THE CESSNA 180
My first purchased aircraft. I was driven by the need for more flexibility in flying. No FBO rented floatplanes, and even if they did the rules would have been way to constrictive for the kind of flying I wanted to do. So after a two year search I found the ideal plane....in Inuvik, Northwest Territories!
I made arrangements to fly up and inspect the aircraft. The aircraft was as represented by the broker, so it was a done deal. We converted the plane to floats, trucked it down to the lake, and started on our journey back to Vancouver, BC.
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1. On the ramp at Inuvik Airport, converting the aircraft from wheels to floats (June 1996) |
2. Moving the airplane down a very narrow gravel road to the lake. |
3. And finally, lifting the plane into "Airport Lake" near Inuvik. |
Our routing was Inuvik to Whitehorse where I spent the night. The next day I flew from Whitehorse to Smithers (Tyee Lake) where I toured the town and stayed over. The last day, I did the last leg, Smithers to Vancouver. What a blast it was! This was the first of three times so far that I've flown the Inuvik/Vancouver route. It's been fun each time.
Sitting at Tyee Lake, back to back with Central Mountain Air's Cessna.
When I was the owner of Pacific Spirit Air, I leased my 180 to the airline. It worked so well that I have continued in this business and continue to lease this aircraft. Click here for more information. My previous lease arrangement also had me flying the aircraft. This gave me the opportunity to fly it on wheel-skis in the winter. That was a first for me, and definitely a great thrill. There's nothing like landing in 4 feet of fresh powder, or picking a spot among the drifts on the sea ice of the Beaufort Sea. I love flying!
For information on renting/leasing this aircraft, click here.