Because of the length of the runway, the cold winters, and proximity to Europe, Iqaluit is a popular destination for cold weather testing of new aircraft.  In the last few years we've seen the Boeing 777, new helicopter designs from Eurocopter, and of course, the Airbus A380.  The largest passenger plane in the world, the A380 dwarfed just about everything when it underwent cold weather testing in the winters of 2006 and 2007. This photo from Airliners.net.

Something you don't see lined up at the fuel station everyday in Iqaluit - float planes. The nearest water here is Frobisher Bay. Salt water, high tides, and pretty rough if the wind is blowing.  As a result, float planes are few and far between.

But that didn't stop these intrepid amphibs from stopping by on a sunny Sunday in July 2008.  You'll see a Cessna 210 out front, a beautiful deHavilland Beaver, and a Bushhawk. We've even seen a Lake Amphibian once or twice.