So, where are we going?

Seven air charts and a road map are spread out on the floor. Bill uses a yardstick (now, there’s an anachronism!) to draw a straight line between 2 points. The pencil line is where we want to fly. Just like the crow, unless there is a peak higher than 10,000 feet in the way. Bill then plots it all into the Garmin where his flight path appears as a magenta line. When the Garmin is activated en route, it gives us information that the charts can’t: ground speed; actual distance to next waypoint; estimated time to reach that point; vertical speed to target (for descent) and distance to the nearest airport. Fortunately, all this science doesn’t take the fun out of flying!

In summary: we depart Nakusp Friday morning for Quesnel. It should be a typical flying day for us - 283 miles, (2 hrs, 35 minutes). We overnight in Quesnel, and take off early Saturday for Whitehorse. That’s a distance of 736 miles, more than twice as far as we’ve ever gone in one day. We stop in Smithers and Dease Lake for fuel. The total flying time of the 3 legs is estimated at 6 hours 45 minutes. Sunday is a day of rest. Or a day of catch up if we are delayed enroute. The flyouts begin Monday. Those are day trips to interesting places like Atlin, Dawson City, and Haines Junction. We’ve also signed up for a day trip on the Whitepass Railway, and there will lots of non-flying events and sightseeing. Yes, Carol, I will find the quilt stores! We depart Whitehorse the following Saturday, flying the fiord route to Terrace that night. Onward travel TBD.

All this depends upon the big W word. More on that next time.