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Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Rouyn-Noranda FSS

A wedding anniversary in a hot air balloon (C-GFCM)

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
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
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)
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)
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)
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…

For more real life stories on the Rouyn-Noranda flight service station and flight service specialists, click here:

Real life stories as a FSS in Rouyn-Noranda

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Real life stories as a flight service specialist (FSS): Rouyn-Noranda FSS

The newspaper “Le Moyen Terme”

A section of the front page of my newspaper "Le Moyen Terme"
A section of the front page of my newspaper “Le Moyen Terme”

Since the Quebec flight service stations were disseminated over a vast territory, the communications between the employees of each station were quite limited. It was difficult to obtain relevant information on staff transfers: such information was badly needed when came the time to choose the next transfer site.

How would an employee be able to insist that there is availability in Montreal if he did not have in front of him, during the “discussion”, such verified information? To correct the situation, once I was working at Rouyn-Noranda FSS, I decided to create my own newspaper, titled “Le Moyen Terme”.

The newspaper was distributed to every Quebec flight service stations, to the Transport Canada Training Institute in Cornwall, Ontario, to Montreal regional office and to Ottawa headquarters. Suddenly, the Quebec flight service specialists were having access to relevant information that was updated on a regular basis.

I had contributors from all over the province, and as the newspaper gained in credibility, even Ottawa managers started to provide me with some input. I financed the newspaper, wrote most of the articles and mailed a new edition every two months. I was indebted to nobody. This did not preclude the reception of a lawyer’s letter, but in such a controlled environment, that did not come as a surprise. I presented the letter to a well-known judge who took care of the matter for free. He closed the case in one swift move.

Each edition had ten to fifteen pages. It was typed using an old typewriter and mistakes were erased using correcting fluid. A small part of the content was meant to amuse the reader, but must of the information was of an editorial nature. The texts were generally received positively by the employees and that contributed to a regular exchange.

The "Facts and rumors" page of the "Le Moyen Terme" newspaper
The “Facts and rumors” page of the “Le Moyen Terme” newspaper

The section that was possibly the least appreciated by the regional office was titled: “Where are they?” On that page, one could find the name of every employee working at a particular station, with its seniority. The details were now readily available to everybody. The information provided by the management could now be crosschecked by the staff. This possibly annoyed some managers who, until recently, had a relatively easy task in attributing respective postings.

Page "Où sont-ils?" (Where are they?) of my newspaper "Le Moyen Terme"
Page “Où sont-ils?” (Where are they?) of my newspaper “Le Moyen Terme”

One day, I had to visit the Montreal Transport Canada regional office. A high ranking manager, aware of my visit, invited me in his office and ordered me to stop the production of the newspaper. I told him that it was out of question and that the newspaper was useful to many employees. My answer, at the time, did not make me friends in high places, but it was not my goal. The newspaper was produced for another two years. I decided to end this personal project when I had no more time to take care of it, busy with multiple university courses and a seven days a week working schedule in Iqaluit. Since I did not want to dilute or diminish the content or the quality of the newspaper I had created, I chose to stop its production.

(Note: the comic-book characters were created by Gotlib)

For more real life stories on the Rouyn-Noranda flight service station and flight service specialists, click here:

Real life stories as a FSS in Rouyn-Noranda

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Photography

Lockheed L-1011 in front of the Iqaluit flight service station tower in 1990

An American Trans Air Lockheed L-1011 is parked in front of the Iqaluit flight service station tower (Iqaluit FSS) in 1990.
An American Trans Air Lockheed L-1011 is parked in front of the Iqaluit flight service station tower (Iqaluit FSS) in 1990.

The image above comes from a slide that was then digitalized 24 years later. Its quality is not optimal but the essential information is there:  the presence in Iqaluit (CYFB), on Baffin Island, of a Lockheed L-1011 belonging to American Trans Air. During the refueling and customs procedures, the passengers were allowed to stretch their legs on the ramp. In the background is the Transport Canada flight service station (FSS) tower, where I used to provide air traffic services  on VHF as well as HF frequencies to airliners crossing the atlantic ocean in the absence of satellite technology. Many heavy aircrafts were using Iqaluit on a regular basis as a stopover airport, like the extended DC8, Boeing B707, 727, 737. An Airbus A-380 even stayed for few days in order to be tested under extreme cold.