Midwest Flyer Magazine

Pilots Experience Flying In Canadian Wilderness
On Midwest Flyer Fishing Fly-Out
One by one, pilots participating in the “Midwest Flyer Canadian Fishing Fly-out” landed at Miminiska
Lodge after a 600-mile flight from southern Wisconsin.
Photos by Dave Maliszewski.
by Dave Weiman
of time to load the airplane the next
day, as fog blanketed the region, and
To stand next to the runway five of the six airplanes in our group
and watch all six planes land opted to wait until the fog burned off
safely, and see the smiles later that morning before departing.
on the faces of the pilots, most of
When we took off at 10:30 am,
who have never before flown across low-level clouds were breaking up
Canadian wilderness, was personally around Middleton, and fog continued
rewarding. The second annual flyout
towards the west and elsewhere in the
to Miminiska Lodge, August area, but Grand Marais, Minnesota
20-24, was an opportunity to share (KCKC), was reporting clear skies,
my experience flying in Canada over and that was our first stop. A tailwind
the past two decades. It made the trip out of the southeast helped us get back
more enjoyable and educational for on schedule.
all, and nearly winkle free.
Our route took us northwest direct
The night before our departure, to Duluth, then northeast up the North
August 19, my passenger for the past Shore to Grand Marais. Once we got
three years, Dick Doerfer of Verona, 50 miles north of Duluth, we lost
Wis., and I drove to Middleton traffic advisories with Minneapolis
Municipal Airport-Morey Field (C29), Center, and about 30 miles from
Middleton, Wis., to load the plane Grand Marais, we lost radio contact,
so all we would need to do the next and had to close our flight plan
morning was preflight and go! As it with Princeton Flight Service upon
turned out, we would have had plenty landing.
6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2008 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE
In support of the fly-out, Rodney
Roy of Roy Aero Services, hosted
a barbecue luncheon for the group.
After topping off our tanks, we filed
our flight plans with Princeton Flight
Service to Thunder Bay, Ontario
(CYQT), a scant 52 nm northeast,
where we cleared Canadian Customs.
We continued to have a good tailwind
to Thunder Bay, and all the way to
Miminiska Lodge, 196 nm further
north.
The night before our departure,
I contacted Canadian Customs with
our ETA into Thunder Bay using
1-888-CAN-PASS (226-7277), and
when we were delayed due to fog,
I called them back to give them a
revised ETA. (You can call CANPASS
up to 48 hours in advance, but no later
than 2 hours prior to your ETA, and
update your ETA as needed thereafter.
U.S. Customs requires a minimum of
1 hour advance notice, and both