Transporting the Auster C-FLOE from the Farm to Langley

Ready for transport

My father sold the Auster to a gentleman in Australia late last year.  The buyer was very interested in the aircraft but there was a real problem:  the aircraft was in a hanger at the farm near Nipawin, Saskatchewan.  While he could figure out how to transport it from Vancouver to Australia, handling the geography of Western Canada seemed a bit much to ask.

Left side showing wrap

We agreed to get C-FLOE to Langley in the lower mainland and he agreed to ship it from there.  The actual transfer from us to him would happen in Langley Aero Structures hanger.  Langley Aero Structures were contracted by the buyer to prepare C-FLOE for shipment to Australia in a sea container.  A shipping date in the future was set and we committed to getting the aircraft there.


Tail wheel strapped down

Now, we were not going to fly that aircraft through the rocky mountains in late October or early November.  That would constitute poor airmanship.  While it is certainly possible if the weather was good, such as in June or July, the likelihood of a quiet flight down the VFR routes was extremely slim, and I was just getting settled into a new work assignment.  Not a good time to be randomly stuck in Brooks, Alberta, waiting for weather.  Which has happened before.



Inside from the back

So, the aircraft was disassembled and mounted on a light trailer.  The fuselage and wings were wrapped in plastic or tarps and hung from a purpose built rack by their normal attachment points.  All the miscellaneous control surfaces (and other items) were wrapped in blankets or tarps and placed in the back of the truck.  My father, his AME, and the neighbors did all the hard work.  I flew out the day before to inspect and help clean up.




The drive to Langley was to be a two day affair.  The first day we planned on driving out to Edson, Alberta to stay with a friend over night.  The second day we would drive past Jasper and Kamloops, and then down the Coquihalla highway to Langley.  We chose that route because it is actually quite wide and flat, and four lanes wide for most of the way.  That works out to two fourteen hour days on the road.  I would do the driving and my father would supervise!

Barney seems very dubious about this endeavor

We got rolling very early on a Saturday morning.  The weather was crisp, clear, and a bit windy.  The load was a bit swingy but it tracked well.  The main issue was the flapping of tarps and plastic.  It kept catching the eye and make a person think the load was shifting.  It never did shift an inch though.  Concerns about damage to the fabric from the flapping led to cutting off some of the plastic wrap.  Eventually we got used to the load and quit stopping and checking every 30 minutes.



Checking the load

The drive across the prairie was uneventful.  We couldn't say the same about Edmonton.  Highway 16 goes around the north of the city but when we arrived it was blocked by a huge hole in the ground.  The city was digging up that whole area, and I ended up routing around the south and west side through heavy traffic.  We suffered through that traffic, witnessed a four car pile up right next to us, and managed to navigate our way back to the Yellowhead highway. 
The GPS, of course, decided to pack it in just as we needed it.  We stuck to major roads and kept downtown on our right.  Once we were on the west side of town we kept to a north course and it was inevitable that we would make it back to the highway.  The sky was completely clear and the air was warm. 

The drive to Edson was uneventful and my friend welcomed us warmly.  It was great to unwind, pet their beautiful young dog, and go to bed after a few drinks.



A snow covered early start

The next morning, however, it was snowing.  A heavy snowfall had just started and it was dark.  I had a few hours drive ahead of me to get to where the weather was forecast to be clear and warm on the other side of Jasper, around Valemont.  So we got under way before the snow got any worse.
It was a bit of a white knuckle drive.  I slowed down but the other drivers didn't seem to care much and shot past us through the three inches of snow and slush.  The heavy load and truck did well and the four wheel drive stability system was helpful.  I was also hurting just a bit from the previous night's fellowship (whiskey).  Once the snow let up a bit and daylight fought its way through the driving got much easier.  A short stop for breakfast also helped a lot.
The snow through the pass kept getting deeper.  The drive up the hill was a long one and I kept an eye on the transmission temperature.  We drove by several people in the ditch (they all had emergency vehicles with them) and I could swear that a few of them were the people who passed us earlier, but it would be hard to be sure. 

The main irritant now was the remaining flapping plastic.  The wet snow seemed to be working it loose as was the slushy spray from passing vehicles.  We stopped to adjust it a few times but it was just working loose and flapping more.

We got really worried about the possible damage and wear to the fabric so at the top of the pass we stopped at a rest area, and cut all the remaining plastic and tarps away except for the tarp over the engine and cockpit.  The fabric is tough and weather-tight, and the weather was clearing up.  It was still well below zero, with a bit of a wind, and uncomfortable with our wet bare hands handling all the bitter ropes and tarps and knives.
Down the other side of the pass it did warm up and the highway was clear.  This was a huge relief to me.  The weather for the rest of the drive was great - even the Coquihalla highway.



A source of many questions

At each gas stop the aircraft on a trailer got a lot of questions and amazement.  Which is expected, you don't see something like that every day.  What floored me were the older men who walked up, immediately identified the aircraft as an Auster, and started telling us stories about flying them.  One man was a British tourist who was driving through western Canada visiting aviation museums!  I figured it was a rare obscure aircraft.

We arrived in Langley late Sunday night and backed it up to the hanger door safe and sound.  I had to go to work the next morning, so my father went in to supervise the unloading in the hanger.  It was a nostalgic moment although he would never admit it.  That aircraft had been part of our family since I was a teenager. 

I went in to the regional registration office in downtown Vancouver on Monday morning and handed in the de-registration papers.  I got a little choked up explaining the disposition of the aircraft to the clerk.  Dad flew home the next day on a commercial flight:  I am wise enough to not fly CF-NZB over the mountains in November, as well.

Safe in the hanger at Langley

Sold the trailer in Vancouver and drove the truck all the way back next weekend.  It was a hectic two weeks.  The buyer in Australia received the aircraft just before Christmas and is dealing with his version of Transport Canada to register her and get her back together.

We managed to get him the confirmation letter for the deregistration.  TC was actually very efficient in that they sent the letter within two weeks.  The Australian regulator could not seem to find it.

I look forward to seeing the aircraft back in service and all put together and if I get any photos I'll post an update.