Mon, 02 Dec 2002 12:42:08 - Reykjavik Monday Morning

I worked on the autopilot and attitude indicator this morning together with the avionics guy.

The GPS will arrive later this morning, - we will install it (takes one minute) in the afternoon and make sure it works.

Flying weather is not our cup of tea Tuesday.

Wed, 04 Dec 2002 19:33:04 - Narsarsuaq Wednesday Evening

An early start from Reykjavik in pounding rain showers an hour before sunrise but in positive temperatures at 2000' until 60NM out at sea, then a climb with a 360 in the clear to 10,000 feet before the next cloud layer, which was well then below.

The headwind was about 45 knots all the way, - a few hours before the east coast of Greenland we went up to 14.000 feet which was the minimum crossing altitude today for the Icecap due to the strong winds.  Also the top of the cloud layer was now around 12.000 feet.

A ferry pilot in a Cessna 172 with whom we had dinner at the Tre Frakkor the evening before had left an hour before us.  We maintained contact with him, - he tried twice to get on top but was caught up in ice each time at around FL 60 and with that headwind he could make it at around the southern tip of Greenland for the approach up through the Fjord from the west into Narsarsuaq.

He then diverted to Kulussuk on the east coast of Greenland.

Shortly before the coast of Greenland we were out in the clear and had that magnificent view of the icebergs and the coastline with its glaciers winding their way down through the valleys from the 9,000 feet high Icecap plateau.

While on the way over the Icecap an airforce transport plane reported smoke from a position over the mid of the Icecap and asked Narsarsuaq if there was a settlement. Of course they denied that anybody was there, but he claimed he saw smoke and then moved on, - leaving the frequency on his way to Reykjavik.

After a while Narsarsuaq relayed a request from Sondre Stroemfjord ATC if we had the possibility to fly via that position.

As we had only 45 minutes to go to Narsarsuaq but fuel for another five hours, we set course for 61.43.00 North, 43.41.00 West.

When we got there luckily nothing was to be seen.  Some drifting snow and patches of low stratus around some of the ice formations was all we could make out.

We resumed our course to Narsarsuaq and landed in wonderful clear skies on runway 07 (uphill!) towards the glacier. It turned out they already had a Search and Rescue helicopter on its way from Sondre Stroem but were happy they could call the action off.  For a moment they had even thought WE were the ones down there smoking big cigars!

A quick refuel, the plane into the heated hangar and off to the weather briefing.

Looks as if the journey can go on to Goose Bay tomorrow, - but the WX needs rechecking after breakfast.

But first we will visit the evening buffet with good whale steaks and Danish open sandwiches!

Thu, 05 Dec 2002 16:04:52 - The Day That The Snow Came Down....

...was at nine on a clear Morning in Narsarsuaq with the sun about to climb over the glacier top, as we were ready to leave the room and go to the airplane to fly to Goose Bay.

The wind over the Icecap shifted a few degrees and down the slopes of the glacier, that ends where the runway begins, came – instead of the warming rays of the sun - fog and snow!

It could have cleared again just as quickly, but we had just passed our 12 o'clock Zulu deadline for take off - to reach Goose Bay before sunset.

So instead we put our winter gear on, went to the airplane, topped the engines off with oil and drained the tanks for the umpteenth time.

And now we shall have a Danish frokost with an Aalborg Akvavit!

It is not too sure that we can leave tomorrow, Friday, but one serious concern has been eliminated: During a walk today we found out that they do have one Christmas tree in Narsarsuaq!

Fri, 06 Dec 2002 21:55:58 - Landfall

We are on another continent, - and our navigation must have been quite good, because after landing the fuel guy confirmed that we were on the North American continent, - Goose Bay,  Canada to be precise.

But the weather back in Narsarsuaq before departure did awaken us with a scare - again clear skies until we left the hotel! Then a heavy morning snow storm.  A Citation ambulance flight from Copenhagen was holding over the airfield waiting for a clearing. He had ten minutes before deciding to divert and set course for Sdr.  Stroemfjord.  We waited it out in the tower, - and as a clearing started and seemed to be permanent and the pilot of the ambulance flight confirmed that clouds were only high over the coastal areas but over the Davis Strait it looked like the tops were as low as forecast - 10,000' - we put the suits on, towed the airplane out of the hangar and went for it.

Uneventful flight, - except the exchange GPS has a fault in the screen brightness. It can only be seen in the night or when in dark, sunless weather, like we had from Reykjavik to Narsarsuaq! So we had to cover up the windscreen when we wanted to look at the GPS! But in the end we had to give up reading the screen, even after resetting the brightness and contrast to manual.  (It later turned out that the Garmin 430 stops being readable below minus 20 Celsius.  We had minus 28 behind the Garmin as the outlet of the Twin Comanche avionics cooling hose from the nose was blowing the arctic air right on the Garmin).

Next Stop: The Trapper's Steakhouse across the street from the Aurora Hotel. Time of arrival: In about 5 minutes!

Looks good to go to Bangor, Maine tomorrow.

Sat, 07 Dec 2002 18:57:08

....and with the engines running and ready to go we found out, that the heater decided to take a day off!

It worked fine last night when we landed, - I had cleaned the spark plug and filters in Locarno.

A local mechanic and I checked it - outside in minus 25 degree Celsius! - and found that there is fuel coming to the heater, the spark plug looks OK and by that time our deadline for taking off to be able to reach Bangor, ME before sunset was up.

So back to the hotel, - the mechanic starts troubleshooting at eight tomorrow!

Maybe we should start to look for a Christmas tree here in Goose Bay?

Sun, 08 Dec 2002 12:12:52 - Goose Bay Sunday Morning … It is 7:30 and minus 20.

The mechanic will start work on the plane at 8:00. I will join him in a bit.  We will get the plane in a heated hangar this morning to work. It almost froze my butt (and more!) off yesterday.

We had good caribou hamburgers and sausages with French Cote d'Or wine (half-frozen!) last night! This is may be a primitive place but it is civilized!

Still hoping for Christmas in Florida!

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