Rescue Mission Antarctic
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25F,
You miss my point. I was complaining of the factual errors or malapropisms made by the media in the reporting of the south polar rescue mission by the Twin Otter - typical of aviation reporting (and many other subjects of a technical nature). A journalist or broadcaster should surely be able to put together an interesting story AND get his facts right.
To call the Twin Otter a small, eight-seat, propeller plane is at worst wrong and at best misleading. It is a Canadian-designed and -built aircraft, yet the Canadian news media hardly mentioned this fact.
Like you, I am neither pilot nor journalist, merely SLF. I happen to be a geologist and I would not illustrate a paper I had written on basalt with pictures of granite. Yet the Global TV news in Canada illustrated their story on the Twin Otter mission with clips of a hulking C-130 with all four engines turning, It's just plain shoddy reporting.
That's all I have to say for the moment - I'll now join you in the cheap seats.
Rockound
You miss my point. I was complaining of the factual errors or malapropisms made by the media in the reporting of the south polar rescue mission by the Twin Otter - typical of aviation reporting (and many other subjects of a technical nature). A journalist or broadcaster should surely be able to put together an interesting story AND get his facts right.
To call the Twin Otter a small, eight-seat, propeller plane is at worst wrong and at best misleading. It is a Canadian-designed and -built aircraft, yet the Canadian news media hardly mentioned this fact.
Like you, I am neither pilot nor journalist, merely SLF. I happen to be a geologist and I would not illustrate a paper I had written on basalt with pictures of granite. Yet the Global TV news in Canada illustrated their story on the Twin Otter mission with clips of a hulking C-130 with all four engines turning, It's just plain shoddy reporting.
That's all I have to say for the moment - I'll now join you in the cheap seats.
Rockound
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As an ex-resident of Calgary and someone who spent some time flying in the Arctic in Twin Otters (CSD and CSF? if I remember correctly), I have been following this thread with interest.
Having often helped to button one up for the night in "normal' conditions (-20C to -30C), I wondered if there were any special procedures used for the overnight at the South Pole (-100C with the windchill), and I was going to post a request for information .
However, this morning I found an excellent site (http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2001/04/26/rescue010426) which answers my questions. There is a video report (http://cbc.ca/clips/ram-lo/hunter_polarescue010426.ram) filed from Ken Borek Air's hangar in Calgary, with shots of their Twin Otters, including a picture of their aircraft shutdown on the ground at the Pole (Rockhound - not a C130 in sight!) and more interestingly, an interview with Captain Loutitt (http://cbc.ca/clips/ram-newsworld/thomas_loutitt010427.ram) where towards the end, he provides some detail about operational limits and pre-start procedures. He comes across as very low-key and professional. Well done to the crew and all involved.
As an aside, anyone interested in Twin Otters and/or floatplanes and who finds themselves in Vancouver with time and money to spare should take the Twin Otter flight from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour and back - a magical experience - aaah de Havilland.
Having often helped to button one up for the night in "normal' conditions (-20C to -30C), I wondered if there were any special procedures used for the overnight at the South Pole (-100C with the windchill), and I was going to post a request for information .
However, this morning I found an excellent site (http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2001/04/26/rescue010426) which answers my questions. There is a video report (http://cbc.ca/clips/ram-lo/hunter_polarescue010426.ram) filed from Ken Borek Air's hangar in Calgary, with shots of their Twin Otters, including a picture of their aircraft shutdown on the ground at the Pole (Rockhound - not a C130 in sight!) and more interestingly, an interview with Captain Loutitt (http://cbc.ca/clips/ram-newsworld/thomas_loutitt010427.ram) where towards the end, he provides some detail about operational limits and pre-start procedures. He comes across as very low-key and professional. Well done to the crew and all involved.
As an aside, anyone interested in Twin Otters and/or floatplanes and who finds themselves in Vancouver with time and money to spare should take the Twin Otter flight from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour and back - a magical experience - aaah de Havilland.
Guest
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I flew the good old Twotter on the coast of Labrador for a couple of years and have great memories. Floats in the summer with 20 legs a day, some no more than 10 minutes and almost all landings in salt water. We were once tied to a dock in a tiny place called Black Tickle when the force of the wind snapped the ropes holding the dock to the shore. Picture, if you can, a Twin Otter with a 10'x10' section of dock tied to it, steaming around the harbour! Great entertainment for the residents.
Alright, alright! Enough with war stories, I know.
I never did anything that compares with the Borek guys and my hat is definately off to them.
Alright, alright! Enough with war stories, I know.
I never did anything that compares with the Borek guys and my hat is definately off to them.
