Amendment

Ahh, peace at last. I'm sitting in my office at 25'000 feet above the world below with views out of my window towards the East, South and West. Half the sky is clothed in darkness, while the sun is well below the horizon on the other side, just setting a dim glow. Stars are just starting to come into view in between the horizons from deep within the galaxy.

The day was rather hectic after our first flight, which was to Wolleston Lake at 0800, was cancelled due to the weather in Saskatoon sitting at 1/4 mile vis in heavy snow and drifting snow. About an hour and a half after sitting and waiting for the weather to improve, the passenger decided to call off the trip. Thirty minutes later dispatch had another trip booked for us to leave at noon on a sched flight to Regina, that's if the weather would allow. After planning our day out a second time we where advised that we were needed somewhere else. A few people needed picking up in P.A. to go up North to a mine!

So cancel that flight plan and scribble some more numbers and make another phone call to Flight Services. Now all we are waiting for is our plane to thaw out in the hanger as it had sat outside for a few hours and was covered in snow and ice. About 2 o'clock we were ready to be pulled out and de-iced, to finally head off on an adventure. After sitting in the de-ice line for 45 minutes and just when the plane in front of us is finished being de-iced, we get another call from dispatch to return to the hanger, our trip has changed!

We're to go direct up North to Points., with a load of passengers and then bring some back. I file the plan through Edmonton radio on our taxi back with just a bunch of numbers from memory. After filing and canceling three times, I'm sure there is going to be some lost or mess up flight plan in the system. So we taxi back to the hanger, pick up our passengers and then get back to the de-ice bay, were we quickly get a splash and then fire up to finally get on our way. Well, now our double caliber brakes, which have gotten plenty of snow on them have frozen up, we're not moving. I have to hope out of the plane and take the a screw driver to them to separate the frozen discs. It works, but now our de-ice hold over time, which was about 7 minutes is past due and we need another spray. All I want to do is get airborne! It almost seems like there is something telling us not to go, hmm?

But at about 1535 in the afternoon, seven and half hours after we were originally planned to depart, we finally reached a hundred knots and our wheels left the frozen runway. Amazing. Now, sitting in the wool covered seat with near blackness all around me, things are quiet, and relaxing. In 45 minutes we'll be touching down for the last time today. That there was a long and tiring day.