Issue #959
Including:

From Russ

The Ontarion

Hi All,

Last week I had suggested that I might relate my first adventure with night flying, that adventure being from before I had any night flight training. The ‘might’ pertained to if there was any interest in that story. Well, somewhere just over 5% of the readers indicated an interest so here goes. The other 95% will just have to put up with it….

I had taken flying lessons out at WW airport in the early 70’s and achieved my full private pilot license in early September of 1974. As soon as I could afford to, I upgraded from flying 152’s which are 2 seat trainers, to 172’s which are 4 seat planes. That meant I could carry passengers. I would often take myself and 3 others for nice sight-seeing flying excursions. This went on for a while and all was well. Then, perhaps about a year later, on a nice October evening, I decided to take my mom and 2 others for a flight up to the Cedarville area so we could look at the old farm. Now, October evening flying in southern Ontario can be quite nice but there is one issue that I didn’t fully take into account. The days are getting shorter very quickly. Daylight runs out earlier each evening. I had booked the plane for a 2-hour flight, probably with a 6pm start time, and didn’t give it any more thought.

As we flew north the scenery spread out around us. We crossed over the town of Arther and my next waypoint, the tiny crossroad of Conn, would soon be coming into sight. However, before it did, the fact that I was quickly loosing daylight filtered into my brain. Oh Oh. A quick decision was needed. I had no night training, no idea of what I could or could not see in the dark from an airplane, no idea of what the airport would look like in the dark, and of course was flying VFR. The cardinal rule of flying is FLY THE PLANE! No matter what was happening or how distracting a situation might become, FLY THE PLANE. So, a quick 180 degree turn pointed us roughly back toward the airport. A careful calculation of our ground speed on the new heading gave me an ETA for reaching the field. A few minor course corrections before it was too dark to see the ground ensured we would indeed fly directly to the field, and with our time calculations I knew at what time we would approach Maryhill, the outer boundary of the low level controlled airspace, beyond which we needed radio clearance to enter. The horizon was still visible due to contrast with the sky and the black looking earth, and I had figured out how to turn on the dash lights so I could see the necessary gauges, such as air speed, altimeter, turn and bank indicator, and gyro.

At the appropriate time that we should be approaching Maryhill, I could indeed make out the village. I radioed the tower and gave our position and asked for a direct approach, meaning that with only some minor maneuvering, I would not have to enter and do a circuit. I could get lined up with runway 14 (if memory serves) and come in with the least amount of turning as I knew it was vital to not get disorientated or lose control of the plane. I was cleared for 14. Once past Maryhill I was able to recognize the runway lights. (So that’s what runway lights look like from altitude and in the dark, and that flashing beacon on the tower is impossible to see). The lights are nice and bright but the paved runway between them is an invisible strip of black, looking very much like an infinitely deep trench. Oh well, I could line up between the lights and with a proper decent rate and angle I should be able to kiss the plane right onto the runway with barely a jolt. And Thats What I Did. Wow. We taxied back to the ramp feeling somewhat relieved. I didn’t tell anyone at the flight club that I’d run out of light while out flying but the very next day, I signed up for night flying training.

Night flying, once trained for it, became my favorite kind of flying and once certified, most of my flying from then on was at night. Now, you may ask if I or we were nervous or frightened during that adventure. I can’t speak for the others but I know I didn’t impart the possible severity of the situation to them. I did discuss the need to look for landmarks and the need to work the ‘numbers’ with my front seat passenger. But no, even private pilots are trained to use all of their training and whatever skill they may have, keep calm and do their job. And like I said, it all worked out just fine.

I had mentioned above that a quick decision was needed. My choice had been to reverse direction and head back to my home field and deal with the growing darkness as needed. The other options would have been to either set the plane down in a farm field, a very risky and dangerous thing to do under failing light conditions, or find an alternative airport. No other paved and lighted fields were any closer time-wise, and small grass strips would have been impossible to find in the dark and impossible to land on in the dark. Again, calm decision making based on facts and use your training. Having being caught out in the dark was admittedly pilot error and poor planning. Dealing with it was proper training and attitude.

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This week’s selection is an old Ian Tyson number called Rockies Turn To Rose. It was chosen by a panel of one, that being me. There were no other votes and one out of one makes me the majority. After Ian & Sylvia broke up, Ian went on to a whole new and successful career as a singer and poet dedicated to cowboy music. He became one of the best in that field. Don’t let the term ‘cowboy music’ make you think of the Nashville version of western music. Cowboy music was poetry, often songs that had evolved from music from ‘the old country’ that had come over with the settlers, and songs written by cowboys and writers who understood the cowboy life.. Tyson was both, a cowboy and a writer. Cowboy music was and is a version of folk music. Anyway, this song is from the perspective of a man who had lost track of his love years earlier, whom he had lived with in Calgary where they could watch the early dawn light up the Rockies on the western horizon. This is my video version of doing that song.

Rockies Turn To Rose

doug

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From Russ

Nightmare! (continued)

Yup – I was able to re-enter that subconscious state, so here goes - - -

“At ease, gentlemen”, orders the Chief, (who has an acute attack of irritable bowels) and rushes off to the one-and-only washroom in the police station. His second mistake, the order – “At ease”, as now it’s a mighty hard job to get the cops attention again! (Lots of commotion and loud talking)

“Gentlemen! Gentlemen!” shouts the sergeant. Nobody pays any attention to George.(sergeant)

“Gentlemen!!” shouts the sergeant once more “Oh, what the hell” he says. “Hey you dumb-bells!” Now, they pay attention.

When the noise finally stops, George explains their situation:

“This building is our only safe place in town – we will ‘hole up’ in this former bank – it is nearly fire-proof, two stories high, and we will take up a position on the roof where we will have a better view of the surroundings”, he goes on, “We will be able to see the approach of our friends, the ‘Outlaw bikers’, and as they come into ‘range’ of our weapons – we let them have it!”. (Sounds like a ‘plan’).

“Wait!” shouts someone. “They stole our 50 cup coffee-maker, all our coffee, cups, sugar, whitener, and even our stir-sticks!!”.

“Them bastards!!” they say in-one-voice.

“Brubacher!” shouts the sergeant.

“Yeah, George – what’s up?”

“You will take our only roadworthy cruiser, a driver, and go buy a 50 -cupper; a bunch of cheap coffee, and all the other stuff we need”, he continues “We don’t know how long we’ll be prisoners in our own station – so get-the-hell-going and don’t waste any time!!”

We all know, there’s NOTHING more important to a cop than his coffee!!

“Shit! The only grocery store in this ‘jerk-off’ town is closed – and we don’t have time to go to the ‘city’” says I.

“Let’s try the restaurant opposite the station” suggests my partner.

“Yeah! We’ll ‘confiscate’ his coffee-maker, coffee and stuff, and tell him it’s a police emergency” (My clever idea)

“Shit! He’s all closed-up too!” Says my partner in disgust, he goes on “The owner lives upstairs – we’ll demand he open up for us!”

The owner, a Chinese gent, feels like a “victim of police brutality”, and it takes much coaxing, and precious time to get him to agree on lending us his “profit-making” coffee business. (I don’t think “agree” is the proper word, but we “take” his coffee business and flee). Finally, we arrive in the station with the precious ‘loot’, and get a ‘heroes welcome’.

“Coffee! At last!” They shout.

“What took you so damned long?” demands the sergeant, “And why is this a ‘used’ coffee-maker?”.

“Tell you later” I reply, as we hurry to make the first 50 cups of ‘life-saving’ coffee.

Be sure to tune in next week for the “Shoot-out”.

Former sergeant (now constable) R.G. Brubacher.

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THE ONTARION REPORT

Hello everyone

Well, just as we had hoped, the blue jays are back for the 7th day in a row. Today we had nine of them out back again and they seem to be getting more and more friendly each day. Today and a couple of days before I walked out back when they were on the feeder and on the ground below and they didn’t shy away until I was about 20 feet from them on the back yard pathway. Other times they would take off as soon as they heard the back gate open! I guess they’re getting used to having people around more each time they are on the feeder. We still have a flock of other birds showing up for their daily feed but when the blue jays are feeding, they don’t seem to come around as much, with the exception of the little sparrows that is, they tend to like to share the feeder space with the jays and neither one chases the others away. The black birds and starlings are greedy birds that tend to like to try to dominate the feeder! Oh well, there are always some that don’t like to share their bounty I guess!

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The next item on my mind these days is the situation south of the border in the form of Donald Trump! He’s still the biggest jerk in politics if you ask me! I find it hard to believe that he’s even infected with Covid-19! I doubt this because nobody on this earth has gotten better as quickly as he is supposed to have recovered. Who can believe he’s been cured of this terrible virus after only two days in hospital? I personally think he used his political clout and money to influence the doctors to go along with a phony case of Covid so he can further his bid for the presidency a second time. He most likely paid them off to say he was sick just to garner the sympathy vote from the red necked back woods idiots that are believing everything he says! Has anyone heard word one about Trump’s wife and how her supposed case of Covid is coming along? One would think there would be lots of news reports about her illness and condition as well as his! I think it’s one big conspiracy to try to keep that idiot in the White House for another 4 years! OH well, if the American people are foolish enough to fall for his BS, they deserve what they get! I personally think the US is headed for another Civil War with Trump leading the charge! They said on the news tonight that he’s making statements that are encouraging the white supremacists to rise up against anybody who isn’t supporting his return to power! I think he’s secretly the leader of the KKK! If there is even such an organization anymore!

Oh well, I’ve wasted enough time and energy on this Jerk for one week so I’m going to move on to something more pleasant!

It’s 6am and the computer has finally stopped it’s spinning and keeping me from finishing my column for this week. There are times and this has been one of them where a multi coloured ball starts spinning on the screen at the movement of my “mouse” and I can do nothing more in the way of typing my Ontarion. This has been one of those nights so I phoned Doug in BC to tell him what had happened that I was unable to finish my Ontarion for this week. We agreed that it’s not the end of the world if I miss one weeks Squid submission. However, I awoke with the thought of someone ringing our doorbell at 5:30am and got out of bed to go check the front door to see who the heck it might be at this hour and there was nothing there but my vivid dream I guess! I could have sworn I heard the doorbell ring but it must have just been in my overactive brain!

Oh well, to continue my babble for this week, Carole and I have been waiting for a chance to get out into the countryside for a last drive in the MGB to have a look and enjoy the Fall colours for 2020. Today being Friday it’s supposed to be 19c and sunny so it’ll be the perfect day to take the MG out for that run and get some fall foliage pictures! I’ll have to take my camera along to capture the beautiful Ontario fall colours before winter sets in! We usually go up to Hockley Valley above Orangeville since there are some interesting roads and lovely bush country up that way. I’m sure it’ll be no different this year and will be a totally enjoyable drive later today. As long as we stay off the main highways and stick to the back roads we’ll avoid the heavy “Thanks Giving weekend” traffic!

I’m sure things will be fine and the day will be enjoyable!

That’s about all I have for this week folks!

Thanks for tuning in and Carole and I wish you all a very happy Thanks Giving for 2020! Don’t eat too much turkey etc etc! LOL!

Oh what the heck, dig in and enjoy more than one plate full and then sit in front of the TV with your families and complain about how over stuffed you all are! LOL!

I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion Report!

Bye for now ….. Greg

PS: I’ll send a few pictures of the fall colours If I manage to get some good ones!

Something to think About>

Whatever comes to mind that you must be thankful for! Surely there’s lots of things in your lives that you need or want to express your thanks for and I’m sure you will! Do it in a loud clear voice so the persons enjoying your turkey with you can hear your gratitude! Bye for now all!

Greg

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