                                                           34.2      34.2   

Grumman Aircraft

   “   Goose                                                                             0.5                                                0.5

   

Noorduyn

 “ Norseman                                                             2.0                                                                 2.0

Piper Aircraft

 “ J-3C-65 Cub          2.5                                                                                                                 2.5

 “ 18 Super Cub                                       0.6 108.5                                                                           109.1          

 “ 22 Tripacer          0.8                                                                                                                 0.8

 “ 23 Cherokee                                              2.5                                                                             2.5

 “ 31 Navajo                                                                               5.0             0.9                              5.9

 “ 140                  0.8                                                                                                                 0.8

Saunders

 “  St-27                                                                                  3.0                      (3.0)                6.0

   

Schweizer

  “  1-26                                                                          1.7                                                      1.7

  "  1-33                                                                     2.4                                                           2.4 

_______________ ___   ____      ___    ___   _____   ____ _____    ___ ___    ___  ___    ____ ___ ___   __  ___       __         ___       ___    __  

TOTALS          60.8   15.7     239.5  20.8  1294.5  12.2 2436.8   0.3 222.1  2.4  1.7    18.9 9.3 29.5  9.1 7.0                                                                                               

                                      (incl)

                                        (2.0 floats)    

                                                                                                                                                 

                                 February  1983    3 week vacation in the Philippines on Lauzon Island (MAN/Manilla is primary 

                               international airport . The population was aprox 10 million in early 1980’s.

              I met an Aussi bloke who owned a night club & had flown a Super Catalina flying boat in WWII. He asked

              me to take photo if I should see one in my travels & mail it to him.  ****refer Sept 1987 travel**** 

  

              March 31  1983    bought vertical airfoils  - a Pilothouse Motor Sailboat (NorthSea 34) “Intention”

              JULY  6   1983    (Wednesday afternoon on Westham Island,near Ladner,BC)   married 2nd time. .

                               “Michelle/Mitch” owned a townhouse in Ladner.    Commuted on AirBC’s YVR/YZT/YVR   

                               scheduled DC-3 or DHC-6  10 days on/5 days off

July 26  1983       1st Dash-7  C-FFEL arrived at YZT from YVR

October 28 1983     BC's economic downturn meant reduction of aircraft and changing from seaplane to airport runway  

                  capable wheels, & reduction of 120 seaplane pilots to 25 & all ground personnel. Thus most everyone  would be affected which usually meant moving to another base OR  quitting their jobs without uprooting homes ? Some opted to quit - families didn’t like option of moving to bigger cities. I was bumped from YZT by a YBL Dispatcher ,so I transferred t o YVR as a Dispatcher working in the former WestCoast Air YVR South Terminal Fraser River base.

(the office looked south over the river's docks & residential Richmond,BC)

  A year or so later,the Dispatch Office moved to a new area in the YVR South Terminal bldg -- modernized - newer computers , more people,etc. 

  

 Many DHC-6 Twin Otters were converted from seaplane to airport friendly wheels service , doing scheduled services as a feeder to our partner CPAir at YVR International Terminal at Gates 19 & 27. Our DHC-6’s & DHC-7s when not in use were parked on the North apron ; which subsequently was covered by YVR International’s D & E Concourses (2008-2012 ???) 

November 1983 thru  January 1984  salary increased to $1,855/mo (for Dispatchers).

  

     March 1984     Had found out that one didn’t need to get Annual Medical Exam to maintain one’s Commercial Pilot

      Licence Ceased  (annual for those over 40 yrs). Especially since I was paying off a $58,000 sailboat mortgage .

     June 1 1984    Some of my Dispatcher colleagues thought I was on drugs because I didn’t get too excited when the 

                    shit hit the fan ! Was subtly suggested that I leave that office for new position at YVR’s main

   terminal Gate 19 to drive a bus carrying 18 passengers to/from the pax holding room across airside tarmac to parked

   Twin Otters (DHC-6’s used to shuttle pax to/from Vancouver Island’s YYJ,YCD & Sunshine coast’s  YPW/Powell River  

   New salary $1,350/mo & title CSA/Customer Service Agent

     Autumn 1985    “Jimmy” Pattison gave notice to all employees that he wanted his new airline to survive ! This meant

               wage cuts & wage freezes. The CBRT&GW Union members fought tooth & nail against those 2 items. Couldn’t 

     do anything else, accepted his airline survival terms = 3 year wage freeze + I can’t remember what else?

     January 6 1986    marriage fell apart . Moved onto my sailboat which was in Ladner slough & found moorage on

                      Bridgeport Rd , Richmond,BC  adjacent to Skyline Hotel.  No BC built boats were insulated. 

     Frase River’s glacier waters flowed by , my heaters not effective, consequently dressing at 05:00 very quick. 

     By end of February had glued 1/2 inch thick “Esso foam” throughout.  Made a great difference!

                

   April 20 1987    “Jimmy” sold ZX/AirBC to AC/AirCanada , which included cancellation of the airside shuttle bus

         sevice , as AC had built a ground level covered concourse (many portals) specifically for pax transferring 

         from ZX flights to/from AC flights . The new concourse Gate named A-19  .

    

  I was able to exercise my seniority (which co-incidentally included my flying start date 9 April 1979 ) & bumped over

  to YYJ/Victoria airport as a CSA to work at its’ Pax Check-in Counter. I don’t recall if the move affected anyone .

  The ZX/YYJ job description was all encompassing : included some radio work, working boarding gate, greeting a/c’s pax,

  taking baggage off the arrivals conveyor & writing up delayed baggage reports, billing late accepted cargo,etc . By

  this time ZX had added more 4 engine turbo-prop DHC-7/Dash 7’s ,2 engine turbo-prop DHC-8/Dash-8’s, and the occasional

  2 Pratt & Whitney piston engined DC-3 (previously Pacific Coastal A/L). DHC-6’s still in use with flights to 

  SEA/Seattle a/p via Port Angeles,Washington state (across Juan de Fuca Strait opposite city of Victoria,BC) 

  new salary $1,844

  Our Check-in Counter was located between CP/Cdn Regional & Air Canada  (AC Pax Agents made almost twice what we made !

  They had been negotiating union contracts 50 years more than ZX.) 

     April 27 1987   was my 1st shift date . A few days before, took my boat to a marina in North Saanich.

     September 25 thru' October 7  1987    Had won at an AIRBC hangar party a British Airways travel pass. Spent most 

                                       of it checking out aircraft displays looking for that Manilla Aussi’s Super 

     Catalina!    

 

     December 27 1992    married 3rd time  (Saturday aftrn and divorced July 1996) 

                        

     1993    Contemplating a return to a paid flying job.  The YYJ Flying club said I’d have to do all the exams over

           again + flying training > Estimated cost $11,000 ! (definitely not an option at that time.  Unbeknownst to

          me, DoT (Dpt of Transport) had changed the rules in 1990 stating that to maintain a License it was necessary

           to fly a minimum of (I think 6 hours/year or something like that)

        

     1995   realized I did NOT function well before 10:00AM.  My seniority allowed me to bid afternoon/evening shifts.

    February 1997    salary increase to $2,674/mo ($15.43/hr)

    July 1  1999    became a Baggage Services Agent full time . I was one of the few people who got satisfaction in 

                  that position , despite having to deal the occasional irate pax (although at YYJ , our frequent fliers

         realized that the bags would show up (the Dash 8’s really didn’t have capacity due to high volume of CarryOn, 

               

                     salary had  increased  to   $2936/mo

   July  2003 until Retirement on September 20005 salary was $3600/mo

I remain very much interested in all aspects of aviation .

C’est tout pour maintenant