Soaring on laughter flavoured wings
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COPA president, Kevin Psutka enjoying a soaring trip with Captain Ken alongside Hope B.C. mountain scenery. |
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Traces of snow remain on mountain backsides as we whisper by. |
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Soaring by a glacier. |
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Soaring by a glacier capped mountain. |
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Final glide home. |
Only 400 feet of Victoria’s 7,005 foot runway have slipped behind us as the motorglider passes its 42 knot stalling speed and gently levitates off the pavement - as if by magic.
She gracefully but determinedly lofts Linda and I to circuit altitude by the time we reach the end of Runway 09 and set course for another aviation adventure by following the Satellite Channel departure along the spine of Salt Spring Island’s western mountain range.
With the cross wind pushing its way up the ridge we will be helped to our initial cruising altitude by invisible hands that increase our cruising rate of climb from 500 fpm to an average of 900 fpm as we maintain 80 knots indicated.
During one particularly strong updraft we crank into a 45 degree bank to remain in the core of the column’s lift and surge upwards more than a thousand feet in 20 seconds.
It’s mid morning so we can’t anticipate much dependable convective lift or instability for soaring to our first destination in Nanaimo so the dependable Rotax is kept on line for a powered flight with the scenic coastline and mini mountains unrolling below us at our modest ground speed of 105 knots.
One often wonders why all Canadians don’t choose to live on Vancouver Island - until one recalls it rains every day of the year - except, obviously this day.
The "rainy" attribute is a huge misnomer as Victoria has often led the country for yearly sunshine - and today is no exception. The light westerly headwind is keeping the smog in Washington where it originates and the skies and waters are pristine leading to a complete feeling of peace in the cockpit.
After only 20 minutes, contact is established with Nanaimo Flight Service and a right hand dog leg approach initiated along Ladysmith Harbour for another rewarding landing on runway 34.
Unfortunately, my slow speed exit onto the taxiway proves wobbly and we pull over to discover a flat tailwheel. Only the day before the tire and tube had been changed to avoid this occurrence. A tear down inspection reveals the new tube was pinched during installation - leading to its premature failure.
The expression, "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: came to mind that day. Luckily, the many onlookers who had arrived to witness the first flight of a homebuilt Christavia MK IV "laid their hands" on my gorgeous Diamond Xtreme and moved it to a safe haven.
Lady Luck continues to grace us as AME Bob Hodgins has chosen to work this Sunday and fortuitously provides us with a spare tube.
My mission at the "Cassidy" airport as it is often called is to conduct the initial test flight on Howard Rolston’s Christavia Mark IV. Although we must conduct some troubleshooting prior to lifting off. The necessary modifications are accomplished and we fly a brief circuit to return with a list of minor snags that will keep Howard busy for a few weeks.
Courtenay Airpark is our next destination a short 25 minutes to the west. North West of Nanaimo we observe miles of backed up traffic near Nanoose in both directions on the four-lane Island Highway. It looks like at least a half hour delay and we feel empathetic for those poor saps trapped in a traffic snarl on a hot long weekend!
Passing overhead Qualicum Airport a visual feast surrounds us. Mile high Mount Arrowsmith stands boldly to the left and I wonder how many folks climb that promontory to join the "ground-bound" version of the "mile-high" club. Do they even know about this aviation fraternity?
Farther ahead the tallest peaks gracing Vancouver Island poke jagged boulders above 7,200 feet. Well ahead of us on the mainland Canada’s tallest peak, Mt Waddington, can be seen as a broad glaciated white dome that dominates the landscape at 13,000 feet and irritates passing clouds that are forced to detour around the monolith.
The coastline glistens on Linda’s side and the ocean’s green/blue tints burst with opalescence where boat wakes stir up a myriad of spectral shades. As Linda sits transfixed by the natural beauty I realize major brownie points are mounting on my tally with this outing. For me, it’s all aviation business but for my spouse it’s an aerial voyage over splendiferous landscape.
I have often felt guilty tying up a chunk of our savings in an airplane - bought so I could explore the world of gliding and soaring. And although Linda is not keen on the gyrations associated with convective soaring she has graciously accepted my needs to fulfill these pleasures and challenges. Her thrill is the cross country expeditions and she is anticipating lunch at the "Big House" off the end of Courtenay’s paved parking space for heavier than air machines.
As we approach the uncontrolled airport known as CAH3 the wind is favouring runway 13 but there is a barge with a 75 foot high pile driver perched on short final suggesting the other runway. Still, with the powerful dive brakes installed on the Xtreme, the steep final approach over the barrier will be no major challenge - and a treat for any onlookers.
Although this Diamond Katana look-a-like has an amazing 28 to 1 glide ratio, it plummets like a submarine with screen doors when these "spoilers" are fully extended. The resulting approach at 60 knots has us down in the first 200 feet of runway and turning into the itinerant parking half way down the 1,800 feet of pavement.
We could amble to the left on the highway for three minutes of strolling to once again sample succulent Thai food; however, she who must occasionally be obeyed is yearning for a sumptuous repast at the Old House - a delightful, high quality landmark where traditional worldly foods are prepared with exceptional skill.
It takes us ten minutes to get there as the pathway is lined with succulent blackberries. The owner greats us at the entrance and leads us to a comfortable, quiet table with a verdant view over one of the many gardens in an area surrounded by mature trees and the river. We are not disappointed in any way and wonder why it has taken us 15 years to return since our last visit.
Alas, it’s time for business. Now, I must fly a cream puff Piper Comanche 180 to evaluate it for a purchaser. The Comanche fleet’s performance and the dedication of its followers are legendary. So, what’s the buzz?
On the ground, it’s just another rather attractive aircraft; but, once the wheels are up, it’s quickly evident to this long time aviation scribe that the airplane is a delight to guide through the skies.
This Comanche cruises at 155 mph indicated on 7.5 gph and is a stable but very responsive cross country airplane. Although produced in 1959, the design is roomier, faster and stronger than similarly powered retractables produced by Piper and Cessna decades later - where is the progress?
Moreover, due to their vintage, the Comanche tribe are priced well below the Arrows and Cardinals. Go figure! Who says there aren’t any good deals in aviation?
With my task complete, Linda and I turn heads as we taxi by the fuel pumps (well, actually, it’s the motorglider’s smooth lines that gently massage bystanders’ eyes). With a short take off, steep climb and gentle turn a detour is planned that will lead us to the highly respected soaring area known as the Alberni valley.
The theory is that air flowing up the Alberni Inlet during day time heating will run up against the nearly vertical wall of mountains north of Port Alberni and produce rising currents that swirl skywards to clear the barrier.
This afternoon, the wind is taking a day off - for a breather. But that big, black rock wall is facing the afternoon sun and I’m sure there has to be some thermal lift somewhere. A soaring eagle agrees. These critters have an uncanny ability for finding the best highways of upwardly mobile air.
By the time the aircraft is positioned under this ferocious raptor we feel the solid "kick-ass" surge from a lulu of a thermal. The rate of climb quickly pegs out in excess of 1,000 fpm and it’s elevator up for several thousand feet in a most unlikely spot along the rock wall.
The Bald Eagle breaks off and I know the lift will end when I reach his altitude. How do they do it? After five years of soaring, I still don’t know if they simply know where the good lift areas are or if they simply sense the lift.
Some soaring pilots believe these predators go to areas where they intuitively sense a thermal bubble is about to erupt and break free of its earthly bounds. At any rate, many types of soaring birds are prime indicators of lift and their soaring locations are eagerly sought by pilots.
The eerily quite Xtreme proves the Diamond folks had their aerodynamic engineering perfected. There is nary a protuberance nor indentation to trip the boundary layer and create noise.
Normally, our problem would be heat in this greenhouse-like cockpit as we would be cooked like a pig on a spit. However, we are blessed with a pair of air scoops crafted by Norm Dressler of Victoria. They fit in all Katana window vents and scoop copious quantities of air through the cockpit.
Everything is perfect in our world at 5,000 feet but it’s time to slowly begin our descent to the beckoning airport at Port Alberni. It will be more than 15 minutes before we reach circuit altitude in the smooth air with an average descent of 250 feet per minute at 60 knots but the ATF is twisted into the Comm and the area learns of our intentions. However, no one is responding to our calls even though an aircraft is perched on the button of the active runway. Meanwhile a tandem glider meanders about searching out a modicum of lift hither and thither, all the time attracted by the earth’s gravity to an inevitable landing.
At the same time the Piper Pawnee glider-tug flings another glider skyward and then returns to assume its perch at the end of the runway while its fledglings circle for yet another landing. Should I land over the Pawnee? Why aren’t they responding to my transmissions?
Now, approaching the airport for mid-field crossing, a twist of the starter brings the reliable Rotax 912 to life and the crews on the ground suddenly become aware there is another aircraft in the area and promptly clear the runway. After landing I’m told there is so little traffic in this remote mountain valley that the launching staff have not been monitoring the frequency and are blithely operating without knowing another aircraft was gliding through the airspace directly above them.
Yes Gertrude, there are still many areas in Canada that support aviation freedom - largely free of the bureaucratic meddling that tries to turn our airspace into an airline-only structure. Mind you, those on the runway should have been monitoring the mandatory frequency.
After exchanging stories on soaring and flight training, the club closes up shop for the day and it’s time to launch for the direct flight to Victoria International, approximately 80 nm distant. The GPS provides all the pertinent data leaving only the requirement to dial our way through 10 frequencies to make this return trip.
The light tailwind boosts our groundspeed slightly allowing us to touch down 38 minutes later.
We have found Victoria Terminal Controllers very accommodating during our soaring operations by providing blocks of airspace usually involving 3-4,000 feet - one never knows what fickle mother nature will provide. It’s a class C radar/transponder environment which necessitates leaving lots of radios running on the battery during power-off flight.
Truth to tell, the CARs allow for me to operate without a transponder in controlled airspace since the aircraft is a self launching glider. However, I opt for safer operations and ease of identification with the controllers and opt to operate with the Parrot on.
We aren’t saddened by the lack of winds or air mass instability today to provide those lengthy "free" flights that we have become accustomed to. The few days with little or no lift leave me with a slight "cheated" feeling but I know they are necessary for me to accomplish some work at home. But, when one considers we have just logged 2.1 hours of freedom over some of Canada’s most enthralling topography I feel blessed rather than robbed of lift.
When we tip a jug of car gas into the Xtreme’s tank and hear the relatively inexpensive "go juice" gurgling up the filler access indicating the tank is nearly full, my elation grows knowing most aircraft carrying two in comfort at 105 knots would likely quadruple the fuel expenses with their much higher consumption and use of heavily taxed aviation fuel.
The tiedowns are quickly secured and the cover snapped on the aircraft while we ponder this glorious trip that would have required more than eight hours by road - not counting the delays from the big traffic jam. It’s easy to count our blessings as aviators in Canada.