Flight to Thompson
I flew to Thompson, Manitoba on Tuesday, 25 February on business. I needed to make a technical presentation to a large group of potential customers regarding our battery electric trucks and the opportunity presented itself to fly my aircraft instead of commercial.
The challenges included the weather, daylight hours, and the cold temperatures.
On the day of the flight it was clear in Saskatoon, cloudy with moderately low ceilings and visibility around Nipawin and the The Pas, and severe clear in Thompson. The aircraft had partially empty tanks from its previous flight. The flight time was expected to be three hours. I was not travelling IFR as my currency had expired.
So, my plan was to fly direct to Nipawin and refuel. Once that was done I could flight straight east and pass to the north of the Pasquia hills. A highway then meanders north to The Pas. From there I could follow a railroad east and north toward Thompson, eventually intersecting a highway that took me the rest of the way.
The reason for using a highway was basic risk management. It is one thing to keep yourself intact in August if you go down in the bush. That is an entirely more risky undertaking in late February. Forecast temperatures in Thompson were sub 30. I would prefer, in the event of a forced landing, that I be much easier to find and to access.
The departure from Richter Field was uneventful as it was utterly clear and calm. However, the weather to the east was about 1,500 foot ceilings and six miles of visibility in light snow flurries. Not a challenge and quite pleasant although there was little turbulence. Engine seemed a little rougher though.
I landed in Nipawin and refueled. It was at this point I discovered that a spark plug wire had fallen off. All of those were then checked and snugged down properly. I then took off with the door open! It got very cold up there so it was back to Nipawin, land, close the door, do a thorough checklist before takeoff, and depart for Thompson.
After that excitement it was uneventful. There is some lonely quiet land between Nipawin and Thompson. Watching the Pasquia hills slide by is also interesting. I got used to seeing hillsides disappear into cloud in British Columbia but I never expected to deal with that in Saskatchewan.
Just past The Pas the weather cleared right up. I climbed up to 7,500 and was immediately puzzled. The GPS backup altimeter read considerably lower - 800 feet lower - than the barometric instrument. Of course, this was the cold temperature adjustment and I am ashamed to say it took me a few moments to remember this.
Smooth easy flight into Thompson from there. Cold on arrival! Wings Over Kississing provided me with hangar space and I was immediately off to my next meeting.
The challenges included the weather, daylight hours, and the cold temperatures.
On the day of the flight it was clear in Saskatoon, cloudy with moderately low ceilings and visibility around Nipawin and the The Pas, and severe clear in Thompson. The aircraft had partially empty tanks from its previous flight. The flight time was expected to be three hours. I was not travelling IFR as my currency had expired.
So, my plan was to fly direct to Nipawin and refuel. Once that was done I could flight straight east and pass to the north of the Pasquia hills. A highway then meanders north to The Pas. From there I could follow a railroad east and north toward Thompson, eventually intersecting a highway that took me the rest of the way.
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| Lonely country east of Nipawin and south of The Pas |
The departure from Richter Field was uneventful as it was utterly clear and calm. However, the weather to the east was about 1,500 foot ceilings and six miles of visibility in light snow flurries. Not a challenge and quite pleasant although there was little turbulence. Engine seemed a little rougher though.
I landed in Nipawin and refueled. It was at this point I discovered that a spark plug wire had fallen off. All of those were then checked and snugged down properly. I then took off with the door open! It got very cold up there so it was back to Nipawin, land, close the door, do a thorough checklist before takeoff, and depart for Thompson.
 |
| Following the railway to Thompson |
Just past The Pas the weather cleared right up. I climbed up to 7,500 and was immediately puzzled. The GPS backup altimeter read considerably lower - 800 feet lower - than the barometric instrument. Of course, this was the cold temperature adjustment and I am ashamed to say it took me a few moments to remember this.
Smooth easy flight into Thompson from there. Cold on arrival! Wings Over Kississing provided me with hangar space and I was immediately off to my next meeting.
 |
| Thirty below in Thompson! |
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