Seven Days before Departure and Three Curve Balls – August 25, 2008

Just seven more days until I fly to Orlando to pick up my bird. It is pretty darn exciting! I checked, double checked and triple checked my to do list and I just have a few things left. It is great to be organized and have a plan come together. Forget that – it is time to deal with the unforeseen.

Curve Ball # One
One of the items left on my list is to finalize the insurance for my plane. I have spoken to the two main insurance carriers in Canada for recreational planes. I have analyzed the pros and cons of each of their policies and determined that I will go with the one that offers hull insurance. I called back the company and got a different representative on the phone. The information is completely different, including the price, the amount of coverage and real kicker - not being able to insure me because I have not yet received my student pilot’s permit. I am ready for a meltdown. What am I going to do with an uninsured plane in Florida? I called my husband who is experiencing a number of his own business related problems and it is only 11:00 a.m. on a Monday. He asked me if I want a tissue. I do think it is a funny line and remind myself to use it in the future but no time now to digress.

I decided to call the insurance company back and explain my dilemma and ask them if there is anything that they can do for me. The woman that I was dealing with earlier in the day answered the phone and as I explained my situation she said let me transfer you to … I said no, this is the guy that gave me all the wrong info, but it was too late. He picked up and said it was no problem to insure me without a student pilot’s license and to fax him the application. Something tells me my insurance dilemma is not over.


Curve ball # 2
I spoke to the manufacturer again today about the transponder. Two weeks ago he indicated that it was not working properly. He said the weather has not been good and the only way to test the transponder is in the air. He may not have time to do this until Wednesday. I explained to him that I would need to send the transponder back to the avionics company that I bought it from in Lakeland, FL if it didn’t work and by the time they ship a new unit back it would be cutting it close to our departure date.

In recanting the events of the day during the drive home from work with my husband, my husband said that I should expect about forty curveballs by the end of the week. Is he trying to make me feel better?

Curve Ball # 3
That evening, I am activating my SPOT personal locator beacon and one of the items that is needed is the serial number. It is on the device underneath the battery cover. I locate it after unscrewing the cover, hard to do with a pencil I might add. The serial number and authorization number is on a sticker but half of the last number is cut off. I called SPOT’s help line and they said they could get the last number to me within one day. I decide to try a few numbers because the last number looks like either a 5 or 9. I try my luck with the 5 and it works - success! Then I set up my Spot home page and the hour glass appears after I complete the required fields. It is up for fifteen minutes and so I decide to call the help line again. They inform me that their system is down. They said check back in ten minutes. I am not a whiz when it comes to GPS and internet technology but the layman’s question becomes “what if your system is down when I need help?”

Tomorrow is a new day.

Life & Finding a Ferry Pilot Part 3

One of the first questions people ask me once they learn that I am taking my ultra light pilot’s license and buying a plane is “Is this your lifelong dream?” I think that they are disappointed when I say no. Maybe they are expecting some kind of fairy book ending – not sure. However, I pretty much get up each day and am grateful for the day ahead and then try to make the most of it that I can. If I had a lifelong dream, I hope I would be living it now or would have lived it by now. I am very fortunate.

I have mentioned in my previous postings that I consider myself to be fiscally prudent. One of my husband’s university friends was on the East coast visiting family and joined us for dinner. This friend has very high-end taste. He was talking about buying a rain suit for golf and it was $600. Sometimes he plays two rounds of golf back to back so he had to buy two $600 rain suits. I was giving him a hard time about being so frivolous with his money and he said “you bought a plane.” Point taken.

There are certain things that I know about myself. I love a good adventure, even though I bought a plane I do watch my pennies and I like dependable, competent and enthusiastic individuals. I have been looking for a ferry pilot that can help me fly my little bird back from Florida. I have spoken to a few candidates that made it seem as though it would be quite a burden to fly my little bird with a Rotax 912 engine from Florida to Nova Scotia. I don’t get it – it seems like a trip of a life time to me. Aviatrix seemed pretty excited about the excursion. She also had a detailed list of questions for me that indicated her thoroughness and level of preparedness. I decided to ask her if she would consider helping me fly my plane home after her August contract was complete. This would mean that I would miss a few weeks of summer flying but it will give me more time to get some flight training and if she is willing I think I will have a compatible travelling partner.

I spoke to Aviatrix and she agreed to help me fly my plane back to Nova Scotia. She asked me if we will be camping along the way so that she can plan to bring her sleeping bag. I decide to level with her about some additional things that I know about myself – I don’t like the outdoors and I am quite a capitalist (as unfashionable as that may be these days).

The Paperwork – Winter, Spring and Summer 2008

As it turns out, there is more to buying a plane than just wiring the manufacturer the dough for the bird. I determined that there are three things that I need to make happen before I bring my plane from the U.S. to Canada. If I can accomplish these three things, the importation of my plane should be seamless.

I would like the registration marks on my plane to be personalized. I do not have a vanity plate on my car but I do have a vanity plate for my scooter and I would like personalized registration marks for my plane. I spoke to a representative at Transport Canada and am informed that it can take up to six weeks to reserve registration marks and the cost is $110. However, after speaking with the representative on the phone for a few minutes, she confirms that the marking that I would like is available and reserves it for me.

Then there is the matter of registration of the plane. I am registering the plane in Canada and fortunate for me, the registration is done by the same helpful person that looked after my vanity markings. She informs me that I am going to need the following to register my plane;

• Minimum Useful Load Calculation
• Copy of the data plate - the data plate must include the name of the manufacturer, the model, the serial number
• Bill of sale
• A letter from the FAA indicating the plane is not on the American register nor has it ever been registered in the US
• Registration Application Form

These forms are going to require the assistance of the manufacturer. Also, I am not sure how willing he is going to be to complete the Bill of Sale when I have not fully paid for the plane. I gave the manufacturer a call and explained that I would like to have the plane registered before my journey with the plane from Florida to Canada and this will require a Bill of Sale. He was very helpful and said he would complete the Bill of Sale and did not have a problem doing this because if I don’t pay for the plane in full before I take delivery, he is not going to give me the keys. Fair enough.

The last piece of paperwork that I need to have organized is the importation paperwork for the plane. I called Canada Border Services and they directed me to another number and after an hour later I am redirected to the initial number that I called. Well, enough of this for one day. I have left myself lots of time and I will give a fresh start to this effort again in the morning.

The next day, after play ring around the phone rosy - again, I am starting to lose my patience. However, it is not until one inspector hangs up on me that I get really steamed. I called back and asked for the Superintendent. I got his voicemail and he called me back promptly and I explained what I was trying accomplish. He said he didn’t know the exact paperwork required for importation of a recreational aircraft but he would find out and get back to me and so he did. He put me in contact with the inspector in Fredericton who would most likely being clearing my aircraft. I spoke to Inspector “I” who informed me that I will need;

• Bill of Sale
• Certificate of Origin
• B15

She emphasized that I call Canpass no earlier than two days in advance of entry into Canada and call again before entry to confirm my ETA. She also said it is necessary that I explain to Canpass that I am doing a Personal Importation and flying VFR. Inspector “I” works Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. She has a very good understanding of the requirements of importation and seems very competent. I am going to do my best to land in Fredericton when she is working because I think if I have complied with her instructions, the importation should be seamless.

All of this seems easy and hey, it might be for the next plane I bring into Canada, but this took a lot of time and required several calls and misinformation before I got to the right people who could help me. I am glad that I left myself several months to work through the process.

The Ground School Exam – July 2008

The ground school exam for the Ultra Light Aeroplane pilot permit consists of eighty multiple choice questions and your need 60% correct to pass. You have three hours to complete the exam. I had been studying the material that I bought from the Ultralight Pilot’s Association of Canada (UPAC) and have done my time at ground school. I took the day off work before my exam to do some day before cramming. I also wanted to write some of the practice exams in the back of my UPAC books.

After the first several questions of the exam I realize that I am not as prepared as I would like and don’t have a good understanding of the material. So much for “you don’t need to know that”. I put in a good day of studying in between some work related issues. However, I am not feeling that confident.

The exam is farmed out by Transport Canada and the closest location for me to write the exam is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from my home. I arrive about twenty minutes early to get the lay of the land. The examiner is not prepared for my arrival and asks me what the the prerequisite is for taking the exam. After some wrestling with papers and a few faxes, proof that I have the prerequisites, I am ready to take the exam.

The exam is written in a one room building that was built in 1948. The examiner proudly says that they haven’t done a thing to it since then. I am not sure that needed to be said. I am glad it is summer and it is a warm day. The instructor goes back to the main building but indicates before his departure that he can watch me from the main building because there is a camera installed behind my desk.

The test is computer based and I quickly get started and am familiar with the majority of the questions thanks to the practice exams. I finished in about an hour and twenty minutes. The nice thing about most computer based tests is that you can get your results quickly. The instructor pushed a button on the computer and voila – 89%. I am happy – one more thing off the check list!

The Target Date – July 2008

I have hired Aviatrix to help me fly my plane home from Florida and I am ready to book our plane tickets to Orlando. Just one last call to the manufacturer to confirm the date. I spoke to the manufacturer and he introduces a phrase that I have not heard in our previous conversations, “target date”. I explain to him that I am not sure what he means by this and the long and short of it is that he suggests I have a plan B. There is no plan B. The plane has to be ready when we are there to pick it up as expenses accumulate daily and my revenue comes to a standstill when I am not working.

The manufacturer and I agree to a date that he can insure that the plane will be ready. If it is not ready by this date, he agrees to pay for expenses incurred by me for the delay excluding lost wages. I am disappointed, but it is what it is and it is better to find out now than to be spending several nights in a hotel in Rockledge, Florida waiting idly by and putting pressure on the folks to hurry and finish my plane.

I immediately called Aviatrix to tell her the news. Unfortunately, Aviatrix has a job lined up for the month of August and will not be able to help fly my plane home on the new date August 6th. I am back to the drawing board trying to find another ferry pilot.

Finding a Ferry Pilot – Part 2

Given the limitations of my insurance policy for my ultra light regarding instruction, I have to find a Canadian Flight Instructor or a Commercial Pilot. I would like to log some of the hours from my flight from Florida to Nova Scotia for my ultra pilots license, therefore, my first choice is to find a Canadian Flight Instructor, however, I can’t be too choosey at this point.

I had asked my instructor if he could help me bring my bird home from Florida and he relayed that he had some passport issues. No need to elaborate. I started to search the internet for ferry pilots. This is how I came in contact with my ferry pilot “Aviatrix”. I sent an e-mail to Aviatrix and she quickly responded. We corresponded back and forth and I got a sense that she was a very detailed person and seemed very enthusiastic about the journey from Florida to Nova Scotia in my little bird. Following is some of our correspondence…


Sorry to be so long getting back to you. I have been working through some Transport Canada red tape. I have some answers for you but I am still working on others. lite flyer
Questions ... is it brand new, or how many hours has it flown? Aviatrix
Brand new plane lite flyer
Is it insured to Canadian requirements and Canadian registered?
It will be registered in Canada
Is it registered as an ultra light or an experimental airplane?
I am working on getting the plane classified as an advanced ultra light vs. a basic ultra light so that I can carry passengers
Have you already talked with Transport Canada about the import paperwork? (I've had to take an airplane BACK to the states for someone who discovered he wasn't allowed to import it, so that's definitely something to know!)
I am speaking with them almost on a daily basis - I will get it resolved soon I hope
I don't see a transponder in the picture: there's a lot of complex airspace up the coast and technically you're supposed to have one for the border crossing.
Still working on this
Do you have the long range tanks?
18 gallon tank
Have you done route planning for that already?
no
You've flown it already and know it will pass the preflight to your satisfaction when you arrive in Orlando?
I will be picking it up at the manufacturer & they will do the preflight inspection
Do you have an idea what its (or your personal, which ever is less) limits for wind and turbulence should be?
What engine does it have?
912 Rotax 100 hp
Does it take AVGAS or MOGAS?
autogas

I can’t believe my luck – have I found someone as retentive and enthusiastic as me? Sorry Aviatrix, it is meant as a complement.

The Insurance – June 2008

Canadian Aviation Regulations require ultra lights to have liability insurance covering risks of public liability in an amount that is not less than $100,000 – there words, not mine. I had already made some general enquiries regarding the cost of the insurance but now is the time to get more specific.

There are two associations in Canada that provide their members with access to group insurance rates; Ultralight Pilots Association of Canada (UPAC) and Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA). The rate for the minimum liability insurance is very reasonable and is less that $200 if you are in either the UPAC or COPA group plan. However, I want more than the minimum insurance. Further scrutiny of both plans is required.

While reading the fine print in the information provided on web regarding one of the plans, I came across a paragraph “ While you are using your own privately owned aircraft, not owned by the instructor, to undergo instruction, we will cover a Flying instructor who is deemed not a passenger while providing you instruction only if they are properly certificated and qualified to provide the Flying instruction and instruction is performed strictly in accordance with all applicable Transport Canada Canadian Aviation Regulations”. This may present a problem for me if my American ferry pilot Pete was helping me fly my bird home. Upon further investigation, I discover that I need a Canadian Certified Flight Instructor or a pilot that is a holder of a Commercial Pilot’s license to help me fly my bird home from Florida. Not someone that I am quickly going to find in the Yellow Pages.

I also learn that I can insure my plane through one of the plans for damage to the aircraft caused in an accident. The amount that I can buy is optional. I decided to investigate further the average cost of the damage to a plane involved in a crash if the pilot survives. Hey, if I don’t survive, I won’t care about the cost to fix my plane.

Finding a Ferry Pilot - Part 1

Travelling with my husband on his business trips to Florida is not as glamorous as it seems. It is interesting and sometimes fun but not so glamorous. One of the big time wasters is the driving. He generally works in the Panhandle but during the same business trip, may also have business in Southern Florida. It then becomes a tossup as to whether we fly or drive – each taking approximately the same amount of time after considering airport transfers and check in time.

When we are working in Florida, I generally do market research which entails going to resort developments and getting as much information on the project as possible. During one of my marketing research days I decided to take a side trip to a flight school to do another type of research. I was enquiring as to whether someone at the flight school would be interested in flying us from Destin to Tampa occasionally and if I had a pilot’s license could we rent a plane. I talked with an instructor, Pete, who was available to fly us to Tampa occasionally. He also explained that I could rent one of their planes for $60 to $100 per hour, dependent on the plane and size of engine. The rental charge is based only on the time in the air and if we were in Tampa over night, we would not be charged any additional dough. This sounded pretty good, now all I had to do was get a pilot’s license.

My husband wonders why when I go into a store or other establishment it takes me so long. These thoughts go through his mind occasionally when he emerges out of cell phone abyss. It takes me longer because I am usually engaged in a conversation with a stranger. I like people. I wouldn’t say I am a people person because I am not as socially skilled as some but I do find people fascinating. Pete was from Millinocket, Maine. This detail became useful information as I started to think about how I was going to get my little bird from Rockledge, Florida to Nova Scotia.

It was a few months before my bird would be ready and I was going to be in Florida so I decided that I would go see Pete to determine if he would be interested in flying my plane back to Nova Scotia with me, perhaps we could time it around his summer vacation back in Millinocket. I met with Pete and he was interested. Just a few more details to work out and I could check ferry pilot off my to do list.

My First Flight Instruction – June 2008

My first flying lesson took place after the third ground school class. My instructor and I drove to his hangar on a lake and took his Rans ultra light out for a short flight. The instructor had done a pre flight inspection before our flight. His plane had tandem seating with controls for the second pilot also – all except the flap stick. I sat in the front seat and my instructor was in the back seat. After the takeoff he instructed me to put up the flaps. What was he talking about? I had seen a picture of the flaps in my study guide but there wasn’t a corresponding instructional diagram on how to lower or raise the flaps. The plane was loud and it was difficult to hear. We were up higher than I had been before and there was water everywhere below.

As it turned out, the flaps were controlled by a stick to the left of my seat. However, I could not reach the flaps with my safety harness on. As my instructor said with greater intensity, raise the flaps, I took off my harness to lower the stick which raises the flaps – counter intuitive if you ask me. Also, there was a trick to the stick handling; you had to raise it up slightly before it would go down. Information that I thought might have been useful to know before the flight, however the bloody flaps were finally down.

My instructor told me to fly towards the lake. Do you know how many lakes there are in Nova Scotia? Which one? There had to be at least six within close proximity. I thought to myself, I like my own plane much better and I can’t wait to get it home!

The Hangar Space Dilemma

I have purchased the plane and am expecting to have it in Nova Scotia sometime near the first of August. I now have to find a place to store the plane. I had looked at the brochures that have been coming in the mail for prefab buildings, however, after investing in the plane I think an additional outlay of capital for the purchase of a hangar is out of the question.

I have two leads on a hangar space. The first lead was an individual that has his own private airstrip. It sounded great as his strip is located only twenty five minutes from my house. I contacted him to determine if he rented hangar space. He didn’t but said I could build a hangar on his site if I wished. I thought it was a very generous offer but I did not want to sink more capital into my recreational activity. Also, his grandsons ploughed the runway in the winter but not on a regular basis. Providing the heater option that I bought for my plane works, I plan to fly in the winter months.

The second lead was a flying club located about 45 minutes from my house. My instructor thought this location would be the best choice to hangar my plane because there would be others around who may be able to lend me some support. Also, their grass strip was in good shape. I contacted the airport manager who promptly e-mailed me back and informed me that he may have something available in June – this may all come together!

The Crash - May 2008

I was attending a Rotary dinner with a friend and her boyfriend. They and the others at the table were very interested to hear about my plane adventures. I told them about my ground school course, the instructor, and my new plane. When I arrived home later that evening my husband asked if I had heard that an ultra light had crashed.

The next day at work I was busy fielding calls from friends and business associates about the ultra light crash. I am not sure why people identify an ultra light crash with me and feel compelled to extend themselves verbally. Later in the morning, the friend that I attended the Rotary dinner with the previous evening called and asked if it was my instructor that crashed. I didn’t know who crashed the plane so she read the article that was in the newspaper and the name of the individual that crashed. It was my instructor! I called my husband to inform him. Probably not the wisest thing to do. It was a Friday, and that evening, cocktail discussion was a bit livelier than usual with many people assuming that the crash would be the catalyst for me changing my mind about flying and the individual that was instructing me. I hadn’t.

I had called my instructor – he was okay but quite shook up and suffering from whip lash. The good news was he followed all the proper procedures which helped to save his life. I am reassured that the textbook theory works. However, my instructor informs me that ground school is terminated. I am in a pickle.

I decided to give the instructor a few days to digest his trauma. I was thinking that he may still have been in shock when I spoke to him last. I called him several days later to see how he was and if he had changed his mind about ground school - he had. My instructor decided to fulfill his ground school commitment to me. However, he said he would need longer breaks throughout our session. More than reasonable I thought and quite honorable of him given his situation. I am back on track.

My First Ground School Class - May 2008

Ground school is approximately 20 hours of classroom training. It entails learning about weather, aircraft maintenance, flight regulations, navigation and aerodynamics. My instructor lives about 120 kilometres from my home. We decide, in the interest of travel time, to have four sessions, each session being five hours in duration. I was in the Chartered Financial Analyst program so I am used to marathon sessions, however, my instructor after the fourth hour of my highlights and questions starts answering my questions by “you don’t need to know that”. C’est la vie.

The instruction takes place in his beautiful wood exposed home on a picturesque 11 acre lot. Occasionally I am distracted by the wandering deer outside his kitchen window. It is very pleasant. His wife has a nice fruit pie prepared for our break. Hey, maybe I don’t need to know everything about aerodynamics in the first week. It is going okay.

The Search for a Flight School – March 2008

It is starting to sink in that I bought a plane. Somehow the realization eluded me until I instructed my assistant to wire my deposit to the manufacturer. There is something about your hard earned savings retreating from your brokerage account that snaps you into reality. I bought a plane – now I have to figure out how to fly the thing!

I had a lead on one instructor and after playing telephone tag for a month and then realizing that he didn’t have a plane to instruct from, I determined my clock was ticking and I better move into high gear and find another instructor. I called the two flight schools located within 150 kilometres of my home. Both of the schools indicated that they didn’t have a program for an ultra light license. I called Transport Canada who gave me the names and phone number of instructors within 150 kilometre radius of my home. Three of the numbers were either disconnected or wrong. One of the numbers was the individual without a plane who I contacted previously. I tried the last instructor. Success, his number rang and he answered the phone.

After a lengthy chat with my soon to be instructor on the requirements to get a basic ultra light license, we agree to start my ground school training in a week’s time. I ordered the books and when they arrived I started reading, highlighting, and preparing a bank of questions for the instructor. Some people may use the word retentive as part of their description of me. I like to think of myself as an enthusiastic learner. I have found an instructor, let the learning begin!