- What a night, 2:00 AM at Montreal,
going on a Canadian Arctic mission,
flying on this 737 200 behind me.
(intense music builds)
[man on radio] Call radio, Good morning.
It's Matt Black 792.
(strong wind blowing)
- Oh. It feels like crazy.
- It's not too bad.
- Well you'll see Mary River as a gravel runway.
(orchestral music intensifies)
(engine roaring)
(indistinct radio noise)
Hi, so my name is JC.
I'm first officer on the 737 200 at chrono aviation.
This morning, I'm doing my walk around,
before leaving for Mary River in the high Arctic,
an iron mine.
Over here,
we have the reason why we use the 200,
it's because we have gravel protectors on it.
So that thing pulls air backward,
that breaks the vortex that generates,
in front of the engine that would,
suck gravel into the intake.
So here I check that everything is fixed.
There's no cracks underneath.
And we also do general inspection of the engine.
That's another part of the gravel protection.
It protects the flaps
that are usually down for landing,
and take off, protects them from gravel that might come up,
during the roll.
(engine buzzing)
Want to come on in?.
- Yeah.
Oh, look at this.
- It's little bit of a tight squeeze by the end.
This is the inside of the,
main gear wheel well the 737200.
So as you can see it has a lot of hoses,
and cables and everything.
So inside here just checked basically rapidly.
Everything seems fine.
We also have the hydraulic quantity right here,
for one of the hydraulic systems.
We have the hydraulic pressure right here.
Here is the,
fire cut out for the APU.
If the APU was the catch fire and nobody was in the cockpit,
we can shut down the APU with this lever here.
- There's always something new to explore.
My first time inside a gear door of a 737200.
Actually, what an experience it is pretty massive.
Actually, here, you can hide a couple guys sitting,
here, right?.
- Yeah. But when the gear comes up,
it might be a bit tight.
- Oh.
[Both] (laughs)
- Up here we have two little dots, one yellow
and one red one.
They are there, if the APU has an issue,
one of them will pop out depending on what the issue is.
So during your walk around,
I have to make sure that both of them are still there.
(upbeat alternative music plays)
- Good day, early morning.
My name's Chris and my partner is JC.
Today. We're going to be flying,
from Montreal 44 degree north to Iqaluit 67 degree north.
It's going to be a two hour and 57 minute flight,
and we're going to be cruising at mark decimal seven two.
- What's flying a 737200 classic aeroplane like?.
- Oh, it is old, but gold. (laughs)
Really cool. Really cool.
- So yeah, we're stopping in Iqaluit,
on our way to Mary river because we have to refuel there.
(engine buzzing)
(high pitch engine noise)
(engine buzzing)
- (On radio) Hey we're Matblack 792 is ready for take off.
- [girl on radio] Matblack 792 request for take off.
- Report airborne Matblack seven ninety two.
(engine roaring)
- Engine stable.
(engine accelerating)
- Half thrust.
Take off thrust sets and one checks.
- Okay.
B1 rotates.
Was it on the brink?
- Gear up.
- Matblack 792 is Airborne.
(indistinct radio chatter)
- 3515 cm on box on night time.
(upbeat music)
- Do you want something to eat?
- Yeah
- We got eggs or pancakes.
- It's 5:40 AM.
I felt completely asleep.
It was so tiring.
And I think the sun is about to rise,
and breakfast is served.
(upbeat music)
Incredible, there's nothing
but white snow covered whole ground.
I don't see any houses.
I don't see any trees.
It's completely flying isolation.
- [JC] Call radio.
Good morning.
It's Matblack 792.
- [man on radio] Matblack 792 call radio.
- Hello sir.
Matblack 792.
We're showing about 30 miles to the south of the airport.
We came by Montreal for an hour and a half.
three, four approach by a def mo.
Should they cross that more
at about four minutes with the landing and debt?
- [man on radio] 792, Roger, runway 34, wind 350 at 22,
altimeter 3039.
- Matblack 792 is air proc final runway 34.
- [man on radio] Matblack 792, wind 350,
at 19 gusting 26.
(engine buzzing)
(indistinct chattering)
- [man on radio] 100.
50.
40.
30.
20.
10.
- Oh boy.
- You're break is up.
Prepare for signal.
(wind gushing)
(upbeat music plays)
- [girl on radio] Welcome to time Iqaluit,
time is 7:47 AM.
For your safety, remain seated until you're asked.
(upbeat music intensifies)
- Out here in Iqaluit.
It feels like minus 30.
It's minus 18 on the Aus.
We just landed here where there is no ATC.
It's only as flight service station.
So we call them five minutes before starting the approach.
When starting the approach and crossing the FAF,
on the five miles final one hundred three, four here.
(strong wind blowing)
- Oh
(loud engine noise)
- Ready for their call time?
- Yeah, I'm not ready.
(laughs)
(strong wind blowing)
- Oh, It's really cold.
And it's really wind chill as well.
- Oh, minus 30,
- Minus 30?.
- Yeah that's right.
- It's my first time.
It feels like crazy.
- It's not too bad.
- It's a Sunday.
A warm day for you, I guess.
- Yeah yeah.
- I don't think I can last two more minutes.
I going to go back.
It's crazy.
I'm embarrassed to say I lasted 10 seconds out there.
So I'm doing a second try with my gloves on,
with my hats on and,
I'm going with a flight attendant Emmanuel.
So let's go together, okay.
(strong wind blowing)
Whoa. Incredibly cold to run.
What's your name, sir?
- I'm Sean.
- Sean. Thank you.
You save us.
- No problem.
- Whoa so cold.
- It's not that cold
- So nice driving me around.
(laughs)
- It really isn't.
It's just a little windy today.
It's only minus 19.
Right? And then with the wind shell
you're looking at minus thirty.
- Oh.
- So it's balmy day in the north.
(loud engine noise)
- It crazy cold I think my legs are getting frozen.
What a brutal place.
Ah, quickly I'm going back to the aeroplane.
It's too cold.
Oh, that wind shell was killing me.
- Oh my Lord.
- Yeah. What do you feel?
How do you feel?
- It's cold.
- I woke up straight away, stronger than coffee
that cold and chill, unbearable to me.
But I also see aviation is actually very vital,
to come to remote places like this.
There's probably no roads to get here.
- So welcome to Iqaluit.
63 degrees north it is.
We're now heading for Mary river,
and once the fuel is completed
we'll have an hour and 22 minutes flight,
at final level 320 to 32,000 feet at the mark 72.
Well, you'll see Mary river
is a gravel runway where there's an iron
or mine base there.
- Or you can see here's a clear contrast.
First officer wearing a shirt, short sleeve shirt.
And look at me.
I first on my hat and the scarves and layers of clothes.
And then they don't get out the plane as a videographer.
I go out the plane explore all kind of weather.
(loud engine noise)
- [man on radio] 7340 at 20 30 25
(loud engine noise)
(Indistinct chattering over the radio)
- All right clear it.
- Clear it.
(upbeat music plays)
- Call radio
Matblack 792 is lining up, but three, four from Delta.
And we'll be rolling.
Have a good day.
(engine running)
- Engine stable.
Half thrust
- [JC] Check
Now seven one checks, 80 knots.
- [JC] Check.
(engine accelerating)
- A1 rotate.
How's the break?
- [JC] Gear up.
(engine whirring)
- Adding power.
Thrust 17 power.
So we just made the switch,
on the aircraft navigation system,
from the magnetic north to true north.
Basically we change the reference system,
between the magnetic north pole,
which is somewhere in Northern Canada,
to the geographic north pole, which is really,
the top of the sphere of planet earth.
So as you can see here, we have the compass,
showing magnetic north at the route 050 degrees.
And we have a true heading that shows 326.
That's mean that by changing reference,
we have almost 80 degrees difference between,
the two north that way.
And up in the Arctic, we're so close to the magnetic north.
We have to navigate using true heading.
- Okay, so we're going to be landing
in approximately 30 minutes on a gravel runway.
It's going to be a full flaps landing, flaps, 40 degrees.
We use that to reduce our speed,
for landing on the gravel runway.
That way we can use less reverse thrust,
to slow down the aeroplane,
and that we will protect the aircraft,
from being struck back gravel.
On the friction index,
we have today on the runway is 0.38 full friction is at 1.0.
Usually a runway would be around 0.70 and 0.50.
A paved runway with good conditions.
But now on a gravel and snow mixed runway,
today we have 0.38 which is quite good,
for that type of run, on a gravel runway.
If we have cross winds with less that 0.30 friction index,
it's going to push the aircraft,
out of the runway while we land.
So we have to be above 0.30 on a gravel runway.
We usually, if it's windy.
Their visibility is about five miles.
So we should see the runway a bit before landing.
And if we're lucky, we're going to see the terrain.
Cause we have a big mountains,
next to the aircraft during the approach.
- [man on radio] We have a ceiling that was 2200 scattered,
3500 broken, 4300 all over on the path.
- Sided thrust?.
- Yes sir.
(dings)
- And ladies and gentlemen, good morning.
This is the flight deck.
We're now leaving 27,000 feet in descent for Mary river.
Expecting a landing, approximately 15 minutes.
The weather today, the winds are going,
from the east at 15km an hour.
The sky is covered with lights
snow and temperature minus 17 Celsius.
Thanks for flying with Chrono jet.
- Clear sky gave a way to overcast.
I think we're going to expect really bad weather.
I'm just hoping it's not as cold,
as Iqaluit with that wind chill.
And this is quite an experience,
I've never done something like this before.
(engine whirring)
(indistinct command)
- Yes sir.
- Target on for five.
Target speed.
- 100
- Target speed.
60.
40.
20.
- Oh it's special.
- Oh no.
Oh yes, B breaks up reversal.
80 knots.
60.
Next we'll get 30, protects you full out there.
(Indistinct chattering)
All right good job.
(wind gushing)
(intense orchestra music building)
- [JC] Ladies, gentlemen, from the flight deck.
First officer speaking.
We would like to welcome you to Mary river.
(engine whirring)
(orchestra music)
(engine whirring)
- Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you
See you next time.
Thank you.
(upbeat music)
- Finally, came on the ground here.
Fortunately, the weather is a little bit warmer.
Just a tad warmer than Iqaluit for a guy from Dubai like me.
This is still a torture, but I'm so excited,
to be landed on the gravel to have this experience.
It's wonderful.
It's unique.
And it's something that, you know, I will always remember.
(upbeat music intensifies)
(high pitch engine sound)
(jet engine whirring)
(engine buzzing)
(aeroplane whooshed)
So quite unexpected I've been off loaded from the flight,
because the flight is a charter flight.
The mining company has a priority
and now I'm going to stay in here in the mine,
in a single accommodation for 12 hours,
waiting for the next flight to come.
And hopefully it will take me out of here.
(upbeat music)
- Well, to be fair
this room is actually better than lots of hotel.
- The food here is unreal.
There's so much food and it's really great food.
I can live here for weeks.
You know, funny a 737 200 adventure turn into a day stay,
in the mine experience in the Arctic north.
(upbeat music)
(wind gushing)
(loud engine noise)
After staying in the mine for 12 hours,
the plane is back and I'm finally departing.
This has been a definitely amazing adventure.
I always remember this time.
(engine whirring)
(indistinct radio announcement)
(wind gushing and fades)