Road trip part 2 - Santa Monica to Calgary
Thread Starter
Day 6 - Sproat Lake and Tofino
I left Nanaimo and drove to Qualicum Beach, where I visited a friend and then onto Port Alberni and Sproat Lake.
I turned off here:
and drove down to the lakeside, where unfortunately, I was confronted with this sign:
However, I was able to get a couple of photos, through the fence. The first time I've seen a Mars up close:
Then I continued on to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I hadn't originally planned on this, but the weather was so nice, I thought that for once in my life, I would like to see Tofino under blue skies and sunshine. Every other time I've been there, it's been pissing down with rain, under low clouds. Tofino averages 129 inches of rain per year!
So I arrived mid-afternoon and went down to the dock to see what was happening.
Aviation History and Nostalgia making money, that's what was happening:
C-FMXR is a 1952 ex-USAF Beaver, S/N 374 with 22,500 hours in her logbook.
(Interestingly, that's only one hour per day since new. She must have spent a long time idle)
I found a very nice room in a small resort, not more than 200 m from the dock, with a lovely view to the west:
For once, the Pacific Ocean was living up to its name
I turned off here:
and drove down to the lakeside, where unfortunately, I was confronted with this sign:
However, I was able to get a couple of photos, through the fence. The first time I've seen a Mars up close:
Then I continued on to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I hadn't originally planned on this, but the weather was so nice, I thought that for once in my life, I would like to see Tofino under blue skies and sunshine. Every other time I've been there, it's been pissing down with rain, under low clouds. Tofino averages 129 inches of rain per year!
So I arrived mid-afternoon and went down to the dock to see what was happening.
Aviation History and Nostalgia making money, that's what was happening:
C-FMXR is a 1952 ex-USAF Beaver, S/N 374 with 22,500 hours in her logbook.
(Interestingly, that's only one hour per day since new. She must have spent a long time idle)I found a very nice room in a small resort, not more than 200 m from the dock, with a lovely view to the west:
For once, the Pacific Ocean was living up to its name
Last edited by India Four Two; 17th Oct 2015 at 03:54. Reason: Gramer!
I42:
Fabulous postings, not only interesting aeroplanes but steam engines too (even if they are inert).
More please.
Fabulous postings, not only interesting aeroplanes but steam engines too (even if they are inert).
More please.
Indiana 4 Two(well you are 'discovering' lost treasure !)
my wife has threatened to ask the Mods to shut down this thread as the envy index is now so great it has turned me a permanent shade of green. Briliant pics as always. Many thanks.
my wife has threatened to ask the Mods to shut down this thread as the envy index is now so great it has turned me a permanent shade of green. Briliant pics as always. Many thanks.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,599
Received 277 Likes
on
153 Posts
Magic!
The B-25 and Tigercat are old friends from Duxford, cor, $3500 for a ride, I think I would...
What are those red objects on top of the Mars? (And what's wrong with the ASW-12? )
The B-25 and Tigercat are old friends from Duxford, cor, $3500 for a ride, I think I would...
What are those red objects on top of the Mars? (And what's wrong with the ASW-12? )
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Nirvana South
Posts: 734
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not entirely aircraft related but the there was a further prototype before the Commercial Jetfoil. When I was a member of the Boeing Seahorses SCUBA Club, we were shown the production line for the PHM (Patrol Hydrofoil Missile) boats at Renton. Just outside was a ChrisCraft cabin cruiser with an APU mounted on the aft deck to drive the water jet pumps and foils under the hull. As a Boeing club, we could technically obtain any surplus item but when we asked we were told it was already claimed by one of the Directors.
Thread Starter
D-9, one more steam engine to come, but no more Fws.
aa62, be prepared to turn a darker shade of green. I'm editing a couple of movies.
treaders, I think the red objects on the wing are spoilers. Not sure how they are attached. The Mars equivalent of strapping a piece of wood to a 180's wing. I'll make a separate post on my issues with the ASW-12.
ICT_SLB, very interesting follow up on the hydrofoil. Thanks.
aa62, be prepared to turn a darker shade of green. I'm editing a couple of movies.
treaders, I think the red objects on the wing are spoilers. Not sure how they are attached. The Mars equivalent of strapping a piece of wood to a 180's wing. I'll make a separate post on my issues with the ASW-12.
ICT_SLB, very interesting follow up on the hydrofoil. Thanks.
Last edited by India Four Two; 26th Oct 2015 at 06:58.
Thread Starter
ASW-12
A member of my gliding club owned an ASW-12, so I've seen one up close, helped rig it (very heavy wings) and seen it flying many times.
The ASW-12 was one of the early production glass-fibre gliders and was developed from the earlier D-36.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleicher_ASW_12
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akafli...adt_D-36_Circe
It's a very elegant Open Class glider, 18 m span and a 46:1 glide ratio, which was very impressive for the 1960s. Hans-Werner Gross used an ASW-12 in 1972 to set an absolute World Free Distance Record, flying 1461 km flight from Lübeck to Biarritz. His record stood for thirty years.
What is not clear from the Wikipedia write-up is that performance was the primary design goal. Many other aspects of the design were compromised in pursuit of that goal. The low-cockpit height means that the pilot is almost lying flat; there is no suspension in the main gear; there are contour-changing flaps but no high drag setting for landing; there are no spoilers; the only high-drag landing aid is a tail parachute, which was prone to failing if it got wet during flight.
As a consequence of the design compromises, the ASW-12 was very difficult to land.Our club member, the owner of CF-ASW, did not use the tail parachute. Instead, he would fly downwind at about 300' and then on base-leg, to increase the drag,he would use a side-slip until just before landing. It was scary to watch. Just to add to the workload, when using a maximum sideslip, the rudder would aerodynamically lock at full travel, requiring a rudder-pedal push to re-centre it!
I read an article in Soaring many years ago, that stated that a large percentage of ASW-12 owners, crashed it on their first flight!
As I said, I never had any ambition to fly one.
The ASW-12 was one of the early production glass-fibre gliders and was developed from the earlier D-36.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleicher_ASW_12
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akafli...adt_D-36_Circe
It's a very elegant Open Class glider, 18 m span and a 46:1 glide ratio, which was very impressive for the 1960s. Hans-Werner Gross used an ASW-12 in 1972 to set an absolute World Free Distance Record, flying 1461 km flight from Lübeck to Biarritz. His record stood for thirty years.
What is not clear from the Wikipedia write-up is that performance was the primary design goal. Many other aspects of the design were compromised in pursuit of that goal. The low-cockpit height means that the pilot is almost lying flat; there is no suspension in the main gear; there are contour-changing flaps but no high drag setting for landing; there are no spoilers; the only high-drag landing aid is a tail parachute, which was prone to failing if it got wet during flight.
As a consequence of the design compromises, the ASW-12 was very difficult to land.Our club member, the owner of CF-ASW, did not use the tail parachute. Instead, he would fly downwind at about 300' and then on base-leg, to increase the drag,he would use a side-slip until just before landing. It was scary to watch. Just to add to the workload, when using a maximum sideslip, the rudder would aerodynamically lock at full travel, requiring a rudder-pedal push to re-centre it!
I read an article in Soaring many years ago, that stated that a large percentage of ASW-12 owners, crashed it on their first flight!
As I said, I never had any ambition to fly one.
Last edited by India Four Two; 23rd Oct 2015 at 00:40.
Thread Starter
Day 7 - Tofino and Hot Springs Cove
I decided to stay another day in Tofino because a) the weather was lovely and b) my friends in Victoria were not yet home.
I woke to the sound of a Beaver taking off and this view outside:
After a very satisfying breakfast of bacon and eggs at a coffee shop, I strolled down to the Tofino Air office on the dock.
"Any chance of a right-seat ride-along in your Beaver today?"
"Let me check the schedule."
Checks computer
"Be here at 3:15. We've got a charter going to Hot Springs Cove. One hundred bucks, OK?"
"Done."
So with time to kill, I drove south out of town to have a look at the beaches. Beautiful beaches with lots of surfing in very cold water. Thick wet-suits or dry-suits required!
Since the Japanese tsunami, there is a heightened sensitivity to the risk created by earthquakes. The local council has installed tsunami warning sirens at its own expense - the Federal Government would not pay for them - and there are warning signs along low-lying roads:
In a pub in town, there is a slightly different take on the advice:
Wandering along a dock after lunch, I noticed that the local Mountie has 500 horses, rather then just one:
On my way back to Tofino Air, I took a picture for Sir George Cayley:
The hot chick pictures will come in a plain brown envelope.
Then it was time for my trip. I had flown in a Turbo Beaver many years ago, but this was my first trip (20 minutes each way) in a "round engine" one:
Beavers don't fly fast and when you have miles of runway beneath you, there is no need to fly high:
Set your volume control to "11", particularly at 2m25. A wonderful experience - I now want a checkout!
In the evening, I decided to eat at a Sushi restaurant. Wonderful food:
and a great view:
but much to my surprise, a bunch of exquisite scale models hanging from the ceiling:
I talked to the owner about them. I'll do a separate post of the pictures and how he came to acquire them.
I woke to the sound of a Beaver taking off and this view outside:
After a very satisfying breakfast of bacon and eggs at a coffee shop, I strolled down to the Tofino Air office on the dock.
"Any chance of a right-seat ride-along in your Beaver today?"
"Let me check the schedule."
Checks computer
"Be here at 3:15. We've got a charter going to Hot Springs Cove. One hundred bucks, OK?"
"Done."
So with time to kill, I drove south out of town to have a look at the beaches. Beautiful beaches with lots of surfing in very cold water. Thick wet-suits or dry-suits required!
Since the Japanese tsunami, there is a heightened sensitivity to the risk created by earthquakes. The local council has installed tsunami warning sirens at its own expense - the Federal Government would not pay for them - and there are warning signs along low-lying roads:
In a pub in town, there is a slightly different take on the advice:
Wandering along a dock after lunch, I noticed that the local Mountie has 500 horses, rather then just one:
On my way back to Tofino Air, I took a picture for Sir George Cayley:
For your next trip can I ask for automobiles and hot chicks as well?
The hot chick pictures will come in a plain brown envelope.
Then it was time for my trip. I had flown in a Turbo Beaver many years ago, but this was my first trip (20 minutes each way) in a "round engine" one:
Beavers don't fly fast and when you have miles of runway beneath you, there is no need to fly high:
Set your volume control to "11", particularly at 2m25. A wonderful experience - I now want a checkout!
In the evening, I decided to eat at a Sushi restaurant. Wonderful food:
and a great view:
but much to my surprise, a bunch of exquisite scale models hanging from the ceiling:
I talked to the owner about them. I'll do a separate post of the pictures and how he came to acquire them.
Last edited by India Four Two; 23rd Oct 2015 at 21:59.
Fascinating account of such an interesting trip. When in the 1990's I had many meetings with Boeing and the FAA at Seattle for the European approval of the Triple Seven, I once had to stay over for the weekend. When asked, I told the folks at FAA, that I planned to drive down to San Francisco on Saturday morning and be back in time for the Monday meeting. Tears of laughter streamed down their cheeks for this naive European, who thought the US could be crossed in a matter of hours.
Anyway, in the last picture, do I see there hanging from the ceiling a model of the Fokker F-VIIA, perhaps the H-NACT? If so, how does a Dutch model get so far away?
Have a good trip!
Anyway, in the last picture, do I see there hanging from the ceiling a model of the Fokker F-VIIA, perhaps the H-NACT? If so, how does a Dutch model get so far away?
Have a good trip!
Thread Starter
washoutt,
Yes, I can imagine the laughter. Seattle to San Francisco looks quite doable on a map! However, Google Maps tells me you would have been driving for most of the weekend - 1600 miles, 26 hours there and back.
You are right - the nearest aircraft is H-NACT. The H quite threw me off. I didn't know what country it was. I'll tell you what I know in a separate post.
My video finally finished uploading and I've posted the link above.
Yes, I can imagine the laughter. Seattle to San Francisco looks quite doable on a map! However, Google Maps tells me you would have been driving for most of the weekend - 1600 miles, 26 hours there and back.
You are right - the nearest aircraft is H-NACT. The H quite threw me off. I didn't know what country it was. I'll tell you what I know in a separate post.
My video finally finished uploading and I've posted the link above.
Aha, thought so. The country designation for aircraft was H with four letters for Holland untill 1927 or thereabout, when it was changed to PH with 3 letters.
The H-NACT becme PH-ACT and was in KLM service from 2-10-1925 untill 10-05-1940 when it was destroyed in the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands.
The H-NACT becme PH-ACT and was in KLM service from 2-10-1925 untill 10-05-1940 when it was destroyed in the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands.
Thread Starter
The H-NACT becme PH-ACT and was in KLM service from 2-10-1925 untill 10-05-1940 when it was destroyed in the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands.
I'm confused. When I looked up H-NACT, I saw pictures of her in a museum - Lelystad, I think.
Replica......methinks !!!
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
Posts: 12,599
Received 277 Likes
on
153 Posts
I42, cheers, all is clear, I thought you were besmirching an icon, I reckon I was actually thinking of the ASW-15 !
Thread Starter
treaders,
An icon as you say. I would cheerfully hop into any ASW, except the 12.
An icon as you say. I would cheerfully hop into any ASW, except the 12.
Thread Starter
Day 8 - Tofino to Victoria
I left Tofino in the morning and drove east across the island to Qualicum Beach and then south through Nanaimo to Victoria. On the way, I passed through Duncan, which I knew as being famous for the world's largest hockey stick and puck. 
However, I had been forewarned by Innuendo to look for something else:
Here it is - built by the Lima locomotive works in 1911 and operational until 1958. Different in design from the one I saw at Travel Town - offset boiler and firebox, three cylinders and an external driving mechanism:
The "skeletal engineer" is a reminder that Halloween is coming up.
However, I had been forewarned by Innuendo to look for something else:
Enjoyable reading and the Shay engine info answered a few questions.
There is one on display at the entrance of the BC Forest Museum on Vancouver Island just north of Duncan.
There is one on display at the entrance of the BC Forest Museum on Vancouver Island just north of Duncan.
The "skeletal engineer" is a reminder that Halloween is coming up.
Guest
Posts: n/a
After seeing such brilliant pictures from Tofino, a place I had never heard of before, and then this headline in a local paper, in New Zealand it took the shine of the video of the Beaver Flight a little.
Canadian authorities: Whale watching boat carrying 27 sinks off British Columbia - World - NZ Herald News
Canadian authorities: Whale watching boat carrying 27 sinks off British Columbia - World - NZ Herald News
Thread Starter
prospector,
That is very sad - I hadn't yet heard of the sinking. Very close to home for me - I had thought about staying one more day and going on that very vessel, but decided against it, because it is near the end of the whale migration season.
Here's the latest CBC report:
At least 4 dead after whale watching vessel sinks off Tofino, B.C. - British Columbia - CBC News
That is very sad - I hadn't yet heard of the sinking. Very close to home for me - I had thought about staying one more day and going on that very vessel, but decided against it, because it is near the end of the whale migration season.
Here's the latest CBC report:
At least 4 dead after whale watching vessel sinks off Tofino, B.C. - British Columbia - CBC News
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Penzance, Cornwall UK
Age: 84
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I remember visiting Duncan. A quiet place I thought but my Canadian cousin told me that it once had a bad reputation and was known as Drunken Duncan! Strangely enough I have travelled from Duncan to Santa Monica but only by car.