Jermechanic

Jermechanic

Well Known Member
We had the most perfect day on Christmas this year. In my regular check for great flying weather, I found that the weather was looking great for Dec 25. Next thought in my head- I wonder if the tides would be low enough to permit a beach landing at a good time. BINGO everything was a go:D. Following a good friends motto CARPE DIEM!! Woke up- opened some presents; had a nice breakfast with the family; then off to The airport with my beautiful wife Jani to warm up the RV6. Fantastic flight with a nice landing on the beach; a short walk around to take in the breathtaking scenery; then the flight home along the Vancouver Island west coast and home to Victoria. Doesn't get much better than this!! Two more week long RV smiles for the log book. Hope everyone is enjoying a fantastic holiday and all the best in 2010.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/61996870@N00/4223270348/
 
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Cool pic. Few questions. Where is that? How do you pick the landing area? Has the salty water negatively affected your aircraft?
 
sure, it will have more corrosion from that one trip than a year inland.

i like the last pic on the ground where the tailwheel has settled 1/2 way into the sand :eek:
 
Corrosion is a possibility...

Just remember to keep an eye on the tide!

1260052991NXg7Mc8.jpg



John Clark
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA
 
Just curious...

....whether there are any regulations regarding off-airport landings in Canada.

I worked off many country roads putting out fertilizer and seeds for years. Then when bag phones/cell phones hit the scene, I was always turned in and the cops and sometimes Civil air patrol would show up and I got in doo with the cops, not the FAA.

They tried to cite me for overwidth, no tags, no brake lights (seriously) and life became miserable with folks showing little tolerance for airplanes on roads, so I just work off the airport now.....Aaaaah, the good old days of working off cow-$hit pastures and highways:)...the 70's and early 80's.

Best,
 
One of the nice benefits in Canada is that it's legal to land your airplane anywhere you want to. Obviously you'll want to know that it can be done safely and won't cause hazard to persons on the ground or damage to property, because any of the above can be costly. But in general, if it's flat, long enough, and unpopulated, you can land there.

The beach in the original post is Vargas Island, which is just north of Tofino, BC, Canada. The beach is a couple of miles long, if I recall, and has a slight curve to it. Most light aircraft can easily land in a straight line and not notice the curve. The island has no ferry service so is essentially unpopulated. Tofino and Vargas are known for fog, though, and it's only a few weekends a year that you can put together the right combination of nice weather, low tides, and no fog, so you can land there.

Vargas Island, Canada
 
Very cool videos. It tells me that there are a few things I don't know;) Beach flying is something I've never been exposed to. Watching the approach in the video, I know that somewhere to the right the sand is soft and powdery and will flip me. And somewhere to the left the sand is wet and will flip me. Somewhere in the middle it's hard and perfect for landing.

Don't think I could pick out what was what.

Must obtain more training!!! :D
 
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