Merry White Christmas!

Great day for fireside flying!

Vandalism

One of the downsides of Nakusp's beautiful, sleepy little airport is its isolation.  The proximity between town and airport is seen in the large photo in the post below.
Sometimes there are dog walkers, quick to scurry off the runway when a plane approaches.  Birds, coyotes and deer are seasonal hazards.  Occasionally, usually after a weekend, Bill finds beer bottles near the hanger, likely left by partying teenagers.  It is worrying, because it takes very little tampering to affect an aircraft's flight.
The skies cleared briefly yesterday, and we headed to the airport to run the engine and test a new camera.  We were shocked to see the wanton destruction of one of the three resident aircraft!  An essential part was ripped off a second plane.  Damage was done inside a storage hanger.  It is possible that the culprits were interrupted as they approached our plane, as our damage was superficial.
It is a Criminal Code offense to tamper with aircraft.  Last seen, the RCMP Constable was awaiting the forensic team's arrival from Revelstoke.
http://kootenays.myezrock.com/News/story.aspx?ID=1846080

Perhaps a very real benefit of small town life will apply:  someone will squeal. 

Nakusp

downtown Nakusp

We live in New Denver; our nearest airport is Nakusp. 
http://archive.copanational.org/PlacesToFly/airport_view.php?pr_id=3&ap_id=727

It is a 40 minute drive through countryside - about the same time it took from our apartment in downtown Ottawa to our rentals at the Flying Club at MacDonald-Cartier Airport.  
The trick here is anticipating what the weather conditions will be in the next valley west.  Recent advances in highway and airport cams lessen the suspense, but Nature often has the last laugh. From November through March it is a guessing game.
Here is a case where there is a hole over Nakusp, but it looks grim southeast over Summit Lake and through to the Slocan Valley...

looking southeast across the airstrip and village of Nakusp

Air work

other work today: log booms and tugs

Every now and then, usually when the mountains are clogged with clouds and only the valley is flyable, Bill heads off to do some air exercises.  A private pilot must be able to demonstrate slow flight, steep turns, stalls, spins, and other manoeuvres that passengers would rather not suffer through.  Upchuck time, for me, so Bill has custody of both the camera and the control yoke on these flights! 

Here is a flight school that does an excellent job of describing air exercises, plus other aspects of becoming an airworthy pilot:
http://www.langleyflyingschool.com/Pages/Private%20Pilot%20Program.html#5 

Bill practises over nearby Halfway Creek (where he spotted the log booms), then heads into Revelstoke for fuel.

flying home: Nakusp ahead

at Revelstoke fuel pump