This 1928 Sikorsky S-38B (N28V) made a stop in Iqaluit on a flight from the US to Germany in August 2010.  It was quite a sight (and sound...).  We've got more information in the Trip Reports and Visits section of our site.

NavCanada is discontinuing production of World Aeronautical Charts for Canada.  They are also withdrawing the existing inventory, effective September 23, 2010. After September 23, 2010, WAC charts are no longer authorized for operational use.

Here's the text of NavCanada Aeronautical Information Circular 17/10, which contains the details. We've added links to the NavCanada site for convenience:

The Iqaluit airport has received the summer shipment of 100LL avgas. Current stock is about 225 drums (Aug02/10)

Current price is  $449.31 CDN per 205 litre/45 CDN gallons/54 US gallons drum (July 14/10).  You have to buy the whole drum. Price includes $131.25 drum disposal fee.  More information, if required, can be obtained by calling the fuel supplier, Uqsuq Corporation (+1 867 979-2855 or +1 867 979-1620. Fax +1 867 979-1628).

Check Iqaluit airport general info here.

If you're reading this, it is probably because you're flying a plane that uses 100LL avgas.  There's a great discussion and collection of articles on the future of 100LL Avgas at Avweb.   In the United States, there is a new coalition getting together to try to tackle the issue of what's going to replace 100LL. You'll find them here.

If you're flying north of 50 degrees in Canada, or anywhere for that matter, this is a reminder that COPAS/SARSAT no longer monitors 121.5.  So if you don't have a ELT operating on 406 mHz, you don't have a means of automatically notifying the authorities if your plane goes down.

The Canadian rules on ELTs are likely to change soon.  While use of a 121.5 ELT is still allowed under the law, when the rules change, your plane will likely have to have a 406 ELT.

In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the use of radio transmission announced earlier this summer that it proposed to ban the use of 121.5 ELTs in the US starting in August, 2010.   The debate in the US over maintaining the use 121.5 ELTs continues. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to continue to allow 121.5 ELTS to be used and manufactured.  The Aircraft Electronics Association wants the FCC to continue to allow existing 121.5 ELTS to be used, but is against continuing the manufacture of 121.5 ELTs.  But it appears for now that the FCC's attempt to stop the use of 121.5 ELTs in the US has itself been stopped.

In Canada, there has been much debate over the last couple of years about whether the 406 ELT is the best answer for emergency alerting for private aircraft.  The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association has been very active on this file, trying get Transport Canada to look at a wider range of emergency alerting alternatives.

In May, 2010, the COPA reports that Transport Canada will mandate the use of a 406 ELT on most aircraft flying in Canada, including private aircraft. The regulation has not been "gazetted" in the Canada Gazette yet, which means the current 121.5 ELT rules remain in effect.  However, expect the new rules to come out relatively soon.

On July 8, 2010, the Director General of Civil Aviation for Transport Canada, Martin Eley, told the Canadian Business Aviatioin Association convention in Calgary that " an ELT regulatory package is currently being processed and will come into force as soon as possible."

He went on to say that "the current regulation does not mandate a 406 MHz ELT, but it does require that you have a transmitter with similar performance capabilities. We are also giving you time to make this upgrade to your aircraft. This will also provide time for ELT production to increase." He didn't specify what those timeframes would be.

COPA says it appears that "alternate means of emergency location approved by Transport Canada" in the new regs isn't likely to include some of the new, inexpensive tracking systems on the market.

The COPA website has an excellent article explaining the situation. There is also a  COPA article from February 2009 that outlines some of the issues behind the requirement for 406 ELTs.

If you're not a member,  consider joining COPA for important information on this and many other general aviation issues.

There was also some controversy around the original planned requirement that the new 406 ELTs would have to be installed by an avionics shop. There continues to be an exemption in effect that allows the work to be done by a licenced AME on private aircraft installations.

Here's the list of Canadian certified 406 ELTS

They made it to LA August 8th.  This was their second attempt at the transtlantic trip.  They started out with the HeliVenture group of helicopters in the summer of 2007 that made the trip to Oshkosh in celebration of the 100th anniversary of helicopter flight in France. Unfortunately, Paul and company had to give up in Iceland due to a technical program.  But this year they made it, including a couple of days flying around the Los Angeles area.

More on our Trip Reports and Visits page.

Television shows about general aviation, or aviation in general, are few and far between. There's a new one coming to a television near you this fall. It is called The Aviators, and involves Wings Over Canada creator and driving force John Lovelace.  You'll find The Aviators on the web, on Public Television in the United States and on Global TV in Canada.  The website features previews of some of the first season of shows, story lists and photos.

This spring has brought big changes for our little Polar Pilots group.  For a variety of reasons, we've sold our Cessna 172 C-GOLJ and hangar at the Iqaluit, Nunavut airport.  While that means we won't be flying locally for the forseeable future, we remain actively interested in general aviation in Nunavut.  And while we're no longer able to provide tie-down space for visiting small planes, we will continue to endeavour to answer questions and provide information for pilots travelling to our unique region.

We'll also continue to actively maintain the Polar Pilots web site.

Over the last 17 years we've met a wide range of pilots from all over the world. And we hope to hear from you, if you're planning a trip up this way.

We've added a section on the site to display some of the photos we've taken and collected of different aircraft here at CYFB in Iqaluit, Nunavut.  We've collected quite a few in the last few years, and will be adding them as we have time over the next few weeks. 

This photo was taken after midnight in the summer, near Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut by Paul Nopper. Paul's got more great photos on his website.

Click on Planespotting on the main menu to access the photo gallery. If you have pictures you'd like to add, contact us!

In the summer of 2009, John Lovelace of "Wings Over Canada" fame, undertook a major flight project to celebrate the Century of Flight.  The Cross Canada Century Flight saw 100 small planes to make the long coast to coast trip.

The success of the Cross Canada Century Flight has led to the creation of the Century Flight Club.  They're planning annual general aviation flight events.  In 2010, the Midnight Sun Challenge saw 100 small planes travel to Whitehorse, the capital city of Canada's Yukon territory.  Yukon is a great place to visit, with the colourful history of the Gold Rush, strong aboriginal cultures, and miles and miles and miles of beautiful scenery.

The 2011 flight is being called the Canadian Wilderness tour, and will see Lovelace and company head to LaRonge, in northern Saskatchewan 

For more information, visit the Century Flight Club website.

Ice Pilots NWT is a "reality TV" show on Canada's History Television channel.  It tells the story of Buffalo Airways, an airline based in the Northwest Territories. Buffalo is renowned for its fleet of classic rotary engine planes, and for their ability to deliver the goods to many small communities in northern Canada.

The show has the usual reality TV trappings, but features a fair bit of flight time in many of Buffalo's ancient aircraft.  The show has great website, including video of full episodes of the show on-line.

Check out our Trip Reports and Visits pages for some new additions.  We have links to a trip report from Washington State, USA to Europe by Gary and Alice Nelson; the blog from another Cessna 182 trip from Vancouver, BC to Europe, and a link to blog of an ultralight pilot who took is Challenger from Montreal to the Arctic Coast community of Kugluktuk.

Have you made an arctic trip in a small plane?  Send us your story!