EPISODE 99” LAST FLIGHT OUT … ON A CRIPPLED BUSH PLANE
alan skeoch
August 2020
EPISODE 99 LAST FLIGHT OUT ON A CRIPPLED BUSH PLANE
alan skeoch
august 2020
PILOT “Listen boys, I do not like this little lake
so do your work fast. The water is going down
and landing will get difficult.”
“Take less per load.”
“Possible but soon there’ll not be enough water to land.”
“These are the last off our anomalies…we will work fast.
Come back for us in three days.: (I do not remember this time line exactly)
The summer of 1964 was hot. To many that means heightened fire danger which was
true. We had a no fire rule for much of the summer. But the real danger was the slow but
steady evaporation of water from the lakes. A lot of water
was gone between June and September. That fact is apparent in the photograph of
our fly camp (Episode 97). Looks like the water has gone down five feet or more.
Flight pontoon landings that were easy and safe in June became difficult and dangerous
in September.
This picture was taken in mid August. Take a look at the high water mark on the shore. Seems water had gone down about
four or five feet by then. On our last job the water level had dropped more. Very dangerous for water landings and takeoffs as
we discovered.
It was our last job.
we Were finished. The crew had returned to Paradise Lodge to pack up.
Marjorie had caught the ACR to Sault Ste Marie. “Meet you at
the airport, Marjorie…maybe around noon.” My part of the job was finished. I had to be
back in school by the end of the Labour Day Week End.
The plan was neat. We had finished work on an anomaly close to a small lake
south of our Wart Lake camp. All that was left was a pile of gear….tents, cooking
goods, some wire frame cots, axes,shovels.,Coleman stoves, fuel, etc. I don’t really remember what was
in the pile of goods. Maybe 200 to 300 pounds of
euipment.
“I don’t like this lake…too shallow,” said the pilot when he dropped us a few days earlier.
“And it will get worse.”
We did the job as fast as we could and had arranged a pick up. Don’t remember much about the first flight
but I do know I was feeling quite nostalgic. This would be the last bush job of m life. I knew that
and wanted to savour my exit alone. Crew out first. The flight went
well although the distance from touchdown to the end of the lake was short.
That was not the problem. I did not expect a problem for I was wrapped in
my memories of so many bush planes on so many lakes. Mostly Beavers but a few
Cessnas and one Seabee which was just a visitor being dropped off. “Those
Seabees are really dangerous. Motor at the rear. Pushing. If the motor quits the
goddamn thing drops like a rock. No ability to glide. Cessnas glide best.”
The Cessna 170 came in at tree top level. Had to. Landing strip of water was short
as evaporation created shallows where once there was two or three feet of water.
The pilot cut power early and the plane settled down harder than usual. Bigger chevron
of water. And something different. Slightly lopsided. The plane turned and idled
its way to our landing site. Slight slant. Odd.
“Hit a fucking deadhead. Ripped the pontoon…goddamnit.”
Submerged objects terrified bush pilots. Often they took a run at landing
then circled. Looking for objects. Like dead heads…old submerged logs or
trees sometimes angled upwards.
“I’m going to pump out the water while you load. Could be tricky. Put
load as far forward as you can…need the weight for extra lift.”
Took no time at all. Ignition. And we worked our way to best takeoff position
and he gave it full power. We flumed our way down the lake with an increasing
slant as the pontoon filled with water. Fast but not fast enough. The far shore
and tree line got closer and closer. “Can’t make it!” and the pilot cut power and the plane settled. Slightly off centre. And close
to shore. Too close.
“Dump the load on the beach. We’ll try once more but empty. Got to get off
this fucking lake. “ He cursed and pumped out the pontoon water.
“There. Let’s give it another try.”
He taxied down as far as he could without getting tangled in weeds. Then
we were moving. The pontoon filled with water as we went full throttle
down the lake. Far shore became the near shore. No lift yet.
“Move your body forward…gut more lift.”
Then we had liftoff. To me it seemed just in time. Seemed we were
just skirting the swamp and maybe touching tree tops Not true of
course. Imagination played.
The rest of the flight was easy. In an hour we had landed at Sault Ste
Marie where Marjorie was supposed to be waiting. I had said noon but
we were late, very late. She was not there.
Her turquoise VW beetle was in the parking lot but no sign of
Marjorie.
Then she walked into the holding lounge from the aircraft side.
“I pretended to be sick.”
“A man offered me a tour of the city from his plane. I did not
know he was just a pilot in training. Scared me near to death.
Only way we got back on the ground fast was I pretended to
be about to vomit”
And so it ended. Our days of mining exploration were over. They
ended with a bang.
alan skeoch
August 2020
P.S. I know this sounds hard to believe. Writing from memory
can result in exaggeration. So here are the simple facts
of that last flight.
1) Water levels had fallen dramatically (see picture)
2) Pilot did hit something and punctured one pontoon.
3) I watched him pump out the pontoon
4) We failed to get liftoff on our first attempt and jettisoned
the cargo on the beach.
5) Second attempt was just barely successful and I remember
the pilot asking me to lean forward.
6) Our baggage? Do not know what happened.
7) Marjorie did take a joy ride that scared her enough to feign vomit
8) This was not my final job. The next summer we flew to Merritt
B.C. on a short seismic job. But this Paradise Lodge job was
my last bush job.