Winnipeg - Red Lake

Howdy, fellow nomads.

After we were a bit ditracted by our mummy incidence, we had an acceptable excuse for being late at Red Lake. We had sent a notice to Duncan Wilson, and asked him to not delay the welcoming ceremony, just because of Victoria and me being grounded by a pseudo mummy.

Anyway. We followed the instructions we received by Dee, and once we have had our badly needed sleep, we prepared the last leg before our arrival in Red Lake. Dee sent us a bill of lading stating that we should pick up eight VIPs - returning from a important meeting: negotiations about land claims.

So. Early in the day - something that usually only happen when Victoria is with me - we were waken up by the hotel door bell and greeted by the room service and a very tasty breakfast. Vic and me were discussing the general strategy for this flight while siffing coffee and eating maple syrup waffles. "So, we have these VIPs on board today. Vic, what special service can we provide to keep them happy?".

"Well, Haky, I will put on my most proffessional smile ever, and serve swiss cheese toasts. You know that I ordered some Greyerzer cheese lately - and I have kept it for special circumstances. Well, I think today is one of these special circumstances, don't ya agree?"

I wasn't happy at all. I know the story. She plans to serve them one slice and a glass of finest white wine from the sunny valley slopes near Sion i the Wallis valley, and next time I ask, the VIPs have eaten all the cheese and emptied the very last bottle in stock... I don't like this prespective at all. I haven't had Greyerzer and walliser white wine since months! Anyway. We planned the trip and took a taxi to the airport, where I consulted PC-met, the computerized meteorological services. And what I saw didn't please me more than seeing all the cheese and wine being slaughtered by so called VIPs.

It took quite a moment for me to decide if this weather allows me to fly safe at all. And the rest of the trip proved me to be right on this topic. But since we had VIPs with an already not too good mood, Vic and me decided to take the risk and have a go. There's enough water in Canada, so we can land the Waterpipe almost everywhere...

Around 07:40, the VIPs boarded the Waterpipe. Vic helped them to get comfy in the seats and started her small talk to cheer them up a bit. I verified my filed flight plan with the tower, and at 08:05, we took off into the grey soup. Soon after take off, I had to ammend the flight plan. I filed a cruise altitude of 3000 ft, but the clouds soon were hanging at around 2500 ft, and the Waterpipe picked up ice quite fast. So, we descended to 2000 ft, just below the clouds. This, in addition, provided the passengers a nicer view than from within the clouds...




The winds were strong, and the turbulences were certainly not something that would please our passengers. I took the chance and talked to them over intercom, explained the weather situation and reassured them that the Waterpipe and it's crew has seen worse. But Vic's steady smile probably , no - certainly!, worked far better than my own words... However, all I heard in the cockpit was the constant chatter of the tribal elder Mary Toksalot. She seemingly wanted to convince Forest Klirkut, but didn't seem very successfully, judged from the permanently ongoing chatter...

From the noises I heard comming from the passengers cabine, I assumed they must now be drinking the first glass of white wine. I had a plan for the second one... so I stayed alert until I heard empty glasses being refilled...




It was time to do some dance... so I took some rather steep turns, announcing traffic and thunderstorms that I need to fly around. I think it worked, since I heard some shouting as obviously one ppurred his glass of wine over his pants. (heheheeee. From the frequency distrubution of the shouting, I think it was nurse Jane Fuziwuzi)

Anyway. I fear Vic did know what was going on all to well... it took only three and a half steep turn until she entered the cockpit. And the way she slammed the door told me more than all the words that followed. I am not goig to repeat what she said. It would be a bad example for our other female crew members... Happily, S. Martasa Wip, the tribal lawyer, helped me out and showed much understanding for my manoeuvres... after all, this incidence provided some pause in Mary Toksalot's chain gun fire of words...




The badest thing was, that the weather got worse, and the rest of the steep turns, the sudden dives and climbs, the shaking and rumbling was absolutely not intentionally, but dictated by the harsh and turbulent atmosphere. I hoped it would improve before we reached Red Lake, but in fact I think it became a tinny wee worse instead.

10 minutes before we were on short final, I informed the passengers about the rather difficult landing ahead of us, so they were prepared for a rough approach, and maybe even a missed one. Robert D Nault, the minister of Northern affairs complained a bit for having to sit still longer than absolutely necessary, but I understood he was ennerved from the not so well going negotiations. Dr. Esau Bones, MD, fumbled in his bag and came up with a few pills for Mr. Nault (I guessed it was a phytotherapeutic tranquilizer and good for lowering the blood pressure).




And, indeed, the first attempt to land went wrong for the very beginning. YOu see, the Waterpipe is a very nice plane when you want to land on a dime, but she can get really twitchy when you try to land her with strong side winds and turbulences over the active runway. In such situations, a very slow landing speed isn't your best friend, and the Waterpipe doesn't really like fast landings. So, I came in too high, to much off the center line and with too sweaty hands - so I decided to go around. This was the first missed approach in weeks! Man, did my Adrenaline level rise... The pic to the right is actually from the second attempt. I heard S. Wip (the lawyer) swearing I will be prosecuted if I fail to land safely, and Avanti Jayowl, the lawyers assistant, chimed in and complained rather hysterically too. Again, Dr. Bones saved the day by feeding them some other pills (Vic said it was some genetically engineerd spasmolytic for the face muscles. We didn't hear one more word from these two passenges for the rest of the flight...)


Still comming in too high, but I didn't had the nerves to get around a second time in this weather.

The Waterpipe was fully configured for a short landing, and I quickly decided to go for a long one, which provided me with enough time to get her down to the ground. But the side wind played tricks with me, and I ended up on the far right side of the runway.

Luckily, all wheels touched the asphalt.








Once on the ground, applying brakes and almost standing in the pedals to keep her on the runway, I wanted to get off the runway asap. So I took the first taxiway and turned left. However, I didn't take into account the slippery surface and the still strong winds on the ground, so we ended up overshooting the taxiway and rolling over grass for a short while.

However, this incidence didn't prevent the VIPS from clapping hands and cheering. Obviously, they were pretty happy to be still alive... tsktsk. Sissies...




We then were taxiing to the dESPair hangar where Victoria helped the VIPs off board and sent them a last, incredibly sunny smile. Now, we heard a word from the only man who didn't say anything the whole flight - Loj Keyper, the band chief. He asked Vic to take with him the rest of the Greyerzer cheese and white whine. And she , with her unbearbale sense for diplomatics, said: yes!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!




Clear sky!

Hak