Around Canada in a Cessna

Mount Robson near Jasper National Park.

Hitch hiked here from airport ( grass strip) - couldn't afford to stay just enjoy the great view and a mocha:) .
One of my favourite trips . Clean, clear, crisp majestic area.( and friendly people who pick you up:)

A more global perspective Mt Robson ( and testing the system)

Picture Taken By Louise - the old bald guy flying is me ,Jack

Took first international trip with Retro Rocket . We had been warned that US and Canadian customs were unforgiving and if anything was out of order we would end up getting fined or put in custody until matters resolved. Out of order means paperwork , being more than 5 minutes early or 15 minutes later than stated estimated time ( $500 fine) , not phoning authorities as required, and filing flight plans... Braydon ( my copilot /friend / sort of like a son) did all the paperwork prior to departure- there's a lot of paperwork! I would have done it but figured he needed the practice:).
We made the required phone calls to USA and Canadian flight services as well as customs and went to Bellingham . Arrived with expired airplane tag and had been told during earlier phone call " shouldn't be a problem" by US customs. Well , they were right ,no problem ! They were efficient helpful and no hassles ! Flew on to Orcas Island in San Juan group . We were welcomed by airport manager who encourages everyone to come back and spend some time ( see picture which looks north towards Victoria) . I visited Rosario resort on Orcas Island many years ago and it basically took us 6 hours to get there via road and ferry. The trip back to Abbotsford by plane 20 minutes!
Canadian authorities very accommodating ending a day of learning . I've asked Braydon to please develop a checklist as to the many required steps as he won't always be around to help! He's a commercial pilot and will likely be flying in on Ontario's lake country this summer.

One of my favourite flights is from Vancouver to Tofino - has everything : ocean ,mountains, coast , lakes , beautiful city .... Came back yesterday . Now to airport for final packing/ weighing and checks on plane! then northwest bound when weather permits!

mmmm day 1 and maybe tomorrow will be day 1- weather not so great--thats why gave myself lots of latitude time wise --if i was instrument rated could go but then wouldn't see much!

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Don't worry , will be organized once I'm on my way-- cameras,Gps',etc all demand power:) had a new 10 amp service installed to keep them -and me- happy - need to find a 12 volt coffee pot so won't need to use mixed gas stove- extra weight you know

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Green good , yellow marginal, red not healthy( -IFR stands for Instrument Flight Rules) - looking out 12 hours no better maybe bit worse --tomorrow should be ok

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no back seat -- the hammock isn't for decoration or sleeping but when i sleep back there- yes sleep- will have quick access to bear bangers , air horn... knifes .... and deodorant :) passenger seat will be taken up by fuel tanks

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This is the tentative plan; The Northwest Passage and circumnavigating Canada in 6 weeks. Day 1 will be Friday, May 30th.

This is what happens if you overload electrical system- those fuses are hard to get to sometimes . I had the system updated with a 10amp breaker / new larger power wire which not only provides extra power but also greater safety . Electrical wire burning smells scare me.

Here at Howe Sound all good but may be weather bound further north -

Had a gorgeous trip up to Bella Bella stopping in Courtney Airpark and then Alert Bay which is a most interesting runway. Waited in Bella Bella for two hours for weather to clear enough in Masset to land.Regular contact / consultation with Flight Services whom I'm going to get to know well over next few weeks .
picture :See traditional site ? Rose Spit and ? Went to Masset and the last 10 miles were cloud mist .... Thank goodness for instrument training ! This is traditional Haida Gwaii weather . Without instrument training they say you are basically toast within a minute - I believe that . I came over airport it opened up and I landed quickly not wanting to loose sight of that beautiful runway ! I'm not so certain the folks here are all that inviting - they are going to charge me $50 for landing after hours (8-6) . Oh well I will discuss it with them later . I'm allowed to sleep in my plane although they were somewhat resistant . It's trial run for 'real' north travel. I was hoping to go fishing etc but not feeling all that welcome .
Glad to be on the ground! I was here 3 years ago on my jetski . That's a whole different story but sure felt welcomed in queen Charlotte city then ! Stayed in B&b in Masset then and not real impressed .
Plane ( retro rocket) did great today!
Lets see what tomorrow brings ....

Yesterday was a good photo day for the most part as can be seen. Today basically stayed in Masset as Atlin, my next planned stop,is clouded in. Spent part of the day with person who took me ( and my jet ski ) back from Charlottes in 2011. Slept in the plane last night and was not bad! I went past the B &B I stayed in last time I was here and the plane is smaller but in ways more secure feeling.
I transferred some 2 hours worth of fuel ( about 14 gallons US) from jerry cans this morning . I will be doing more of this as I travel further north so wanted to make sure ladders, filters etc worked.
Flight services , my new friends, are suggesting tomorrows weather may be fly able with a morning start.
The folks here at the airport are now quite accommodating which is much appreciated .Fishing season started today so guess what - lots of helicopters and private jets. 200 people a day fly into and out of here on way to or from lodges by helicopter then jet to wherever from this airport.
Having fun !

Leaving Chilliwack ,my home base

I've been to most westerly part Canada - anybody know what's most southerly ? Windsor? Victoria?

At home the map is on the wall and I have started the dot to dot of the places Jack has stopped.

The pink arrow is Resolute Bay the most northern stop Jack hopes to make.

Joanne

Reporting in: When Jack is travelling in "no man's land", as I, Joanne, call it, he will report in using his SPOT location device. It sends me and whoever else he has on the notification list an email with the coordinates of where he is. We can click on the co-ords and it comes up the map where he is. As you can see the message is "all OK, life is good" . That let's us know he is OK. He can also send out an emergency call that is a direct contact.
You can follow his journey here: SPOT device.

Atlin Lake, B.C.

Jack arrived safely in Atlin Lake. He called from a very old fashioned pay phone that was in a very old rickety airport building. He was the only one there with no water or facilities. It was time for a shower so we had to find him a place for the night. As you can imagine Atlin hasn't much to offer. With my cell in one ear and the house ph in the other I got him a place at the Atlin Guest house( see ad) complimentary pick up service too!
I will find out tomorrow how the night was and perhaps he can report for trip advisor :)
Joanne

( Limited pics as staying at B&B with satellite Internet .) Had great day. Left Masset in some good gusts .Crossed Hecate straight watching boats plowing through waves. Flew over Steward BC- cute town. Landed at Dease Lake and transferred some fuel from Jerry cans as pumps closed Sunday . Pretty spectacular mountains between Steward and Dease lake! Went direct to Atlin . There's a valley between the two that was stunning as was Atlin Lake which is where I'm staying for at least one night .
Couple issues today -12 volt chargers breaking down - getting new ones delivered in person ( surprise -will let you know Thursday) . Also getting a small umbrella .
Satellite phone not going through to toll free numbers - will have to fix that!
I phoned Jo on Sat phone no problem and she phoned flight services for me .She also phoned the B&B person who came out and got me!!! The other cheaper way to go is use SPOT - very reliable but limited in messages sent .
Time for my first freeze dried dinner !
The huge island on right is Theresa island in Atlin lake which is the largest fresh water lake in BC . Theresa island is largest or highest fresh water island in world - 75 klm around and my host cross countries it regularly without stopping - that's fitness ESP for guy my age !
More pics later this week.

Jack's over night in Masset found him parked in the middle of several private jets.

His dreams that night while sleeping in his Retro-Rocket were about being one of the Big Boys.

Do you see his small plane tucked in the middle?

posted by Jo

Here are some (there were quite a few) of the pictures Jack sent me today. He clearly loves to take pictures of the amazing scenery. God's country at its best.

For those of you that know Jack well, you know his love for gadgets. Apparently he was the one of the first kids in the neighbourhood to have one of those little pocket sized transistor radios and the rest is history =)

He is making good use of his little go pro & regular camera and in a previous post you could see ALL the electronics he took along....can't have too many electronics =)

His biggest challenge will be to keep them all charged up....we are working on that.

This pic near Alert Bay with the go pro

Enroute from Masset near Prince Rupert

Our Canada!!! Dease Lake to Atlin

Does it get any better...Jeff this selfie is for you !

Near Alaska.

When talking to him tonight he says there is so much space with not a soul there.

A glacier on the way to Atlin

Always time for coffee no matter where he is.

Where he is now. Atlin Lake B.C.

He says it is a beautiful spot.

The hosts of place have been very good to him, he borrowed a bicycle and headed into town.

You just can't keep a good cyclist off a bike.

Jack cycles regularly when he is home, ususally straight to the coffee shop which is what he did here.

Enjoying a mocha at the Atlin Inn

Needless to say he met some interesting folks there.

He notices a fellow loading his older float plane with all kinds of stuff.

He is thinking..... this is not according to NAV Canada regulations..... you know Jack a stickler for regulations!!!=)

So he rides up to him on his borrowed bike and says " Excuse me I am from Nav Canada, Do you have your weight to flight ( I think that is the lingo??) calculations".

The poor pilot looks up and mutters something. Like what are the chances of NAV Canada being in Atlin Lake !

Jack says no, no it was just in jest and they carried on into a great conversation.

Thats our Jack =)

Good night all.

posted by Jo

Day 5

Jack is still at Atlin Lake. The weather may keep him there for another day before he goes to Whitehorse.

He has limited access to internet so is out connecting with the locals. I am sure more stories will come =)

For those of you who are wondering where he plans to sleep when there are no accommodations, this is it!!!

A flying bedroom. Home sweet home. The back and passenger seats have been removed.

On the left is the pillow so his head rests in the back of the plane and legs go to the front.

He moves his kitchen cabinet ( blue rubbermaid) onto his seat to make room in the cab.

The hammock is used to hold the most important need to get at stuff like the ipad and sunscreen ( he is so optimistic)

Notice the red jerry can strapped to the back of his seat. For those places where there is no fuel

Oh so cozy. Well thought out Jack but ya, could use a little light dusting and vacuuming =)

posted by Jo

Leaving Atlin Lake- looking towards glacier

Just to let you know if blog info sent from iPad text mostly disappears hence you see only text relating to first picture.
Other pictures relate to Tagish lake , a big lake as well but not as big as Atlin and Whitehorse,
where I had a personal delivery gal bring me more electronics...chargers for the plane. Joanne had a trip planned to work at hospital here so I delayed for a few days to meet her.
Also met with my technical advisor and friend, Sean. Apparently I am still some what challenged in the IT department :)
I do like my go pro but unfortunately can't put videos on blog.

Today Jack spent the day meeting with his IT adviser, Sean to go over more electronics details =) and to inspect the plane. He then saw some of the local sights. Remember is doesn't get dark until after 11pm

#1 Jack in Carcross looking at real estate. Great little place on Bennet Lake waterfront. Complete with one bunk, potbellied stove and air conditioned outhouse. Must have been a trappers cabin at one time

#2 On to Six Mile River Resort at Tagish. A very interesting place with LOTS of collectables.

#3 picture This afternoon when I was done work I joined him to see some sights. Saw lots of "VERY NICE" float planes, this one included =)

Jack says the air traffic controllers very friendly and helpful here as are all the folks we have met here.
When looking at the float planes Jack asked the pilot where he could buy some aviation charts. (Matt he was listening). After a bit of explaining the fellow said I have several that I don't use anymore and dropped them off at the hotel for Jack. The pilots only request was to pass the charts on to someone else when done with them. Thats the way ppl are up here, very helpful. Now he is well armed with a more than a few electronic gadgets and many maps.

For those of you who would like to leave a comment please do and sign your name. You will not see it immediately on the blog as it has to get approved for posting,so there may be a delay. Jack likes reading them when he has internet.

Tomorrow off to Dawson City if weather is good.

Goodnight from the land of the midnight sun. It is beautiful here.

Posted by Jo

Today Jack left for Dawson City. It was a beautiful day. There will be more pictures to come of the amazing scenery once he can download.

From here on in he will have very limited access to internet if any at all.

Tonight he is sleeping in the Rocket. If you look closely at the picture you can see he has his chair and kitchen bucket set out on the

tarmac to the right of the plane. Tomorrow some exploring in Dawson City

Jack says, "Dawson City gravel strip which easily accommodates 737s. Up in this area everything is bigger - jets , mountains valleys ( hope not the mosquitos!!!)

The Rocket will be dreaming of being one of the big boys again tonight

Sleep well Captain Jack

Posted by Jo

Hello followers,

So yesterday Jack made it to Dawson City and spent the day there reading history, charging electronic devices and meeting the locals. Lots of good stories. Jack says they are all very helpful and it's a very interesting place. Lots of history, the stuff he has read about.

This shows the location coordinates I get with regular email SPOT GPS updates as to where he is. You can even see it in the satellite imagine, very cool

Click the link below to see where I am located.

http://fms.ws/HF0fW/61.74834N/139.39787W

Then Sean his IT assistant ( so thankful Sean is helping) puts them on a map for us to follow. Watch where the dots go ....

From an early age on Jack was inspired to want to explore. This was one of his fav books.

Time spent reading in the local library & museum.

But before he sets out there is always the need for morning coffee!!! Note his chair/kitchen table and the kitchen rubbermaid cupboard/footstool. If it had a multi purpose it was allowed to come along!

Traveling to Dawson. The mighty Yukon River

Mount Logan, highest in Canada, 2nd highest in N America

Highway to Dawson

Today June 8 he sets out for Old Crow. Time to break out the satellite phone.

Old Crow (Teechik[2] in Gwich'in) is a dry community in the Canadian Territoryof Yukon and is a periglacial environment. It had 267 inhabitants as of 2008, most of them belonging to the Gwichʼin-speaking Aboriginal Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. The community is situated on the Porcupine River in the far north of the territory. Old Crow is the only Yukon community that cannot be reached by car so one must fly in to the Old Crow Airport in order to reach it.

So stay tuned all. We are now going into communications challenged areas. The Spot will always sent out a regular signal and he files a flight plan and closes it every day. If I do not hear from him at the end of the day I call flight services to confirm his arrival. If they do not hear from him they call me and the investigation starts. For all the visual clutter you may see in the plane, he has been very diligent about his flight checks and flight safety etc.

Happy travels to explorer Captain Jack. You are seeing Canada in a way so very few have. Soar with the eagles.

Posted by Jo

Sent from my iPad

Jack took this photos from about 6020 feet crossing the Alaska highway near Quill Creek. Mt. Logan is Canada's highest mountain and Mount Saint Elias is the second in both Canada and the US (along the border of Yukon and Alaska). The Canadian side is Kluane National Park.

He stopped in Old Crow, Tucktoyaktuk, then on to Inuvick. He's met a lot of different people with a lot of their own stories. He enjoyed the mountains of Kluane Park better than the geography up at the edge of the Bering Sea. He found the `pingos' in the Tuk very interesting. For those with kids, he was sure to drop off a note to Santa in the North Pole.

He said in a text that he is enjoying the exploring and is in Inuvik overnight. He has no internet right now so cannot send photos. He will likely head out today as the weather is ideal.

Hello from the GREAT BIG NORTH.

Jack has made it to Kugluktuk on the edge of the Arctic ocean.

I have been trying to add some pictures but having problems importing them.

No cell reception but see his message to me

I've been taken in by local pilot Larry and wife Helen overlooking bay beautiful in kugluctuk.

Better not abuse my privileges so good night, hope to get to Cambridge Bay tomorrow weather permitting!

colville lake very nice area—anyway not lot to report except big country here!

Larry is a pro officer as well! small world. He also learned to fly same place as Steve did Harvs in Steinbeck on satrabio. Small world!

This is a copy of the SPOT image where he is. You can clearly see the airstrip.

Kugluktuk is located on the shore of the Arctic Ocean.

The surrounding landscape is dominated by the rocky and often barren Canadian Shield.

The region has a subarctic climate, but barely so, with July having an average of 10.7 °C (51.3 °F).

It has very cold winters, light snowfall, and summers too cool to permit the growth of trees.

Though trees do exist in the region, they are dwarfed and extremely sparse.

Happy that the eagle found a nest for the night...probably a shower too =)...ahhh the joys of running water.

Posted by Jo

Jack's mascot, Pingo the Polar Bear

I gave him his name in memory of the Pingo land formations near Tuktoyaktuk

In a region near the Beaufort Sea which is quite flat, pingos dominate the skyline, rising from 5 to 36 m (16 to 118 ft), in various stages of growth and collapse.

Ibyuk Pingo, the highest, continues to grow about 2 cm (0.79 in) per year, and is estimated to be at least 1,000 years old.

Unique to areas of permafrost, pingos have formed here thanks to numerous lakes in the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula

Pingo National Landmark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Posted by Jo

As Jack said AMAZING COUNTRY WE LIVE IN
( hope this post all comes thru)

He had a great overnight stay in Kugluktuk. Can't you just imagine Jack sharing stories with Larry.... as Jack said, the only other piston plane & pilot he has seen this far up north... And I thought they just had wings :) Jack was saying Larry has a "cabin" 100 miles away with grizzly fencing around the whole thing..... Gives recreational living a whole new meaning!!!

So today the only spot marker I got was in the middle of the Arctic Ocean ( see map) on his way to Cambridge. Needless to say I got a bit excited, but about 2 hours later I get a text from Jack...Phew!!! I was waiting for the flight services call. So there is no consistency with what works when and where, sometimes text only, sometimes phone works but so far have not had to use the sat phone.
Jack flew over Victoria Island looking for Muskox, did not see any but did see the DEW line markers. He is having a grand time!!
I hope the picture of how Jack has to refuel where they do not have aviation fuel, gets on the blog, only jet fuel in these northern stops. He is pumping from barrel into the jerry cans& plane Look at how light and bright the sky is, that was around 7 pm
He is now a fixture with NAV Canada as the guy who is flying a circle around Canada. I sent his trip plans to CBC TV but so far no reply. Really should be worth a good Canadian story, much better than allot of other stuff we see.

YOu can see it on the SPOT here.

Hello faithful followers,

Jack is in Resolute Bay. He arrived there yesterday afternoon.

It has been amazing how he has found places to stay.

It turns out that a fellow, a friend my sister knew, who was at school here in Vancouver,

has a job up there and Jack has made the connection. Ahh a real bed and hot water =)

Here he is at Cambridge Bay Day 11

Two of the wild things!!!!

Here is the plane in Resolute Bay.

If you look closely you can see the bright yellow wing covers which means it must be freezing or snowing.

The pics may be too small, sorry it is the way he sends them to save on bandwidth when sending.

In an email Jack says;

Weather not looking so good today - will see what happens changes quickly -

I can't imagine those guys doing NWP waiting for ice to break, now July - oct? And that's with warmer world now.

This is as far north as I go as did NWP. Looks like an interesting place as its a jump off point to North Pole and some pretty areas on els mere island -

but there's only so much time Etc to see all the special areas of Canada ! Pond inlets nickname is Vancouver of the north :)

In a text he told me he was going to do some local flying around to be sure he used ALL of the barrel of gas he had shipped there.... was a pretty price.

Makes mainland gas prices look like pennies a gallon =) The early explorers certainly did not have that luxury!!

It has been so interesting seeing how connected one can still be so far up north.

All of this has been possible because he did so much prep work contacting the folks at every airport he planned to stop.

Site info: Resolute is one of Canada's northernmost communities and is second only to Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island

(Alert and Eureka are more northerly but are not considered towns – just military outposts and weather stations).

It is also one of the coldest inhabited places in the world, with an average yearly temperature of −15.7 °C (3.7 °F).

As of the 2006 census the population was 229, an increase of 6.5% from the 2001 census.

Like in most other northern communities, the roads and most of the terrain are all gravel.

Jack has also been exceedingly grateful for the "ForeFlight" app. I wonder if they are tracking him too?

He is now on a first name basis with the NAV Canada flight report coordinators.

I am sure they all know him by name now and are watching his travels as well.

So I believe the next stop will be Baffin Island when the weather is right.

We will continue to follow his adventure and pick up some of the administrative paperwork duties he didn't quite finish before he left.=)

We are starting to sell off some of his toys =) Besides when he returns all he will want is a bigger plane.... LOL

Stay safe Captain Jack, allot of folks are watching you =)

Hugs

posted by Jo

Just had a phone call from Jack from an old fashioned pay phone.

At first I thought he was a drunk crank caller but he was neither, the wind and old line were distorting his voice. I almost told him off =)

He is in Pond Inlet and right now its defiantly not the "Vancouver of the North". Jack said "it is ____ cold here with the wind howling"

It is -1 with 40m/hr winds. Strangely they do not have proper tie down anchors. Guess they don't often get little planes like his. He is figuring out ways to keep it upright on the ground.

All along the way he has been sending me Spot signals which give me this kind of view when I check the satellite image.

"Click the link below to see where I am located."

http://fms.ws/HNaAP/72.69289N/77.96423W

I love that I can zero right in and see the buildings etc.

Today I was not getting any signals ( apparently they do not always work in all areas!!) and that was strange.

I called Flight Services to ask if GEJG had filed a flight plan. Indeed he had and he had 2.5 hrs left for his eta into Pond Inlet....phew.

The fellow was most helpful and said "we have his back", so grateful for that!!!!!!

He did imply that these types flight plans/trip are not the norm =) no really???

On his wanderings around Resolute Bay Jack saw this hanging on the clothes line.

A real bear rug! Apparently they are not allowed to shoot polar bears unless they have a special license or

the bear has mauled someone. Won't say which this was.

Jack said the claws were very pointed and sharp, not as long or hooked as a grizzlies.

Lets hope this is as close as he gets to the real thing!

I must say it has been very interesting so far to learn so much about the vastness of our country and esp about the the northern communities.

Sean sent this bit of news from that area. Not something we think about here on the coast but very real for the North.

NunatsiaqOnline 2014-06-13: NEWS: Nunavut MLA questions cost and feasibility of tiny towns

I wonder what Jack will have to say about the North once he is home.

From the ppl he has met so far they are extremely proud to be living where they are.

There is an amazing sense of community, at least within the airport ppl there is.

He has mentioned he can see how the isolation and lack of work has affected some.

But he also observed and heard the following statement from some of the folks who have helped him so far.

"The folks that do live in these small communities call themselves the sovereignty keepers of Canada," Taptuna said.

Such an informative way to have a geography lesson! Oh the tales he will have to tell.

Flight Services did tell me he may be in Pond Inlet for the next couple of days as the weather is not looking so good. System moving in until Monday.

Jack already made a connection with a pilot from Air North so I am sure it won't be long and he will have a place to stay other than the plane.

But it is the plane tonight complete with his little electric heater going.

He says he is loving it!!!!

Well Captain Jack, enjoy the weekend in "Northern Vancouver". We will compare notes when you are home.

Hugs

posted by Jo

Today, Saturday June 14 Jack spent the day getting acquainted with Pond inlet and the folks there.

He met a pilot there who had trained in Langley, so a few stories were shared.

He met a the local fellow who is in charge of the airport.

This fellow ( forgot his name) spent time telling Jack about the traditional ways they still hunt seal and narwal.

Jack was invited to go on a three day narwal hunting trip but he had to decline.

He said he definitely was not equipped for that, would have needed much warmer clothing etc.

Tomorrow he is treating himself to Fathers Day Brunch at the hotel. He said "I deserve it".

I did not clarify if that is because he raised 5 daughters or he has not had a "real" meal for some time???

He has been living of of reconstituted freeze dried food and sleeping in the plane except for a few nights.

Tomorrow he plans to head out for Iqaluit where he may be grounded for a bit as there may be no fuel there to tank up.

Might have to wait for the next shipment.

These pictures below of Pond Inlet are not Jack's. I am sure there will be many to come.

He can only reach me by Sat phone so no internet or cell to send anything.

He said yesterday was nasty with howling winds and cold but today is like a lovely summer day.

He called at midnight and the sun was shining brightly, how does one sleep up there???

So remote yet can still see the influence of the world to the south.

The cruise ship looks so out of place!!

Their traditional hunts are still in tents, wonder if they look like this one below?

So interesting to be learning about our North.

Sleep well Jack, enjoy your brunch =)

posted by Jo

Jack still in Pond Inlet. Weather has kept him there another day. He has made good use of the day. Went for a "fantastic brunch and "boy did I eat,I must have been hungry. Real food tasted so good." He also had an hour of internet at the restaurant which he made good use of by sending more pictures :)

Then he went for a nap in his home away from home. Notice the little ceramic heater hanging from the door. He has it plugged into the power pole next to the plane and his down jacket is multipurpose, PJ top and coat! Saves himself $250 a night. He is just lacking a few of the facilities altho he does have an aviation urinal on board :) I wonder who is doing the housekeeping??

This little girls is named Mila and she is being carried in an amauti.

Although I have not been able to talk to Jack tonight ( I am travelling and have poor cell reception), he was able to send me some pictures. - Jo

1. Never one to miss his morning coffee here is Jack enjoying the scenery... Dreamer!!!!!

2. Here is Beechy Island, a very historic place for the first explorers of the NWPassage

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beechey_Island

3. The vastness and isolation of the north

4. Fishing huts on the ice floats

5. The plane tucked in for the night, but it's not dark ! look at those lovely wing covers :)

Flight services says the weather will break tomorrow. Here's hoping it does, I am sure Capatin Jack is getting restless.

Thanks to all who follow this blog. Please leave a comment with your name. It's great for Jack to see who is watching :)

I briefly talked to Jack on the sat phone today
He didn't have alot of time as his social calendar was filled up =)
He had been to the hotel, where there is limited internet, so he could download some pictures.
He had dinner there which he said was, beef tenderloin but I got to thinking, there are no cows up there, maybe it was cariboo ??
Will have to ask next time we talk.
He had to rush away because his friend the helicopter pilot, who had re-built his engine in 6 hours, was just landing from a test run so I am sure there was lots to discuss.

He had been on a tour around town and the outlying area with the airport manager. Here are some pictures.
Saw the watershed treatment facility which is fed by a stream from the melting ice

local lawn ornaments, whale bones

dogs eat the hunt leftovers, chewing on a caribou bone

rush hour on the ice but as Jack said, many lanes going fishing and seal hunting

even in this brown, barren rocky land there is still some color

So again Jack hopes to get out of pond inlet tomorrow. It isn't the weather there now that stops him it is the next 3 stops on the list. Clyde River, Pangnirtung and iqaluit. He does not seem to be too worried and is making lots of new friends. He says the folks are very friendly,helpful and tidy too, everyone takes their shoes of when they go into the Hotel/restaurant

Sunrise and sunset in Pond inlet

Good night and good morning Captain Jack Posted by Jo

Jack, thankfully, has reached Iqaluit. The rocks were closing in on him in Pond inlet.

A wonderful place to visit and amazing people there, so many good memories but it was time to move on. He is just about at the half way point of the trip.

The weather was going to turn worse in Pond so at noon he decided it was time to go when there was still a window and he is glad he did. He flew under the clouds along the coast to Clyde River.


2 This is Clyde River

When Jack flew into the airport at Clyde all the North Air staff came out and were taking pictures.

Some had not seen a small plane like his there before. One man asked if he could take it up?

Jack asked if he had a license, oh yes and pulls out his drivers license, a real bush pilot that guy!!

Then on to Iqaluit over the clouds at 9000 ft. In an effort to save battery power he had turned off the ipad which he uses to navigate and used his iphone instead.

With his Foreflight program he entered the destination airport CYFB for Iqaluit. Well at 9000ft when the Foreflight tells you you are going the wrong way a moment of panic sets in!!! How can it be?? with nothing but clouds below and blue sky above you can't tell. He checked with the ipad & he realized he had entered CYRB... back to Resolute Bay!! Limited gas made that impossible. Phew he said that was a test for his heart!! All was well.


3. A bit chilly at 9000ft

4. Coming near Iqaluit he was able to see the Cumberland Strait with its thousands of small islands

One of the biggest challenges was the fuel planning and where he would be able to get it.

Many of the northern airports only service twin turbine planes or jets. Different fuel for a piston plane, AV gas. It took alot of arranging prior to leaving Chilliwak to be sure some of the sites would have the AV fuel there for him. So in the days he had in Pond Inlet he called ahead to Iqaluit to be sure the barrel he had ordered from home would be there. He was not able to reach the service tech in Iqlauit, could only leave messages.

Knowing he could not be without fuel he made an alternate arrangement. He contacted Frobisher Bay Touch Down Services, a company that will look after all a pilot might need when landing at the airport there, fuel, taxi service, plane wash, repairs etc etc. Jack ordered a barrel for $1,300 from them as he was not sure the barrel he had ordered from home would be there. Can't be without fuel ! When he arrived in Iqaluit he was so happy to find out the barrel he had ordered from home was there and only $400.


Tomorrow time to replenish the plane, fuel, oil and fix the oleo ??? ( the pilots will know what that is)

He has made so many connections with all the North Air and Nunavut Air pilots that he probably will have that plane looked after by their people. Word of his trip has spread the airwaves up there and they all seem to know what he is doing. After some good food he is now safely tucked into a real bed at the Nanatak B&B .

A well deserved rest for flying over 800 miles today.


Good Job Captain Jack.


posted by Jo

Jack spent the day in Iqaluit, busy place he says, airport hopping with lots of coming and goings.
The runway is huge, 8, 604 ft long.
Check out the information link Iqaluit Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is Frobisher Bay Airport services office.
As Jack says they "Do everything for you including pick you up & drop off, picked up oil, borrowed their portable vacuum ....
Nice pilot lounge - costs a bit but you're treated like gold"

He was saying everyone here has helped out to do the fix ups on the plane, different mechanics etc

So very, very happy they saved a barrel for him.
"Aviation gas is my friend!"

The planes that lands there come in all shapes and sizes.
Little ones, big ones, Jack says the Hercules "They basically go right over my wing. Humongous !

Pilots all look down smile & salute. Both canadian and american today.
New Planes are winter tested here so they see all the new airplanes ESP big ones"

House cleaning day ....minus the housekeeper
"Took everything out. Small vacuum to take gravel out.
Changed oil ....had to text Chad my trusted mech to find out how much pressure in front shock.
4 fingers worth. Us guys understand. Had no pressure gage that would fit ... "

Jack says Iqaluit is a happening place. Lots of gov't activity, it is the capital of Nunuvat.
He is not sure what the weather will do but hopes he will not get stranded there for another 5 days.
Two would be good. His memory of Pond Inlet, the people there were very happy, there was always some laughter somewhere.


View from his B&B, there has to be some beauty up there, its not in the yards landscaping

Last night Jack had a great sleep, slept right through his alarm this morning, just like home.
He must have been dog tired but very comfortable!

Tomorrow will be 3 weeks, lets see if the next three are as interesting as the first.


Good night Captain Jack.


Jo

Jack has enjoyed a day touring around Iqaluit. He says it is a happening place.
He has met another whole group of interesting ppl .
He is new best friends with the Air North plane mechanic.
They even went shopping together so that must have cemented the friendship.

#1 is a close encounter with the local wild life....in the museum

#2 Who says you can't have a Harley in the North

#3 The hospital, Jack walked in and located the Supervisor of the medical device reprocessing department and suggested they buy one of our sterilizers & I would come up to do some inservicing =) .... then they proceeded to share adventure stories. Turns out the fellow was from Trail BC

#4 Jack says in the museum he read about this team that had an adventure that tops his. He found their story amazing!


National Geographic Live! - Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry ...

Tomorrow he hopes to head for Labrador weather permitting.


Abbotsford area traffic this is GEJG 's scribe signing off.

Jack has made it safely to Schefferville, Quebec

He hopes to leave there tomorrow for Deer Lake NFLD.

No services there, only a short message from the Sat phone.

Bonne nuit le Capitaine Jack.

Schefferville ce trafic est GEJG signature off

Jo

Goodbye Shefferville Quebec. It was an interesting place. Yesterday he met 2 teachers while out on his walk and got a nice history lesson.
Lots of mining activity here although the community is quite angry with Brian Mulroney who sits on some large mining board which decided to close one of the mines.
Hard on the local people. Here are some of the ore mines that have been almost all closed down.

What a beautiful sunset! Getting far enough south so there is some twilight.

Jack has made it to Happy Valley-Goose Bay - Labrador and he is happy!!!

Cell and internet service, all the modern facilities.

These tracking pictures are our IT assistant Sean's handy work.
Thanks Sean you KNOW we could NOT do it without you =)

For those of you who wonder what he does on those long flights, he does have onboard meal service. Kippers and trail mix, gourmet all the way.

Please take note of the specially designed table complete with table cloth!
This table was hand crafted out of aluminium by his hanger mate Jeff ( thanks Jeff) to fit over the rubbermaid container holding the gas cans. And remember, everything has to have at least two purposes if it was allowed to come on the trip! Well this table has three; holds gas cans in place, handy dandy surface for eating while flying, (note the higher edges so nothing can fall off) and when it is turned over it fits over top of Jacks lounge chair. You saw the chair when he was sitting on at Pond Inlet having coffee on the tarmac. When positioned on the chair it acts as a step ladder so Jack can reach to fill the gas. This table was well planned out in those months of preparation. See all the gadgets positioned around the plane and of course Pingo, the mascot, in its perch of honour on the dash.

Jack said crossing over the start of the tree line was stunning.
It was as if there was a very distinct line drawn and hundreds of thousands of lakes.

Leaving Schef he had a good tail wind. He had allot of fun flying low over the trees and lakes!
He said "Note speed- nice tail wind. Need more HP to do consistently"

So he is already dreaming of the next adventure!!!

Jack said he admires the folks who live in the north. They are a very tenacious group and always ready to help. When the ice melts there are lots of activities and they do not waste time waiting for the perfect moment in Iqualuit. Kayaking with the ice.

So Jack finished off his day in Goose Bay with a yummy meal. What do you think he had??
After dinner time to do some emails and tuck himself into his plane for a well deserved rest.

GEJG sleep tight dreaming of more horsepower.


Jo

Jack had a good flight today. He is now happily tucked in bed at the lovely Lakeview B&B in Deer Lake NFLD.

Nice pick up service from the airport and a comfy bed. I think he may have had his fill of sleeping in the plane? It works and is great in a pinch but nothing beats a real bed.

He found flying over the coast line of Newfoundland awesome. He flew over Gros Morne National Park which he and his family had visited years ago. It brought back a few memories.

Today there were a few technical challenges but nothing the handy iPhone could not handle.

Gros Morne NFLD.

St Anthony's

A new little piece of real estate he is thinking of buying, considered a heritage site so he would not have to do much work on it....His kind of building!!!

Lovely Newfoundland, if you look hard enough you may see a moose or two.

Not too sure what tomorrow will bring. He has a few options and it will depend on the weather.


Stay tuned.


To Jack "come from away" in Newffieland "I misses ya me dear"

Jo

Today Jack left his lovely B&B in Deer Lake Nfld after a scrumcious breakfast with eggs and sausage...yummy he said.

1.He thought the Isle of Newfoundland was beautiful, many contrasts and wonderful shorelines.

2 Passing by Corner Brook Nfld., then a touch down in Stephensville Nfld then on to Nova Scotia

3. Along the Cape Breton National Park

4 The shoreline of Nova Scotia is spectacular as well. A lonely lighthouse out on a point

5. The water almost tropical looking

6. Finally ending up in Port Hawkesbury Nova Scotia. There is an amazing pilot's lounge here. Jack said the NS gov infused alot of money improving the smaller airports in the province. This one was a testimony to that. Has a kitchen, laundry and shower facilities and short term resting rooms for little cost. Plus a 42" TV! for someone who has not watched for over 3 weeks it is a bit of a culture shock. Also he has internet and cell reception. Back to civilization!

The airport manager, Al, takes great pride in his facility, and whit his flying history in the north, is a source of a lot of information. It turns out he knows many of the same people that Jack knows.

He said the landing was a bit bouncy with 12- gusting to 19 knots at a cross wind. All he kept thinking was "Jeanette would be saying to me...Use caution Jack !!!" see he did learn something at flight school. He also said "she probably had me pegged for a slow learner and look at what I have managed to do in 2 years =) good teacher!"

Tonight as we spoke Jack was reflecting. Many folks have been telling him how much of an adventurer he is and what an inspiration he is to them. He tends to minimize that a bit and said something interesting to me " I believe it is important to "live" each day as best as you can, enjoy it, there is no replay, you cannot do it over again. You can choose to make it the best it can be." He was being quite philosophical about it all, based on his health history etc, he has every reason to live life to its fullest. I am very proud of him.

7. So tonight in the lap of luxury in Hawkesbury's lovely pilots lounge, with freshly washed jeans and some chats on the regular phone, Captain Jack bids you goodnight.

8. His plane is safely tucked in and tied down for the night.


Will decide in the am, based on weather forecast where he will go. Hopes to stop on PEI.

GEJG goodnight.

Today Jack spent a day of complete down time. Did not even take a picture as the weather was bad.

While talking to him this evening he seemed a bit bored! grounded because of weather and on his own with no one to talk to,(imagine!) I am sure it was a bit of an anticlimax after the past 3 weeks!! Even being in Pond Inlet for the 5 days saw more activity than he had today. =)

Best part of his day was this morning during a 2 + hour chat with Al, the airport manager there. A wealth of knowledge according to Jack, a seasoned pilot, with many great tips. Don't give him too many ideas Al, we might never see him then! Al was also kind enough to give Jack the "2 buck tour" of town. Quite the diverse little community , with a gas plant, gypsum plant and tourism.

If you are in the market for a house there was one sold not that long ago for $10,000.00 on a tax sale. You could do allot with a house that only cost $10,000!! Most good houses are around $100,000. A buyers paradise !!! Jack says there are some really nice places too....maybe another real estate acquisition in the works =)

Here is Jack's prayer for the evening, its posted on the wall of the pilots lounge.

Hoping to fly out tomorrow.

Sleep well GEJG

Another day in the Port for Jack. He spent a good part of the day planning out the fuel calculations for the next few days. He needs to calculate that July 1 may see a few gas pumps closed. Also he is planning to go to Grand Rapids Michigan to visit a brother. This involves a fair bit of paperwork and unfortunately he now has to do it all himself ( not his first love). For those of you who do not know, Jack has had a faithful meticulous scribe ( almost surrogate son) flying with him for the past 2 years. Braydon, you showed him the ropes, ( should say, the data entry) he is solo now...lets hope it is all filled out correctly when he lands on US soil =)

Here are the "boys" on one of their many times together. This is in the cockpit of a plane they dream about.

Jack will be visiting Braydon In Red Lake Ontario next week where Braydon is flying float planes for his summer job. How can your dream be called a job? Braydon loves float planes.

Maybe Jack will try his hand at landing one of them and that my friends will be the beginning of another adventure!!

Jack has met many interesting and helpful ppl here in P Hawkesbury whom I am sure he will be talking to again. Eric, the assistant airport manger another wealth of knowledge.

So as Jack prepares to leave the friendly little town of Port Hawkesbury here is a piece of real estate he is leaving behind.

It is only $89,000.00.

Good night GEJG, happy flying tomorrow.

Jo

Today Jack left Port Hawkesbury with a big "thank-you" to the team at the airport. Lots of good contacts made and stories told.

Keep your wings up until we see you again

He touched down in Summerside PEI

Then a stop in Miramichi, NB. They must have heard he was coming because they had a nice new hat there for him.

A fly over Quebec, as he said, back to civilization

And a finally a rest stop in Ottawa. Had to stop in the Capital of the great country he has been seeing.

Jack's new life saying

posted by

Jo

Jack left a great stopover, just outside of Ottawa, at Rockcliffe airport. He spent yesterday evening there with a new aviation acquaintance, Andre'. Fellow plane addict and adventurer like Jack. A visit that will likely last in a continued connection. I mean really what else would one want to talk about other than planes =)

He left Ottawa and made a stop in Stirling Ont. the famous home town of my former boss, Butch. Two retired guys filling each other up with adventure stories....ain't life grand when you are retired!!! In order to stop in Stirling he had to go through a military airspace. That was interesting.

Then, what the heck, might as well take the most direct route and travel through the most populated area of Canada and busiest radio traffic, the GTA!!! Jack said all the control towers, and there were many, were all very helpful and guided him through.

Up north there was so little radio chatter, hours with nothing to hear and down here there is too much!! He said it is so much more beautiful and peaceful up north with its amazing mountains and wilderness. The Toronto area was hot, humid and smoggy, yet he said was still interesting to fly over it and see how it was laid out. You can see from the two pictures, one of Toronto and one of Montreal how congested such a small part of our country is.

The stop for the night is in London Ont. He is nicely set up in a B&B with an excellent internet so he was able to download all the foreflight essentials for tomorrows flight.
Jack will be flying into US air space to visit a brother in Michigan. He feels he has all the paperwork in order so lets hope there are no glitches.

Lots of focusing today made for a tired pilot tonight.

Sleep well Captain J


Posted by
Jo

Jack made it to Michigan no problem. He said the border agents were very friendly. Guess the best way to enter the US is via your own private plane!

He did hit some turbulence on his way there but by now that is a walk in the park for Jack. Once he landed they took care of his plane for him, tied it down etc.

Tonight he is having a good chin wag with his youngest brother and tomorrow heading back to Canada.

Tomorrow also marks the 30th day of travel and he does not appear to be tired of it yet. He did say he did not realize how cold he had been at times while up north until he was in the nice hot weather of southern Ontario/Michigan.

GEJG signing off

Posted by Jo

This is the 30th day of Jack's trip and he is still going strong.

He has flown 7,379 miles

He has stopped at 34 airports

Most stressful moment, "getting past point of no return on flight from Cambridge Bay to Resolute, 4+ hours into the flight then being told by Resolute flight services, contrary to weather forecast, it was deteriorating in Resolute, low ceilings, snow. Could not go back!!...no where else to land, not enough fuel, so carried on. Made it through a "hole" after 460 mi.....oh well it worked out"

Other stressful moment, GPS over heating in unfamiliar territory having to remember heading and time to next destination.

Tonight he is sleeping in his little aeronautic hotel at Houghton MI airport which is across Lake Superior from Thunder Bay Ont.

He will cross over into Canada tomorrow and head to Red Lake Ont to visit his surrogate son Braydon.

More travel trivia next post.

posted by Jo

You have to chain up the propellors because they get lots of snow in Houghton MI

Pingo so glad to be back in the Great White North

Getting near Thunder Bay. Not much turbulence crossing the water, once on land a lot worse.

Canada Day festivities outside the hotel in Thunder Bay

Andres' 1946 CB named Eve after his daughter. Andre' is a new friend whom Jack originally connected with through a COPA magazine article.

Jack left today from his night in Houghton MI. after learning some interesting facts of the area.

Did you know ???

- that Houghton Mi is the birthplace of professional hockey - The Portage Pioneers- late 1800's.m

- that the airport folks are very good to a homeless looking pilot and give him pizza

- that the area is nick named "Copper Islands" because it produced more copper in dollar value than the gold rush.

Now you have travelled to Houghton and on we go across Lake Superior to Thunder Bay where Jack will be spending the night due to weather

His greatest concern once in Thunder Bay, was clearing customs.There were more questions asked when returning to Canada than there were going into US but all was well. Paper work was properly completed!! Jack said he even put on a clean shirt to clear customs =) that must have done it!

Remember the plane mascot Pingo, remember where he got his name at the beginning of the trip? When Jack was flying into Tuktoyaktuk on Day 10 he saw them.

A pingo, also called a hydrolaccolith, is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic that can reach up to 70 metres in height and up to 600 m in diameter. The term originated as the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill.

Tomorrow Jack will make it to Red Lake as the weather will be much better. The ceilings were too low today to finish the last leg. Tonight he gets to catch up from last night in the plane, mosquito attack!. Also time for him to reflect that on July 1st 2004 ( I think or 2005) Jack had his re-birthday and was shocked back to life after his heart attack. He is feeling very blessed to be able to do what he is doing now and to have so much support.

Tomorrow will be a good day spent with Braydon going over the highlights of his trip so far.

Sleep well Captain Jack.

posted by Jo

This morning before leaving Thunder Bay, Jack had a gourmet breakfast at the waterfront.

Of all the freeze dried food Jack had with him, the breakfast skillet was the best!! and look no dishes to wash, just add hot water and mush the bag around a bit.

While touring the waterfront Jack noticed they serve good ethnic food in Thunder Bay.

Jack left Thunder Bay and is now inRed Lake, Ontario catching up with Braydon at the camp where Braydon flies a float plane.

Jack mentioned to me that he got some nice Gopro video of a moose running ( will have to wait to get that on the blog) on his way to Red Lake. He then saw another one so he circled around and to get a really good close up on the Gopro. As he got closer it turned out to be a really big brown stump, ah well can't always get just the right video.

Jack plans to stay in Red Lake until Friday. He has no cell service at the camp and I am not sure about the internet.

I know he will be enjoying being there and might even go fishing while there. It is awesome lake country.

Goodnight boys!

posted by Jo

Today Jack spent the day having some R&R with Braydon at Red Lake.

This is Jack's message with the picture:

"I caught 2 pikes to Braydon's 1, finally was better at something than B"

I am told there is a picture coming of the actual fish but the internet is bad and the pictures aren't going through. Maybe just another big fish story?

For those of you who do not know the connection between Braydon and Jack, I will give you a quick update.

When Jack was taking his flying lessons at Principal Air - Flight Training ( Jeanette, awesome teacher) he met Braydon and they clicked. Braydon was the 20 something year old son Jack did not have. Now don't be mistaken, he absolutely loves his girls but a guy is a guy and girls often don't speak their language. So Braydon became Jack's flying partner, putting in hours first on the training plane then later in GEJG. Those two put in a lot of flying time together, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, as Jack did not have to do much paperwork with Braydon there ( you can imagine Jack's happiness!) and Braydon got flying hours to qualify for his commercial licence. Win, win.

Braydon was successful at getting his commercial ( he is a very good pilot) and got a job this summer at Whitewing Resort flying the plane of his dreams, a supercub float plane. His job was to fly into lakes in the area to pick up trapped minnows used for the local fishing lodges. He was so pleased to have this job. (I hope to give you an accurate account here).

One week ago, while taking off from a smaller lake, he got caught in a huge down draft and his plane went down. This is called a weather phenomenon. The plane crashed into the trees and ended up in a bog. Braydon does not remember the crash but does remember waking to the smell of l/AV gas and burning sensation of chemical burns. He was covered in it. Now the next sequence of events are a testimony to Braydon's training and level headedness. He turned off all electrical, rolled out of the plane into the boggy water, removed the clothes soaked in gas, rinsed as much gas off his body as possible, took a picture of the side of his head to see where he was bleeding from to put pressure on it and got out his emergency pack. Radio soaked in fuel but he turned on elt and the search and rescue came, a Hercules circled until a helicopter came to lift him out of there and to the hospital in Dryden. It took several hours and Braydon was every mosquito's dream, out there in the bog with few clothes on.

Jack's comments are, Plane write off but newer and better one coming - the owners of the plane/lodge are saving his job for him as they very much appreciate and respect Braydon as person and pilot. He's loved by many people in town - people walking up to him and hugging him.... Everyone has been super supportive and thankfull that Braydon was able to be airlifted out by herc plane and helicopter . Very fortunate esp as was doused in av gas! Took off clothes got into water .... Got chewed by hundreds mosquitoes!!! Bad -even with netting but I think he was in bit of shock and just glad to be alive - national safety board investigated, say cause, weather phenomenon downdraft no further investigation required. Braydon lucky and smart / trained .

We are so thankful that he kept his wits about him. The Whitewing Resort owners Bobbi and Dave have been so good to open up a cabin for Braydon's Mom and Jack to stay in. Jack is glad he was able to visit him and as Jack said "to have a day of normal things like fishing!" The next few days or perhaps week will mean some down time for Braydon as he waits to get the all clear to fly again. Every day he seems better and Jack's hearing his laughter again and that's reassuring ! Braydon keep your wings up!! thinking of you as you get back in Left Seat and look forward to our next get together!

Jack off to St Andrew's, Manitoba in the afternoon for his own bit of excitement there tomorrow.

Flying seems to be both exhilarating and dangerous but then so is driving in downtown Vancouver most days!

So happy GEJG has so many flying hours under his belt already and is on the home stretch. Stay safe.

Hugs to the Fly Boys

posted by Jo

Technical update;

To the blog followers and those that leave a message but it does not appear on the blog, my apologies. I am not the author of the blog, it is Louise, Jack's daughter. It was set up by her for his Jetski adventure ( that was before I was "the wife" =) and well worth a review). Due to a technical glitch the blog remains under Louise's editorial skills. I can post something via an email and hopefully it all appears but if not I ask Louise to do her magic. So there may be comments that you have left that have been lost in the transition. For those of you who wish to contact either Braydon or Jack you can always leave a text or ph message on Jack's cell. He may not get it right away but as soon as he is in WiFi territory he opens his phone.

Braydon update;

Jack says "Braydon doesn't want this incident to be a big part of his identity , realizes and appreciates it will be something he won't forget but wants to move on in reaching his goal and passion of being a float plane pilot. He is loving and appreciating the people, places challenges and adventures he's given opportunity to meet everyday." He is off to get some tests done to rule out any other overlooked injuries. He has some stitches in his ear which was badly cut, outwardly that is the most telling he even had an accident. He was fortunate he landed in a bog not open water. He is certainly establishing himself as an even better pilot as he has demonstrated his capability in times of huge stress!! He is doing better everyday. Braydon you rock!!

A big THANK YOU to the owners and hosts of Whitewing Resort. They have opened their doors to Jack as if he was part of Braydon's family. Jack says they have been wonderful, fed him (big plus!!) and everything =) Here is the inside of the lovely cabin he stayed in while there. Looks like a place I would like to see =)

Jack is off to take some pictures of the area then on to St Andrews, Manitoba later this pm. Fun times waiting for him there. Stay tuned for tonights post for a few good "Jack" stories.

posted by Jo

1. A beautiful place.
2. Ice huts waiting for ice.
3. The one that did not get away...a big fish!
4. Ahhh morning coffee, can it get any better =)

This morning Jack left Red Lake to fly over the crash site and take a few pictures for Braydon. Jack said seeing Braydon and the plane were sobering but won't change anything except appreciate everything just tad more - Braydon feels same way.

Jack used Braydon's car, a late model Volvo sedan, that Braydon bought here in Mission to take him across country to his job. Price was the motivator and the car has done well. Slight problem with the speedometer but nothing serious. Well, nothing that is until Jack got pulled over for speeding on his way to the airport =) Now, if you know Jack well you know he has a "huge aversion" to cops pulling him over for speeding. ( he had not had a ticket for speeding in 25 years until he got pulled over by a very serious new constable a couple of years ago, the cop just said well this will break the record, Jack has not forgiven him =) He continually claims flying is way better!!.... no police up there. Thankfully today Constable Y was much more understanding, first he was interested that the Volvo had made it all the way from the west coast and then he was even more interested to hear why Jack was there. Jack just has to start to tell his story and there is an immediate interest. They had quite the conversation and in the end Jack passed him a business card with the blog site on it. Thank you Constable Y for renewing Jack's respect for road patrol.

After flying around the area Jack went to St Andrews for some fun flying stunts. He spent an hour with an instructor learning to do roll overs, dives etc. You just have to see the look of excitement on his face to know he had a blast.

He is spending the night at a B&B in Selkirk. Good thing he is indoors because the mosquitos are thick out there. Tomorrow is a bit up in the air, ( no pun intended!) will probably head for Alberta but not sure if he will stop in Saskatchewan for the night. "what its there to do in Saskatchewan" he says.

I know his thoughts are with Braydon and his amazing survival story. He is truly like the son he did not have.

Sleep well GEJG.

Posted by Jo

Today Jack left Selkirk Manitoba heading across Saskatchewan to Lethbridge Alberta.

Landing in Regina he sees someone waving at him as he approaches the fuel pumps. "No one knows me here in Regina thinks Jack, am I in trouble" Turns out it is one of Jacks fellow hanger mates from Chilliwak. The notorious crop Duster Dan dropping off the plane in the picture. Dan recognized GEJG and its pilot. They then met later in Swift Current for coffee.

Very late in the trip Jack finally figures out how to use his "auto pilot". Jack says "More elastics more pull. Tray moves back forth for pitch control. Now I figure it out :)! " See the picture

As of yesterday In Manitoba, you can see on the map how far he has travelled. Thats allot of miles.

Tonight he has stopped in Lethbridge where most of his family lives, Mother, 2 brothers and a sister. Good dutiful son checking in w Mom after a long trip =)

Back to reality very soon for Jack. Time to mow the lawns at the cabin and then home to see the wife and kids. I am thinking he will be ready to get back out on a trip in a few weeks. So much nicer just flying around where there are no cops, no chores ( or nothing that feels like a chore when it is about the plane) lots of peaceful uninterrupted me time. But oh the stories he will be able to tell.

Have fun with the sibs tonight....not too many night caps Captain Jack.

Look forward to seeing you back on this side of the Rockies soon.

posted by Jo

Today Jack left his family in Lethbridge behind, after a short stop. Next weekend he will be back there again for a nieces wedding.
Another family coffee stop and visit in Sparwood BC then carried on up to near 100 Mile House and to his favourite get away place, Green Lake.
He did pass through some bad weather near Golden /Revelstoke but with so many miles under his belt he just "went for it" . When he sends a text " that was not a nice storm, its behind me now" I know it was a white knuckler.
Jack will spend the night at the cabin and get the lawn mowed there, back to reality !! Eagles are often seen around where the cabin is at Green lake, as Jack said when he arrived it is a beautiful place.!.

Almost home Captain Jack. One more sleep!

Posted by Jo

Captain Jack touched down at CYCW at 3 pm today. Thanks to the Angels and God above for keeping him safe.

On his last day of flight he put on his most official looking pilots shirt ( old airforce shirt from the thrift store) to make his grand return. He also used it in the hopes that he would get a hitched ride back to his plane which was tied down at the Flying U Ranch near his cabin on Green Lake. He thinks he looks more professional with it on, not like any ordinary hitchhiker =)
We all know how special you are Captain Jack.

Leaving Green lake

Followed the Fraser Canyon for awhile, this is near Lilloette

Then up and over the top towards Pemberton.

Pemberton valley

And there it is, the mighty Fraser and lovely Fraser Valley. I am home.

He is happy to be home to welcome his newest grandaughter Lucy Elizabeth into the family. She makes 13 grandchildren from his 5 daughters.

He has flown 9,176 miles and 84 hours of airtime. So many good and interesting memories. He will take a couple of days to tidy up his plane, put his seats back in and then fly back to Lethbridge on Thurs for a family wedding.
There won't be any more posts until sometime next week when I hope to be able to relay some more of his stories and pictures.

WELCOME BACK CAPTAIN JACK
GEJG signing off.

Jack Dekens is a 60 year old retired father of 5 (girls!) with a heart for adventure. In July of 2014 he circumnavigated Canada solo in his Cessna 172 covering 16,300 km in about 30 days. He is a man who loves a good adventure and is not afraid to dream big and just go for it. He is also my father. Here is an interview that I had with him.

Why did you decide to fly around Canada?

There are three reasons really. As a kid, I loved learning about the history of the Northwest Passage and the Franklin Expedition so I wanted to see it in person. Secondly, I love adventure. It started with a 13' Zodiac trip around Vancouver Island in 1990 and then in 2010 I took a jet ski from Vancouver to Skagway, Alaska solo. I enjoyed it so much I ended by circumnavigating Vancouver Island which was about 4300 km total. The third reason is that I wanted to see if it would be possible to eventually use a jet ski to do the Northwest Passage so I would first do it from the sky.

What sort of preparation did you need?

There were many different steps that needed to be taken to prepare for a trip like this. First, I had to get my private pilot's license through Principal Air. Their inclusion of grass and gravel landing strips was invaluable. Then, once I knew the trip up north was in the plans I had to take `over the top training' which is above the clouds, instrument and night training. I also did underwater egress training at the pool because I would have to fly above a large body of water. Due to the polar bears up north, a friend who had already lost a researcher friend, insisted I accept his gift of a 12 gauge Defender shotgun. Therefore, I had to get my hunting and gun safety license.

When I bought my plane I had to find one that had a long range tank. There is no aviation gas for non turbine planes in the arctic circle which is a huge area. With help from others, including Kenn Borek Air, I made a connection to a private stash in Resolute Bay. I also had to order a special funnel to remove impurities and plan to have oil sent up to Iqaluit. The plane needed some updates on it to make it safe for a trip like this. I had a new factory motor, propeller and batteries put in. A new exhaust system increased power and cruise range. I upgraded my electrical system to facilitate running the iPhone, iPad, and charge the cameras.

My wife, Joanne, made bright yellow wing covers for the low temperatures up north. This colour would also be easier for Search and Rescue to find me in the event that I was forced down.

I had to call each airport that was supposed to have gas available and confirmed that with them. I ordered maps to work alongside my ForeFlight program and rented a satellite phone (a necessity along with my SPOT device) for filing flight plans as the arctic is a military zone.

Finally, I needed to decide what to take along. The plane had to be as light as possible so I removed all of the seats except for one. I had 5 Jerry cans of gas, two sheepskin rugs (for comfort during the flights and then to sleep on at night), freeze dried food, canned fish and a stove. Instead of a sleeping bag, I just brought a very warm down jacket. By the way, freeze dried breakfasts are better than the dinners.

What are a few of the most interesting things you learned along the way?

I learned about the Canadian Rangers program which is part of the Canadian Armed Forces and is a volunteer force made up of Inuit, First Nations and Metis. They work as Search and Rescue and are very proud of what they do including teaching the Armed Forces personal survival and stealth skills, and in turn, the Armed Forces provide them with weapons and electronics like GPS's.

The term `Flow Edge' now conjures up images of narwhals, seals, and bears rather than just a bit of water between the shore and the ice.

I found it interesting that the government invested a lot of money to install an underground water line up in Pond Inlet, Baffin Island, for it to just freeze the first winter. Water and septic are delivered by truck weekly and also removed the same way (separate trucks!). Nothing underground.

I realized that the aviation world is small, not only up north, but throughout Canada. They all know and help each other. Borek Air and Nunavut Air engineers assisted with information and helping to 'dress up' the propeller which was pitted by the 20 or more gravel runways. Pilots invited me into their homes. Airport managers in Nova Scotia knew my aviation friends back home from their days of early arctic aviation's Bradley Airlines. The stories flowed.

Finally, I was very surprised to see that new cell phones don't work up north. No 3G or LTE. The compass does swing wildly the further north you go so reliance on GPS becomes the primary navigational tool.

What was the scariest moment?

There were a few moments that made me nervous. First, I had a notification that they ran out of fuel in Frobisher Bay. It was my next stop and I needed to top up all of my tanks there in order to make it to Quebec. I didn't want to wait several weeks for the ice breakers to bring in the gas. I ordered a barrel of gas ($1300!) to be flown in. Once I arrived, I found out that the regular fueler, whom I had been speaking with prior to my starting my trip, had set one tank aside for me. I didn't need to pay for that expensive barrel of fuel and it was just $350.00 instead.

Another moment, gas related, was that I had punched in the wrong airport code before taking off and so my GPS showed that I was heading in the wrong direction. You can't waste gas going in the wrong direction so I'm glad I figured it out relatively fast.

Weather is obviously a big concern up there and as I was coming into Resolute Bay, and past the point of no return (not enough gas to return!), I was notified that the weather deteriorated and the cloud dropped to 400 feet. It was recommended not to land but I had no choice. I had to land using technical skills and not on sight as it was almost all white (the clouds and ice).

What would you do differently if you did it over again?

If I did it again, I would plan to have more fuel caches up north so that I could do a little bit more exploring. Once I was up in Resolute Bay there were many recommendations of where to go which included further north.

Also, some smaller changes would be; go in August as it's warmer, bring an older cell phone, try out the opposite direction, use a shelf rather than a hammock to store things in the back of the plane, and find something other than Garmin for tracking.

6. What was your favourite place?

I can't choose one but I especially loved; Northwestern BC (Atlin), Whitehorse, Alaska, Pond Inlet/Baffin Island and the Maritimes. I sure love Canada and we are so blessed.

7. How much does someone spend on gas for a trip like this?

About $6,000.

8. What is next for you?

I would like to volunteer for Hope Air. They provide flights to those in tough financial situations in order to get the health care they need. Another organization would be Angel Flight. They provide free of charge transportation for cancer patients in areas from Port McNeil to Hope, B.C. If anyone needs a break from cancer treatment, let me know. Nothing takes your mind off of reality like a flight through the mountains.

Other thoughts include snowmobiling from Cambridge Bay near where Franklin's Ships are to Resolute and Iqaluit. Or, maybe a trip around South America. Or...I just want to remain healthy enough to continue to fly. If anyone has any other ideas, I look forward to hearing them.

And now, after all of those miles, gravel strip landings, fuel burn calculations and flight plan filings, maybe my kids will fly with me! I want them to see what I saw and maybe catch the flying bug.

9. What advice would you give to others?

Dream. Plan. Plan some more. Ask around. Listen. Do it. We're not getting any younger or healthier with age. Just make sure that you don't put anyone else at an unnecessary risk like Search and Rescue having to go get you.

If anyone is interested, Jack is preparing a Power Point presentation for ground school classes and any other interested groups. You can also see some blog posts from his trip here. You can also reach him at [email protected]. I should mention that I have finally flown with him and although I felt safe, I definitely did not catch that flying bug. For now, keep dreaming and doing!

Written by: Louise Chapman