Where a Twotter goes even ...
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Canada
CBC News video of crew describing mission:
Daring South Pole rescue mission - CBC News | The National
Daring South Pole rescue mission - CBC News | The National
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 472
Likes: 1
From: Potomac Heights
Very substantial article in today's Washington Post about the rescue. Can't really find any faults in its accuracy. Canadian nature of Kenn Borek Air mentioned prominently 
.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...escue-mission/
.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...escue-mission/
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 78
Likes: 19
From: Nova Scotia
Flying to the ends of the Earth on wheels, floats and skis
Kenn Borek Air: Canada's low-key, daredevil airline
Flying to the ends of the Earth on wheels, floats and skis
By Kyle Bakx, CBC News Posted: Jul 10, 2016 3:00 AM MT Last Updated: Jul 10, 2016 8:26 AM MT
Article
Pilot Wally Dobchuk recounts the rescue mission timeline from start to finish
Video Interview
Flying to the ends of the Earth on wheels, floats and skis
By Kyle Bakx, CBC News Posted: Jul 10, 2016 3:00 AM MT Last Updated: Jul 10, 2016 8:26 AM MT
Article
Pilot Wally Dobchuk recounts the rescue mission timeline from start to finish
Video Interview
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Canada
Kenn Borek Air: Canada's low-key, daredevil airline?
Dunno about that.
I spent 8 years in the Beaufort Sea and Canadian High Arctic flying IFR helicopters in support of oil exploration.
I worked along side Kenn Borek Air on many of these projects. I also knew Kenn (RIP) personally.
KBA are probably the most professional, most knowledgeable and most experienced Arctic operators in the world.
Dare devil they sure as hell ain't!
I spent 8 years in the Beaufort Sea and Canadian High Arctic flying IFR helicopters in support of oil exploration.
I worked along side Kenn Borek Air on many of these projects. I also knew Kenn (RIP) personally.
KBA are probably the most professional, most knowledgeable and most experienced Arctic operators in the world.
Dare devil they sure as hell ain't!
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 7,176
Likes: 295
From: Nanaimo (CAC8)
oleary,
As a Calgarian and someone who has spent some time paxing in Twin Otters in the Arctic, I was annoyed by the daredevil headline.
I was going to post about it, but your post is much more authoritative.
The conditions at the South Pole are admittedly extreme, but KBA's experience in the Canadian High Artic makes the company uniquely qualified for this mission.
Have a look at the weather in Resolute (74°42' N 094°50' W):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolute,_Nunavut
The January daily mean temperature is -35° C and the record low is -52° C!
Even much further south, temperatures can be very low. For example, even in Calgary (KBA's HQ - 51° N - the same latitude as Gatwick), there are a few days each winter with temperatures below -30° C and the record low is -45° C.
I've spent time in northern Alberta and BC, and the Arctic on seismic crews in very cold temperatures. The biggest issue is not so much the actual temperature, but the wind-chill which sends the apparent temperature plunging. This affects not just people but machinery as well. Steel becomes brittle and hydraulic hoses fracture.
Vehicles are usually never shutdown and are left running all night, with an electric "block-heater" plugged in for good measure. With aircraft, the engines are covered with insulated blankets and kept warm with electric heaters or Herman Nelson hot-air heaters.
I liked the video interviews of the crews - very modest and professional. Well done KBA.
As a Calgarian and someone who has spent some time paxing in Twin Otters in the Arctic, I was annoyed by the daredevil headline.
I was going to post about it, but your post is much more authoritative.
The conditions at the South Pole are admittedly extreme, but KBA's experience in the Canadian High Artic makes the company uniquely qualified for this mission.
Have a look at the weather in Resolute (74°42' N 094°50' W):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolute,_Nunavut
It is also one of the coldest inhabited places in the world, with an average yearly temperature of −15.7° C (3.7° F)
Even much further south, temperatures can be very low. For example, even in Calgary (KBA's HQ - 51° N - the same latitude as Gatwick), there are a few days each winter with temperatures below -30° C and the record low is -45° C.
I've spent time in northern Alberta and BC, and the Arctic on seismic crews in very cold temperatures. The biggest issue is not so much the actual temperature, but the wind-chill which sends the apparent temperature plunging. This affects not just people but machinery as well. Steel becomes brittle and hydraulic hoses fracture.
Vehicles are usually never shutdown and are left running all night, with an electric "block-heater" plugged in for good measure. With aircraft, the engines are covered with insulated blankets and kept warm with electric heaters or Herman Nelson hot-air heaters.
I liked the video interviews of the crews - very modest and professional. Well done KBA.
Last edited by India Four Two; 12th July 2016 at 02:44.
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 228
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From: Canada
India Four Two
It's not just the cold.
When you are north of the magnetic North Pole in November, December, January (Panarctic Oils) and you know that there is nobody for 2000 miles to come and save you if you screw it up - it gets VERY, VERY lonely.
The boys and girls at Kenn Borek Air have been providing an Arctic and Antarctic service safely since 1970.
You don't get that record by being "daredevils".
When you are north of the magnetic North Pole in November, December, January (Panarctic Oils) and you know that there is nobody for 2000 miles to come and save you if you screw it up - it gets VERY, VERY lonely.
The boys and girls at Kenn Borek Air have been providing an Arctic and Antarctic service safely since 1970.
You don't get that record by being "daredevils".
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 7,176
Likes: 295
From: Nanaimo (CAC8)
oleary,
Very true. I still vividly remember hearing about the Panarctic Electra crash at Rae Point.
My Arctic experience was cushy by comparison - the Tuk Peninsula and Shingle Point, although I do remember feeling very lonely when I spotted a polar bear, while I was on the airstrip, 500 m from camp.
Very true. I still vividly remember hearing about the Panarctic Electra crash at Rae Point.
My Arctic experience was cushy by comparison - the Tuk Peninsula and Shingle Point, although I do remember feeling very lonely when I spotted a polar bear, while I was on the airstrip, 500 m from camp.
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Canada
Bin to ...
.... Pat Bay on Herschel Island hundreds of times.
I have very fond memories of my 7000 hours in the Arctic. Mostly 212 and 61 but some 76 too.
Lots of night VFR (ya right
) slinging for Imperial, Gulf and Panarctic.
I have very fond memories of my 7000 hours in the Arctic. Mostly 212 and 61 but some 76 too.
Lots of night VFR (ya right
) slinging for Imperial, Gulf and Panarctic.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: usa
"The biggest issue is not so much the actual temperature, but the wind-chill which sends the apparent temperature plunging. This affects not just people but machinery as well. Steel becomes brittle and hydraulic hoses fracture."
Sorry. but "wind chill" has no effect on machinery, Only on exposed skin and the moisture it contains.
Sorry. but "wind chill" has no effect on machinery, Only on exposed skin and the moisture it contains.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
Likes: 7
From: On the lake
When you are north of the magnetic North Pole in November, December, January (Panarctic Oils) and you know that there is nobody for 2000 miles to come and save you if you screw it up - it gets VERY, VERY lonely.
That good old Sperry Slaved Gyro Compass (a J-2 IIRC) was the reliable 'lifeline' in the areas of compass unreliability, with astro backup (LoL).
And, we won't even talk about communications (or lack thereof)!
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 228
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From: Canada
True dat - no GPS or GNS
In the Bell 212 and Sikorsky 61 we had the Ontrac III (VLF) which promptly went into DR whenever we encountered P static (dry snow).
We also had a good Sperry compass, C-7 as I recall. They didn't usually precess more than about 15 degrees an hour.
We also had ADF's (when the ground station worked) but when you picked up a rig mat or Nodwell or trailer the needles lined up with the load - usually 90 degrees to direction of flight.
The first load in was a ground lighting station with the mercury arc lights pointed straight up.
Next was a trailer that you placed sideways for a good primary radar return. RadAlt was your go to for height.
All this meant we got awfully good at climbing up above the (low) clouds and lookin' at the stars.
I called it the "about yeah" method.
Wind is about "yeah", slow load so ground speed is about "yeah" and drift correction should be about "yeah". That meant Cisco (or Noice or Pat Bay or Cameron) had to be about "yeah". Time to go was calculated with your best guess of groundspeed and your watch.
Plug all the above into the old Mark I brain and give'r!
I will not regal you with stooging around at 300 feet in a 212 pitch dark searching for the ice stations to change tapes (daily) which we did for a month BEFORE we started any of the above.
Weather forecasting, of course, was an FA based on not much.
TC would have us all in jail if we did that stuff now
We also had a good Sperry compass, C-7 as I recall. They didn't usually precess more than about 15 degrees an hour.
We also had ADF's (when the ground station worked) but when you picked up a rig mat or Nodwell or trailer the needles lined up with the load - usually 90 degrees to direction of flight.
The first load in was a ground lighting station with the mercury arc lights pointed straight up.
Next was a trailer that you placed sideways for a good primary radar return. RadAlt was your go to for height.
All this meant we got awfully good at climbing up above the (low) clouds and lookin' at the stars.
I called it the "about yeah" method.
Wind is about "yeah", slow load so ground speed is about "yeah" and drift correction should be about "yeah". That meant Cisco (or Noice or Pat Bay or Cameron) had to be about "yeah". Time to go was calculated with your best guess of groundspeed and your watch.
Plug all the above into the old Mark I brain and give'r!
I will not regal you with stooging around at 300 feet in a 212 pitch dark searching for the ice stations to change tapes (daily) which we did for a month BEFORE we started any of the above.
Weather forecasting, of course, was an FA based on not much.
TC would have us all in jail if we did that stuff now
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: The Americas
Twotter to the South Pole
Sorry for the new thread Mods - the old one is closed.
Well the Kenn Borek team who pulled off the trip to the pole in the middle of winter have been recognized and honoured by the Smithsonian - Well deserved for all.
'A mighty bit of flying': Kenn Borek air crews who pulled off daring Antarctic rescue honoured by Smithsonian - Calgary - CBC News
Well the Kenn Borek team who pulled off the trip to the pole in the middle of winter have been recognized and honoured by the Smithsonian - Well deserved for all.
'A mighty bit of flying': Kenn Borek air crews who pulled off daring Antarctic rescue honoured by Smithsonian - Calgary - CBC News
