Tuesday, June 13, 2006

 

Took a "Pontiac" for a "Ride"..............

I recently was asked by the Chief Pilot to do a PCC "Ride" with a newly trained Cessna 180 pilot. He seemed like he was doing well, so I said "OK". I would rather watch "ballet" than fly with some "green" pilots, especially "arrogant know-it-alls".
Trever is his name, and he isn't arrogant, and listens when you talk to him. We needed a nickname for him, and when I found out his last name was "Parisian", I knew then his new name would be "Pontiac"! So, like I said, I took a Pontiac for a "Ride"!


The cockpit of 1953 Cessna 180, C-FHDL, the "venerable old girl" I would be checking "Pontiac" out on. "Pontiac" pre-flighted her well, and out we taxied, to start our adventure. We would be stopping at a number of lakes and the Bloodvein River, so I could gauge "Pontiac's" skills. Posted by Picasa


"Pontiac" taxis out, calm, and cool, outwardly. Inside, like anybody that has ever done "rides", the nervousness is "gnawing". Posted by Picasa


Airborne! Posted by Picasa


Arrival, and docked, at Paint Point Lake. We dropped off fuel at Ross Bailey and Ernest Stefanson's camp. Pontiac's landing was OK, the approach passable. I gave him a few "pointers", and out we taxied again. We would now head to "Northern Lites", a lake where there was an old "moose camp" I used to fly to, and I wanted to look at it. Posted by Picasa


Taxiing away from the dock at Paint Point. Notice the beautiful water colour. Posted by Picasa


We arrive at Northern Lites, and Pontiac did quite well, factoring in the gusty crosswind conditions. Pontiac tied up, and then we went looking for the old "moose camp"! Posted by Picasa


Ah-hah! Found it! Posted by Picasa


An "archaeological" find! Posted by Picasa


One of the leftover "luxuries"................ Posted by Picasa


How long have these two "artifacts" been here? Posted by Picasa


A "weathered" old paddle beside a giant ant hill................. Posted by Picasa


Then, back to the airplane. I made Pontiac "heel" it into shore. Posted by Picasa


Then, we taxied out, and we were off to "Paleface Lake"! Posted by Picasa


Arrived at "Paleface Lake"! Posted by Picasa

 
I had taken moose hunters into this lake last Fall. They left their boat and "camouflaged" it. Ha! We found it! Posted by Picasa

 
Old "HDL"!
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Reflection in the "spinner"! Posted by Picasa

 
Then, we prepared to taxi out, next destination the "Bloodvein Reach"!
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Arrived and tied up at "The Reach"! Posted by Picasa

 
The "killing rock"! Last year when I checked out Spanky in Blue Water Aviation's Cessna 185, there were bones in this same spot on the rock. Some local carnivore uses this flat rock as a "killing floor/dining table"! Posted by Picasa

 
The "moose hanging rack" at "The Reach" has been a landmark for years, and now it is toppled. If the wind blew it down, fine, "Nature reclaims it's own". If transient, immature canoeists or fishermen vandalised it, then they are "real assholes"! Check out how the moose hanging rack on "The Reach" used to look! Posted by Picasa

 
"Pontiac" pauses for a moment, and "surveys" the "landscape of life". Years from now, when his time is through, will he be remembered as a "Picasso", or just another "sign painter"? He is lost in his reflections............. Posted by Picasa

 
Then, Pontiac "cuts us loose", and we push off. One last "leg" back to Pine Dock, and his PCC is complete. Posted by Picasa

 
Pontiac prepares to "open the throttle" for our return leg home. It usually is very easy for me to gauge how a pilot will do flying floats from my first exposure to them. Some people have "webbed feet", some people have "stone feet". Some "have it", some "don't". In closing, just let me say.........

"You got it, Pontiac"! Posted by Picasa

 
"Adios"!
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Comments:
Dad, your face looks really funny in those reflection pictures. hah lol and when you read this call me cause i have to talk to you, and it has to be before 2:00pm tomorrow, its very important
 
Hello Katey, and thanks for the comment!
 
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