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Friday's Tale


Kip Powick

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Looking through my log book of yesteryear I remember this incident  ...more fun with DND .....Have a nice weekend...

 

Decades ago, the last week of March 1983 to be exact, there was a joint Military / Canadian Environment operation that took place in the far North. The CF supplied C130s, (The mighty Hercules), to initiate a week long environmental study of the arctic water under the ice approximately 400 miles south of the North Pole. The study was designed to ascertain if there was any atomic residue in the water, under the ice, from Pacific Ocean Nuclear tests. Our role was to haul barrels of fuel as well as other odds and ends up for the small tent city that housed all the environmental individuals and a few DND personnel

A C130 dropped a bulldozer, I really don’t recall how the engineer operators made it onto the ice , but the brave souls bulldozed out a runway approximately 5000 feet long for the C-130’s. Our base of operations was Resolute Bay, which was about a 6 hour round trip as the engines were never shut down as we off loaded on the ice. Each aircraft landed and taxied to the end of the runway and an individual took a survey transit meter about 50 yards away from the aircraft and focused on a spot on the aircraft  as we unloaded If it looked like we were starting to sink, we were told to ABORT and firewall the engines to get off the runway.

The two primary Hercules Squadrons in the operation were 435 Squadron based in Namao and 436 Squadron here in Trenton. Because this was a “first” for our Squadron (436 Squadron/Trenton), our Commanding Officer was front and center as a qualified Hercules pilot and wanted to be the first Hercules to land on a runway that far North. The runway moved a bit each day, (according to the experts), but was designated as runway 34/16

He flew up to the ice strip and returned later the first day  with rather a gloomy look on his face. When questioned, he stated that as he approached the runway, and flew over the button he saw emblazoned in red paint the words 435 SQUADRON. Although, unhappy that our rival was first, he declared to all of us that he was the first 436 Squadron  Herc pilot to land that far north on an ice runway and that comment managed to mollify his attitude.

I was the next 436 Squadron  aircraft  to make the trip and because this was going to be a first for my crew I opted to take the left seat, (PF), If you didn’t know, in Military transports CF pilots rotate through the PF/PNF seats at the discretion of the Aircraft Commander, so I decided I would do the first landing on the ice and my FO would have the left seat back to RB and he would have the left seat the next day to land on the ice.

I flew over the Tent City, looked at the little windsock, picked a runway and landed. It was actually not a big deal. About 3 days later a bunch of us were sitting in a common room in the ATCO trailer at Resolute Bay  just having coffee and discussing a myriad of topics. Our CO was there and my FO jumped into the discussion with a question for the CO.

He said , “ Sir, what direction did you land up on the ice?”

The CO replied, “I landed on 34.”

My FO then stated.” Well then Kip was the first Herc pilot in our Squadron to land the furthest north because he landed on 16 and that would probably put him about 4500 feet further north than you.”

Cautious and low key laughter cut the silence. The CO looked at me and said “Is that true?” I just nodded.  Another pilot quickly changed the subject ………………

Footnote…. As the operation wound down and I did my last lift of cargo and people out of  the ice strip, I was asked by a member of the Environmental group when we would be back to pick up all the empty fuel barrels. I politely told him, we wouldn’t be back to pick up any empty fuel containers…..Empty fuel containers cannot be hauled unless the containers were purged……Later we found out that the Environmentalist drilled holes in the ice and sank the containers in the arctic water………………………go figure.. I have no confirmation of that information but I know C130s never flew the barrels out.

 

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Some FO’s JUST don’t know when to speak. However, congrats on the 4500’ win. :)

Regarding the used 45 gal drums, there have been many stashed around the north since DEW line days. I doubt your deliveries were the first to be “lost”. Did my share of DC3 ski work out of YYQ (1980-82) into various NWT sites. 14 barrels of jet fuel in. 50+ empties out stacked to the ceiling. Cockpit roof hatch left open to get back into our seats. Even after multiple trips there would still be a mountain of empty drums buried in the snow. Same thing. No idea where they ended up. I don’t think big oil does either. 

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9 hours ago, blues deville said:

Some FO’s JUST don’t know when to speak. However, congrats on the 4500’ win. :)

Regarding the used 45 gal drums, there have been many stashed around the north since DEW line days. I doubt your deliveries were the first to be “lost”. Did my share of DC3 ski work out of YYQ (1980-82) into various NWT sites. 14 barrels of jet fuel in. 50+ empties out stacked to the ceiling. Cockpit roof hatch left open to get back into our seats. Even after multiple trips there would still be a mountain of empty drums buried in the snow. Same thing. No idea where they ended up. I don’t think big oil does either. 

Why would big oil care about retrieving what was brought in.  Surely that responsibility was that of those who flew in the fuel. ?????  NO ?????

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1 hour ago, Malcolm said:

Why would big oil care about retrieving what was brought in.  Surely that responsibility was that of those who flew in the fuel. ?????  NO ?????

Most of the jet fuel drums we were dropping off at various sites were for oil company exploration projects scattered across the NWT. Lots of fuel for helicopters who worked the season looking for possible oil. Similar to Kip’s story, I believe many of these used drums were left behind when the job was completed. 

 

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55 minutes ago, blues deville said:

Most of the jet fuel drums we were dropping off at various sites were for oil company exploration projects scattered across the NWT. Lots of fuel for helicopters who worked the season looking for possible oil. Similar to Kip’s story, I believe many of these used drums were left behind when the job was completed. 

 

Knowing what I know of the North, I would not be surprised.  There still exist large amounts of buried goods all over from the DEW line projects and even from WWII as far back as the Alaska Highway.

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