Volume 4, 1951 - The Arctic Circle - Home

squadron positions; the "SNIJft oourses whioh train pilots
io nAvigation; end the Speoialist Navigation (Speo N) oourse
whioh, ls des18ned to prepare experienoed navigators for
senior staf;t'positlons. While all oourses study the problems
of arôtid navlgatlonaild simulate them on local flights,
only the "S:peo N" ooUrse lnoludes aotual flying in the
Ardtio.
The "Speo NU dourse lasts seven lI10nthsand usually ,
starts in Ootober. After an initial period ôf classes, the
course makes a lO-day visit in Deoembe~ tb sUoh Oanadian
establishments as the National Researoh Couneil laboratories.
the Dunlap Observatory, the University of Toronto, and
various airoraft factories and map-making firms. Later,
when the thermometer drops well below zero, the oourse
leaves on a 2-week tour of the U.S.A. and usually finds
time for a swim in Florida waters. Suoh amenities are,
unfortunately, short-lived, as the students must digest
and write reports on the equipment and teohniques they have
observed.
After returning to Summerside for a further period
of olasses, projects, and reports, the course takes off for
the U.K. in March to study the equipment and techniques of
the Royal Air Force. As many of the students and instruotors
have relatives in the U.K., the aircraft resemble
flying meat wagons on the outward trip. A very quick tour
is made, the hard work being compensated for by a week-end
off in London. Some final examinations are written after
the course returns from the U.K. and before it leaves for
the Arctic.
In April the course flies to a northern base suoh
as Whitehorse where it is based for two weeks. Some students
are disillusioned to find Whitehorse warmer and with less
snow than Summerside. Those experienced with the Arctic
retort that Whitehorse is in the Banana Belt anyway and
oannot be considered "arctic If.
The type of work done out of Whitehorse depends on
the composition of the course. Some courses will have a
·majority of students who have spent years flying in the
,!rotic and are well versed with its problems, while others
will have a majority of students who have not been in the
Arctic previously.
From the northern base, flights are carried out
over the Beaufort Sea as far north as the Pole and over
the Archipelago with stops at Cambridge Bay and Resolute.
The experienced arctic navigators are assigned projects,