My second entry in my pilot logbook for 2010 reads as follows: Today I shook hands with a man who shook hands with a man who shook hands with Wilbur Wright. (Silly isn’t it.)

The first describes a local flight just because I wanted to get some airtime that day. A great start of the year.

After every flight I write down where I went, the weather for that flight and if I flew together with someone else in our club. I have recorded every flight and details from every flight that I have made since that day out at Springbank in a PA-28 Warrior in 1987, when I first got into the left seat of an aircraft. My interest in aviation has not diminished one bit over the years, but rather expanded thanks to the group of enthusiasts like the CRUFC.

I remember the day a number of years back when I flew to Stettler in my Challenger. The morning started out like a perfect summer’s day with the weather being reported to be great flying weather. The flight up was dream-like with smooth air and a light breeze from the southwest. My oldest son Kris was working in the patch up there that summer and he picked me up at the Stettler airport. I felt pretty special to fly into an airport and be picked up like a VIP. A crop duster pilot wondered where I came from and he was surprised to hear from where.

I spent the day and as the day wore on the wind picked up. It was reported to be good flying weather so off I went, homeward bound. The wind got stronger as the town of Stettler disappeared behind me. As I crossed the Red Deer River my ground speed showed 28 mph. The amount of fuel in the 10 US gallon fuel tank diminished rapidly and my GPS told me that I would not make it non-stop to Calgary. I had a 5-gallon jerry can strapped down in my back seat, just in case. I slowly added miles to my flight, but it was oh so slow going south bound. I landed at Three Hills and topped the tank up and continued south. The sun was setting in the west and with the daylight disappearing I landed at my home place. A lesson learned for a low time pilot. I honed my skills for 360 hours in the Challenger in all kinds of weather and conditions before I sold her to a new pilot up north.

The spring and summer this year kept me fairly close to home to places like Linden, Vulcan, Red Deer, Sundre, High River, Hanna and Drumheller that are within my “patch”. I have done several flights exploring the neighbourhood especially out east along the rivers, coulees and valleys from here to Hanna. If you have not explored the area from Rockyford east, past the quaint little town of Rosebud to the town of East Coulee, you have to plan it for the spring. I have flown along the railroad that runs east along the Rosebud River and counted the railroad bridges and came up with 37. The river makes a sharp left turn at the town of Wayne before it dumps into the mighty Red Deer just east of Wayne. There the Red Deer River valley opens up with a breathtaking view both to the north and the south with the endless prairie fading in the afternoon haze eastward all the way to the horizon. It is easy to dismiss our Alberta landscape east of the Foothills as just a vast expanse of nothingness. When you fly low and slow like we do, its beauty can equal just about anywhere on earth. I have tried to find a place to land within walking distance of Rosebud but so far there is only a straight road on top of the hill to the southwest of town that look like a reasonable landing strip. For my Merlin it is more than enough space.

Like Linden, it would be nice to visit these easy to reach little towns. Linden did bury the overhead power line which is a very friendly gesture of invitation to frequent their little town. We have landed at Nanton in a stubble field on the western edge of town but that is only possible after harvest. A strip at Nanton would be very good for the town business. They have the Lancaster Museum and all kinds of restaurants and stores there. What a boon for Nanton and scores of pilots.

Several flights out towards McGregor Lake are also recorded in my logbook. In clear weather the reservoirs show up as a glittering band of crystals many miles out. There is a small strip a mile off the lakes edge on the west side where Highway 531 crosses McGregor Lake (bright red hangars), east of Vulcan. Flying along both the lakes of McGregor and Travers Reservoir is a must, and a stop-over at Vulcan for lunch is a nice break.

Several fly-in breakfasts are noted in the logbook. I always enjoy the variety of aircraft and the pilots flying them, a rare breed indeed. The most memorable breakfast flight was the one at Beiseker on September 27th. I left my home strip in zero wind conditions and as I closed in on Beiseker the winds picked up to west southwest at 25 mph. I tightened the seat belt and announced my intentions to turn right down wind for 16. I immediately got a call from a ground station regarding wind conditions at Beiseker, wind west southwest 25 mph to 30 mph and gusting. The gusty winds seemed to test what I have learned through the years, and I thought that the challenge would enhance my experience in the art of flying. The wind was still west southwest and seemed stronger and gustier closer to the ground. The winds gave me a really good work-out, although my speed over the ground was the speed of a man walking. I touched down almost at a standstill but was picked up again and pushed sideways with the tires screeching and leaving black marks on the pavements. I should have landed backwards I thought. The breakfast was great, and I was looking forward to my return flight. Takeoff run was about 20 feet, and I climbed to 500’ before the end of the runway, free altitude gain. Upon landing at my home strip, the wind was calm, just like when I left. This goes to show the unpredictable winds that can sometimes give us a surprise in our travels. We must always be prepared for the unexpected, but not be afraid of gaining more experience, within reason of course. Our warm, inviting Chinook winds can throw us a curve ball when we least expect it. The windy conditions this past summer did delay my excursions back into the foothills like Red Deer forestry strip and also the return to Ram Falls. It is really recommended with the surrounding mountains and the challenge of higher elevation of their strips. Bring your lunch.

Lately the snow conditions have warranted ski operations. The climate has changed back to what I experienced when I first set foot in Canada. The snow is deeper than I have seen in many years, and ski-flying feels very safe and comforting, should the engine take a breather. I have, for the first time, experienced deep powdery snow and it requires a different technique than what we have been used to in the last several winters. For example, after touching down I keep moving in a circle so that I can stop in my tracks and not be bogged down. I have watched the “big” guys do that and it makes perfect sense. Deep, soft snow may hide obstacles, so vigilance is paramount when landing in unfamiliar areas.

On the 27th of November I logged 3 hours bumming around the area. First to Kirkby field, then Indus, then stopping in for coffee and cake at friends of mine just west of High River. After that I set a course for friends who farms just north-east of Beiseker. Here I landed in a field and taxied right into the yard and shut down. Ski flying sure opens up a whole new world.

So, 2010 was a great experience for an aviator like me with 77 hours total for the year. Canada is great and where else can a “wannabe” bush pilot and barnstormer enjoy the freedom to fly as I can.