Workhorse of the North

November 4th was Take Our Kids to Work day across Canada; it's an opportunity for grade 9 students to do some career exploration for a day. I was assigned with the task of taking pictures of these students in action at their work placements.

On the same day I was required to transport an educational consultant from the airport to the school. However, when I arrived at the Fort McPherson airport, I was told the flight was delayed due to weather. A twin Otter was warming up for a take-off - Top picture.

Aircraft is the only way to ship people and cargo and this will continue to be the case until the end of the month.

The Twin Otter has been the aircraft of choice for decades. The inside can be reconfigured to accomodate cargo by folding some seats while the remaining chairs are for passengers. People are always prioty one partly because airfares command a higher pricetag. Bush pilots typically load and unload cargo and baggage.

The local Sgt recently mentioned the Pilatus, pictured above (Google Image) is currently used by the RCMP to transport prisoners, VIPs and cargo. It can fly from Yellowknife to Fort McPherson in 2 hours. It is considered a very reliable aircraft, can reach a speed of 300 miles per hour and travels to all the delta communities.