USA - Eureka: routing and fuel

[NunavutPA-12]

Thanks RB.

And in case it has not been mentioned enough (something I forgot to list); bug dope and a bug jacket are among your most important pieces of survival gear. Arctic mosquitos don't carry malaria, West Nile virus or any other diseases that I'm aware of, but they can contribute to a bad survival outcome by their sheer numbers and the demoralization that they can cause. Of course, like the weather, they are not bad EVERY day, but Murphy says you can be guaranteed that they will be VERY bad the day you are forced down on the tundra.

Personally, I worry more about the bugs than the bears. At least with bears it is all over pretty quick!

[NunavutPA-12]

By the way, I think it's admirable that we have aviators out there who are willing to stretch their wings and their skills and take on a Challenge like this.

We (private flyers) have expensive machines that sit in the barn most of the time. Get out and make that long cross-country trip you always dreamed about. One day you may wake up and discover you've left it too late!

[digits_]

Hi Nunavut,

thank you for your input. It certainly is still valuable!

Regards,
Digits

[sheephunter]

Nunavut, good posts and advice. I'm anxiously awaiting to follow digits trip with great interest and hope all goes well. Help like yours is key in a successful adventure. Small things, as simple as bug dope on your survival list can be overlooked even by the most experienced. Sure would be a nice place to play around with a cub on 35's

[J31]

Hopefully you know this already but.......Do not do a static, brakes on run up on gravel as major damage will occur to the prop blades.

Check out this for tips viewtopic.php?f=25&t=66017&p=630681&hil ... op#p630681
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=68195&p=644948&hili ... op#p644948

[digits_]

Hopefully you know this already but.......Do not do a static, brakes on run up on gravel as major damage will occur to the prop blades.

Check out this for tips viewtopic.php?f=25&t=66017&p=630681&hil ... op#p630681
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=68195&p=644948&hili ... op#p644948

Yes, I read about that already, but thanks for the reminder !

[NunavutPA-12]

According to the Government of Nunavut website, 100LL is only available in four communities in Nunavut. One is Kugluktuk, and I'm guessing that the others are Cambridge Bay, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit. Drums only. So if you've been told that avgas is available at other than those four communities you should be sceptical and re-check. Again, be certain the person you're talking to knows the difference between 100LL and Jet-A. Ask them if the fuel is in drums or available from a tank truck or pump at the airport. Anything NOT in drums will be Jet-A.

Don't let this happen to you!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sto ... h-tsb.html

Don't use fuel from a drum unless it has an intact seal and you break the seal, open the drum and pump it into your tanks yourself. Wouldn't hurt to test it anyway (should be blue and smell like gas!).

Take a couple of jerry cans with you, otherwise, you'll be leaving some of that expensive avgas behind, since you have to buy the whole drum.

[digits_]

One other issue I've come across. Fuel might be contaminated if it's quite old (as in: water or other fluids at the bottom of the barrel, as mentioned before). So, for example, if there is 5 centimeters of water in the barrel bottom, does this mean that the whole barrel is completely useless, or can I filter out the 'bad stuff' and still safely fly with the remainder ?

[NunavutPA-12]

There will always be some water in the bottom inch of the drum. The pick-up tube on your pump should not extend closer than two inches from the bottom. To be safe, leave the last two inches behind or give it to someone to filter and use in a ground vehicle. It's not likely that the water will have contaminated the entire drum. The water will all be on the bottom and not in suspension. I've never seen a sealed drum of 100LL that was completely contaminated by suspended water.

Your filter should take care of the occasional drop of water that might be in suspension. Again, don't buy a drum that isn't sealed!

[sheephunter]

Don't shake the barrel if possible which is not likely so give it a bit of time for the water to settle and don't tip the barrel to get that last gallon or two out. Always use a felt or Mr. Funnel filter system for sure and count on not using the entire drum even if it is "brand new" which is also not likely unless it is after the ship. Otherwise the fuel will be at least a year old. You can test the octane if it concerns you. Pay major attention to everything to do with fuel. Look at it, smell it check your quantities visually with a dip stick and make sure to personally place your caps and close lids. Not all that you will run into will be professional fuelers. Always check for water & contamination in your sumps. The biggest thing is as Nunavut says, make sure that you have good confirmation of fuel availability & type before leaving the airport you're sitting that does have fuel. A drinkers saying would be to not take your last drink until you know where your next one is coming from. How did you make out with finding a raft & immersion suit?

[digits_]

About the fuel: most of the fuel will be from one of the 4 communities that were mentioned before. In one other place, I could buy factory sealed AVGAS drums that are however 3 year old. I asked some people, and they told me it shouldn't be a problem. Nevertheless, if some of you have an other opinion about that, feel free to share.

About the survival gear: I'm in contact with a US firm that rents life rafts and immersion suits etc.

[NunavutPA-12]

A properly sealed drum should have almost no water in it and the octane will take years to decline.

Our drummed fuel in Kugluktuk is more than three years old and is still perfect. I haven't found more than a few tablespoons of water in any of the drums.

On the subject of a life raft and immersion suit; your call, of course. Takes up a lot of room in the 'plane though, and the suit is very uncomfortable to wear.

If you go up the west side of Hudson Bay, Taloyoak to Resolute via Boothia Peninsula and Sommerset Island, you have only one stretch of about 40-miles across water. Through Repulse Bay, Melville Peninsula and the top end of Baffin Island the same. North of Resolute there's a bunch of islands so I think you can climb high enough to easily be within gliding distance from shore.

How high would you have to go to glide 20-miles in a (heavy) C172? 15,000? I'm guessing here. Maybe take a small oxygen bottle and leave the raft and suit behind. Does that make any sense? I'm no expert in that department.

[Lost Lake]

How high would you have to go to glide 20-miles in a (heavy) C172? 15,000? I'm guessing here. Maybe take a small oxygen bottle and leave the raft and suit behind. Does that make any sense? I'm no expert in that department.

I think you would fly around the world before you ever got a 172 to 15,000 ft

[Blakey]

It can be done. This fellow may be a font of knowledge regarding your trip.

http://explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=20105

[culver10]

Hey Digits,

Please post your SPOT or Spidertracks address so we can follow your progress. Have a great trip!!

[down north]

To give you an idea of the user fees at the Eureka Weather Station. PM me if you have questions.

[down north]

I have been thinking about your trip.

If I were you my routing for the first leg would take me from Yellowknife to Cambridge Bay via overflying Lupin Mine (65°45'33.24" 111°14'57.01") and Bathurst Inlet Lodge (66°50'60.00" 108° 1'60.00"). Lupin Mine has a nice long strip should the weather go bad along the coast. As previously stated during the summer months the Arctic enjoys a surprisingly high amount of VFR days. That being said I have seen the weather change very quickly without very little warning. You might be able to find a drum of AVGAS for emergency use at Lupin. Mind you who knows how old the fuel might be. Boyd at Bathurst Inlet Lodge is known to stock drums of fuel but at a very high premium. Adlair has a supply of AVGAS at Cambridge Bay. Have not used them since last summer so call before you go.

My next leg would be Cambridge to Resolute Bay. 100LL in Resolute Bay would be a problem. Call the airport and get in touch with Aziz. He runs the show over there, owns the hotel, and pretty much controls the supply of aviation fuel. He may have some 100LL in drums but at a very very high premium. The man loves money and I'm sure he can arrange anything for the right price. He's the only guy I've heard of who had delivered and owns a Benz north of 70. If no luck I believe Summit Air in Yellowknife runs a supply run to Eureka from Yellowknife or Iqaluit via Resolute Bay every 2 weeks or so. I hear the flights are generally fully loaded but it would not hurt to call and see if they can send a drum of 100LL for both Resolute and Eureka. I believe Aziz also controls what gets on these flights. Last option might be Kenn Borek to bring in fuel from down south on a supply run into Resolute.

AVGAS in Eureka would be a big challenge. If you had any sort of mechanical problems up there you would be in a world of hurt. The only way to get a mechanic up there would be to charter an aircraft to fly someone in. We're talking big bucks here.

If you have time you could always have 100LL brought into any of the coastal communities on the Summer resupply ship/barges. You would experience the least headaches taking this option.

Your trip is certainly doable, but with some good planning and logistics.

I plan on flying my Cessna from Yellwoknife to Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk via Whitehorse and Dawson City along the Alaska and Dempster highways. Not quite a Eureka endeavor but a great trip non the less.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[sheephunter]

Down North, keep in mind that digits is coming from Florida and to fly Eureka via Yellowknife takes him a long way to the NW to head NE. However, your information is excellent and is well worth taking notes of and weighing all options he has. This is quickly approaching. The rates for Eureka are somewhat surprising. Most appear to be very expensive while others are not too far from what you would expect although $120.00 dinner in Eureka may not be quite the same as one in NYC but $300.00 to get to and from the airport once each way is a little spendy especially if you do it 2 or 3 times a day for a week or so.

[down north]

digits, I'm wondering what you have decided in regards to routing.

A trip along the eastern Arctic would be hard to plan as last time I checked Churchill no longer supplied AVGAS. I guess you could always go Thompson direct Rankin but that is a bit of a long haul.

[NunavutPA-12]

Getting the fuel in place via sea-lift has practical limitations: 1) you'd have to make your trip the following year since sea lift normally arrives at the time of the year when the weather starts becoming not-so-great, and 2) you'd have to have a trustworthy individual or company look after your fuel for about ten months.

This is the rig you need!

Larry