Global Aviator South Africa — December 2017

14 Vol. 9 / No. 12/ December/January 2017/18 Global Aviator

• the following morning at around 04.
  am. Sure enough, when arriving at the
  airport the next morning at around
  09.00 am, the heaters were going full
  blast, heating up the engines. We used
  one heater to free the wheels from ice
  and ensure that the brakes were off.

Also we kept one blowing

momentarily directly into the cabin

and in no time it was like a sauna,

condensation dripping from every

window, ceiling and side panels.

We filed our return flight plan,

arranged a lot of coffee and sandwiches

because we were planning only

a refuelling stop at Helsinki and

carry on towards Rotterdam.

Starting the left engine turned out

Charter memories

Charter Companies

• <20 pax


• 
  

  
  

  20 pax

  
  

  
  


• Biz Jets


• VIP
  
  
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  • Contracts
    
    
    • Aircraft leasing
    
    
    • Lodge transfers
    
    
    • Hangarage
    
    
    • Aircraft management
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Federal Airlines (Pty) Ltd

O.R Tambo International Airport

Hangar 14 Bonaero Drive, Bonaero Park

+27 11 395 9000 (Jhb office) +27 13 750 3141 (Nelspruit Office)

[email protected] [email protected] http://www.fedair.com

• < 20 Pax


• V.I.P.


• Freight


• Helicopter


• Special Events
  
  
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    • Air Ambulance (Medevac)
    
    
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FLYJETSTREAM

24 Hr Charter number 083 279 7853

[email protected]

Massive trucks carried the logs to a

nearby river where they were dumped

on the ice. When the river started to

thaw in the spring the logs would float

slowly downstream to a place called

Kaukonen. We spent most of the days

inside and close to a fireplace and played

cards and told stories. The business

meetings ended every day with a dinner

and drinks and we were always invited.

After dinner we went to the sauna and

started to even enjoy the experience.

We however declined, after finishing

the sauna, to jump into a man-made

hole in a completely frozen lake.

When you woke up it was dark

and stayed dark almost the whole day,

a surreal experience. The little time the

sun popped over the horizon did not

do anything at all for the temperature.

The time came that we had to

prepare for the departure around 10.

am the next day, so we went to the

airport with a guy from the logging

company to help with translations. The

airport people promised that they would

start-up the heaters – one for each engine

to be problematic. Sure enough the

oil was warm. In the end I had to go

outside, place myself between the left

engine and the fuselage and remove a

panel in the main fuselage. Whilst my

friend started the engine I knocked the

vibrator and the engine started OK.

Since I was standing only about 10

inches from the propeller blade I had

to be 100% aware of which way not to

turn to. Replacing the screws in the side

panel was a bitterly cold experience,

standing in the blast of the propeller. It

was snowing hard. When we levelled

off at Fl180 we were experiencing

constant snow showers and the wings

were starting to build-up ice, so we

kept one eye out for any serious

increase in ice build up. Our front wind

shield had frozen up completely.

Suddenly there was a horrendous

noise; it sounded as if somebody was

hitting the fuselage with a hammer in

a regular rhythm. It took us a while to

get to the bottom of this, eventually

coming to the conclusion that it had to

be the ADF antenna. This runs from

the roof of the cockpit straight to the

vertical tip of our rudder assembly. By

checking for ADF signals this turned out

to be the correct assumption. Obviously

our passengers were not pleased with

this loud banging on the fuselage, but

we ensured them that the aircraft was

still flying OK and we would check

things out in Helsinki, another two

hours flying time. After landing in

Helsinki and whilst refuelling we had

the antenna removed. We left Helsinki

and after the first hour in snow storms

the weather cleared up nicely. The

energy in the cabin was now a little

bit lower, understandably so, since all

the jokes and stories had been told.

Each person carried with him

a wonderful story to tell the home

front, and a memory forever, since all

realised that it is not every day you

fly to the Arctic Circle and back. •

Ready and dressed for the Arctic.

When you woke up

it was dark and

stayed dark almost

the whole day,

a surreal experience