I had the opportunity to embark on an arctic mission this summer. was a positive
training experience. It was a positive training experience. The mission highlighted common logistical constraints,
SPRO landing techniques, crew member functions, and conditions and
considerations unique to the arctic. Furthermore, the trip provided this
training value at relatively low expense.
Flight plan
·
Trenton
→ Yellowknife
·
Yellowknife
→ Inuvik
·
Inuvik
→ Cambridge Bay → Trenton
Lessons of value to an APP student
SPRO
Although Yellowknife and Inuvik possess
paved runways, Cambridge Bay, like Alert and Resolute Bay, is exceptional. As a
result, the C-17 conducts semi-permanent runway operations
(SPRO) at these locations. Flying between cumulus sea and midnight sun, the
pilots discussed special procedures for SPRO landing. On gravel runways such as
these, a landing disturbs the gravel and incites a violent storm of rocky
projectiles which splash against the underbelly of the aircraft. These shards
damage the structures on the belly, especially the antennae and landing gear.
The pilots discuss an engineering disposition crafted by "some nerd"
which specifies various properties of the landing to be observed in order to
minimize damage. This experience forces one to consider the special conditions
of the Canadian arctic.
The discussion raises several questions
of airworthiness. Namely, how was this disposition calculated, tested, and
verified? What is the reduction in damage as a result of following these
procedures? How are pilots trained in the execution of this procedure? These
cause one to consider many hidden aspects of arctic operations all stemming
from gravel; a substance previously considered inconsequential.
More ground than sky
The landings at Yellowknife and Inuvik
were smooth in a physical sense, but it became apparent that there were many
logistical constraints to consider. There is significant overhead associated
with a takeoff and landing. When cargo is to be loaded, which would ideally
always be the case to minimize empty flying, a long ramp time before
takeoff is common. When no cargo is to be loaded, several hours are still required.
Consider also that a full unload of the jet requires significant time when one forklift is available. The jet is often refueled and
unloaded concurrently, but the C-17 uses so much fuel that it can overwhelm
smaller northern airports such as the one at Inuvik. The C-17 gobbled the
airport's typical week's-worth of fuel. It becomes apparent that a four-hour
flight can have more than six hours of associated overhead. In other words, the
better part of a flight does not involve flying.
Contracting
There are many contracts which must be
in place for operations to run smoothly. At Inuvik, there is no contract for
crew transport from the airport to the town. Luckily, resourceful crew were
able to hitch a ride with some members who were present for OP Nanook. As well,
there was a last minute scramble to find a location to store the delivered
supplies because of contracting issues with local contractors. From the sounds
of it, storage was sole-sourced in the past, but then a decision was made to
allow bids from other competitors without informing the usual contractor, who
worked under the assumption that the contract would be sole-sourced to him once
again. When the government behaves in this way, it depletes goodwill and, in
this case, persuaded the most experienced contractor to refuse to do business
with DND. Suffice to say that contracting is complex and there are human
factors to consider.
Role of crew members
Participating in this mission clarified
the roles of crew members. Although the function of the pilots was no mystery,
it was not previously clear how other duties were divvied. The tech crew
members have no in-flight duties except for when there is a technical issue. For
example, on this flight, the FCC1 produced an error which caused the autopilot
to disable. The TCMs immediately had the technical references pulled up and the
pilots carried out a procedure which amounted to, luckily, turning it off and
on again. The loadmaster calculated the weight and balance for each load and considered
fuel load and how the pallets should be organized. The LM also tracks crew
expenses for handling, catering, lodging, de-icing, and fueling. Indeed, there
are even intricacies in how the pilots work together with one another and with
the crew which were useful to observe.
Cost of living
We stayed the night at Inuvik. After a
ten-minute cab ride and a simple bowl of pasta which totalled $70, it became
apparent that the cost of remote, northern living is astronomical. The town's
configuration suggested that much of the economy is seasonal. Socioeconomic
inequality was blatant.
