Tuesday, June 28, 2005

 

Steve And "Walter Turbine Otter" C-GBTU Fly The "Boy Scouts Of America"!

Every year, Blue Water Aviation's Sub-Base in Bissett welcomes around 1,000 Boy Scouts Of America and their leaders, who will be flown out to go canoeing. The "Troops" come from all over the U.S.A., and they come at different times during the summer, starting in June. They overnight at a camp-site in Bissett, and then in the morning, after breakfast, they walk down to our Float Base. Every group is accompanied by interpreters/guides, who are familiar with the canoe-routes in the area. All the Scouts are charged "by the seat" when we fly them in and out of Scout Lake, so if there are different-sized groups, everybody pays the same. It is fair for everyone, and works quite well.

This morning I took Walter Turbine Otter C-GBTU to Bissett, to help with the Scouts, as 29 had arrived. I would help Johnny Friesen flying Beaver EYQ, and Wendell "Codfish" Perry, flying C-185, FVZ.


Loading up the "Boy Scouts" (and sometimes there are girls along) in Bissett......... Posted by Hello


After a short flight, "splash-down", "Scout Lake"!  Posted by Hello

From Scout Lake, the Boy Scouts take any of a number of different canoe routes. They portage into the Gammon, Sasaginnigak, and Bloodvein Rivers, and do a circuit, and end up back at Scout Lake, and then we pick them on a day they have scheduled. It is a great outing for the kids, and the leaders, and everyone seems to enjoy themselves, although they all seem haggard, skinny, and bug-bitten when they return. Character-building, I say, teaching self-reliance. A great program.


A view from the Otter. The Scouts on the rock at Scout Lake, off into the bush to retrieve the cached canoes. Posted by Hello


Boy, BTU sure seems serene "bobbing" on the dock......... Posted by Hello


"Ah, this is the life", BTU muses, as she relaxes, and a cool breeze wafts through her open doors. Posted by Hello

The "Scout" flying complete, then I loaded fuel for Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, as we supply them with diesel for their generator, and regular gas for their outboard motors.


Unloading fuel from BTU. We try not to break the legs or fingers of the dock-hands. Posted by Hello


Notice at Aikens Lake, which is on the Gammon River system, the water is also over the docks. Friggin' water, everywhere!!!!! Posted by Hello


Then, late in the afternoon, I returned to Silver Falls. Hey, what is going on with "Polack" Otter C-GHYB? Posted by Hello


Ed, Remy, and Mel, have taken the 3-bladed Hamilton Standard DC-3 prop off of HYB, and put a Pezetel 4-bladed prop on. We just didn't like the vibration from the 3-blader, although it is a slightly better performer. The 3-bladed prop is a modification, but the 4-bladed prop has been paired successfully with this engine for many years, so we figured, hey, why try to re-invent the wheel? Posted by Hello


HYB "before"......... Posted by Hello


And "after"! Now that is how a "Polish Otter" should look from the front..... Posted by Hello


Look at the "horsepower", 9 beautiful cylinders of 202 cubic inches and 111 HP each, and notice the prop counterweights, prop governor, and engine reduction gear-box........... a thing of beauty!!! Posted by Hello


Ready to re-install the cowling........ Posted by Hello

I started to leave the dock area, and what I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. There lay "Hamilton Standard"!


"Hamilton Standard", weathered and old, and bleeding profusely, expired where he was lain. Posted by Hello


As the life-blood drained from "Hamilton Standard", I stood over him, my hat in my hand, and murmured a few words of tribute. Hamilton Standard, "Rest In Pieces". Posted by Hello

I did one final trip today, to take some fishermen to Carroll Lake, and used HYB. The Pezetel prop worked like a charm, and pulled HYB through the air like a champ!


Day complete, HYB gets some more pampering. So, folks, just another day in my life. What did you do today? Adios, it is time for some "barley sandwiches"!!!!! Till next time.......... Posted by Hello

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