A Day Aboard an Air North Hawker
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Fog Delays Initial Departure
On August 17, 2006, I had the opportunity to sample a full day on Air North’s HS748 C-FYDU on that day’s schedule to Fairbanks. The flight crew consisted of Captain Darnell Kiriak, First Officer Cory Hermansson, and flight attendant Edith Thompson. Our first leg of the day was to Dawson City, and as typical for late summer, morning fog had formed in the Dawson City valley. With safety being the paramount concern, Captain Kiriak decided to wait for the fog to clear at Dawson City before departing Whitehorse.
As such, our 0800 am departure was delayed until 0930, allowing relaxed time to have an extended breakfast in the airport coffee shop overlooking the apron and runway. The waiting small group of passengers met Edith at the security check point at 0930, and a few minutes later we were all escorted out on the apron towards our loaded and patiently waiting 748. For simplicity, Air North’s 748 flights are all open seating, so on this sector I chose the port side window seat about four rows up from the back, abeam the trailing edge of the wing, which also afforded a nice view the engine and spinning props.
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In short order we had all taken our seats and secured our seat belts, the rear steps had been retracted and rear door closed. I could hear the forward freight door thunking shut, and in no time, we were starting engines. Edith was making her pre-departure safety demonstration to the background song of two Rolls Royce Dart engines coming to full life. The first two or three rows of seats were blocked off as they were loaded with seat packs containing cargo destined for Old Crow.
We quickly taxied to the north end of the airport under clear but cloudy skies for a departure on runway 13R, and at 0945, we were positioned at the end of the runway, and throttles were slowly advanced to take-off power. As the Rolls Royce Dart engines approach full take-off power, their high pitched song is transformed into a whommm …. whommmm … whommmm sound. We were probably loaded close to max take-off weight, weighted down with cargo, but we still leapt to the air after what seemed a rather short take-off roll, specially when compared to flying on jets.
Soon after take-off, we did a full 180 degree turn around to the east of the airfield and were heading northwest passing abeam the airport and downtown Whitehorse at about 5000 feet, in a gentle climb to cruise altitude. We more or less paralleled the Yukon River and the Klondike Highway (Yukon Route 2) from Whitehorse all the way to Dawson City, with the road and river both visible through the cloud breaks below. About fifteen minutes after take-off, Edith served the passengers a drink and small bun as a snack, and in what seemed like no time, we were descending and circling the Dawson City airport in preparation for landing. We touched down at 11:07 am with a wheels-to-wheels flight time of 82 minutes.
As the rear door opened and the steps unfolded down to the apron, our flight was met by Air North’s local station manager. During our thirty minute ground stop, a few passengers deplaned and a few got on, while the pilots unloaded some of our cargo and then did their pre-flight walk around and engine oil checks. Some passengers got off the plane to stretch their legs and investigate Dawson’s cozy little terminal building. The airport is situated right on the Klondike Highway so cars are zipping past on the other side of the airport fence. Edith was soon escorting the passengers and the few who joined us back onto the aircraft. In no time we were all fastened in, and this time I selected a port side window seat a few rows forward closer to the prop. Engines were started and we were on our way to the end of the runway for our departure to Old Crow.
Flock of Geese Causes Aborted Take-Off
Engines were advanced to take-off power and we commenced our take-off roll. About five seconds into the roll, power was abruptly cut and the take-off was aborted, although there was no heavy use of the wheel breaks. Captain Kiriak immediately announced over the PA that we had to wait for a flock of Canadian geese to clear the airfield, as they had abruptly headed towards the runway, which is not uncommon in the North! So we taxied down to the other end of the runway, and as the wind was calm, we simply waited a few moments for the Geese to vacate the area, and we were once again throttles up for take-off and airborne for Old Crow at 11:38 am.
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