During a recent trip south, we took our 406 ACK Emergency Locator Transmitter for recertification and installation of a new battery.  To our surprise, on the return trip, a diligent security official decided to verify that the unit didn’t exceed the maximum allowable watt-hour (Wh) rating for a battery in carry-on baggage.

According to CATSA guidelines for transport of lithium batteries, any lithium battery over 160 Wh cannot be carried on board an aircraft.  The Wh rating of a battery is calculated as its voltage multiplied by its amp-hour (Ah) rating.  Since neither rating was specified on our unit, the security official had to "perform a calculation".  After examining the label on our unit and doing some math on scrap paper, he determined its Wh rating to be 170 Wh, and announced that we must leave security and somehow place the ELT in our checked baggage.

Motivated by extreme reluctance to be separated from our ELT and its expensive new battery, we questioned the "calculation".  It turned out that the security official had scanned the label for any number that might relate to amperage, finding only TSO C-142a, which he then creatively multiplied by the voltage of the unit.  After explaining that a TSO number is not an electrical rating, we were able to quickly Google the installation/operating manual for our ELT and convince the official that its Ah rating was only 7.75 Ah.  The correct Wh calculation therefore yielded 93 Wh, so the official graciously apologized for the confusion and allowed us to carry the ELT on board.

The moral of this story is to know your ELT.  Better yet, travel armed with its specification sheet which clearly indicates the size of its battery.

NWTFA is excited to present SmartPilot seminars at the 2023 Rust Remover.  The following SmartPilot seminars will be presented by Mike Doiron of Cirrus Aviation Safety Services:

• SAR Awareness
• Ups and Downs

This exceptional training opportunity is made possible through the success of fundraising efforts undertaken by NWTFA in 2022.  Play the promo videos below for a hint of the content delivered by these SmartPilot seminars!

NAV CANADA will also be in attendance to present its annual update on YZF operations and ongoing initiatives.

The 2023 Rust Remover will be held on May 13, 2023 at St. Patrick's Church Hall in Yellowknife, NT.  The program will be sanctioned by Transport Canada as satisfying the 2-year recurrent training requirement for private pilots.  Registration is free for current NWTFA members and $40 for non-members.  Advance online registration is required.

NWTFA will be offering aircraft underwater egress training through Arctic Response on April 13, 2023.  The course includes 3 hours of theory plus 4 hours of in-pool training.  The cost is $472.50 per person.  Underwater egress training improves the survivability of aircraft accidents on water and is recommended for pilots and frequent passengers.  Recent underwater egress training may also qualify for an insurance discount.

​Please complete this registration form by March 22, 2023 to register.  Spaces in the course are limited.  Spaces will be reserved once the registration fee has been paid by e-transfer to NWTFA.

Save the Date!
Annual "Rust Remover" recurrent pilot training has been rescheduled to May 13, 2023 in Yellowknife, NT.  Exciting new presentations are planned for this event with details to follow soon!

Our Rust Removers are designed to satisfy the 2-year recurrent training requirements of Transport Canada.  Topics typically include refreshers on material covered during flight training supplemented by presentations on subjects of interest to northern pilots. 

The Northwest Territories boasts outstanding opportunities for aviation tourism with its vast wilderness and abundance of lakes offering paradise for flying on floats.  In furtherance of its mandate to promote the region as an aviation-friendly destination, NWTFA has acquired a visitor floatplane dock to be placed on Back Bay in Yellowknife.  The dock will be available for use and booking through an online reservation system by summer 2023.  This project has been made possible through the support of Ahmic Air and with funding from the GNWT Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor).

Lower Pensive Lake is located 33 nautical miles northeast of Yellowknife on the Pensive Lakes wilderness paddling route.  NWFTA volunteers conducted a remote site clean-up at this location in July 2022 with support from Unsmoke Canada / The Great Outdoors Fund and Air Tindi. Volunteers removed accumulated debris and made improvements to the firepit and benches.

Lower Pensive Lake has now been added as one of the "Places to Fly" on our website.  A sandy beach provides excellent parking for several floatplanes.  An open esker behind the beach offers stunning views of the lake and surrounding landscape.  This site is ideal for daytrips or camping and includes an established firepit with several large benches.

NWTFA will be hosting a fly-out beach day at Chedabucto Lake on Sunday, August 28, 2022 (weather permitting).  Members are invited to join us for a day of swimming, kayaking, water frisbee and relaxation at the beach!  For more details, click on the snip below to download the informational flyer.

NWTFA hosted a fly-out work party at Lower Pensive Lake on Saturday, July 16, 2022 to conduct a general site clean-up.  Seven volunteers, being members of NWFTA and/or CASARA, travelled to the site in member floatplanes to participate in the clean-up.  We spent approximately 5 hours collecting a total of 1200 kg of debris, hauling it all down the esker to the beach, and loading it onto a Twin Otter for removal to the Yellowknife solid waste facility.  With a bit of extra time, we also used a few salvaged timbers and donated logs to reconstruct benches around an existing firepit. 

NWTFA extends its thanks to Unsmoke Canada, The Great Outdoors Fund and Air Tindi for their support of this project.  As a result of their assistance and the collective effort of our volunteers and the Air Tindi pilots, this site is once again a lovely wilderness destination with a pristine beach and scenic esker.  Check out our photo gallery for more  shots of this site before, during and after our clean-up and learn more in Cabin Radio's story about the project. 

​NWTFA has selected Lower Pensive Lake as the site for our 2022 remote site clean-up.  The site is a very pretty location with a sandy beach and open esker.  An abandoned shelter on the esker has resulted in a plethora of damaged building materials, broken glass, and general trash requiring removal.  This site is on the Pensive Lakes wilderness paddling route popular with resident and visiting paddlers.  Once the site has been cleaned up, the beach and surrounding esker will be a lovely destination for day trips and camping. 

NWTFA will be hosting a fly-out work party at Lower Pensive Lake on Saturday, July 16, 2022 to conduct a general site clean-up.  For more details, visit our Remote Site Clean-Ups page.    NWTFA extends its thanks to Unsmoke Canada, The Great Outdoors Fund and Air Tindi for their support of this initiative.

​Since the weather forecast for this afternoon/evening calls for showers and mist, the NWTFA Annual General Meeting and BBQ/Potluck is being postponed to Saturday, May 28, 2022.  The time and location will remain the same.
 
For anyone who has submitted an RSVP, we will assume that you plan to attend next Saturday unless we hear otherwise.  If you’re unable to make it next week, please let us know by email to nwtfloatplane@gmail.com.
 
The RSVP form will remain open until next Thursday for anyone who hasn’t already replied and would like to attend next Saturday.

NWTFA/COPA Flight 108 has been monitoring the availability of 100LL av gas in Yellowknife and can now provide the following information in advance of the 2022 float season:

• Bassett Petroleum has discontinued its supply of bulk 100LL av gas but will continue to make fuel available in drums.
• Ahmic Air is willing to sell bulk 100 LL av gas to NWTFA/COPA Flight 108 members and visiting pilots.  Availability is subject to the operating needs of Ahmic Air and should be confirmed in advance.  Fuel can be pumped into tidy tanks or directly into aircraft fuel tanks.   Price is yet to be determined due to recent fluctuations in fuel costs but is expected to competitive.
• Fuel Flo will have 100 LL av gas available in drums throughout the summer.  Consideration is being given to also making fuel available in bulk.
• 100LL av gas is also available at the CYZF airport through Shell.  Recent pricing is approximately $3.00 per litre.

​Tundra tires just waiting for spring break up and gravel bars!   Thanks to new member Mason Elwood for contributing this shot of his 1990 Christen A-1 Husky excitedly waiting for summer adventures.  Break up in the Yellowknife region typically occurs around the last week of May or first week of June, so it shouldn't be too much longer.

In the meantime, local pilots are invited to attend our annual Rust Remover scheduled for May 14, 2022.  This seminar will be approved by Transport Canada as satisfying the 2-year recurrent training requirement for private pilots.  Registration is free for paid-up NWTFA/COPA Flight 108 members and $35 for non-members. 

The 2022 Rust Remover will be held on May 14, 2022 at Northern United Place in Yellowknife, NT.  The program will be sanctioned by Transport Canada to satisfy the 2-year recurrent training requirement for private pilots.  This event will be of interest to all pilots, whether flying on wheels, floats or skis.  Refer to the flyer opposite for more information.
​​  
Speakers and presentations are expected to include an update from NAV CANADA on local operations, aviation medical examinations, physiological factors, aircraft mechanical and fuel systems, departure procedures, and interpreting graphical area forecasts.

Registration is free for NWTFA/COPA Flight 108 members and $35 for non-members.  ​

Annual membership dues for NWTFA/COPA108 are $35 and cover membership for the calendar year.   All memberships are individual and are now payable for the 2022 year.   Membership dues help cover the cost of our annual Rust Remover, social programs, AGM and spring BBQ, and other events and initiatives.  Strong membership is essential in building our recognition as a significant voice for general aviation in the Northwest Territories.

Whether you are a new member or are renewing your membership, please complete the Membership Application in full, to assist in keeping our mailing list and member directory accurate and up to date.  Please also subscribe to our electronic newsletter to ensure that you continue to receive our news going forward.   

NWTFA/COPA 108 merchandise, including silk-screened T-shirts and embroidered hats, is now available for purchase online. 

​The Midnight Sun Fly In Association has announced that, due to COVID-19 restrictions remaining in effect in the Northwest Territories, the next Midnight Sun Fly In has been postponed to July 2023.  The success and popularity of the Fly In is dependent on the ability to welcome visiting pilots from across North America.  Current border restrictions, isolation requirements and limits on gatherings and activities, while protecting the health of residents, render it impossible to host the event in 2022. 

Plans are already underway to host the next Fly In in July 2023 and both the Midnight Sun Fly In Association and Northwest Territories Floatplane Association/COPA 108 look forward to welcoming new and returning guests then.  Updates will be posted on the Fly In website as and when available.