Canoe, Hunt, Fish, and Fly, by Otter

Michaelle Jean is now officially the Governor General of Canada, and if you weren't aware, is also now the Commander-in-Chief. Talk about a patronage appointment. Anyways, I won't be too long-winded, as I just become more annoyed. Michaelle Jean has a fine resume, and should be commended for her outstanding work with abused women, and helping to provide emergency shelters for said women. This, though, is not the experience necessary to be "GG". Also, her past "patriotism" and "allegiances" are "sketchy". So, was Cliff Chadderton ever considered for GG? He should have been a "no-brainer" for the position. Here are the 2 resumes, you tell me who has the experience to be Commander-in-Chief.
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Governor General

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada

Biography

Michaëlle Jean was born in Port au Prince, Haiti. As a young child in 1968, she and her family left her country and sought refuge in Canada.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Italian and Hispanic languages and literature, and continued her studies towards a Master of Arts in comparative literature at the University of Montreal. From 1984 to 1986, she taught at the Faculty of Italian Studies at the same university. During the 1980's, she pursued linguistic and literary studies at the University of Perouse, the University of Florence and the Catholic University of Milan, all of which cited her for excellence. She is fluent in five languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish and Creole.

As she pursued her studies, Michaëlle Jean worked for eight years, from 1979 to 1987, with Québec shelters for battered women. She has taken in, supported and accompanied hundreds of women and children in crisis, while actively contributing to the establishment of a network of emergency shelters throughout Québec and elsewhere in Canada. She was also involved in aid organizations for immigrant women and families, and later worked at Employment and Immigration Canada and at the Conseil des Communautés culturelles du Québec.

Madame Jean's sense of social commitment and her appreciation of national and international realities led her to journalism. For 18 years, she has been a highly regarded journalist and anchor of information programs. She joined Radio-Canada in 1988, working successively as a reporter and host on such news and public affairs programs as Actuel , Montréal ce soir, Virages and Le Point . In 1995, she anchored a number of Réseau de l'Information à Radio-Canada (RDI) programs such as Le Monde ce soir, l'Édition québécoise, Horizons francophones, Les Grands reportages, Le Journal RDI, and RDI à l'écoute. In 1999, she was also asked by the English network, CBC Newsworld, to host The Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts which broadcast the best in Canadian and foreign documentary films.

In 2001, Michaëlle Jean began anchoring the weekend editions of Radio-Canada's major news broadcast Le Téléjournal. In 2003, she became the anchor of Le Téléjournal's daily edition Le Midi.

In 2004, she started her own show, Michaëlle, which is broadcast on both French-language public television networks. This program features a series of in-depth interviews with experts, enthusiasts and visionaries.

In the mid-1990s, Michaëlle Jean also participated in a number of documentary films produced by her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond: La manière nègre ou Aimé Césaire chemin faisant, Tropique Nord, Haïti dans tous nos rêves, and L'heure de Cuba. These thought-provoking documentaries were critically acclaimed and earned awards both in Canada and internationally.

Michaëlle Jean has won numerous honours for her professional achievements, including: the Human Rights League of Canada's 1989 Media Award for her report titled La pasionaria, on the struggle of an immigrant woman in Québec; the Prix Mireille-Lanctôt for her report titled Partir à zér, dealing with spousal violence; the Prix Anik for best information reporting in Canada for her investigation of the power of money in Haitian society; the inaugural Amnesty International Canada Journalism Award; the Galaxi Award for best information host; the 2001 Gemini Award for best interview in any category; and the Conseil de la Langue Française du Québec's Prix Raymond-Charette. Michaëlle Jean has also been named to the Ordre des Chevaliers de La Pléiade by the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française, and has been made a citizen of honour by the City of Montreal and the Ministère de l'Immigration et des relations avec les citoyens of Quebec in recognition of her accomplishments in communications.

Michaëlle Jean is married to Jean-Daniel Lafond. Their daughter, Marie-Eden, is six years old. Michaëlle Jean's family also includes Mr. Lafond's two daughters from a previous marriage and his two grandchildren.

(from the Governor General Of Canada Web-Site)
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Biography

H. Clifford Chadderton
CC, O. Ont., OStJ, CLJ, CAE, DCL, LLD

H. Clifford Chadderton is a devoted man. For more than 35 years, he has tirelessly served the needs of Canadian amputees, both young and old, through The War Amps. This devotion has taken him down many paths. By his own admission, some were arduous, others controversial, but each has had its special purpose.

Officially, Mr. Chadderton is known as Chief Executive Officer of The War Amps and Chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (NCVA). Unofficially, to the thousands of amputee children who look up to him, he is simply Cliff; to thousands of veterans across the country, Mr. Veteran.

Veteran

Mr. Chadderton lost his right leg below the knee in 1944 while in command of a company of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, battling for the Scheldt Estuary in Belgium and Holland during the Second World War. When he returned to Canada, The War Amps was there to assist him -- as it had been for so many other amputee veterans since the First World War -- in rebuilding his life as an amputee. Until joining the Association full time in 1965, he held several impressive positions: Adviser to the Minister of Labour in veterans rehabilitation, National Secretary of the Army Benevolent Fund, and Director of the Canadian Army Financial Welfare Program.

From 1965 to 1968, he served as Secretary and Executive Director of the Woods Committee, formed to conduct an extensive study on veterans pension legislation in Canada. The final study was acclaimed as the most important of its kind since the First World War.

War Amps CEO

In 1965, Mr. Chadderton took on the full-time position of Chief Executive Officer of The War Amps. With him at the helm, the organization grew dramatically and has become known the world over for its innovative programs and ideas. For example, he expanded The War Amps Key Tag Service -- established in 1946 to provide war amputees with work at competitive wages -- into a modern-day facility with state-of-the-art equipment and computers.

The continued growth in the public's use of the Key Tag Service, has enabled The War Amps to provide more jobs for amputees and other disabled adults. It has also allowed the expansion of existing programs as well as the development of new ones, for at no time has the organization received government grants. The most revolutionary program to spring from this growth was the CHAMP Program for child amputees, in 1975.

Mr. Chadderton is also well-known nationally and internationally as a video producer. Being a war veteran and an amputee make him uniquely qualified to produce the kinds of videos that have won so many awards for The War Amps. His wartime experiences have enabled him to produce the NEVER AGAIN! documentary series. He learned to downhill ski at the age of 66 because he wanted to make a video which would inspire amputees -- both young and old -- to take up the sport as a recreational pastime. An entire series of award-winning ski videos grew from one of the first productions, The Nakiska Kids.

Chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations

Throughout his tenure with The War Amps, Mr. Chadderton has maintained a very high profile in the veterans community. As Chairman of the National Council of Veteran Associations (NCVA), he is called upon regularly by the media to comment on veteran issues of both national and international significance.

Mr. Chadderton has a long list of credits to his struggle for veterans rights. His most recent achievement was seeing compensation granted to Canada's Merchant Navy veterans. Benefits that were received by veterans of the Armed Forces at the end of the Second World War were withheld from Merchant Seamen to encourage them to continue their service in a postwar Merchant Navy, which never came to pass. The ex gratia Merchant Navy Special Benefit, announced on February 1, 2000, and concluded on May 4, 2001, removes the "black mark" that hung over Canadian veterans programs. After Mr. Chadderton's long-standing campaign pursuing a payment in lieu of benefits for them, the Canadian government granted compensation of $104.5 million in total for qualified Canadian Merchant Navy veterans and their surviving spouses for war-related service.

Mr. Chadderton has also seen justice served for Canada's Hong Kong veterans. As prisoners of war of the Japanese, they were forced into slave labour during the Second World War. As Patron of the Hong Kong Veterans Association, Mr. Chadderton led the fight for compensation since 1987, both at the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva, Switzerland and before the Canadian government in Ottawa. The December 11, 1998 announcement by the government stated that Canada would award a lump sum payment of $24,000 to each surviving member of the Hong Kong Force and to the widows as well.

Because of Mr. Chadderton's efforts, the scope of post-discharge benefits for Peacekeeping veterans was expanded. On February 16, 2000, Veterans Affairs Canada announced that Post Traumatic Stress would be recognized as a disability under the Pension Act.

Mr. Chadderton is also well-known for his challenge of the accuracy of the highly controversial CBC series, The Valour and The Horror, which offended many Canadian veterans. His efforts, backed with full support of The War Amps and NCVA, resulted in a critical report from the CBC Ombudsman concluding that the documentary was seriously flawed and failed to measure up to CBC journalistic policies and broadcasting standards.

Valued Friend

Many people throughout Canada have praised Mr. Chadderton for his valuable work. The list of his awards and achievements is extensive. On his promotion to Companion of the Order of Canada, Dr. Henry Friesen, President of the Medical Research Council, said of Mr. Chadderton:

"... For more than three decades, Hugh Clifford Chadderton has been at the helm of The War Amps. Thankfully, it has been four decades since Canadians have been injured in war. And many war amputees are now well-served by existing programs. But Mr. Chadderton looked around, and saw that there was still a need his organization could fill. It was Mr. Chadderton who developed CHAMP, a program especially for child amputees. It was a stroke of genius. Nor has he forgotten veterans. The NEVER AGAIN! series reminds us of the sacrifices made in war by people like Cliff Chadderton."

(from the War Amps Web-Site)
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There you have it. Like I said, a "no-brainer". Who would you have picked? As we near November 11, and a time of Remembrance, I salute the men made from the same "material" as Cliff Chadderton. They are the "best of the best", and I would feel much more at ease with Cliff Chadderton as Governor General and "COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF" in a time of conflict, with no disrespect intended to the present one. I know the "GG" is also largely ceremonial, but the exposure would really help to benefit projects Cliff has been involved with.

Steve
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Cliff has also published a "Memoir" of his combat experiences titled: EXCUSE US! HERR SCHICKLGRUBER (Hitler's birth name). Here is a review from a reader of the Muskoka TODAY News Magazine.

Dear Editor:
This is “The Year of the Veteran”.
The Second World War ended 60 years ago, and most of the young soldiers who dashed ashore across the rocky beaches of Normandy were in their teens or early twenties. Now they are the white-haired vets in their eighties we see every November eleventh during Remembrance Day ceremonies across Canada. Their numbers are dwindling, but their story remains compelling. That story has been told with awesome realism in a book written by Clifford Chadderton, Chief Executive Officer of The War Amps. Chadderton was among the first to hit the beach on D-Day, and he led his men deep into enemy-held territory. His story is not about dates and battles, it’s about the men he served with. He tells us what it was like to be knocked senseless by an exploding shell, and then blown up by a German grenade and losing a leg. Chadderton carries the scars of thirteen bullet wounds, and his book “Excuse Us! Herr Schicklgruber” is impossible to put down. It’s like reading “Saving Private Ryan”, except that the stories are all absolutely true, and the characters are all absolutely Canadian. Younger generation readers have expressed their gratitude for being given the opportunity to read these stories, saying that they were never able to convince their fathers or uncles to tell them about their war-time exploits. The brave young Canadians who beat the ‘invincible’ Nazi forces helped create the Canada we take for granted today. Chadderton’s book, “Excuse Us! Herr Schicklgruber” is a must read for students of Canadian history, and anyone whose family have served with the Canadian Forces. It can be ordered by calling toll free 1-800-250-3030 or by visiting www.waramps.ca.

Ray Stone
Ottawa

The War Amps

EXCUSE US! HERR SCHICKLGRUBER - A "must read"!

Check out some cool chopper flying from the X-Files, filmed by Studio Wings Inc.. Don't worry, Mulder and Scully saved everyone in the "nick of time"!

VIDEO - "X-Files Chopper Sequence"

Watch this aerial routine end up a little too close to the ground! The pilots eject for a short trip back to "terra firma"!

VIDEO - Sukhoi SU-30 Crash

My friend Merlin Johnson, Ops. Mgr. for Northway Aviation Ltd., sent me some pics of Northway's fleet during the Summer of '05. Let's check them out!

1953 C-180 CF-HDL!
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HDL, earning her keep.
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C-185, CF-ZZP.
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I have flown this aircraft in the past on floats, wheels, and skis.
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Good old de Havilland Beaver CF-QQG!
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QQG, on "sentry" duty!
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I have flown this aircraft in the past on floats, wheels, and skis.
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Inmates from the Interlake Mental Health Hospital prepare to embark on a fly-in fishing trip, this photo being reminiscent of a scene from "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"......
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Just kidding, folks. This is the outstanding Northway 2005 Flight Crew........
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And last, but not least, 1966 de Havilland Otter, S/N 456, CF-UKN, stands guard over the fleet. I have flown this aircraft in the past on floats, wheels, and skis.
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Some images from the eventful Summer of 2005. Thanks for the pics, Merlin!

When an F-16 trails a 100 foot flame, it is time to bail-out!

VIDEO - F-16: In The "Hot Seat"! (Literally)

Hurricane Katrina rampaged across "The Gulf", and Louisiana took the hardest hit. After it was all over, places in Louisiana looked similar to the aftermath of the Third Punic War, when the Romans "sacked" the Phoenician city of Carthage. Anyways, any populated area that is below sea level and diked, well, it is a roll of the dice when dealing with Mother Nature.

Here in Manitoba, we have an abundance of water, and many communities adjoin Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, and Lake Winnipegosis, or adjoin drainage systems leading to these great "Inland Seas". Experiencing heavy rains, and swollen water levels for the last 3 years, Emergency Services Manitoba finally has decided to act, and is restoring the dikes around the communities to pre-1974 levels, which should protect most communities forever (touch wood). Obviously, everyone saw the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused, and it was immediately after this event that Emergency Services really mobilized. Hurricane Katrina, in my eyes, was a decided factor in what is happening today in Manitoba. Check out the activity down-river from my property.


The "picturesque" Icelandic River........
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"Diking" under way.........
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Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of cubic yards of material are being dumped by trucks such as this one from Glenko Enterprises of Arborg.
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Most of the work is being accomplished with small loaders, such as this Kubota-powered 50 HP Thomas 153 Skid-Steer Loader.
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Or this Deutz-powered 80 HP Gehl 6635 Skid-Steer Loader.
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The boys are hard at work, shaking the shit out of their bladders and kidneys......
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In the spring, Emergency Services will contract out the application of topsoil and grass seed.
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Most of the dike "trimming and finishing" is being performed by my friend Stefan Ostertag, owner of Keystone Kerbs Inc..
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Stefan in his John Deere-powered, turbocharged diesel-engined, 66 HP Deere 320 Skid Steer Loader.
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So, you see, Hurricane Katrina even affected the "hamlet" of Riverton, as well as affecting millions of others. I think it really made some bureaucrats uneasy about "who would share the blame" if a major flood happened here, so they got busy. Anyways, they should be at my property soon, so I will post some before and after pics.

"Adios"!

(Oh yeah, one more thing. I renewed my Category 1 MOT Medical on Wednesday, and I was going by St. Andrews Airport on the way home, and I thought I would take a quick drive through the airport area to see if there were any "real" airplanes around. Well, in front of Custom Helicopters, my heart skipped a beat! There was a real airplane at St. Andrews, although she was old, frail, and years of hard-work and facing the elements had worn her down. Her days are numbered, as oxidation and moisture are claiming her, and some of her "appendages" are missing. I salute the old girl, she deserves better than what she is getting in her twilight years! If only she could talk, her stories would hold you spell-bound!)


For shit's sake, an old Noorduyn Norseman!
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Time has worn her down.
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As I approached her, I felt remorse and sadness at what she had become.
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A disgraceful way to treat an "Elder"....Hopefully, old "Bush Rats" don't end up in this shape........ ...... ... ..

Watch the Beriev Be-200 "nimbly" drop a load of water in her fire-fighting configuration!

VIDEO - Beriev Be-200; "One More Time!"

Today, I won't get into the controversy of whether or not the U.S. and her Allies "should", or "shouldn't be", in Iraq. We could debate till we were "blue in the face", but history will be the storyteller sometime in the future. Anyways, next door to Iraq, sits Iran. Yes, you know, Iran! That shining example of humanity that the world looks up to. Free Speech, Women's Rights, and Freedom of Religion are the "pillars" that the Iranian country is built upon. "Peace and Goodwill" is their National Motto. They also have a President who is trying to be a "peacemaker" in the region. Here is a news clip from Yahoo!-News.
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Iran Leader Calls for Israel's Destruction

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer
Wed Oct 26, 3:34 PM ET



TEHRAN, Iran - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Wednesday that Israel is a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the map" — fiery words that Washington said underscores its concern over Iran's nuclear program.

Ahmadinejad's speech to thousands of students at a "World without Zionism" conference set a hard-line foreign policy course sharply at odds with that of his moderate predecessor, echoing the sentiments of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran's Islamic revolution.

The United States said Ahmadinejad's remarks show that Washington's fears about Iran's nuclear program are accurate.

"I think it reconfirms what we have been saying about the regime in Iran," White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters in Washington. "It underscores the concerns we have about Iran's nuclear intentions."

Ahmadinejad also condemned Iran's neighbors which seek to break new ground in their relations with Israel. "Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury," state-run television quoted him as saying.

Relations between Israel and several Persian Gulf states have been thawing amid Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September. Bahrain announced in September it was ending a decades-old law banning trade ties with Israel. In October, Qatar said it was donating $6 million to help build a soccer stadium for a mixed Arab-Jewish team, the first such financial assistance by an Arab state for any town inside Israel.

Israel has been at the forefront of nations calling for an end to Iran's nuclear program, which the United States and many others in the West say is aimed at acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Iran insists the program is for generating electricity.

Referring to Palestinian suicide bomb attacks in Israel, Ahmadinejad said: "there is no doubt that the new wave in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world."

Ahmadinejad's speech came hours before a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in the Israeli town of Hadera, killing five people. Iran aids several militant Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, with support and training through proxies among Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.

"Ahmadinejad has clearly declared the doctrine of his government," said Mohammad Sadeq Hosseini, an expert on Middle Eastern affairs. "He is returning Iran to the revolutionary goals it was pursuing in the 1980s."

Reacting to the Iranian president's speech, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Ahmadinejad and Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar "speak openly about destroying the Jewish state ... and it appears the problem with these extremists is that they followed through on their violent declarations with violent actions."

Ebrahim Yazdi, a former Iranian foreign minister, said Ahmadinejad's remarks harmed Iran.

"Such comments provoke the international community against us. It's not to Iran's interests at all. It's harmful to Iran to make such a statement," he said.

In Madrid, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos summoned Iran's ambassador to protest Ahmadinejad's comments. Moratinos said he rejected the remarks in the strongest possible terms.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Baptiste Mattei also condemned the remarks "with the utmost firmness."

Ahmadinejad became president in August after winning elections two months earlier. He replaced Mohammad Khatami, a reformist who advocated international dialogue and tried to improve relations with the West.

Iran announced earlier this year that it had fully developed solid fuel technology for missiles, a major breakthrough that increases their accuracy. The Shahab-3, with a range of 810 miles to more than 1,200 miles, is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East.
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All sarcasm aside, it is time for the world community to get off of their "collective asses" and unite in the strongest sense, and warn Iran in the strongest terms. Let them know that if they are seeding unrest and supplying arms to terrorists, they will be dealt with severely. The "Mullahs" are bent on "Islamofascism for everyone", or "world destruction". Maybe the U.S., Britain, and Australia are the only countries smart enough to see the warning signs, and actually "Get It!"

Today I received an e-mail from my brother Mike, in Prince Rupert, B.C.. It seems he and his son Justin went moose hunting, and Justin was successful. I have posted before about Justin and Mike in Thunderstix's 14 Year Old Boy Gets His First Big Game. Oct.29, 2004, where Justin bagged a deer, and in Justin And Mike Finally Get Their "Goat"!, where Justin gets his own goat (instead of his Dad's)! Well, it seems Justin is having a good year, and hear is the latest installment in the "Saga Of Justin And Mike"!
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Hi Steve,

I have been mum about this as I was waiting for my pictures to accompany the story. We went to my favourite little island on the Skeena River on opening day (Oct 20th). We scared up a moose within 5 minutes but did not get a look at it. We slogged our way through a ton of brush, etc., and scared up two more but did not see them clearly as they hightailed it into the thickness. We met up with the other father/son team and they had a bull less than 30 yards away in the alders, but were reluctant to shoot in case of deflection. We then set off again and hunted the area they had seen the bull in but to no avail. I said to Justin that we would maybe just hunt our way back to the boat on the other side of the island and go somewhere else. I just happened to look down-stream towards the next island and I saw something dark in the bushes at the edge of the river bank. It was probably nothing, I said to myself, (we were about 800 yards away at this point) but put my spyglasses to my eyes regardless, and "lo and behold", it was the butt of a moose. We began to run down the beach and within 4 or 5 minutes we were as "across" from it as we could be. Justin found a good log and got a rest. We still did not know if it was a bull or not as it had walked into the bush and we could no longer even see it. 20 seconds later, out it steps to feed and it has horns!!! "Holy crap", we are excited. Justin has my .375 H&H, shooting 300 grain Nosler Partitions with 75.5 grains of WW-760 in his hands. I tell him to take his time and when he is ready, shoot it behind the front shoulder. ( Just kidding, I never said "front" shoulder). He said he was ready so I said "go ahead". He shot and I watched the moose lurch and then 7 seconds later he fell over out of sight. We had about 10 high-5's. I wondered how far it was so I pulled out my Yardage Pro 800 and it was 246 yards! Pretty good shooting! Right through the bottom of the heart. I then went off to cross to the other side of the island for the Zodiak while Justin waited there and watched just in case. When I got to him with the Zode it broke down (throttle linkage broke) and we had to paddle like mad to get to the moose (actually had to semi portage 2 channels). We gutted the moose and then paddled back across to our own island, tied up the boat and then walked back across so we could see the highway. We then flagged over another boat and they took us back to the boat launch. We came back the next day and got our moose.

HOLA! Is it ever tender!!!! I am going to try and fill my own tag during the November 16-20 Bow Only hunt. In less than one year Justin has taken his first deer, mountain goat, and now moose.

Mike


Moose "resting place"........
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Mike poses with Justin's moose........
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Justin, proud hunter, and "crack shot"........
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Butchering the moose........
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There you have it, folks, thanks to Mike for the story and photos, and "Congratulations Justin"!

Yesterday I touched on the great design of the amphibious Beriev Be-200 twin-jet. It can be used for firefighting, anti-submarine patrol, as a freighter, passenger transport, and numerous other utility configurations. Fantastic design!

SPECIFICATIONS - BERIEV BE-200 AMPHIBIOUS MULTI-ROLE TWIN-JET AIRCRAFT, RUSSIA

Dimensions:

Length 31.43m
Height 8.90m
Wingspan 32.78m
Tailplane span 10.11m
Fuselage length 29.18m
Fuselage diameter 2.86m

Cabin Dimensions:

Cabin floor area excluding flight deck 39.00m²
Passenger cabin length 17.00m
Passenger cabin width 2.40m
Passenger cabin height 1.80m
Cargo cabin length 17.00m
Cargo cabin width 2.60m
Cargo cabin height 1.90m

Weights:

Maximum take-off weight 37,200kg
Maximum landing weight 35,000kg
Maximum airborne weight after water scoop 43,000kg
Payload 7,500kg
Fuel 12,260kg

Performance:

Maximum level speed at altitude 7,000m 720km/h
Never exceed speed, VNE 610km/h
Service ceiling 8,000m
Service ceiling, one engine inoperable 5,500m
Runway 1,800m
Take-off from runway 700m
Landing from 15m on runway 950m
Take-off on water 1,000m
Landing from 15m on water 1,300m
Water scooping distance to 15m 1,450m

Noise:

Take-off operational noise level 96EPNdB
Climbing operational noise level 90EPNdB
Landing operational noise level 98EPNdB

VIDEO - Beriev Be-200 "Take-Off"!

Sikorsky (originally), Mikoyan, Antonov, Tupolev, Ilyushin, Gurevich, Sukhoi, Yakovlev, man, the "Russkies" sure had some outstanding aircraft designers, to name a number from the top echelons. Russian aircraft were designed for a minimum of maintenance, and to be able to operate from unprepared areas in heavy climate. Fully supported by the government (totally unlike Canada, where the Feds will do anything to impede, shut you down, and bury you), the designers were given reign to experiment, and were encouraged to explore their ideas. Yes, the Russians came up with some amazing designs, and most of them worked. Check out a Russian Float-Plane, or Flying Boat, or Water-Jet, or whatever you wish to call it, a fertile mind designed the Beriev Be-200. Beriev is a Russian company formed in 1934 that specializes in amphibious aircraft.

VIDEO - Russian "Float-Plane"!

"The wind in the wires, made a tattle-tale sound, as the waves broke over the railings.....And every man knew, as the Captain did, too, t'was the witch of November come stealing..............."! Gordon Lightfoot's masterful piece about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald played on the radio as I gazed out the window towards the Float Base in the late evening. The irony was not lost on me as the wind had picked up from the west-southwest, and was now starting to howl. The waves were crashing over the fixed crib dock, and the 2 airplanes (Cessna 180 CF-LDW and Beaver C-GJJG) and floating docks undulated wildly. "Wind" vs. airplanes is bad enough, but "wind and water" vs. airplanes can be catastrophic. It would be a long night, checking the airplanes and the mooring ropes periodically.

It was summer, 1987, and we had been receiving some awful thunderstorms. They would build southwest of Lake Winnipeg over the prairie, churn across Lake Winnipeg picking up more moisture and intensity, and head inland, sometimes flattening anything in their paths. The evening in question, they came howling through the Little Grand Rapids area like the "Tasmanian Devil" on "earthquake pills". The best we could do was make sure the airplanes were secure, and keep the floats pumped, and get wet. We monitored the planes until 2 AM, then the wind backed-off somewhat, and we retired for some needed shut-eye. Murphy's Law was at work, though, and at 5 AM, the storms attacked us again like a "marauding horde of Mongols". Awakened, we headed back down to the docks on our meager 3 hours of sleep. 2 hours of battling, and the storms finally broke. Weary and soaked, we surveyed the airplanes. Both were still upright and floating, but JJG had crumpled her float against the dock. "Shit!" Still, better than sitting at the bottom of Family Lake.

The airplane remained afloat, but the rear compartment on the left side was badly damaged. I guess I would get an unscheduled trip to Riverton, as our Contract Maintenance was done by Rudy Eastman, a Lake Winnipeg fisherman and long-time "Bush Mechanic". The old Bush Mechanics had many skills that you don't see in the industry today. Anyways, I called Rudy and he said to bring the aircraft to his hoist on the Icelandic River in Riverton, Manitoba. We shoved a rag in the damaged float, pumped it out quick, and I was airborne!

I made Riverton in about 40 min., and taxied into the boat launch as Rudy prepared his hoist. JJG would come out of the water for this repair. We hooked her up, and lifted her out. Rudy went right to work!


Riverton, Manitoba
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Rudy, and his son, Michael "Crowbait" Eastman, work on JJG!
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I pose beside JJG's damaged float. Crap, I was uglier then than I am today!
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JJG's damaged float up close.
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Hot, sunny day, float repair accessories.......
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Rudy has the damage cut away, just like a surgeon........
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Repair under way........
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Fine work!
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Just about done! Then, evening descended on us, and it was time to call it a day. "Crowbait" ran to the "Vendor" for a 24-pack of "liquid intellect". We enjoyed the evening, the water, and some other friends joined us, and it turned into a "riverside party"!
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The party continues, as JJG and my old 1970 Dodge look on, as a boat cruises down the river in the background. There is just something about "being by the water".............
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The next morning, Rudy finishes off the repair. I was in town procuring a load to fly north with. Within a couple of hours, I was back at home base, unloaded, and airborne again, winging some fishermen out to a cabin in the bush.....Just another memory from the "jumbled volumes" of memories from my "mental library".........

Till next time,

"Adios"...........

(PS - My good friend Wayne Letkeman, General Manager of Thunderbird Lodge And Outposts sent me an e-mail and a photo today, and here they are:)
---------------------------------------------------

To: otterflogger@yahoo.com
Subject: Photo
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 10:40:32 -0500


Saw your photo of shadow image in your website. Thought you might like
to see the attached photo. Pilots will often see such images but
passengers seldom do. The photo was taken from my aircraft by Mr. Bill
Seniuk. The photo was taken over Headleaf lake with a layer of fog
below.

Wayne Letkeman
General Manager
Thunderbird Lodge & Outposts Ltd.
P.O. Box 129
Lac du Bonnet, MB R0E 1A0
Ph. 1-204-345-0188
Fax 1-204-345-0189

Email- tbird@lincsat.com
Web - www.thunderbirdlodge.com


-------------------------------------------------------------
Fine photo of Cessna 180 C-FSAE shadow outlined by a rainbow!

Thanks for the photo, Wayne!

One unplanned positive thing about having a "blog" is receiving e-mails from fellow aviation, de Havilland, and float and ski flying "bush" enthusiasts. A lot of them have their own great stories and pics, and are a wealth of information. A few days back I received an e-mail from Clive Pearce, a New Jersey resident, who has a love of Cessnas, Beavers, and Otters. He spends time in Northern Ontario also, and has an attachment to the region. Well, he sent me some pics of a grand old lady that had some trouble during the "touchdown" of a "forced landing". The aircraft overturned due to the shallowness of the water (as you will see), but was salvaged, and apparently will be flying again soon. The incident took place somewhere in British Columbia. The S/N is #397, and my research leads me to believe that this is DHC-3 Otter C-FQEI. The accident took place in the past year, and the aircraft had been operated by Air Nootka.


C-FQEI in an extremely "unfortunate" attitude. Notice the depth of the water, although if this is a tidal bay, the level would fluctuate.


Back on shore, with a few "wrinkles" in her. "Ladies" hate wrinkles!


Seriously injured, surgery is necessary for C-FQEI. Soon, though, she will return to the skies with a clean "bill of health". 

Hate to see an Otter laid up, but I am sure it won't be long before she is up and "corkscrewing" through the skies again. One thing about Otters, they can sure "take a flogging, and keep on logging"! Thanks for the pics and info Clive, till next time, "Adios"!

When there is a trouble spot on earth that needs some attention, the Marines are the first on the scene. From Iwo Jima, to Inchon, to Iraq, the Marines know how to get it done! "Semper Fi"!

VIDEO - The "Marines" And The "Harrier"

(Semper Fidelis is a Latin motto translating to "always faithful". It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, the amphibious infantry element of the United States Navy, who often reduce it to Semper Fi; the motto signifies the dedication that individual Marines are expected to have to "The Corps" and to their fellow fighting men and women, for the rest of their days and beyond.)

de Havilland Canada made some outstanding products, and the DHC-5 was named the "Buffalo". It looked similar to the "Caribou", but with new innovations and turbine engines. It's payload was greatly increased. 126 were built.

SPECIFICATIONS

Country of Origin: Canada (DHC-5, CC-115)
Similar Aircraft: C-7A Caribou
Role: STOL transport, cargo (41 troops, 1/4-ton vehicles, and freight)
Armament: Usually none
Length: 79 ft (24.08 m)
Span 96: ft (29.26 m)
Wing area: 945 sq. ft.
Height: 28 ft. 7 in.
Weights: Empty, 22,400 lbs. Gross, 38,000 lbs.
Power Plant: Two General Electric T64-10 turbine engines @ 2,850-ESHP (Equivalent Shaft Horsepower) at take-off.
Crew: Three
Accommodation: 41 fully equipped troops or 35 paratroopers
USER COUNTRIES: Abu Dhabi, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Honduras, Kenya, Mauritania, Mexico, Oman, Peru, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, United Arab Emirates, USA, Zaire, Zambia.

Watch a Buffalo from the Egyptian Air Force landing in Prague, Czechoslovakia, right at home in a meteorological condition she is familiar with, "SNOW"!

VIDEO - de Havilland Canada DHC-5 "Buffalo"!


Fine piece of work by de Havilland Canada. 

The Blue Angels are the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aerial flight demonstration team. Contrary to popular belief, the team mission is not to "wow" everybody at airshows and allow pilots to walk around with large "heads and egos". The actual mission is to enhance Navy and Marine Corp recruiting, and represent naval service. The team members also serve as positive role models, and goodwill ambassadors. The "best of the best", so to speak. They had an impact on me, as I can remember as a young kid growing up on Vancouver Island I was given a Blue Angels assembled model aircraft by an older neighbour, Mark Syme. Shit, I was only 5 or 6 at the time, but I remember the aircraft. It was an F-11 Tiger, and I also remember when they started flying the F-4 Phantom.

The Blue Angels were the brainchild of Admiral "Chester" W. Nimitz, in 1946. Their first aircraft was the F-6 Hellcat. Today, they fly the outstanding F-18. I would give my "left nut" to be a Navy or Marine pilot, and... "Hey, I have had all my kids already! I would give both nuts!" Hmmm..... "On second thought, I would lose my deep voice, and also walk funny!" No, my time is past, but what a great opportunity and career await some young men and women with the determination, desire, and drive. With the decline in recruiting in the U.S., due basically to the turmoil in the Middle East, there will be some awesome opportunities available to those with the "sense of duty" to serve. Go for it! At the end of your career, many years hence, you will look back, and have a lifetime of memories and accomplishments. President Reagan summed it all up in one quote, which I believe applies to all the military;

"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem" -President Ronald Reagan

WEB-SITE - The Official Blue Angels Web-Site

VIDEO - Blue Angels Perform!


Blue Angels! 


A picture of perfection. 


The Angels with their C-130 Hercules. 


Peel-off! 


JATO (Jet Assist Take-Off) Packs blazing, and visible "vortices" leaving the props, the Angels Herc takes to the skies! 


Sleekness defined. 


"Taxi to position"......... 


Angels Herc and "Old Glory".......Boy, I sure wish Canada was a country of flag-wavers, but, alas..... 


Precision defined. 


Inverted....... 


Heading for the skies. 


"Over the top".......... 


 


 


 


 


 


 

Outstanding photos, detailing what could be a very challenging and rewarding career. Check it out, young people. Contact info is on the web-site. Yes, the "Chester Nimitz Air Force" (Blue Angels) put on a great show!


Till we meet again, "Adios!" 

Ain't it funny how time slips away!


In the late 80s, the upper wing surface of 1959 Cessna 180 CF-LDW seemed like a good "perch" for these 2 birds, oldest kids Kelly and Kody, both presently University of Manitoba students.  


When flying low over the ice on a sunny day, sometimes the timing is right, and your shadow appears. QUESTION: What type of airplane is this? 


Whoever answered a "1959 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on de Havilland "straight" skis, go to the head of the line for a free beer. Old C-GJJG performed unbelievably on those straight skis. 


The "Shadow of JJG" held the "Winter Road Raceway Championship" on the 9 mile stretch between Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi for 4 straight winters, 1986-1989. She retired undefeated. 


How the old girl really looked. 


"Thunderchicken" CF-GUE ( 1943 Noorduyn Norseman) cranks down the Icelandic River "on step". 


Doing a Big Game Survey for moose and elk (and whatever else we saw) in the Interlake with Cessna 185 CF-ZZP. Notice the "hoar frost" on the bush in the background. 


Lunchtime! Time to eat our frozen sandwiches! Also, notice the belly-pod on ZZP. What an invaluable addition, especially in winter. 


The "Bowling Alley", Cessna 207 C-FBHP, framed by a Manitoba winter in the background! 


Fueling Cessna Caravan C-GJJM during a "blistering sunny" winter day at Pine Dock, Manitoba. 


Passengers and freight "disgorged", C-GJJM rests on the "ice" on Fishing Lake, Manitoba. 


Son Shane poses with a hurtful look on his face, and holds his "berries". 1966 Otter CF-UKN looms over Shane. After the pic was snapped, Shane went to "wet the bushes". Shane is now in Grade 8. 


How do you clear the runway when an aircraft lands without nose-gear down due to a seized "roll-off bearing"? Why, of course you lift the nose, lock the gear down, and get the loader/tug! 

Yes, "time marches on", and "time waits for no man", as it seems like yesterday when these photos were taken.

Here is a fine way to start the morning. AC/DC and helicopters! Love them both!

VIDEO - AC/DC and Choppers!

I posted Oct. 13 about an Otter I had flown in the past, C-GKYG. The post was called C-GKYG: "Crippled" Bird! Since that post I have received some more photos of the damage done to the aircraft before it was moved. Looking at the photos, and knowing KYG was "fully-loaded", although the damage is substantial, I find it hard to believe it wasn't worse. A Cessna Caravan in the same situation would look like a crushed "beer can". "Planned obsolescence" was never in the equation when the brilliant minds at de Havilland Canada put the DHC-3 Otter together.


KYG from behind. "Oh-oh, the tail-wheel isn't even touching the ground". 


KYG collapsed on her right side, but as you can see, she sat on her folded gear, and there is no "visible" belly damage. 


View from the front. 


The wheel-gear belly attachment, with the strut folded back. 


More gear damage. 


The right wing contacted the ground, and was damaged. 


The tip received some wrinkles. 


There is a large "buckle" in the wing. 


Wing damage. 


There is quite a bit of work ahead for an experienced "metal man". 


The prop and engine received serious damage, and obviously will be changed. 


Ouch!!! 


KYG in an uncomfortable, unfortunate "repose", in a fantastic, scenic part of Canada. After a new engine, prop, and assorted parts are installed, and KYG undergoes some riveting and "metal-bashing", she will return to the skies, with another experience "under her spar". C-GKYG is a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter, and "proud to be"! 

"Steve, my kids and chickens are deaf, and I don't know why!" It was my friend "Oly the farmer" on the phone. He seemed upset. "You are an observant man, Steve, can you come over and see if there might be an environmental problem for their conditions?" I grabbed my hat and jacket, and headed for Oly's house. Oly is a friend, and he was in need. I made Oly's in 10 minutes flat, and "chakai, chakai, chakai", it didn't take me long to see what Oly's problem was. See if you can determine why Oly's chickens and children are deaf!

VIDEO - "My Kids And Chickens Are Deaf!"

What can accelerate faster, an Indy Car or an F-18 Hornet? (but you can bet, once the gear was up, the Hornet blew his doors off!)

VIDEO - Indy Car vs. F-18

"Torching" is a phenomenon that occurs when raw fuel passes through the combustion chamber of an engine unburned, and then is ignited in the exhaust phase. It happens quite often on radial engines during cold starts, and is quite a spectacle, especially if one is starting up while darkness is still enveloping the early AM. While not overly dangerous, normal torching can be quite disconcerting to the uninformed passer-by who just stopped to watch the airplanes. Jet engines will also torch if proper procedures are not followed, and a "hot-start" may be experienced, though not always. Anyways, read the following from the webmaster at www.gassundertrykk.com, and then watch the video in question, and turn up the speakers. It is a visual experience!
------------ -------------- ---------------- --------------------


737-500 Engine Start

April 19th

I've been away for the last two weeks, so I was unaware of the popularity this video had suddenly gotten (it's apparently been posted on bulletin boards all over the web). It's starting to wear off now, I suppose, but I assume some of you are still interested in what's actually taking place on the video. There's a lot of assuming, and although some is right, a lot is also wrong.

First of all, there are no Pax on board the aircraft. We were three people in the cockpit (me, and an additional two) and two people outside (one of which filmed the clip). All of us are maintenance crew.

What is shown on the clip is what is known as a "wet run". The engine had just been installed (replacing an engine that was due for maintenance), and this is the first startup of the engine after a long storage period. Flames like this on wet runs are actually quite usual (or so I've heard), just not this big.

What happens during a wet run is that the engine burns out any residual oil inside the engine that was left there during the storage period. It also burns a certain amount of fuel because the engines usually ignite slower at first startups after storage. The thing that happened to us was that we didn't get any ignition on the first try, thus we filled the engine up with quite an amount of fuel. Before a second try, you're supposed to dryblow the engine with the starter to get the fuel out. That's where we got lazy and didn't do our job properly. On our second attempt, we poured fuel into the engine once again and when it finally ignited we got a result worthy of remembrance.

Some of you might find it unbelievable, but there was no damage to neither engine nor flaps after the incident. Normal on-installation test procedures were taken on the engine, and the plane left the airport with Pax on board the next day.

If anyone has any additional questions, you can reach me at webmaster@gassundertrykk.com

PS: The fact that it was filmed was pure coincidence. We had no intentions on making any flame at all.
-------------- ----------- -------------- -- ------------- --------

VIDEO - "Torching"? Let Me Tell You A Thing Or Two About "Torching"............!

Riverton is situated along the Icelandic River, just before it empties into Lake Winnipeg. The town is diked, and has been for years, due to the wild fluctuations on Lake Winnipeg that used to happen. Nowadays, Manitoba has hydroelectric projects at the north end of Lake Winnipeg, and on it's outlet, and they can regulate the water level to a degree. I have lived here 20 years and it has never flooded, but the last couple of years it has been extremely wet, and the water levels are as high in the fall as they usually are in spring. Emergency Services Manitoba decided this Fall to do some maintenance on the dikes along Lake Winnipeg, in case we have a lot of snow this winter. A construction crew has been working down-river from my house, grading clay onto the top of the dike. I decided to follow the dike, and go see the work that was being done. I took my camera with me. I would be going past Northway Aviation's old Float Base on my way.

I was employed by Northway Aviation from 1990-1999 and flew from the Float Base in Riverton from 1990-1996, until they moved their operation to Pine Dock. I hadn't been to the old Float Base in awhile, and when I arrived there, I couldn't believe how nature had taken over. As I stood and surveyed the area, many memories returned. Cross-winds on the river, flying the Norseman, all the pilots I worked with, doing Float Ratings, drinking beer in the evening sitting on the dock, watching the carp spawn, finding "Otter" (live fur-bearing ones) scat on the docks in the morning. I had a picture in my mind of how it used to be, and I wandered back in time..........


The old Flight Shack! 


2 main fixed docks, and a few hundred feet of floating docks. 


Riverton saw many young "piss and vinegar" pilots like James "Buzzard" Johnston get their start. 


Beaver QQG flew thousands of hours from the Icelandic River in Riverton, MB. 


Noorduyn Norseman CF-GUE routinely woke the town up at 5 AM on summer mornings, as her P&W 1340 CI engine "wailed" at full power, trying to make the aircraft defy gravity! Notice the 10 IMP Gal. gas kegs in the foreground. These enabled even the Cessna 206, 185, and 180 to have a full load onboard when heading north. 


CF-UKN flew thousands of canoers onto Manitoba's famous rivers, such as "The Bloodvein". 


All sorts of strange "cargo" was flown from the Float Base in Riverton. 


Fall time was my favourite time to fly, and we did flying for many successful moose hunts, as pictured here. I am wearing the green hat, and the late Jim Johnson, friend and Northway Aviation owner, is to my left. 

My mind snapped back to 2005, as a boat carrying American goose hunters went whizzing by on the river. I surveyed the remnants of the old Float Base, and concluded it somewhat resembled an "archaeological ruin". It certainly was overgrown, and the old Flight Shack was gone.


Our old 100/130 (and later 100LL) AVGAS tank. 


Willows reclaim the old Base. 


This used to be the main ramp to the floating docks, and is slowly returning to nature. 


This is how the south fixed dock looks today, wind and water taking their toll. 


The north fixed dock still protrudes above the river. 


Riverton can be seen way upriver in the background. 


All the planes and floating docks are gone. 


Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 


Hey, the old "shithouse" is still standing, although as I got closer, I could see it was about to fall into it's own hole. 

I left the old Float Base, and continued on my way. I sure have a lot of good memories, and made a lot of friends, at the old Float Base. I guess that is the most important thing. Within a couple more years there won't be much that will be recognizable that a Float Base ever existed here. Nature had reclaimed the "Sphinx" for hundreds of years, until it was rediscovered and dug from the sand, so it won't be difficult to "absorb" the old Float Base. Yes, Nature always has, and always will, call on the "Seminole Wind" to reclaim all........................

Hey, if you ever go flying and take your dog with you, put a seat-belt on him!

VIDEO - Zero-G Dog!

I have always had the highest respect for law enforcement agencies and their employees, but there are 2 new Police Officers in town, and they have very strange policing methods. Watch! (some "British" humour to start off the weekend!)

VIDEO - "Strange Cops".........

Now, this is a pastime. Get your lawn chair, and attach an engine and prop to it! Do you think? Some of these machines have questionable, "wobbly" integrity........(I love the "Steve Miller Band"!)

VIDEO - Flying "Lawn Chairs".....

Last night I talked on the phone at length to my good friend Shiloh Tegart, who flies for North Cariboo Air, and is based in Fort St. John, B.C.. He phoned me regarding a real estate property he owns, and also to bullshit and give me some details regarding an aircraft I am quite familiar with, having flown it in the past. The aircraft he updated me on is stalwart de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter, C-GKYG. I posted photos regarding the way KYG looked a couple of years back in my post The "Final" Photos From The "Lens Of Brad Blois", when the company I am employed with, Blue Water Aviation Services Ltd., had KYG on a lease. KYG then had a Pezetel M18 1000 HP radial engine, and was a good, tight machine. KYG's engine was converted to a Walter Turbine, and she was painted, this happening in 2004. Bob Jackson, owner of Adventure Air in Lac du Bonnet, MB, owns KYG, and this past year has had it leased to a company in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. It was supplying mining crews and anyone else needing an Otter in isolated areas, and was being operated on wheels. It had been doing the job quite efficiently, and then a couple of weeks ago, we heard some bad news. KYG had an injury!

Well, we received snippets of info about KYG, but without an actual visual image, it is hard to tell exactly how the poor old girl looked. We understood the aircraft was nowhere near a write-off, but she wouldn't be flying from her "injury site" on her own, and she definitely needed "surgery". This is where Shiloh comes in, as he e-mailed me some pics. Shiloh has actually been filling in and doing the flying KYG was doing, using a DHC-6 Twin Otter. So, let's get that visual image!


KYG as I knew her, a couple of years back....... 


Fuel dump close to the "injury site", and runway. 


Shiloh's Twin Otter, to the rescue! 


Poor KYG, supported by pallets. 


Apparently KYG had a rough landing, the right gear folded back, the right wing touched, and the prop made a nice trench down the runway before the aircraft came to a stop. Believe it or not, which is an amazing stroke of luck, there was no belly damage. 


The aircraft was raised....... 


A little curve in that "hockey stick"......... 


Took a good "whack"........ 


Introducing the new "Noodle Propeller". It straightens out once you start the engine! 


It looks like the engine cowls weren't damaged either.......Notice the objects "duct-taped" to the top of the wing just aft of the leading edges. These objects are to "spoil" the lift of the wings when the aircraft is lifted by helicopter, and slung back to the maintenance or transportation area.  


Prop damage. 

Hockey stick and noodle-prop jokes aside, no one likes to see an aircraft damaged, ESPECIALLY an Otter, as they have a time and experience-acquired "personality" all their own. If only Otters could talk. Anyways, KYG will be repaired, and will take to the skies again, to do what she does best, and that is "flog the bush". You can't keep a good "Canadian Girl" down for long. They "Rock"!

Thanks, Shiloh!

(PS - There were no injuries in the mishap, which is above all the most important thing!)

Have you ever heard the expression "Balls of Steel"? Well, watch the video for the definition. This guy certainly defines the saying. Still, that isn't to say he might be short some "brain matter", as that could be debated well into the night over some "wobbly-pops" without a conclusion. (Of course the jump-ship of choice is the "matchless" de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter!)

VIDEO - Free Fall! (This Guy Is Nuts)


 

A Katana is a slightly curved sword, with its convex edge sharpened, used since the Ashikaga Period (1333-1474). It was one of the weapons used by the Bushi Class, especially the Samurai, which used it together with a shorter sword called Wakizashi. The Katana has been endowed with a sacred element, since it comes from the work store of a member of the Shintoist priesthood. The two swords together are called Daisho (long and short), and were used by Samurai of all the ranks. Some of the steel used in Katanas is legendary, so a rigorous test was contrived to see how tough an authentic "Katana" really is. A machine-gun was necessary to complete the test. Make sure you watch the video to the end, especially the "ultra" slow-motion part. It is just amazing what the Katana does to some of the bullets!

VIDEO - "Katana" vs. "Machine-Gun"!

Check out any hockey rink, football stadium, soccer pitch, or baseball diamond in Canada or the U.S. on a fun-filled Saturday or Sunday afternoon, and interview some of the kids, and ask them what their yearnings and goals are. Most will reply with wide eyes, and state they would like to play a sport, the same as their favourite sports role model. It is part of life in North America, and we all went through it. Nowadays, some of the sports figures (a lot of them) are questionable role models, but the kids still enjoy play-fantasizing about being like them. Take a quick flight to the Middle East, and check out some Palestinian kids. Now, I know all the kids are not raised this way, and I don't fault the kids. The adults who brain-wash these precious young kids are the "vilest of the vile", and their influence has to be stopped. It is going to take a long time to break this cycle of "genetic hatred". Too bad kids never get to be kids.

VIDEO - Fanatics "Taint" The Children

"BB-r-r-r-iii-i-i-i-n-nnn-nn-g-gg-ggggg!!!!" The phone in the Flight Shack just about jumped off the desk. I was flying out of Little Grand Rapids, and it was Fall, 1987. Stalwart pilot and unquestionable "lady's man" Gerry Zylich answered the phone. "Hello!" Gerry answered. He listened for a couple of moments, said "OK", and passed me the phone. "It is Judas", he said, "and the rice is ready to pick, and he wants to fly out."

Judas Owen was an elder from Pauingassi, and an outstanding trapper, hunter, and rice-picker. He was raised at a "purer" time in the history of the local aboriginal people, and knew things that would amaze you. A man that would walk 50 miles to get home through dense bush, crossing rivers and creeks, in the dead of winter, and consider it a normal part of life. His trapping skills were unbelievable, and every year he harvested numerous beautiful furs. Even 18 years ago in this area, trapping was a very good, healthy activity for the Native people to engage in, giving them the chance to be self-reliant, and have a sense of worth. The "tree-huggers", bleeding-heart liberals, and city folk, have since seen to it that one of the last meager industries that the Native people could use to support themselves has been decimated. Anyways, "Oh yeah, Judas' phone call!"

"Hello Judas, how are you?" I queried. "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh, I'm good, good." Judas was always laughing. "Me and my family want to fly out to Harrop Lake and pick rice, it is ready." "OK, when do you want to go?" I asked. "Today, 1 o'clock, pick us up in Pauingassi by Fishing Lake Store." Judas replied. "1 o'clock it is, Judas, see you then," I said. "Right on", I thought, as I loved flying the trappers, rice-pickers, and hunters around. Apparently a couple of male members of Judas' family had canoed down the Poplar River to the rice fields a couple of days earlier, and using an HF radio, had called in to say the rice was ready, so now Judas would go also. Gerry "Don Juan" Zylich and I prepped the Beaver, C-GJJG, and the C-180, CF-LDW, as Judas would need both airplanes.

One o'clock arrived, and Gerry and I were both already tied up in Pauingassi. Judas and his family were on time, and in short order had all their gear on the docks.


JJG tied to Fishing Lake Store dock in Pauingassi, September, 1987.  


JJG, with canoe tied on, awaits the rest of the gear for Harrop Lake, including Pampers, flour, lard, canned goods, 10 gal. drum of gas, hand-carved paddle, and a 30-30 rifle. 

Gerry and I were soon loaded and airborne, heading northwest for Harrop Lake. Actually, the rice field wasn't on Harrop Lake itself, but on the first shallow lake upstream on the Poplar River, but Judas considered it part of Harrop. As we arrived and surveyed the lake, I couldn't believe the amount of rice. It would be like landing in a sparse wheat field. Rocks are easy to find at a rice lake, as the rice won't grow where the rock is, obviously, and you have an open patch of water where the rock or reef is. Also, steering in a rice lake is maddening, as your water rudders drag the rice stalks, and you cannot turn out of wind. Today the winds were light, which was a good thing. I found the camp, saw the two boys awaiting us, picked my landing spot, and "greased" onto the surface. Success, as I didn't hit any rocks, as rice lakes are very shallow. I taxied straight into shore and shut-down, and got out onto the float. The float nudged the rock shoreline, and I jumped off.


JJG nosed-in to shore, and passengers unloaded. Boy, the rice is thick! 


I heeled JJG around to unload the canoe and the rest of the gear. Also, it would be easier to drive away when I left due to the steering problems caused by the thick rice. 


LDW arrives, and taxis through the thick rice. 


We haven't seen rice like this in years! 


LDW arrives at shore, and the passengers deplane. Judas Owen is the man in the foreground. 


Then, Gerry and I finish unloading JJG. 


JJG completely unloaded, Gerry rests on the horizontal "stab". 


LDW behind a "meat-drying rack", and a wild rice harvester. The harvester would be tied between 2 canoes, and the canoes propelled by paddle, or 2 small "kickers" (small HP outboards). On the left of the harvester in the photo, if you look closely, is a home-made hand-crank. This would turn a paddle-wheel above the header. As the canoe moved through the rice, someone would turn the crank, and the paddle-wheel would knock the ripe rice kernels into the header, which would later be bagged. It was critical to make sure the paddle-wheel bottom knocked the rice "rearward" into the "header".  


Before we left, Judas showed me "supper". The boys in camp had caught and saved a few Northern Pike, as they knew they had company coming. When traveling, trapping, or rice-picking, Northern Pike was many times the preferred fish for consumption, as when the water is cool, pike flesh is denser, and stays in your belly longer. Also, look at the thickness of the rice behind Judas! 

I arrive back in October, 2005, and a smile is still on my lips. It sure used to be enjoyable doing the trapper and rice-picker work. Alas, both are industries in severe trouble, if non-existent, as far as the Native people are concerned. By the way, Judas is still alive, and so is Gerry, and everyone else in the photos. The rice field at Harrop has never again since 1987 seen a crop like that year. Looking at the pictures, I still find it hard to believe how much rice was actually there, all naturally re-occurring.

Well, time to go, just a memory that popped into my mind this Fall when this year's rice crop failed, thought I would share it, hope you enjoy the photos. Judas and crew had many loads of rice, shot a couple of moose, killed some ducks and geese, fished, and had a great time living off of the land, and after paying for their aircraft charters, had money left. A tremendous lifestyle if you ask me, all "fading to black". Too bad.

"Cheers!"

Watch a fantastic engineering marvel from de Havilland Canada, the DHC-2 Beaver, approach and land at Lake Union, Washington! The landing was a little "skitterish", but the pilot maintains control! (There isn't a float pilot alive who hasn't had the same happen to them!)

VIDEO - Lake Union "Beaver" Landing!

With just a number of days to go until Iraq votes on its Constitution, hopefully the security will be adequate, and the "Islamofascists" don't disrupt the voting, although they will try, blowing themselves and innocent civilians up in their quest to meet the "72 virgins". An actual "vote" must be seen as progress, and hopefully it goes well. Whether or not the Constitution is adopted or not remains to be seen, but the people are actually "voting". The Jan.30 Iraqi elections drew 8 million voters, with a far larger number expected to make it to the polls this time.

One thing I have noticed, as I am sure everyone else has, there seems to be a real vocal, leftist element in the States trying to smear or undo any good our fine men and women are doing in Iraq. Is anybody else besides me sick of these obscure "parties" or "coalitions", or "show-boating" movie actors, directors, or producers? To think that Hollywood could have any effect on national policies and security is to me "grotesque". A lot of these vocal people are uneducated, and the only reason they grab headlines is because they have "Matinee Idol" looks, are controversial, or have been in trouble with the law, and are usually "rich". I wish they would all just "Shut-the-f@#$-up"! They are doing absolutely nothing to help resolve the situation, and are actually making it worse, by creating divisiveness at home.

Anyways, I was thinking of a good "handle" (nick-name) to give these people, and the other day I was reading columns in the Winnipeg Sun, and it jumped out at me. The column was by Salim Mansur, and I always read his column, as he is very objective, and has a vast ability to understand today's events, and how they are ultimately affecting history. Salim Mansur, BA, MA, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario. Teaching fields: Comparative politics developing areas, international relations. Research interests: Comparative/political economy of development, the Muslim world, Islam, South Asia, Middle East. So you see, an educated man, which doesn't mean that you should agree with every statement he makes, but the "phrase" he uses for the "Hollywood elitists" and the others is dead-on. Here is his column in it's entirety.
------------------------- ----------- ----------------------

By SALIM MANSUR




Vladimir Lenin coined the apt phrase "useful idiots" to describe those living in western democracies who made common cause with his Bolshevik politics.

He understood them well, held them in contempt while exploiting their despicable naivete and self-loathing for propaganda purposes of the gulag he made of Russia, and his successors from Stalin to Gorbachev served as chief wardens.

Similarly, Mao Zedong of China had his legion of useful idiots, such as the American journalist Edgar Snow, justifying his sadism as a display of earth-shaking statesmanship.

Mao's most recent biographers, Jung Chan and Jon Halliday, in a massive tome of impeccable scholarship, have given us the inside view of a China where people were raped, starved and murdered systematically.

Mao surpassed Stalin and Hitler -- it is some record to reflect upon -- to become, in Jung Chan's words, "the biggest mass murderer in the history of the world." The number of Chinese who perished in Mao's China exceeded 70 million.

In a free society, as in nature, aberration is not uncommon. "Useful idiots" are aberrations in a democratic society, frequently seditious, and a reminder that freedom has costs free people must bear vigilantly.

The recent anti-war demonstrations in Washington and elsewhere are comprised of the useful idiots of our time, who make common cause with bloody-minded insurgents determined to derail the difficult transition of Iraq, from tyranny to freedom.

Their public representatives, such as British MP George Galloway and Michael Moore, the duplicitous American filmmaker, openly embrace "jihadist" insurgents -- the fanatical dregs of the Arab-Muslim world -- colluding with former Baathists loyal to Saddam Hussein.

Galloway is on record stating: "It can be said, truly said, that the Iraqi resistance is not just defending Iraq. They are defending all the Arabs and they are defending all the people of the world against American hegemony."

In the excuse of opposing war, these useful idiots defend mass murderers, trade in conspiracy theories and spurn democratic societies by being obsequious to despots.

At the very same time these useful idiots gathered together last month to display their wretched time-worn politics of anti-war, making fools of their apologists in the lib-left media, Jalal Talabani of the emergent Iraq was attending the annual United Nations summit in New York.

Talabani is an Iraqi Kurd, a social democrat by conviction, a lifelong opponent of Saddam and a genuine hero of freedom-loving Iraqis. He was voted president by the first freely elected Iraqi parliament.

In a column published by The Wall Street Journal on the day he appeared in New York, Talabani addressed those who continue to be skeptics about Iraq and its future.

He wrote: "Without foreign intervention, the transition in Iraq would have been from Saddam's bloodstained hands to his psychopathic offspring. Instead, thanks to American leadership, Iraqis have been given an opportunity of peaceful, participatory politics. Contrary to the new conventional wisdom, Iraq and the history of 20th-century Europe demonstrate that force of arms can implant democracy in the most arid soil."

Despite the insurgency, he said, Iraq held an open election last January, "has a democratically elected head of state, government and Parliament" and "members of the most repressed ethnic groups now hold the highest offices of state."

These came about, Talabani reminded everyone, as "a result of the courage and vision of President (George) Bush and his allies, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister John Howard, leaders whose commitment of troops to enforce UN Security Council resolutions liberated Iraq."

The useful idiots embracing insurgency in Iraq want, instead, to reverse history's forward march into freedom there, and elsewhere, consistent with their record.

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

"Whew!" Well-written, and exactly what I would have written, if I had half the brains and vocabulary skills as Salim. In closing, again, I just wish all the "USEFUL IDIOTS" would just shut-up, and quit making the future longer and darker for the Iraqi people. God knows they need some peace and joy in their lives, and the "Useful Idiots" aren't helping.

When one flies a retractable-gear aircraft, it is always prudent to make sure one has "rotated" before slecting the gear handle to "up", otherwise one becomes a high-speed toboggan! Watch! (from www.aircraftjunkie.com/)

VIDEO - High-Speed Mig-29 "Toboggan"!

My video post the day of September 12 was entitled: Steve's Video Of The Day: Gimli, Manitoba, DHC-4T Caribou Destruction! It detailed the good work of NewCal Aviation to update the DHC-4 Caribou fleet, converting them to turbine engines. The prototype crashed, and a fellow can be heard saying on the tape; "I can't believe it: It's all over." It was all over for Gimli, but not the Caribou!

HISTORY

In 1957, de Havilland Canada began work to develop a DC-3 size aircraft with the STOL capabilities of the Beaver and Otter, as the American Army required such, and they needed it now! The prototype DHC-4 Caribou first flew in 1958. The Royal Canadian Air Force designated its Caribous the CC-108.

Although the aircraft was designed with the U.S. Army in mind, politics became involved, and they only ordered 5 aircraft! As de Havilland Canada teetered on the edge of bankruptcy, the full STOL capabilities of the aircraft were demonstrated to the American military. Basically selling itself due to it's performance, the U.S. Army began purchasing the DHC-4 in 1961 for tactical airlift to forward battle areas, ordering 165 airplanes. The Army first designated the Caribou the AC-1 then changed the designation to CV-2 in 1962. The Air Force assumed responsibility for all fixed-wing tactical aircraft in 1967 and again redesignated the Caribou...this time as the C-7. The Caribou saw action during the Vietnam conflict.

Production ended in 1973 after over 300 were built.

Specifications (C-7A) Designations

Type: Transport
Engine: two 1,450 hp (1081 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp radial engines
DHC-4: Company model number
CC-108: RCAF designation
AC-1: U.S. Army transport designation (prior to 1962)
CV-2: U.S. Army transport designation (1962-1967)
C-7: U.S. Air Force transport designation (after 1967)

An amazing aircraft, built ruggedly by de Havilland, known for the "robustness" built into their aircraft. The full-span, double-slotted flaps gave it tremendous low-speed performance and handling. End of story like the guy on the video said? Fast-forward to today!

Pen Turbo Aviation Inc., from Rio Grande, New Jersery, offers a DHC-4 Caribou "turbine conversion", and additional upgrades can be customized. The engines of choice are Pratt and Whitney PT6A-67T turbines, offering much better longevity and reliability than the old Pratt and Whitney R-2000 radial piston engines. What we now have is an aircraft that can access just about any airstrip, safely and efficiently. Why this aircraft isn't being converted in larger numbers, I'll never know! In the area I fly, Douglas DC-3s, Hawker Siddeley 748s, and Curtiss C-46s still flog the skies, but are limited to certain airstrips. The 748 is turbine, but many are much older, and can't operate where the Caribou can. Anyways, watch a few videos, and check out Pen Turbo's web-site. This aircraft should be able to make some company a lot of money. You can even fly with the rear door/loading ramp open with over-length cargo, with no adverse handling characteristics.

VIDEO - STOL Take-Off at "Gross"

VIDEO - STOL Landing at "Gross"

VIDEO - Cross-Wind Take-Off!

VIDEO - Single-Engine Take-Off at "Gross"

WEB-SITE - PEN TURBO AVIATION INC.

An amazing aircraft, folks, with a huge rudder. With the savings in maintenance costs alone, the conversion would pay for itself, I believe, in a short term. Imagine the costs in cylinders, exhaust pieces, and oil alone, on top of AME wages! A piston Caribou can be purchased today for about $225,000, fully serviceable, inspected, and civilian-registered, with low airframe time.

INFO - 1970 DHC-4 Caribou

Hopefully, some of these birds make it back to Canada, converted. They would basically be able to access the majority of strips in Manitoba, and do it safely and easily! I would love to fly one!


Before.....  


After...... 

Yup, that is one beautiful machine, converted by the forward-thinkers at Pen Turbo Aviation Inc.. Hopefully they get some more orders for conversion, the de Havilland DHC-4 is "one helluva' robust airframe"! Here is their link once again!

WEB-SITE - PEN TURBO AVIATION INC.

(PS - the wing anhedral between the 2 engines was incorporated into the aircraft design for strength, so that a singular 7,000 lb. object could be loaded/driven through the rear door/ramp. Amazing!)

PAYLOAD vs. RANGE CHART

Base-jumpers are a crazy breed, watch some of them tour the world! They obviously don't need drugs, as the euphoric "adrenaline" rush they must get when descending would be phenomenal. Watch them tame some large buildings, and some waterfalls! (apparently the guy at Howie Falls lived, unbelievably)

VIDEO - Falling From The "Falls"!

This C-130 Hercules was the prototype SuperSTOL Transport. Watch as the horizontal retro-rockets fire early, the aircraft lands hard, and then becomes numerous ornaments for Fred Sanford's Junk-Yard!

VIDEO - C-130 SuperSTOL Landing! (and subsequent "DEMOLISHMENT"!)

The winter storm that started Wednesday, and "petered out" on Thursday, was a real nasty prelude to winter. Powerlines down, trees broken, a Morningstar Cessna 208 Caravan leased to FedEx crashed in downtown Winnipeg due to icing, highways closed, and numerous accidents. Somehow, everyone felt the storm's effects.

Even here in the "sleepy hollow" of Riverton, the effects were felt. The wind peaked at around 50 kts, and it blew from the northeast, off of Lake Winnipeg, and straight up the river. When this happens, the size of the "sea" in the river is unbelievable. If one has a boat or aircraft moored on the river, there are some anxious times and sleepless nights, until the wind dies.

This morning, my good friend Rick Eyolfson, owner of Riverton Airways and Bennett Lake Lodge and Outcamps Ltd. sent me some pictures of events along the river as the storm was slowly dying out.


C-GULA weathered the storm, with numerous ropes tied to it. ULA is the same aircraft I used on wheel/skis last winter for the Duck Mountains Moose and Elk Survey. 


Ron Chekosky, owner of Big Antler Outfitters, was not quite as fortunate with his aircraft, Cessna 185 C-GAJZ! It has just begun to slip beneath the surface!  


AJZ attempts to seek out "Davey Jones' Locker", but the ropes from the left float to the dock keep it tethered. 

Once the weather improved, the aircraft was lifted from the water, and surprisingly, suffered minimal wing damage, but of course the instruments and radios are all water-logged. It could have been worse, but still an unfortunate incident.


AJZ, out of the river, but with river mud still adhering to it. 


Radio stack and other instruments removed. Any way you look at it, it is still a "royal pain in the ass" to have a floatplane sink! Thanks for the pics, Rick! 

"Atlantis" was the 4th Space Shuttle built, and will be the next one to launch when the Shuttle launches resume. It has made 26 flights, it's first in October of 1985. I love the Shuttle Fleet! Here is a video of "Shuttle Atlantis" thundering into space, which it will do again, soon, hopefully!

VIDEO - "Shuttle Atlantis"!

I spent part of my youth on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in a small town called Chemainus. When the lumber industry failed locally, Chemainus re-invented itself, and adapted to the changing times. One of the ways was to preserve it's rich history by painting murals on it's buildings. Fantastic depictions by outstanding artists emerged and Chemainus is now world-renowned and a travel destination for many to see the beautiful paintings. Take a tour of the Chemainus Murals.

Chemainus Mural Tour

This past Monday I returned to Riverton from Silver Falls to start to prepare my property for winter, and I noticed there had been some mural-painting going on in Riverton. The paintings were depictions of Riverton's historical association with Lake Winnipeg, fishing, and farming. I believe the artists did a fine job!


The exterior wall of D and T Shop-Easy. 


Fine specimen. 


The Vikings arrive, depicted on the wall of local business "The Other Place". 


Manitoba Moose! 


Nature at it's finest. 


"Velkomin"! (Welcome in Icelandic) 


World-famous boat manufacturers Zag Fab Boats have their manufacturing plant located in Riverton. The exterior wall depicts the company's long-time association with Lake Winnipeg. 


Sigvaldason's Insurance Building has a beautiful mural detailing early pioneers. 


A bystander awaits the "BETTYLEW". 


Fishermen lift their nets to retrieve their catch. 


Early farmers "cleared" and "broke" the land with their "backs"......... 


Until recently, the railway played a significant role in the area..... 

So, you see, there is a lot of "history" now preserved on Riverton's walls, and the paintings were well-done. Following is a photo of the artists' info, which is incorporated into one of the murals.


"Looking Back" 

Oh yes, one other thing. Local business owner Don Bilinski had some friends by for a visit. I think maybe you should meet Don and his buddies.


Don Bilinski up to bat, with soccer-star daughter Desarae, holding the ball after her championship-winning goal!  


Michael Jordan stopped by for a "dunk"! 


You know these two. All-time hockey record-setter Wayne Gretzky, and local son and Philadelphia Flyers "Broad Street Bully" alumni Reggie Leach! 

Till next time,

"Cheemo"!

(PS -This is what Riverton looked like this morning at 7 AM, Oct. 6/05!)


Snow-laden bush! 


Icelandic River! 


Down-river! 


The early arrival of snow! 


No biking to school this AM! 


This fisherman who owns this boat wisely stayed off of Lake Winnipeg! 

I am sure that by now, everyone knows the story of JetBlue Flight 292, an Airbus A320 that had nose-gear problems, and had to land with the nose-wheels canted sideways. The video was shown over and over of the successful, albeit "spark-filled", landing. If you haven't seen it, then watch it below, and then check out the pictures of the nose-gear damage.

VIDEO - JetBlue 292 Safe Landing


JetBlue 292 finally comes to a stop! 


The wheel castings were reduced like "cheese over a cheese grater"! 


I cannot believe the nose-gear didn't collapse! 


Amazing! 


The nose-gear strut held, but shows discolouration. 


I believe there must now be a fine "streak" of aluminum down the runway where JetBlue 292 landed. 


Scraped right to the bearings! 

I have never been a big fan of Airbuses, preferring Boeings, but it is nice to see that the Airbus has some strength built into it. Anyway, the pilots did a fine job, and nobody was killed or injured. Till next time,

"Adios!"

My wife borrowed my Trunk Monkey the other day, and was pulled over by the police for excessive speeding. By the time it was all over, it cost me more to bail out the Monkey than if I would've only had to pay the speeding ticket. Damn Monkey!! (I think the dough-nut really "pissed" the cop!)

VIDEO - Trunk Monkey Visits The "Slammer"!

Yesterday, my good friend Wayne Letkeman, General Manager of Thunderbird Lodge & Outposts, sent me an e-mail of an animal that had just been harvested. Moose are the largest member of the deer family, and are a sight to behold, and very tasty! The boreal forest of Manitoba is prime habitat for moose. The area around Thunderbird Lodge, on the Poplar River, has a very large moose population, and is known for producing some very large animals, as there is an abundance of "browse". There are also many ponds and "beaver floods" adjoining the river, which are typically full of lily pads. Lily pad roots are high on the moose's list of "preferred cuisine". Anyway, check out the moose in the photo Wayne sent me, and marvel at one of God's creations, perfectly suited to it's habitat. There is also one proud "lady hunter" in the photo. Also notice the beautiful background colours, as "Fall" tightens it's "steely grip" on Manitoba.


Two fine specimens! This rack measured 54 1/2". It had one long tine broken, and Wayne figured it would've been between 57" and 58" without the damage! One fine animal! 

It seems Wayne is running a successful hunt, as usual. Before I go, here is a link for some info on "Rubber-Nosed Swamp Donkeys" (Vince Crichton's affectionate name for moose), and details of Thunderbird Lodge's hunting packages.

Thunderbird Lodge and Moose Hunting

Thanks for the photo Wayne, and "nice shot", lady!

Watch a de Havilland Canada Beaver take-off. Listen to the prop and the Pratt and Whitney R-985 engine beat the air into submission!

VIDEO - "Amphibious Beaver" Take-Off!

Watch a solid old bird take to the skies in Seattle!

VIDEO - "Turbine" Otter Take-Off!

Some more good old boys having bags of fun! A fine way to spend a "lazy day"!

VIDEO - R/C Tomcat!

As pilots, I believe sometimes we take a lot of the services we are provided with for granted at times. There are live human beings providing those services, and the majority of them are dedicated, outstanding individuals. The men and women of the Flight Service Stations and Air Traffic Control very seldom get their due, but I "tip my hat" to them. Listen how they communicated and co-operated to save a non-instrument rated pilot lost in IMC!!!

"MAYDAY" Audio!

(the third part of the "audio" is a post-flight de-brief, not a pre-flight de-brief, as stated at the beginning of the audio)

Watch Han Solo save the day as usual! (It is sacreligious abusing a Beaver like that, but apparently it was totally rebuilt after the shooting was finished)

VIDEO - "Han Solo" Prefers The "de Havilland Beaver" To The "Millenium Falcon"! (Part 2)