Flying around the Candian Arctic

planedriver

Hi all, This is my first post. All the kinks are worked out. The photos are of the 2 years of my life "on the job" as a Medivac / Charter Pilot in the Canadian Arctic. In Canada "up north" is where you get your start in aviation after you got your new shiny licenses from " down south" . For me, I wanted to go far north. I ended up in Yellowknife NWT, and thats where it all started for me.

They were all taken with a little 5MP compact so please excuse the quality.

Enjoy the views that not to many get to see.

Cheers,
Rob




DASH 7 in the non setting Sun.



The biz end of the DASH 7 departing Yellowknife



The back end of the DASH 7 carrying fuel up to the remote Arctic communities. What fun it is hand loading these at 400lb's ea. This was the Fourth trip that day if i remember.



2am 60nm east of Resolute Bay. One of the remote communities on Earth.



One of two hotels in Resolute Bay. At $210 a night it's the classy joint. Hot food, place to sleep, away from the Polar Bears.





Colorful tundra with Mould Bay Environmental Weather Station behind. If you watch LOST, this place is like the "hatch"



Child's grave from 1959 at Mould Bay Weather Station



Leaving Resolute Bay



11pm returning to Yellowknife with a nice sun-un-set.



5 year old sea ice.



Sunset from altitude.



In the summer moths the sun never sets. See.



My Chariot. The Beechcraft Super King Air B200. The world's most popular Medivac Aircraft. Great on short off strips, like a little airliner inside.



Somewhere between Edmonton and Yellowknife after an all night medivac.



Short final into Lutsel'Ke NWT, amazing fishing here in the East Arm of Great Slave Lake.



Calm winters day in Wekweti NWT.



Diavik Diamond Mine strip.



Yours truly getting fuel in Goa Haven Nunavut. It was -48C that day.



Kugaaruk Nunavut. A very cold and windy day.



Crossing over Hudson's Bay @ 27'000ft. Over allot of nowhere.





Iqaluit, Baffin Island, Nunavut. The largest city in the Eastern Arctic. To this day the coldest I have ever been exposed to. It was -47C before the 30 knot wind chill. Altogether it was around -65C. Note the drifts over the runway.

TWOLOST

Fantastic!!

Thanks for sharing.

Awais Yaqub

wonderful set of photos ! will love to see more.

Thanks for posting these.

planedriver

Thanks, I have a bunch of them. Here is my site.,

www.robgrootarz.com

Cheers,

Rob

Ann McRae

Congratulations! Great series!

ann

schmoo

Fantastic series and the weather is just so different from anything most of us have experienced!

This shot is just marvelous:

planedriver

Thanks a lot Shmoo. I was at the back of the plane as we blasted off for home (not flying this one) and thought the reflection was cool. That little 5mp pentax captured some of my best shots of places i will never be going back to. Wish i had my rig now back then.

Hey, your sites great. How so you get your home page like that. Thats exactly what im trying to do.

Cheers

Rob.

www.robgrootarz.com

bike21

Great photos! Wanna trade jobs? You can have my CRJ driving job. I promise it isn't boring or anything

skysailor

Be gentle with JLI while you guys have it for the winter. Great photos. I sure don't miss the winters up there though. Did it in Daks and Hawkers for many years....fly safe. Lyle

Snowgirl

Brilliant photos and a wonderful glimpse into another lifestyle altogether. Thanks for sharing.

planedriver

bike21 wrote:

Great photos! Wanna trade jobs? You can have my CRJ driving job. I promise it isn't boring or anything

No Point, where I work now we have 65 CRJ's. I fly a DASH 8 now and love every minute of it.