My brother in law was working for a pulp and paper mill in Gold River back then when I made my visit. I toured the mill he was working at that backed onto the sound and the view from the docks west out the sound is still etched in my brain like it was yesterday. Awesome wonder to put it lightly.......
I also just finished reading the book by Marin Faure "Success on the Step" about the late Bob Munro and the Kenmore Air Harbour. It is a great book that tracks the early years of Kenmore Air and some of it's founder Bob Munro's great flying adventures, many of them taking fishing charters to the west Vancouver Island area that I had visited back in 1980.
So a float plane flight was in the cards and the first one for the blog. I decided to use the excellent Carenado 185F on floats. Bob Munro was flying 180's before he got hooked on the DHC-2, so if it was good enough for Bob it was good enough for my VFR flight to Vancouver Island. Plus I picked up a POH for the 185 on Ebay for $5 a while back that goes great with my sim plane.
WAC chart with plotted route and 185 POH
I was flying from Orcas Island (KORS) in northern Washington State to Gold River Seaplane base (CAU6) using only my ADF and a WAC chart. The route was some 180nm, first climbing to 7'500ft and heading to the Nanaimo ADF, then turning WSW to the Torfino ADF. Once over Torfino and on the Pacific coast I would head WNW following the shore and my WAC E-15 chart and once near Nootka Sound I would point the nose of the 185F east into the Muchalat Inlet where the Gold River SPB is. To add to the fun and suspense, like Bob Munro's adventures that I had read in the book, I took off at 3:30PM to give me an hour and a half of day light, cutting it close on my arrival.
On the shore near KORS
Weather at KORS was cool but clear for the most part. Wind was from the north 050/15kts with a chill +1C and CAVOK. I pointed the 185F north and took off in no time heading towards Nanaimo. My seaplane flying needs work as I bounced a bit on take off.
Some great views were in store as the sun was setting and winds were bumpy but not too bad. 26 minutes later was the time from off the step until I passed over the Nanaimo ADF. Then I swung the SkyWagon WSW towards Torfino, tuning the Torfino ADF while turning. I noticed some patchy clouds at my flight level ahead and over the mountains towards Barkley Sound on the Pacific side of the Island. Maintaining VFR was important due to limited nav aids on my way up the coast.
Turning WSW over Nanaimo
The turbulence was much worse once over Vancouver Island. I hand flew the entire route and was really working the controls to keep the plane on course and at the proper attitude, the haze over the coast was also making things hard to see in the setting sun. With little head winds from the NE I was not behind by much but I could afford to lose no time due to the sun setting.
As I passed over the Torfino ADF and headed WNW up the coast I could see scattered clouds at 5'000ft up the coast and haze making it hard to spot land features and compare them to my WAC chart.
Near Torfino
I was feeling better once I spotted Flores Island through the clouds and haze and also seeing Estevan Point just ahead with little light to spare. I soon swung the plane ENE over Nootka Sound and headed in to the Muchalat Inlet.
Coming up on Estevan Point
It was getting pretty dark in the shadows of the inlet when I checked to weather, winds 310/04kts with clouds few at 5'000ft and a chilly 2C. It was not a long ride up the inlet before I made my turn back west to land and put the 185F down facing the Gold River SPB dock.
Heading through the Muchalat Inlet
1hr and 38min for the log book. For the sake of the awesome views I should have done this flight in full daylight. BTW, my seaplane landing was very similar to my take off, piss poor! Ahhh the fun of flight simulator though. What other way can I visit a place that is still in my mind thirty some years later from the comfort of my home office?
Gold River SPB
Also of note is the great PNW scenery done by Orbx FTX. The landscape matched my WAC and Sectionals to a tee.....well done Orbx team!
4 comments:
Great views and scenery for sure...
The sunset ambiance rocks, much better than daylight if you ask me. Landing in the dark adds to the adventure too.
Talk about having to fly that bird! Once I got over the Island it was constant corrections, leaving no time for IFE or even a coffee break!
Carenado's 185 is one of their best releases, and I'm glad they made an FS9 version before moving on. Love those taildraggers.......
Yeah that is a strange one Pitts. I wonder how come they are making things for Xplane but stopped FS9? I would imagine that many more are using FS9 over Xplane no?
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