Page 8 - Volume 13 Number 9

Poor Mousseau had little choice except to listen to my ramblings about days before C-GBFE left assembly lines in 1970. Unlike the Cessna 180 of earlier times, pressurization saved us from scud running low level as snow obscured our views. In forthcoming warm seasons, Louisiana pilots could count on long daylight hours and waters rippling with char, grayling and lake trout. Along Hudson Bay’s uncontrolled airspace, whales would create splashes of white and pot-bellied musk oxen resembled tiny brown dots. In our cozy 391.7-cubic-foot interior, we rode in darkness.
Gjoa Haven, 179 nautical miles above the Arctic Circle, has existed since 1903 when Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen anchored his Gjoa in a sheltered bay to research the North Magnetic Pole. Mousseau peered into the two-inch thick Canada Flight Supplement (CFS), which provided essential information including fuel availability, airstrip details and telephone numbers. Like all destinations for the next few days, we could expect refueling facilities. After fingering through descent checks, we slipped into an 800-foot overcast layer for an RNAV (GNSS) RWY 31 approach.
At Gjoa Haven’s terminal building, we were not alone. A Keewatin Air King Air 200 taxied from a clear cement pad where itinerant aircraft performed power checks without propeller erosion. Depending on traffic, airstrip managers preferred to keep the block clear for temporary stops. While aromas of kerosene wafted into our cockpit, I jotted a reminder to notify my Louisiana associate that some locations refused credit cards and dispensed fuel by pre-arrangement. Luckily, the CFS published call- ahead telephone numbers.
Pleased to see the Buffalo logo on our airplane since the company’s positive reputation preceded us everywhere, our clients loaded equipment into C-GBFE
6 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
for the three-hour, 581-nautical-mile leg to Clyde River on Baffin Island’s east coast. Mousseau, much younger than I, evinced surprise when told that a Cessna 180 along the same route entailed several landings because the little airplane carried only VFR instrumentation. Buffalo 666 could stay aloft almost six hours depending on power settings and altitude. Our passengers were unfamiliar with arctic conditions but within 15 minutes, each one voiced appreciation of C-GBFE’s cabin size, speed and range.
While standing by in Clyde River, we followed the standard rule: never miss an opportunity to top fuel tanks. Settlements from Hudson Bay to the Beaufort Sea offered trucks or stationary pumps with trained staff. Daily airline service allowed access – a bonus since parts or A&Ps could be placed on-site within hours. In fact, Buffalo Airways would welcome a walk-in-the-park hop to Houma to retrieve whatever my compatriot in Louisiana might happen to need.
Before takeoff, Mousseau’s numbers showed 1,024 pounds below the 11,500-pound allowable gross weight. The return to Gjoa Haven later in the day for an overnight stop proved effortless. Below the 45-foot, 10-inch wings, we knew polar bears roamed and occasionally, the cream-coloured creatures could be spotted on final approaches. If the ravenous beasts crossed our paths, there would be no damsel-in-distress heroics for this Buffalo Airways contract pilot.
Although severe temperatures had yet to overwhelm us, the 0° Celsius (C) prompted burrowing into C-GBFE’s belly pod for electric cords. Most year-round arctic King Airs have been modified with built-in engine heaters and thankfully, outlets were available at every airstrip. While our customers climbed communication towers,
I watched visiting aircraft and noted that none stopped
SEPTEMBER 2019
The small village of Cape Dorset, located on the southwestern side of Baffin Island, has a population of 1,441 and is known as the capital of Inuit art.