Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By Adrian
#1347507
In many cases, the original source of that knowledge was you and Mr. Flyingfemme. The rest of us are amateurs who do dumb things like taking off from Kuujjuaq too late to reach Greenland before closing time!
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By Flyingfemme
#1347518
But you get the real knowledge by doing it.....and lots of people have now done it for themselves.

It's pretty impressive.
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By Chilli Monster
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1347529
The dumb thing is going to Kujjuaq in the first place (I diverted, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).
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By Adrian
#1347534
Too true. Plan A had been Iqaluit, but after 8 hours of strong headwinds and a difficult approach into Kuujjuaq, we wimped out of another 3 hours battling headwinds in the dark over water to Iqaluit. And the experience of finding accommodation and then getting fuel in Kuujjuaq will forever make any problems I encounter in Europe seem trivial, so perhaps it was worth it!
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By G-BLEW
Boss Man  Boss Man
#1347549
I am bound to upset someone here, but this is said partly in jest…from my 182 trip

Night 1 - Wick. Hmmm, some parts of this town are a tad tired (Dounreay Social Club etc.) Sorry Bill
Night 2 - Reykjavik. Great hotel, great town, great people
Night 3 - Iqaluit. Cripes this is a bit wild. Makes Wick look positively lovely
Night 4 - Kuujjuaq. Yikes, get stuck here for three or four days and you'll persuade yourself that 0/0 freezing fog is CAVOK and it's OK to take off

The first time Iqaluit was a bit of an adventure, the second time I felt I'd well and truly ticked the Iqaluit box. I would have almost prefered to run out of fuel than land at Kuujjuaq again.

Ian
By Christo
#1347561
This sounds like the most amazing adventure! I haven't even got my PPL yet and my imagination has just gone a big holiday having read this. :thumright:

Maybe I should focus on my Southend Landaway for now. :lol:

Good luck with the planning.

C
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By Adrian
#1347597
Kuujjuaq was definitely interesting. A long way out we asked the man in the tower for the weather - apparently it was nice, with a gentle wind down the runway and broken clouds high up. And we asked about accommodation, and were told that there was no problem - plenty of room at the hotel.

After breaking out on the ILS at 500ft and landing in a 25kt crosswind.... we went up to the tower where the same man explained that there was a festival on in town and the hotel was full. After endless and slightly comical negotiations, we ended up staying in a very nice bunkhouse that belonged to the brother of an Air Inuit pilot.

The fuel guy the next morning was charming. Couldn't have been friendlier, once he eventually turned up. He sold me a drum of avgas, offered to lend me a pump, and then said that unfortunately the rules prevented him from carrying the drum to the aircraft. However, for $30 (cash) he would bend the rules and help me manhandle it across 200m of tarmac. So my refueling cost me $760, made rather more bitter by having to leave 15 gallons in the drum which the refueler cheerfully told me he would use for his snowmobile!

I should have known about Kuujjuaq having read your report, and Ian's and, of course, Steve's which still stands on a high pedestal as the most epic Flyer forum Atlantic crossing. But sadly it is in a convenient place and has a nice runway.
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By G-BLEW
Boss Man  Boss Man
#1347610
Kuujjuaq…

We thought we were smart. Before an interesting night in the Auberge we booked a taxi to take us to the airport the next morning (there's only one taxi driver in town). He didn't show up, and we were told that he usually drinks at night and sleeps all morning (If I had to live there I would drink all day and all night).

We eventually made it to the airport and talked to the guy in the tower (happily we didn't need any of their expensive fuel) he helped us file our flight plans, wished us well and said goodbye. He completely forgot to mention that the runway would close for work in 15 minutes. We found out by stumbling over a NOTAM and just got airborne before we were blocked there for another night.

Funny old place.

Ian
By aerofurb
#1347612
In a previous life, I was lucky enough to act as en route engineer and pilot's assistant ferrying a Navajo from Sibson to Barbados.

We did Sibson > Wick > Reykjavik > Narsarsuaq > Goose Bay > Bangor (Maine) > Richmond (Virginia) > Freeport (Grand Bahamas) > Turks & Caicos > Antigua > Barbados

Just over 40 hours flying over 8 days.

Epic trip, especially Iceland and Greenland. All the ugly people have obviously been bred out of Iceland (we were the only ugly ones there as passing though). Spent a couple of days in Iceland waiting for nice weather and in Greenland - and for it to not be a Sunday when it was shut.

Oshkosh I've managed four times by BA and hire car. It has to be done by everyone that likes airplanes.
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By Flyingfemme
#1347644
There has been some terrible luck around here :D
I have done the crossing about 40 times now, in everything from an SF260 to a KingAir 200, and never spent a night in Greenland. While I have stopped in Kujuuak, I didn't have to sleep there........
But think of all the dinner table stories you guys have; priceless :lol:
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By G-BLEW
Boss Man  Boss Man
#1347653
I was very happy to spend the night in Greenland (Ilulissat) - it's an absolutely stunning place and I'd really love to go back. Arctic Canada on the other hand has been interesting but dire.

Ian
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By Chilli Monster
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1347686
I don't know - Iqaluit in December has a certain "Ice Station Zebra" charm to it :lol:
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By Adrian
#1347699
I happened to look at the METAR yesterday. It was -43ºC with a 29kt wind. Perfect for digging a drum of 100LL out of the snow and refueling with a hand pump!

I agree with Ian about the overnight stay in Greenland. I didn't make it to Ilulissat (next time!) but a long walk in the evening sun in the hills above Sondrestrom was memorable - beautiful green countryside leading up to the ice cap just a few miles from the village, and a feeling that you can never get in Europe of being on the edge of a real wilderness. Back in the village the fillet of musk-ox with local summer vegetables was memorable too - and very tasty!

If you're doing the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, without worrying about how much it costs (and it costs lots), an overnight stay is a must.