Here are few aircraft photos taken at the Rouyn-Noranda airport (CYUY) during the 1986-1988 period, while I was working as a flight service specialist (FSS). Those are not fancy pictures but they nonetheless provide a representative sample of what was flying over the Abitibi region during those years. As such, they are part of the Quebec Province aviation history. It is possible that you might see some of the company names or colours for the first time.
I took these photos with an old Pentax KX, using Kodachrome film. I intend to publish the three series over the next few weeks. Many types and categories of aircrafts will be included: private, commercial, corporate, governmental, military, etc. I am convinced that some pictures will bring back memories to older pilots.
In this first part, you will find the following: Tim Hortons AC6T, Sunwest Lear 35 C-GVVA, Québec Aviation SW4 C-GQAP, Propair DHC-3 C-FOOH, Government of Québec HS-125 C-FSEN, Trans North Air helicopter Bell 47G3B2 C-FQJY, Government of Québec DC-3, Conquest Flight Group C-411 N88727, Cité Express DHC-7 C-GHRV, Government of Canada CL-601 C-GCFI, Manitoulin Air Service C185F C-GTLO, Central Airways BE-20 C-FANG, Canadian Pacific B737-200 C-FCIP, Bellanca Scout C-GPKB, Aérospatiale Écureuil AS-350, Austin Airways BAE-748 C-GGOO, Viking AS-350 C-GBPS, Air Dorval SW2, Air Canada B-727, Aero-Commander C-GOTL.
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Islamic State, Daesh and ISIS: three names that represent the same terrorist group
In order to avoid any confusion, the author, Alexandre Adler, immediately makes clear that three names represent the same group: Islamic State, Daesh and ISIS. He explains what the ultimate goal of ISIS is: to establish a Caliphate on the Levant, a territory that spreads from Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf and that includes Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Palestine.
The concept of “caliphate” and the reasons behind the desire to re-establish it are explained clearly.
Changes in the balance of power between Sunnis and Shiites
ISIS uses decomposing zones to settle. The group feeds on very high tensions created by increased inequality between two groups: Sunnis and Shiites. The Sunnis, a more conservative religious group, has lost a lot of influence following Saddam Hussein’s death. Today, there is an effort to ensure that the leaders in charge of Iraq take into consideration the interests of both groups.
Radical movements look for dissatisfied people
Sunnis are aware of the increasing strength of the Shiite axis: Beirut, Damascus, under Bachar Assad, Bagdad under Maniki, and Iran, who is inhabited by a vast majority of Shiites. Acting on the new imbalance of powers, ISIS has managed to recruit military officers as well as dissatisfied Sunnis and Arab tribe’s chiefs.
The author insists on the fact that radical movements basically dig in the dissatisfied crowd, the left aside individuals. He gives another example of a situation that is almost certain to create dissatisfaction: colonization.
Dividing a territory without taking into account the human factor
Colonization modifies the balance of power within a population. The author being French, he writes about the way France intervened in Sahara, dividing the territory without taking into account the human factor. As new boundaries were being drawn, the Touareg tribe was suddenly divided in three. This tribe refusing to obey to a new authority, in this case the Malian government, tensions built up and increased with time, since no acceptable compromise could be found.
From Libya, dictator Gaddafi understood that he could take advantage of the situation. He started supporting the Touareg resistance movement. After Gaddafi was killed, the Touareg looked for support by getting closer to jihadists. Progressively, a historically autonomous tribe became a friendly land for jihadists.
Between Al Qaeda and ISIS, Boko Haram chooses ISIS
The author explains that in Nigeria, Boko Haram was born of internal tensions between the north side of the country, which holds the political power, and the south where the population benefits from revenues generated by vast petroleum resources. In 2014, Boko Haram chose to fight along ISIS. Why? ISIS, contrary to Al Qaeda, wants a total war against the Shiites. Boko Haram picked the most radical movement.
Appearance and disappearance of the caliphal power
The caliphal power establishes a theological and political continuity of the State created in 622 by the Prophet in Medina. The author explains the reasons for the multiple appearances and disappearances of that caliphal power since the year 622. The last change was brought in 1923, when Mustapha Kemal abolished the caliphate.
Which religious group represents the real Islam?
Tensions exist between Sunnis and Shiites about the caliphate and the group which really represents the real Islam. This division dates from centuries ago. Shiites consider that Ali, the fourth successor of the Prophet, was victim of a plot at a time when he was attempting to achieve a moral and state straightening of Islam. Shiites consider that they are the real Islam beholders. They have been defending that point of view for centuries, even through Sunnis persecutions against them.
Shiites are against an early reestablishment of the caliphate
The author explains the profound differences of opinion as for the philosophic, theological and political views between both groups. Because of those reasons, Shiites are against an early reestablishment of the caliphate, which leads the most radical Sunnis, and through them ISIS, to lead a total war against them.
The Sunni axis is represented by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, although there is a degree of rivalry between those two countries.
Saudi Arabia’s fear
Saudis fear the birth of a powerful Shiite political movement on their territory. They estimate that there would be a risk to lose the control on oil installations, which constitute the base of Saudi Arabia’s economic wealth. The author writes that Saudis are financing “[my translation] all the anti-Shiites movement in the Arab world, including the Sunni jihad in Iraq”.
The return of Iran
The return of Iran, a Shiite power, on the world stage, adds to an already complex equation. The reader is told that there are natural tensions between Persian Iran and the Arab world. But there is something else: Iran, as well as few other countries in the region, is now supporting more moderate policies: “[my translation] Iran is radically changing its orientation and now prepares his return on the world stage as a more open country, pluralist, supporting a Shiite democracy. Although this is not a perfect democracy, the country is now living its perestroika”.
A fight between extremism and moderation
The adoption of more moderate positions is far from pleasing an extremist political group like ISIS. The 2013 americano-iranian agreement on nuclear talks, and the continued progress made in 2015, corresponds to a net increase in terrorist acts committed by ISIS.
Atrocities against humanity set in an historical context
The Medias constantly report on the atrocities perpetrated by ISIS. According to the author, all that media attention gives a false impression on the real strength of Islamic State: ISIS would now be down to committing those terrible acts against humanity due to its relative weakness.
The author links ISIS actions with war crimes and atrocities perpetrated by other regimes throughout decades. He situates those actions at a time that always corresponds to a last attempt to survive before being completely defeated and replaced by modern and moderate political parties.
A little reserve
The only reserve I have on the book concerns the passage where the author repeats, without nuances and like other well-known Medias, that Ben Laden is responsible for the New York 9/11 attacks. This version of facts has always been strongly debated, the disagreements starting within hours after the attack. And, contrary to popular belief, it was not brought forward only by what we call the “conspirationists”. But everyone knows that the more you repeat something, the more it becomes a reality, an undisputable truth. Noam Chomsky and other renowned authors have covered this aspect at length.
Title: Le Califat du sang Author: Alexandre Adler Edition: Grasset&Fasquelle, 2014. ISBN : 978-2-246-85457-9
Summer 1988. I only had few months left as a Transport Canada flight service specialist (FSS) in Rouyn-Noranda (CYUY) before being transferred to Iqaluit, an isolated Arctic post in the Nunavut, Canada. That summer, during my annual holidays, I took few days to drive to St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, just in time for my parent’s wedding anniversary.
We thought of offering them a ride in a hot air balloon. The balloon would lift from a field facing the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu Cégep.
Hot air being blown in the balloon C-GFCM in preparation for the flight from the Cégep de St-Jean-sur-Richelieu terrain, 1988
The winds were favoring a flight path that would allow the crossing of the Richelieu River. The pilot would profit from that opportunity since the crossing of that river is very popular with the city’s inhabitants. We just hoped that the wind direction would not change while the balloon was over the water.
The amount of propane gas being limited, the flight would have to be at a quick enough pace to allow the pilot to get away from Iberville’s buildings once on the other side of the river. I don’t think my parents were worried about those details. I imagined that their anxiety was instead building up at the same time as the balloon envelope was gaining volume.
Hot air balloon C-GFCM in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu 1988
As soon as the balloon lifted off, it drifted towards the river. This would allow the pilot to touch the river with the basket, something he did twenty minutes later with great ability.
The hot air balloon C-GFCM is now airborne in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, (1988)Hot air balloon C-GFCM over the Richelieu river in Québec, about to touch the water. (1988)
The balloon then regained altitude, just high enough to skim over a corn field on the other side of the river. We were following the balloon’s path by car. We used all the shortcuts available, and were creative when it came to following traffic rules and road signs.
Hot air balloon C-GFCM and an old Quebec farm (1988)
About one hour later, the pilot started the descent. The balloon landed without problem in a field. When essential manoeuvers were completed, he surprised us by pulling few items out of the basket: a small folding table, a red-checked tablecloth and glasses for everyone.
The evening was a complete success. Somewhere in the countryside, just before night time, we celebrated with a bottle of champagne…
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Reflections of buildings and sky on a Black Lamborghini
I took this picture using a Canon 5d MKII with a Canon 14 mm 2.8L lens while walking on Crescent Street in Montreal, just few days before the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix 2015. All kind of festivities had been organized on Crescent and Peel streets to celebrate the 2015 edition of the Grand Prix.
Montreal’s buildings are reflecting on a black Lamborghini. I know that the car looks blue, but that color is only the result of the sky’s reflection. This intense reflection was a personal choice available through the use of a polarizer.
The only remaining aspect was the composition: I had to position the camera in such a way that the buildings followed the Lamborghini’s curves, down to the inferior limit of the photo. I tried few shots that were not satisfactory until, finally, the buildings seemed to follow the car lines. Obviously, we are quite far away from a standard Lamborghini shot: here, Montreal’s buildings are getting more attention than the car!
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1986. It was a beautiful summer afternoon at the Rouyn-Noranda airport (CYUY). The Transport Canada flight service station employees knew that a cold front was approaching and would soon sweep the airport. Until then, it was still a perfect day. Blue sky, light winds. At the time, the flight service specialists (FSS) did not have access to radar images or satellite pictures.
To get an idea of what was coming from the west, we were normally using an Environment Canada aviation weather forecast and the actual weather observations of two flight service stations in Ontario, Earlton FSS and Timmins FSS. Their last weather observation mentioned a wind shift and an isolated thunderstorm. But Timmins was far away and could only provide us with a rough estimate of the situation.
As I was working the evening shift on that day, I checked the wind speed indicator, as a reflex developed throughout the years. What I saw was kind of unreal. The speed indicator’s needle suddenly went from showing few knots to 20 knots, and then 40 knots, hesitated a little then went up to 60 knots and, in a final correction, reached 72 knots, which was about 134 km/h.
Everything was so peaceful around the flight service station. I looked through the window to detect any moving object. At that very moment, the wooden shed normally used by the fuel man passed in front of the station. That wooden structure must certainly have weighted few hundred kilos. The fact that it was moving at a good speed was a clear indication that the instruments were working properly. A squall line was associated with the cold front progression.
Everything that was not properly fixed to the ground started moving. In the next hour, strong thunderstorms going eastward moved in over Rouyn-Noranda. The Val-d’Or airport (CYVO) being located sixty miles east, it was clear that it would be hit directly in about two hours. I called the Val-d’Or control tower so that everyone got prepared for the squall line. That gave them enough time to tie everything correctly and damages were limited.
One hour later, everything was back to normal in Rouyn-Noranda and we profited from an ideal summer night.
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In order to give an impression of a very busy day in the Port of Quebec, during Spring 2015, I used a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM. A zoom is very useful to achieve some special effect in photography.
The apparent chaos in the photo is created by numerous details: first of all, the viewer has to read numerous words that have very different impacts on him: POLICE, CANADA, OCEAN, Sécurité Maritime, Maritime Security, GRC, RCMP, MEGA, Sea Tel, and part of the word Coast.
Secondly, there are numerous vertical lines of all sizes that interfere with multiple horizontal lines. The BUNGE silos, in the background, are themselves vertical lines, but much larger than the others.
The compressed perspective obtained through the use of a zoom gives the viewer a feeling that all the objects are close to each other. We are left wondering how the captain can manoeuver his boat with such little space available.
What is really happening in the scene: it is a very quiet day, where almost everything is immobile. There is only one boat that has started to move and the captain has all the space needed to leave the Bassin Louise and head toward the St-Lawrence Seaway without being concerned with any serious obstacle.
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