ESSAY - FLIGHTWEST. DAYS 11 & 12
32 PAGES 15,205 WORDS
There is a little song, which began a TV series about a cockney truck driver:
like a pearl on a pin,
but big enough to get lonely in ..
And it's a sure start
toward a broken heart ..
travelling - alone.
Before we set out on the journey, Ed had mentioned he would probably be flying up to "sparsely settled territories". I have been up as far as Iroquois Falls, just north of Timmins. That is as far north and as sparsely settled as I will tolerate! So I decided that it should be easy enough to catch a train, bus, or commercial flight back to Guelph. It would not be that difficult or expensive ... think again !
My first problem was to move out of the MacDonald Hotel ... which was rapidly breaking my budget. Also, I was becoming rather bored with salad and submarine for supper.
After a few telephone calls on my trusty cellular 'phone I found a budget priced motel over the other side of town: The Comfort Inn. This would make up for my over-expenditure for the past couple of days. Then there was another problem - the taxi to get there would charge $37.00.
Continental breakfast was served in the luxurious side lounge, at the Mac, overlooking the patio and river-valley. My usual two-toast arrived in style, on a silver tray, with somewhat cool coffee. Delicious, just the same.
Afterwards I took my enormous video camera across the street into the downtown area. It was disconcertingly deserted, apart from one or two hobos. I tried to remember what my karate master had taught me about looking strong and self-sufficient! - and they buzzed me anyway. It was a beautiful, sunny, quiet Sunday morning. I took a few pictures of the buildings, some pavement art and shining towers and returned to the MacDonald to pack.
The bus station was very helpful. I had used my cellular 'phone to call a number of Inns to compare prices and then to get information on Sunday bus routes .. how I would reach them. The stop I needed was just across the street from the Mac and as it was Sunday the bus was almost empty.
Some helpful passengers on the bus discussed my predicament and suggested I should stay on the bus to the extent of its' outward run .. then just across the road was a taxi stand. I lugged my cases across and collapsed near a waiting taxi, as the bus passengers cheered me on!
Altogether the trip across town had cost $6.00. So, that was quite a saving. (It may appear I was being a little chintzy, but quite honestly I have to save where I can, or give up flying - which is totally unthinkable).
The Comfort Inn was certainly not the Mac .. but it was comfortable, had a swimming pool and a little restaurant nearby which I could afford. Strangely enough this Restaurant was owned by a young Oriental couple, who were good company and would talk to me at length. He had been a senior chef at the CP Hotels chain. I wished them well, they worked so very hard to make their restaurant a success.
On the Sunday evening I spent a long time trying to get a ticket to go back to Guelph .. but of course, everywhere was closed. This worked out for the best, because I really had not seen much of Edmonton. Eventually I called Royal Tours. This was definitely a good move.
The next morning the Royal Tours bus collected me from outside a Relax Inn, which was just across the street. This gave me an opportunity to look at the Relax Inn. It certainly appears to be an excellent new chain and I thought I would get COPA to look into obtaining their prices.
The bus arrived on time with only two other occupants: a young boy and his grandmother. She was used to travelling alone and planned to go to New York next week.
I sat in the front seat, talking to the driver, while we travelled around Edmonton picking up other passengers. The driver and guide joked about their training:
"There is a really beautiful home! It actually has seven kitchens : Mr. And Mrs. Kitchen and the five little Kitchens."
The two-and-a-half hour morning tour took us first to the Telephone Building. This is probably the tallest building in Edmonton. It has a spectacular view of the entire City from its' tower. Also, arranged in display cases around the top corridor, are examples of all the communications equipment ever invented. There is never enough time on a tour to look at all these interesting things.
Next came the Provincial Museum. There we saw "the entire panorama of Alberta's heritage, preserved for all to explore and enjoy ... many unique exhibits depicting the wildlife, geology, paleontology. Indian culture and social history of Alberta". Actually it is just as well that there are wildlife exhibits .. for although we crossed about two thousand miles of countryside at low level in V.F.R. flight, we actually saw only the one moose. No other animal or bird. No flock of geese. No herd of bison. People certainly have made a job of clearing the entire continent ! But, as the Tour said: They are all on view at the Museum - stuffed !
We then toured through "North America's largest expanse of natural parkland in a city - the North Saskatchewan River Valley." This was all neatly mown and cultivated, so far as we could see.
"After driving through the University of Alberta Campus, featuring world renowned medical and research facilities" (just to see the buildings) we then visited Fort Edmonton.
Fort Edmonton Park traces the development of Edmonton from the early 1800s to the 1920s, highlighting four historical periods. Once again I made full use of my video camera (which by now was weighing into the tons, I felt).
Edmonton's fur trading days are illustrated by the Fort and the native camp, as they were between 1800 and 1850.
There are different streets, each depicting an era:
1885 Street: the development of a settlement outside the Fort walls, with a complete street of reconstructed homes and shops.
1905 Street: with the arrival of the railway, Edmonton entered its first "boom years." During this time, it became the capital city of the brand new Province of Alberta.
1920 Street: the business world of the 1920s, represented by the Ukrainian Bookstore and J.B. Little's Brickyard.
There are streetcars, stagecoaches, Indian artisans making intricate beadwork. A "trapper" gives a talk on the sale and relative value of beaver pelts. A "contemporary" told of his hard life in the Fort and how he lived and was treated by the Lord of the Fort and the Governor, who came from Hudson Bay Company.
Next we visited the Legislature Buildings: We walked through the marble halls of power. We listened to a short lecture on the main legislature chamber and walked to the upper floors, where we listened to the strange echo of the fountains around the curved dome and admired all the portraits of past dignitaries.
In a glass topped display case, resting heavily on its velvet setting was The Mace: Without The Mace, The Important People In Power can apparently not function! When Alberta first became a Province and the Government was formed, someone suddenly realized they did not have A Mace. A local artisan was called in and A Mace had to be made from a piece of plumbing pipe, with other bits and pieces of plumbing carefully arranged and gilded. Only then could the First Provincial Parliament Meeting be held!
Now this little mace sits in the velvet case alongside its' much grander relative.
Last but not least came a visit to the West Edmonton Mall. Now even a day would probably not be enough to spend looking at everything - and I only had about an hour. My first priority also was to find a travel agent and check out the best way to get home. (I was beginning to feel like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz).
I took a quick lunch with the Tour Guide and her driver, at the ubiquitous Golden Arches, during which I spent some time explaining about Control Areas and their likeness to "upside down wedding cakes", which they appeared to find most interesting (or were being very polite). Most people think that airplanes can fly wherever they please - as free as the birds - whereas the truth is that the sky is filled with invisible highways and fences which must be observed. After lunch I set off as fast as I could walk to find the travel agent and videotape as much of the Mall as possible.
First came an amazingly large area designated as an old-tyme quay, complete with a galleon at moorings. In the "river" near the galleon was a pool with dolphins and sea-lions. All around the quayside were "Ye-Olde" shops. Upper levels for numerous stories were arranged artfully with nets and ropes to blend in with the "Quayside." In another area of the quay were fantasy submarines, with a "Deep Sea Adventure."
I quickly found my way to the only travel agent, explained my problem: to get back to Guelph as soon and as economically as possible - then began to thread my way through the crowds back to the tour bus.
On the way there were entertainments of various kinds, competitions and exhibits: A Cessna 152 was only the second prize in one competition (lacquered brilliant red, with black liners and black leather upholstery - unlike any Cessna I have ever seen. How I lusted after that!) Peacocks and golden pheasants strutted proudly in glass surrounded parks for their admiring audience. Then I passed "The Old Fashioned Fairground", with carousel, the word's greatest roller-coaster and the free-fall "Drop of Doom".
At the Ice Palace, graceful skaters mingled with less practiced folk, all enjoying the well-maintained ice-rink.
Then I came, last of all, to the famous "beach". This really looks like a Mediterranean beach. The beautifully blue, clear waves come breaking over clean sand. People in swim-suits are running into the "surf". A caf‚, with sunshades is situated on one side of the beach. At the other end, away in the distance, to cover the wave-maker, is a great waterfall, with tropical plants and creepers. It costs $10.00. entrance to the beach. They call it "World Water Park".
At the Fantasy Land Hotel, in the lobby, the other tourists were waiting and shortly the driver and guide arrived to take us back to our hotels.
The grandmother and her grandson were staying at the Relax Inn and recommended Smitty's Family Restaurant for supper. After I had changed and had a swim, I trotted back across the road and enjoyed my evening meal there.
As soon as possible I called the Travel Agent to check on my flight home to Guelph. Both Air Canada and Canadair charged almost $700.00 for the one-way flight. I was shocked, having flown across to England for less! She had called the train services .. nothing. The only small airline was fully booked until Saturday. My only choice was Greyhound Bus. The Bus departed from downtown Edmonton at 12:00 on the 14th and arrived at 4:15 p.m. on the 16th. Wow ! .. I really did not envy the earthbound any longer! Three days living and sleeping on a bus - I considered this most carefully, but there was nothing I could do but go on the bus. (At $223.69 including GST - was also about all I could afford).
Within half and hour Ed called me. He had not realized exactly what emphasis FSS put upon having the proper equipment to fly into sparsely settled territories. I smiled afterwards, reading it all in my Jepp and A.I.P: Everything from cooking equipment to snow-shoes. The list takes six paragraphs of Bible size print. I can tell you, I sighed with relief when he asked if I would consider flying back to Guelph with DYY. I really did not care for the thought of my two friends, flying away up north on their own, without survival equipment. Thanks FSS!
12. RETURNING TO GUELPH - 14th July
We decided I should fly the first leg. Ed now had realized I try to avoid phoning FSS. They always seem to ask for the one piece of information, whatever it may be, that immediately goes clean out of my mind. I would forget my own name if I had not written it down on the form! Being the teacher that he is, Ed would not put up with this and insisted I call FSS on every possible occasion.
Each morning I would get the weather on T.V. - and watch every possible opinion on the subject. This morning they all agreed that there was a large dry air-mass. However, there were also two upper-troughs. These troughs were all set to cause the usual storms as soon as daytime heating sent warm moist air up to their level.
At about 6:30 a.m. my hotel alarm-call rang - but I was up already. My two hard-working Oriental friends provided a good breakfast and sold me a few pieces of fresh fruit to take along.
The Motel called a local cab and I was soon on my way to the Airport. The taxi-driver, like so many others I speak to, had always wanted to fly. Unfortunately his eyesight was very bad.
Ed had arrived and Elly waited in the reception lounge. DYY was ready outside, having had an oil change and check-up. Ed had to reset the Loran the previous day, as it had become disoriented (we thought possibly due to the mountains).
I drew a few lines on the charts, sorted them out into order of use. Then I called for the latest weather, upper winds, pilot advisories, calculated my speed and ETE and filed the flight plan. I was finally getting a bit quicker and more sure about it.
This time I flew on the right-hand seat and felt much better about that also. When we had set on course and settled down I was able to start photographing the weather and cloud formations. We could see one of the troughs and noticed what it looked like from both sides. After we had passed, the wind behind us was just splendid, giving us a ground speed of 152 miles per hour.
It took 2.6 hours to do the approximately 310 miles to Saskatoon (but I do not have my aviation maps at hand as I write this).
As we flew, Elly now had my video within reach and was able to photograph any points of interest as we passed. We bought more fuel at Saskatoon and took off as soon as possible for Winnipeg.
Further into the afternoon I was able to get some really good pictures of a typical thunder build-up, terminating eventually in a beautiful anvil and cumulo-nimbus exactly as we had been taught at ground-school. However, as I discussed this with FSS at Winnipeg they would have none of it. "Just a couple of showers - no lightening or thunder on the radar - we have no reports of thunder." Etc.
We rounded the south end of Lake Manitoba and would have been within sight of our destination. There in front of us and like a wall as far as we could see on either side were the thick black clouds. "No thunder - just showers" continued the cheerful, reassuring voice from FSS.
All innocence, I approached this seething mass of "showers" as closely as I dared. Then "BOOM!" the bolts of lightening either side and in front. "If we turn back now we may have to sleep in the plane," said Ed. "Just showers," said the FSS.
"I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life sleeping under the wing, Ed .. At least I will have a life left to spend" .. I grouched, doing a steep turn to the right. Immediately the radio finger closed over the button: "I don't know what you can see, Sir, but I have a severe thunder storm. I am turning back immediately for Gladstone, to land, please revise my flight plan and I will call you as soon as possible by 'phone!"
So, we went back to Gladstone. This was a peaceful little place, with a grass strip, a friendly dog, but where was a human being ! We spent some time winding down, walking around. Eventually the operator arrived. We would have to go back to Neepawa, where we could get a place to stay for the night and it was a big airfield, so we could "assume" it would be sure to have gas. ("In aviation," said the lady controller, who came from Kitchener/Waterloo Tower a few years ago, to lecture us on control areas, "the word "assume" is said to make an ASS out of U and ME. Never use it!" .. and this was true again.
Neepawa is a large triangular-shaped airfield. Probably an old war-time base. One could really be excused for expecting them to have gas. However, at that time in the evening we could not expect much service. Ed lugged a couple of concrete tie-downs over to DYY, with superhuman strength. I called the Motel on the trusty cellular 'phone and soon a young Englishman arrived in his Motel car to collect us. We stayed at the Westway Inn, Neepawa. A very comfortable inn, which his family had only recently taken over. There was an excellent restaurant nearby, so being very tired and hungry we were relieved to find such suitable lodging. My room was about $38.00.
Continue to next part of the essay.