Tag: aircrafts

Around the world in flight simulation (9)

Post author By Stanley
Post date 18 October 2024
No Comments on Around the world in flight simulation (9)

The Antonov 225 taking-off from the Antonov airport (UKKM) in Ukraine heading to Sochi, Russia.

Today, the Antonov 225 is reborn for another leg of this world tour of flight simulation. In reality, this aircraft was destroyed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine. At the time of writing, war is still raging between the two nations. But in virtual mode, we have more latitude to alter the course of events and simulate peace.

So, we leave Ukraine’s Antonov airport (UKKM), fly over Crimea and then stop off in Sochi, Russia (airport code USSR). Our destination is Lublin airport (EPLB) in Poland.

The weather is looking good, with clear skies for the arrival in Sochi. The scenery around Sochi is splendid, and it’s best to land in good weather.

Take-off is a breeze, but the Antonov 225’s heaviness takes some getting used to. The weight of the aircraft means that every time the pilot makes a maneuver with the flight controls, initially nothing happens. Then, the aircraft slowly begins to obey. So, you have to expect delays and anticipate the outcome of maneuvers.

Navigraph is used for navigation. Of course, I plan to deviate from the initial route to fly over Crimea and then on to Sochi.

The pink triangle indicates the position of the Antonov 225 entering Crimea on its flight to Sochi in Russia and then Poland.

Below, the ploughed fields of the Ukraine. Ukraine is considered the breadbasket of the world.

The Antonov 225 over the cultivated fields of Ukraine.

Crimea is a beautiful region from the air, but fiercely contested on the ground. A pilot would say that today, it’s more turbulent down there than up.

The Antonov 225 entering Crimea on its flight to Russia then Poland

A few minutes later, the flight over the Sea of Azov begins in the direction of Sochi.

The approach is spectacular, with the surrounding mountains. As with all large aircraft, the Antonov has to be stabilized well in advance to avoid overcorrecting on final.

Antonov 225 on long final for runway 06 in Sochi (USSR), Russia.

The cargo plane stops in an extremely short distance for such a heavy aircraft. When the thrust is reversed on six engines, there’s no need to set the brakes to maximum, especially in Sochi. We make a short stopover.

Antonov 225 parked for a short stopover at Sochi (USSR), Russia.

Just after our arrival, a Russian Sukhoi 27 military jet makes a low pass near the tower. The fighter jet was created at the time in response to the construction of the American F-15.

A Sukhoi Su-27 makes a low pass at the Sochi Airport (USSR), Russia.

The flight resumes in the late afternoon. Below, the Antonov 225 is on final approach to runway 25 at Lublin airport in Poland.

Antonov 225 on final for rwy 25 at Lublin airport, Poland

The thrust reversers allow the aircraft to exit onto the taxiway in the middle of the runway.

Antonov 225 with thrust reversers after landing at Lublin (EPLB) airport in Poland.

We get a little help with parking.

Antonov 225 with some help for the parking at Lublin airport, Poland

The next stage of this round-the-world flight simulation will be with a smaller aircraft, heading for Germany. A flight over Göttingen is planned with a helicopter (D-JORG). The trip will end at Paderborn Lippstadt Airport (EDLP).

Click on the link to read more about this round-the-world flight simulation on my blog.

Aviation photography

The RCAF flies by Québec City

Post author By Stanley
Post date 21 July 2021

The Snowbirds passing by Québec City in June 2021.

The Snowbirds flew over Quebec City in June 2021, followed by many other jets and canadian military transport planes and helicopters. Until the last minute, a layer of low clouds and occasional showers worried event organizers.

A ferry crosses the St.Lawrence Seaway in front of Lévis in June 2021.

Low clouds are visible over Lévis in the picture above taken from the Dufferin terrace in Québec City. On the St. Lawrence Seaway, the ferry bound to Lévis is approaching its destination.

Three canadian CF-18 fly by Québec City in June 2021.

The CF-18s initially flew in a formation of three. For photography enthusiasts, the full frame camera used to capture those photos was a Canon 5DSr equipped with an EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. For the photo above, the shutter speed was set at 1/4000 and the focal length was 200mm. Given the CF-18’s fast fly-by, I opted for the AI Servo autofocus which quickly adapts to changes in the position of the objects to be photographed. Since the original image size was 50.6 megapixels, this allowed me to crop it in order to enlarge the military jets without losing quality.

Four canadian CF-18 flying by Québec City in June 2021.

Above, four CF-18s were photographed with a shutter speed of 1/5000.

The bulk carrier Spar Taurus is arriving in the Québec City harbour in June 2021.

Between each fly-by of the various military jets, the maritime traffic continued as usual on the St. Lawrence River. Above, the Spar Taurus vessel , a bulk carrier built in 2005 and sailing under the flag of Norway, is heading towards the port of Quebec, accompanied by two Ocean company tugs. In the background, the Île d´Orléans bridge, which will be redone in a few years.

A canadian C-17 Globemaster III flies over the Dufferin terrace in Québec City in June 2021.

A C-17 Globemaster III, military transport aircraft built by McDonnell Douglas, flies over the Dufferin Terrace. Canada owns five of these aircrafts.

A canadian Bell CH-146 Griffon at Québec in June 2021

Above, a Canadian Bell CH-146 Griffon military helicopter , slowly flies near the Château Frontenac. A soldier seated behind takes a picture of the crowd gathered on the Dufferin Terrace. To photograph a helicopter, the shutter speed must be drastically reduced, so that the movement of the blades can be observed. For the photo above, I opted for 1/250, but I could have gone down to 1/125 without too much risk of the helicopter being out of focus.

There were other aircrafts that flew over the seaway, such as the CP-140 Aurora and the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules, but the photos were not of sufficient quality to be published on the web.

Click on the link for other pictures of Québec City in Summer on my blog.

Tags aircrafts, aviation, aviation photography, C-17 Globemaster III, Canada, Canon 5DSR, Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM, CF-18, full frame camera, Lévis, military jet, Ocean tugboats, photography technique, ship photography, shutter speed, Snowbirds, St. Lawrence Seaway, tips in photography

Aviation artists quotes

Quotes from the book “The Man and His Art” by R.G. Smith

Post author By Stanley
Post date 13 May 2018

Front cover of the book "The Man and His Art" by R.G. Smith — Front cover of the book “The Man and His Art” by R.G. Smith

« We had no television in those days, so my evenings were spent reading history or drawing, mostly airplanes”.

“[Lieutenant Commander Beaumont] influenced my life as an artist. […] He participated in Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. Where others saw only white and blue in this frigid area, Beaumont found wonderful color and conveyed same in his art. He added alcohol to his paints to prevent them from freezing as he worked in sub-zero temperatures for 30 minute intervals, retreating to a warmer area before going out again”.

“It was Beaumont who taught me composition, color balance, and how to look at a subject and translate the visual image to paper or canvas”.

“Beaumont emphasized it wasn’t necessary to reproduce an exact replica of a scene as long as the end result achieved dramatic impact”.

“Bob Poole taught me […] how to grey down vivid colors. He also taught me that by blending colors, I could add motion to aircrafts and add subtlety to harsh lines”.

“Understanding light and its effects is obviously critical to an artist […]. For instance, as the descending sun caught the side of a rusty tanker, it created a starkly bright copper tone. We learned that if we didn’t try to emulate that color on paper within 30 minutes, the light would be lost, and the rich copper tone would quickly change to a dingy, lifeless brown”.

“Aspiring artists want to know how to draw and paint, but very few want to take the time to learn”.

“Refrain from ever being satisfied with your work. Never stop rehearsing you craft. Every painting is another step in an endless learning curve. Achievement comes from hard work, discipline, and a constant program of practice and learning”.

“Accuracy requires study and thorough knowledge of your subject. […] Generally, more than 50 percent of the time invested in a painting went into research”.

Back cover of the book "The Man and His Art" by R.G. Smith — Back cover of the book “The Man and His Art” by R.G. Smith

“As to planning a picture, my approach usually entailed making several sketches of ideas for the scene I wanted to create before deciding on the final composition”.

“Create the background first, knowing beforehand where you intend to place the aircraft, which should be the last phase of your painting”.

“My criticism of much of aviation art today is that many artists feel they must paint every rivet on an aircraft, or every line on a ship. It often appears as though some artists cut their aircraft from a photograph and paste it on the background”.

“[…] the eye and the brain do most of the work, connecting the dots and lines. In other words, you don’t have to include every detail, just a suggestion of detail”.

“Study the works of artists you admire, or whose style you want to emulate”.

“Some artists only see an airplane as a mechanical object. As a result, their depiction of them is mechanical, stilted portraits of aircraft rather than a picture with character, motion, or some measure of dramatic quality”.

“I’m not a complicated man and it has never taken much in the way of material things to make me happy. Most of my pleasures have come from my family, my career, my hobby, my books, and my friends. The wonderful experiences and opportunities that came my way were frosting on the cake”.

Title: The Man and His Art. R.G. Smith / an Autobiography (with Rosario “Zip” Rausa)
Author: R.G. Smith with Rosario “Zip” Rausa
Copyright: 1999 by R.G. Smith
Edition: Schiffer Publishing Limited
ISBN: 0-7643-0755-X

Human behavior

Michel Vanvaerenbergh’s book: « Souvenirs sans gloire »

Post author By Stanley
Post date 2 August 2017

The title of this French book could be translated as: “Memories without glory: the confessions of an airline pilot”. A bit of modesty was certainly required in order to publicly expose one’s own flying mistakes, especially when that person is an airliner captain.

Front cover of the book: "Souvenirs sans gloire - Les confessions d'un pilote de ligne" — Front cover of the book: “Souvenirs sans gloire – Les confessions d’un pilote de ligne”

However, the book does not relate only some of the errors made by the author, Michel Vanvaerenbergh, but also those of the crew members working at the time for the Sabena airline company.

Generally, flying errors are discussed in private and corrective actions are published by each airline company for their staff in order to limit the risk of repeating the same mistakes. But to actually publish a book on one’s own mistakes is quite original and also very useful. Beginners or experienced pilots will certainly profit from the author’s past experiences.

Some of the stories are quite scary: on several occasions, the reader realizes that the pilots and passengers were lucky to survive a flight. Once, the pilots had to decide if a runway was long enough for take-off. They did not have the appropriate documents on board to calculate what was needed and the Sabena office was closed. They estimated that they could do it but realised too late that is was not the case, seeing the end of the runway approaching quickly. They forced the Boeing off the ground before it had reached the appropriate speed. The aircraft refused to climb for seven minutes. That meant that the aircraft was close to stalling and that everyone on board nearly escaped death.

Back cover of the French book: "Souvenirs sans gloire" — Back cover of the French book: “Souvenirs sans gloire”

The author tells the story of crew members under the influence of alcohol with whom he had to deal with. There is also the unbelievable account of a test flight with Yemeni pilots who never used the appropriate charts to adjust the parameters of the aircraft. To make it easier, they preferred assuming the aircraft was always at its maximum weight.

On a few occasions, too much assertiveness from pilots and crew members almost resulted in an airliner crash.

The literary style has only one objective: go straight to the point. So forget any fanciful writing. Moreover, there are no paragraphs in this small book, something to which I was not used. But those are only details and the reader can easily deal with them.

Considering the intensity of real life stories, “Souvenirs sans gloire” is certainly a book not to be missed, especially for the aviation enthusiast.

Click on the link for other books relating specifically to human behaviour on my blog.

Tags aircrafts, airliner, alcohol, aviation, Belgium, Boeing 737, books, captain, flight crew, flying errors, Michel Vanvaerenbergh, pilots, real life stories, security, Souvenirs sans gloire, test flight, Yemeni pilots

Flight Simulation

Flight simulation: a FedEx MD-11 inbound for the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

Post author By Stanley
Post date 20 January 2017

The flight simulator enthousiast will have fun trying this short flight ( 14 minutes) from the Eagle County virtual airport (KEGE) to the Telluride virtual airport (KTEX). The virtual flight, using FSX, was made during winter, on January 8th. The shots below represent an idea of what is visible while flying toTelluride. Use 14,000 feet, it should do it…

FedEx MD-11 on the take-off run at the Eagle County airport (KEGE) (FSX)

FedEx MD-11 airborne from the Eagle County airport (KEGE) (FSX)

FedEx MD-11 between Eagle County airport (KEGE) and Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

There are lots of beautiful mountains between KEGE and Telluride, and also some unpredictable weather…

The expected ceiling at Telluride was 8500 ft. On the way to the airport, the clouds and visibility were sometimes obscuring the mountains.

A FedEx MD-11 on a flight Eagle County (KEGE) to Telluride (KTEX) (FSX)

Telluride is a very inviting airport for a MD-11. The 7000 feet runway itself does not represent a big challenge, although its 100 feet are a bit narrow: this aircraft would normally require a 150 feet wide landing surface.

The virtual VFR approach made with the MD-11 was the most expensive way to do the trip, since it required a fly-by and a 270 degree turn to the right to align with runway 09.

FedEx MD-11 flies by the Telluride airport KTEX) (FSX)

The 270 degree turn at a 10-20 degree bank allowed to transit from 14,000 to 10,000 ft without doing anything radical. Just a turn while descending and gradually loosing speed to arrive at around 160 kts on final. The aircraft was now installed on long final, with flaps set at 50 degrees.

A FedEx MD-11 on long final runway 09 for the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

The high altitude runway’s 9078 feet msl elevation meant the pilots dealt with lower air density and heavy weight when approaching and, as such, the airspeed had to be adjusted accordingly to prevent stalling on final.

A FedEx MD-11 on final runway 09 for the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

Here is a view from the Telluride tower…

View from the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX) of a FedEx MD-11 on final for runway 09

Now with a view like that, you would not consider coming in IFR…!

A FedEx MD-11 inbound from KEGE on final for runway 09 at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

To prevent an overshoot and some additional expenses in fuel (which are already skyrocketing), an optimal approach was required.

Most accidents with the MD-11 happen when the pilot pushes on the stick when there is a rebound with the nose wheel, thus creating an even stronger rebound. When there is a rebound, there is no need to push on the stick, just wait and the aircraft sets itself quickly.

A FedEx MD-11 over the threshold runway 09 at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

Now with max breaking and thrust reversers…

A FedEX MD-11 slowing down at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

The MD-11 can easily turn at the first taxiway at Telluride. But in order to capture a wider view of the airport, I exited at the last taxiway (again adding to the already enormous expense in fuel…)

A FedEX Md-11 is exiting runway 09 at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

The employee on the ramp was worried that the MD-11 lower winglet would scratch N900SS while taxiing. But there was plenty of space (11 inches)…

A FedEX Md-11 is taxiing on the ramp at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

The MD-11 was parked temporarily in a spot needed by every aircraft. It was necessary to unload quickly the precious cargo and get out of the way.

Temporary parking for a FedEx MD-11 at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

Some expert handling would be needed to help move back that MD-11 close to the runway. But that was the Telluride’s airport manager problem and he had promised he would have something ready!

FedEx Md-11 parked at the Telluride airport (KTEX) (FSX)

The virtual scenery from departure to destination is a creation of ORBX programmers and the virtual MD-11 is made by PMDG Simulations (I am not sure it works with P3D though). For the weather, I used REX Simulations as the weather engine and REX and Cumulus X for the cloud textures. (Edit: PMDG does not support it’s MD-11 anymore).

For other challenging virtual flights, head towards the flight simulation section of my web site, under “challenging virtual flights”: there is something for everyone!

For more articles on flight simulation on my web site, click on the following link : Flight simulation

Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Quebec FSS

Québec City FSS and an Air Canada DC-9 Captain

Post author By Stanley
Post date 27 January 2016

Old Quebec airport terminal with an Air Canada DC-9 and a QuebecAir BAC 1-11 (on aviation postcard)

Around 1996, during the summer, an Air Canada DC-9 captain visited the Transport Canada flight service station in Québec City (CYQB) to receive a last minute briefing on the weather conditions between Quebec and Toronto.

All the passengers were already on board, but the captain had noticed a rapid change in the size of thunderstorms approaching the Québec City airport. Wishing to make the best decision, he requested the latest information on the approaching line of thunderstorms before proceeding with the takeoff.

The weather radar and satellite pictures showed a wall of convective cells that a DC-9 would not be able to go through. It would not fly high enough nor be able to go around the system unless it made a detour through Val-d’Or to the north or the Tennessee to the south.

The captain already knew the consequences of his decision. He nonetheless took the phone and called Air Canada’s dispatch in Toronto, announcing that he would not leave Quebec until the weather was acceptable. He could envision the missed transfers in Toronto for most of his passengers, and their bad mood in face of the lengthy delays he expected in Québec City.

Nevertheless, his decision was made and he left the flight service station satisfied. He knew very well that a line of heavy thunderstorms had often been the cause of accidents and that no aircraft, whatever the size, was safe when dealing with a wall of severe thunderstorms.

The flight service specialists (FSS) were happy with the captain’s decision since, throughout the years, the FSS often witnessed far less commendable behaviour from pilots of all categories. Judgment is the capacity to evaluate consequences, and it is not given to everybody.

An Air Canada DC-9 taking off under nice weather

For more real life stories about being a FSS in Quebec City, click on the following link: Flight service specialist (FSS) in Quebec City

Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): the Nav Canada flight information center (FIC) in Québec City

A dust devil takes a pilot by surprise in Rouyn-Noranda

Post author By Stanley
Post date 23 January 2016

April 2013, at the Nav Canada Flight Information Center (FIC) in Québec City. This morning’s meterological forecasts indicate the possibility of dust devils. This type of obstacle to visibility is rare. The pilots call the flight service specialists (FSS) to know what “PO” means on the weather charts.

In spite of the calm winds and blue sky all over southern Quebec, the weather conditions can give birth to local wind shears. If they lift sand, dust or other small particles, those wind shears will become visible and cause dust devils five to ten meters in diameter.

A pilot would have to be unlucky to cross a rare dust devil. However, I remember an event I witnessed thirty years ago while I was working at the Transport Canada Rouyn-Noranda flight service station.

On a hot summer day, an aircraft landed in Rouyn-Noranda after a cross-country flight from Montreal. The pilot was making a short stopover to have his logbook stamped at the flight service station. The weather conditions were ideal at the airport: dry air, calm winds and a cloudless sky.

Once his run-up was completed on the taxiway, the pilot slowly headed for the runway 26 threshold. Once aligned and ready for take-off, he made the last few adjustments.

Few seconds later, the flight service specialists heard an emergency locater transmitter signal. Looking again at the runway, they saw that the aircraft was still on the threshold, but upside down.

A strong windshear had overturned the single-engine aircraft. The airport wind speed indicator being located farther away from the threshold only indicated calm winds.

The souvenir of this story reminded me that nature can always surprise the best prepared pilot. I imagine that this event shocked the student pilot as he tried, like us, to figure out what had just happened. I do hope that this adventure did not discourage him from flying.

For more real life stories about being a FSS in Quebec City, click on the following link: Flight service specialist (FSS) in Quebec City

Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Quebec FSS

Quebec FSS and the September 11th 2001 events

Post author By Stanley
Post date 18 January 2016

One of four F-18s over the National War Memorial in Ottawa on October 22nd 2015

During the September 11th 2001 crisis, the Canadian sky belonged, for a short period, to the military. The latter had taken the decision that every aircraft that had not taken-off yet had to stay on the ground, and those which were airborne had to expedite the landing.

There were a few exceptions for medical evacuations, but those flights were tightly monitored. All air traffic services units communicated with aircrafts in flight and agencies on the ground to advise them of the new rules now in place.

Generally speaking, regardless of the initial surprise, all pilots with whom the Transport Canada flight service specialists (FSS) in Quebec City had talked, through their multiple frequencies, offered no resistance.

But I remember the case of a pilot flying a twin-engine aircraft over the Laurentides region to whom the order of landing as soon as possible had been given. He refused to obey since it was out of the question for him to lose money on already booked charter flights, especially on a beautiful day.

The flight service specialists could understand his frustration. Nonetheless, it was not a good time to debate. It was, for all air traffic services units involved, a particularly busy day and nobody had extra time to argue at length about a request.

The message was repeated one more time. In view of his refusal to obey, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) was contacted. The reply came back quickly and the pilot was given two choices: either he landed or an CF-18 fighter jet would be launched to take care of the situation.

No need to add anything else. The pilot complied immediately.

For more real life stories about being a FSS in Quebec City, click on the following link: Flight service specialist (FSS) in Quebec City

Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Iqaluit FSS

Nelson Mandela stops by Iqaluit on his way to South Africa

Post author By Stanley
Post date 5 January 2016

On July 1st 1990, few months after having been released from twenty-seven years in jail, the South African President Nelson Mandela stopped in Iqaluit, on Baffin Island in the Nunavut. It was 03:30 AM and the aircraft had just arrived from Detroit in United States. Mandela participated in a special event linked to the three big American car manufacturers where he was invited to deliver a keynote speech.

I figured that this trip to Detroit must have brought him found memories since, in his autobiography, he mentioned that the first car he saw in his youth was a big black luxury car that he later recognized to be a Ford V8.

After Detroit, the jet carrying the Mandela couple followed an orthodromic line around the planet for the return to South Africa. It meant that a stopover for refuel was mandatory and Iqaluit, in Canada’s arctic, was chosen.

In anticipation for the VIPs arrival, the Transport Canada flight service station and the airport installations had been secured by the RCMP. Before meeting the VIP’s, the Mandela couple took some time to walk toward a group of persons outside the airport terminal. They discussed for a while, each group separated by the airport fence.

As reported by historian Kenn Harper in Nunatsiaq News in 2008, the security staff tried to rapidly bring back the Mandela couple inside as there were VIP’s waiting for them. But Mandela answered: “There are no more important people in this town tonight than these folks who have come out to talk with me. I’ll be in when I’ve finished speaking with them.”

In his memoir, Conversations with Myself, he wrote: “What struck me so forcefully was how small the planet had become during my decades in prison; it was amazing to me that a teenaged Inuit living at the roof of the world could watch the release of a political prisoner on the southern tip of Africa.”

Nelson Mandela and his book "Conversations with Myself", image extracted from www.nelsonmandela.org on January 5th 2016 — Nelson Mandela and his book “Conversations with Myself”, image extracted from www.nelsonmandela.org on January 5th 2016

As they entered the Transport Canada installations, Nelson and Winnie Mandela were greeted by several persons, among which Iqaluit’s Inuit chief. A ceremony was held in a room next to where I was working, one floor lower, under the flight service station (FSS) tower.

Around 04:00AM, I came down from the FSS tower to transmit an important message regarding the return flight. At the bottom of the stairs, positioned on the other side of the door, was a huge policeman blocking our staff from accessing the corridor.

I tapped lightly on the windowed door and showed him that I had an urgent message for Mandela’s entourage. He refused to budge. The smooth way not bearing any results, I used the necessary means to achieve success. This did not go without a bit of noise.

The policeman finally let me go through, knowing very well that all flight service specialists were screened for security on a regular basis. But looking at his facial expression, it is obvious that we were not friends anymore.

Obviously, all my attempts at opening the door disrupted the ceremony a bit. As I was delivering the message, I saw the Mandela couple sitting in a nearby room, few meters away, attending a traditional Inuit dance performance. Drawn by the noise in the corridor, Nelson Mandela diverted his attention and we looked at each other for a short moment.

What surprised me the most was to see this remarquable man sitting straight in his chair, like a young man in his prime, showing no signs of fatigue, despite a very busy day and such a late hour that would not allow him to rest before 0500AM. That night, I understood a bit more what involved the responsibilities of a head of State and all the energy required day after day to occupy the position.

For more real life stories as a FSS in Iqaluit, click on the following link: Flight service specialist (FSS) in Iqaluit

Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Iqaluit FSS

Iqaluit FSS and the Trans Ocean Airways DC-8

Post author By Stanley
Post date 1 January 2016

In 1989, News North journalist Cam Lockerbie wrote an article about the misadventure of passengers who were forced to stay longer than expected in Iqaluit because of a stopover that went wrong.

A Trans Ocean Airways DC-8 on a flight from San Francisco to Great Britain had stopped in Iqaluit, on Canada’s Baffin Island in the Nunavut, to refuel but experienced some problems during the refueling process. The aircraft would not be able to depart before the next day and 220 passengers had to find a place to sleep in Iqaluit.

Impressive efforts were deployed to help those stranded passengers since there was far from enough hotel rooms to accommodate everyone. Eventually, the passengers were dispersed throughout the town and, although there were not enough beds for everyone, there was at least a roof provided for the night.

The wing of a Trans Ocean Airlines DC-8 touches a hangar in Iqaluit

The spare parts needed for the broken DC-8 were delivered by charter jet directly from United States. After the repair was done, the DC-8 attempted to move but faced another problem. It had to find enough space to manoeuver between a hangar and an American Trans Air Lockheed L-1011 that was refueling. An airline company employee was requested to guide the DC-8 and ensure that it would not come into contact with the L-1011 or the hangar.

The newspaper article mentioned that the aircraft was not able to move past the hangar and that part of the wing had to be dismantled. What the journalist did not write, certainly because he ignored it, is that there was a contact between the hangar door and the wing tip, in spite of the person walking in front of the DC-8, like you can see on the picture above taken by an Iqaluit flight service station FSS.

On the return flight, the same DC-8 experienced an alternator problem but the engineer’s resourcefullness prevented the passengers to spend another night in Iqaluit. In the following year, the company declared bankruptcy.

American Trans Air Lockheed L-1011 in front of the Iqaluit flight service station in 1989

Canadian Airlines B-737 and Firstair HS-748 in Iqaluit in 1989

For more real life stories as a FSS in Iqaluit, click on the following link: Flight service specialist (FSS) in Iqaluit