Fly in - paddle out
Steve Birch
Saw the articles dealing with new regulations on air transportation up here
in the great white north.
Although we have done lots of boating , all of it has been drive to's or
train to's the starting point. What is the cost of charter and how does it
work- by the pound , mile ???
Thanks all for any info ( I know I could call a few outfitters but any info
gleamed here will help when I do call)
Tom McCloud
Steve Birch wrote:
>
> What is the cost of charter and how does it
> work- by the pound , mile ???
>
My most recent fly-in was from north of Alma, Quebec, to the headwaters
of the NE Mistissibi with Air Saguenay in an old single engine Beaver.
The cost is based on the mileage flown, and of course the type of
aircraft used. There must be some weight limit but I don't know how
much that is.....as a paddler I've never been close to it. There were 6
of us on this trip in 6 canoes, so that meant 3 trips from pickup to
putin. It was 45 miles from base to pickup, 60 miles from pickup to
put-in, return 60, up 60, return 60, up 60, back to base 68. So 313
miles at $2.80CDN/mile, plus a canoe tie-on charge of $50/boat. With
tax it totalled $1675CDN, or about $280CDN for each of us to have us
moved 60 air miles. That same $280 in gas in the tank of your car will
take you a lot of miles. You just have to decide whether getting to a
particular river is
worth the cost. And there are lots of rivers in the north of Canada
that you couldn't get to for $1000. Tom McCloud
Carey Robson
Steve Birch <bi...@unb.ca> wrote in article
> What is the cost of charter and how does it work- by the pound , mile ?
By type of plane per mile. Miles are total round trip even if you are only
there for half the flight. Bigger planes carry more and cost more. The more
companies operating out of a particular location -- the cheaper the fares
are likely to be.
some e.g.:
Nahanni river, Blackstone to Moose Ponds is about 140 air miles. A Cesna
185 will carry one boat on the outside and people and gear inside with a
total weight of 600 lb.. (or less). cost about $1400.
Yellowknife to Winter Lake (Coppermine River) is about 130 miles. A twin
Otter (two engines, pilot & CO-pilot ((sometimes)). could carry 3 canoes
and six people and all their gear inside for about $2,200 (1995). (We were
two canoes and four people.)
Points to consider: Find out if the air company (often one plane) is
reliable!! I once had to hold the door shut on a Cesna as it took off
because the latch didn't work. After it was airborne the air pressure kept
it closed. (comforting thought as I kept my seat belt on). Bigger plannes
can handle poorer weather. There is a qualitative difference between fly-in
and drive-in trips.
--
Carey Robson
President -- Recreational Canoeing Association of British Columbia
Western VP -- Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association
Master Instructor
Donn Wolf
bi...@unb.ca (Steve Birch) wrote:
>Saw the articles dealing with new regulations on air transportation up here
>in the great white north.
>Although we have done lots of boating , all of it has been drive to's or
>train to's the starting point. What is the cost of charter and how does it
>work- by the pound , mile ???
It depends on the aircraft. Cessna flights, about 3-4 dollars a mile.
Beaver flights, 4-5 dollars a mile. Otter flights, 5-6 dollars a mile.
I'm not sure what the Twin Otter flights are going for. Then there is
a canoe tieon fee. Also GST must be added. Don't forget to figure in
the return flight of the empty plane. This would be in canadian
dollars. They do limit the weight you can bring but that hasn't been a
problem for us.
marlin penner
> There is a qualitative difference between fly-in and drive-in trips.
> Carey Robson
> President -- Recreational Canoeing Association of British Columbia
> Western VP -- Canadian Recreational Canoeing Association
> Master Instructor
This statement immediately caught my eye and I wondered what was
meant by it. What is the qualitative difference between fly-in and
drive-in trips? If the fly-in trip is considered to be of superior
quality, as might seem perfectly obvious, then I would like to add a third
category. The paddle-in trip. This kind of trip is what I hold up as my
ideal. I have found great satisfaction in driving out to the most remote
location possible, and then putting in and paddling and portaging into
areas so remote that they are normally frequented only by those who fly in
or not even by those people. I believe this type of trip appeals to me
because of my personal motivation for canoeing which is greatly connected
to the whole route(portages included) and the evirons through which it
takes me. I also like the feeling of freedom and exploration I get in
finding my way through various routes to the lake or river which is my
destination. Or perhaps having no particular destination in mind I just
explore a particular wilderness region.
I must admit that I have never had the experience of going on a
fly-in trip due to the financial resources necessary for such a venture
but I hope to some day. On the other hand I believe that I would rather
paddle in to some of the great and wild rivers in the far North if that
were possible. I also realize that flying in is probably the only
workable solution for accessing remote mountain rivers. My little shpiel
probably has alerted you to the fact that I am not a mountain river
paddler. I am in fact from Manitoba and the Canadian Shield is my
stomping ground. Anyway, I just thought I would share that perspective.
I hope you don't mind.
Marlin Penner
osp...@spinach.mscc.huji.ac.il