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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Apr 16, 2013
Description:
Heading into a new fjord…or estuary…or whatever.
Date Taken:
Apr 16, 2013
Place Taken:
Estero Comau o Leptepu, Chile
Owner:
Dan Nickens
File Name:
1_Prelaunch.jpg - Photo HTML
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Category:
524, Yacht Tending Chile
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Read what others had to say:
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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SuRi moving into position to explore the new site.
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Launch Craft
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Looked like a quiet place for operations.
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Launch Area
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Heading up the valley in the SeaRey on a scouting mission.
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Up River
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Kenneth Leonard - Apr 19,2013
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Looks like lots of opportunity for a box canyon trap. Chile is high altitudes already, right?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2013
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Not such high altitudes here, Ken. This river is only just above sea level. The problem with Chile is that the terrain rapidly rises. A mitigating factor was the amazing topographical data in the Garmin 696. It was flawless in showing box canyons. What it couldn't see, however, were low clouds lying in the canyons. For that I had to rely on an old fashion heads-up display using two Mark I eyeballs.<br /><br />Now, if the old organic computer had used exercised more judgment....well, there would be fewer tales to tell!
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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My passenger for the flight was the Lithuanian masseuse, yoga instructor, mountaineer, linguist and B&B owner…..and that’s just the one passenger.
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5 Hi Audrone
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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Wasn't it Marshall McLuhan who said, 'The masseuse is the massage'?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Back to the fjord, fiord or estuary in search of bigger scenes….like a giant volcano covered in ice field.
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Down River
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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It’s high ice, but not big enough for Audra.
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Mountain Ice
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 16,2013
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Dan, what's the difference between 'high ice' and a Glacier?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Glaciers and High Ice? No technical difference I know of, Frank. (I was being flip.) This is a small glacier, or a solid state river resulting from an accumulation of snow over a long period of time. It’s snow compressed to the beautiful blue by squeezing the air out.<br /><br />There are many types of glaciers in Patagonia, though, including:<br /><br />Indlansis glaciers: Enormous horizontal ice sheets,<br /> <br />Cirque glaciers: Located on the top of mountain ranges,<br /><br />Valley glaciers: Glaciers within well defined valleys,<br /><br />Piedmont glaciers: Valley glaciers that broaden their front on reaching the lowlands, taking the shape of a fan,<br /><br />Compound Glaciers: Multiple lateral glaciers joining to form a larger single glacier,<br /><br />Calving glaciers: Glaciers in contact with water where big pieces fall off.<br /><br />This looks like a Cirque de Glacier to me.<br />
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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The SuRi was still parked in the fjord place. Audra insisted on continuing the SeaRey survey.
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SuRi Parking
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Okay, so at the mouth of the river it does look like an estuary…but the bigger picture has to include the steep walls that surround it.
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Shallows
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Flying up the valley on the Rio Reñihue there was a small ranch with a nice grass strip.
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Mountain Ranch
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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The river was mostly too shallow for safe SeaRey splashing, but it looked a lot better than the trees for emergency purposes.
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Shallow River
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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A lake deep in the mountains looked a lot more inviting for SeaRey splashing.
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Lake Approach
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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A remote, unpopulated lake would have been a great place for SeaReys, but when you are flying with a mountaineer, the only way to go is up.
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Mountains Reflected
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Water leaves the lake and heads out to sea via the short river.
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Leaving Lake
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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It’s hard to leave such tranquility, except when your passenger is so excited about climbing the mountains.
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Parting Reflections
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Do you really want to go up there? Yes!!!!!! (in Lithuanian)
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Over the Rocks
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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It was a rocky pathway up to the volcano.
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High and Hard
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Ummm…this is a volcano? Maybe an ice volcano. Getting into high ice
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Icy Top
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Melting Ice from volcanic glacier took some pretty tall tumbles going down.
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High Falls
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Ice fingers were sorta creeping down the mountain
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Ice Finger
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Nearing the top it looked like a long way down.
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Top Down
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 16,2013
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I don't see Plan B.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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It B a glide into the valley or ice landing.Or, less flippant, there were a few moments where an engine failure would have had an unhappy result. Mostly, however, there were outs. There was risk, reduced only by the priceless maintenance this SeaRey gets. My passenger and I talked about the risks. She concluded she accepts more risk climbing up the mountains. I agreed. If you're gonna go up, best B done by SeaRey.<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or > missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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This ice looked like it was coming down the mountain in sheets!
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Icy Edges
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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On the tip top
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Peak
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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That volcano looks benign enough now. But what a view!
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Darwin got a view of volcanic activity here in 1834. The last known eruption was reported in 1835.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Close up of the cracking ice…some ice “sheet”!
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Peak Ice
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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High in the Andes and on top of the world in a SeaRey. Audra was beside herself. “This is secret world! No one sees but us! Not even high climbers!” Well, yeah, but it’s not so secret in a SeaRey, Audra.
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Top of World
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Looking out over the Andes I couldn’t help but think about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and his book Wind, Sand, Stars. Imagine crossing the mountains in an open bi-plane. It’s almost enough to make one close one’s SeaRey canopy…but not quite.<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or > missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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On pass is never enough….revisiting the top
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Back to Peak
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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What goes up….just chop the power and glide.
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Heading Down
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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See, Frank...power at idle from mountaintop to river far below. Plan B proven.
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 16,2013
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Good to always have a Plan B; actually, that was your plan way back when. I'm just <br />checking. :-)
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Down valley…well, maybe this is an estuary and not a fjord.
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Coming Down Fjord
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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The fields between the mountains were spectacularly green.
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Green Fields
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Returning to the estuaries…..Estero Comau o Leptepu
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Back to Base
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Waiting for wayward SeaReys….it seems that the masseuse was not the only one wanting to explore the mountain.
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36 Home to SuRi
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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(Top photo): I love the color scheme on that SeaRey! And the lettering!
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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When the wind picks up to 40 knots water sport is left to the aquatic specialists. The SuRi’s captain thought so and relocated the boat to a protected cover on the other side of the fjord. “You should join us,” he suggested.<br /><br />Yeah, well, maybe someday.<br /><br />I waited for the wind to abate. It didn’t and it was getting late in the afternoon. Finally I gave in and got a bumpy wet ride over to the SeaRey.<br /><br />Good thing too. The anchor buoy was starting to drag.<br /><br />Nothing to do but fly. I tried to taxi to calmer water by the cliff. It didn’t seem so calm when I got there.<br /><br />One thing about taking off in a big wind is that it doesn’t take long in a SeaRey. And it was a short hop back to the boat.<br /><br />The Captain called: “The owner would like to fly.”<br /><br />Yeah, right. What I really said was, “Not now. Maybe the wind will calm down later.”<br /><br />Just in case I floated in the protected water near SuRi waiting in the SeaRey. Once or twice I thought about beaching. Then I got close enough to see the beach. It was composed of large boulders mixed with soft volcanic ash. Not good for beaching SeaReys.<br /><br />When it seemed to be a bit calmer in the cove, I decided to launch out into the main channel to check it out. Stupid. It was crazy getting back into the cove over the small hills where the air spilled in whirlpools.<br /><br />After getting back on the water and wiping the cold sweat from my face I got another call. “The owner’s wife and her grandson (5 years old) would like to go for a SeaRey flight.”<br /><br />Now, I wouldn’t take two passengers together on a good day. In gale force winds, I didn’t have words to answer. The only reply I could come up with was a quiet “no”.<br /><br />Apparently that was quite enough. I didn’t get called again.<br /><br />Well, I didn’t get called for a guest flight. I did get called because some of the guests had taken Woodacres out into the wind tunnel that was formerly just a quiet channel. It was past sunset and they hadn’t returned.<br /><br />The captain called: “We are quite worried. None of the crew is with them. Can you go look for them?”<br /><br />Let’s see. It’s past sunset. It’s getting really dark in the narrow channel. We’re surrounded by mountains. The wind is still howling out there. What can you say?<br /><br />“Roger.”<br /><br />I was mad. It was stupid to be out in a speed boat at dark in the fjord. I was in the air before I realized it was probably even stupider to be out in a SeaRey at dark in the mountains. But I was already in the air. I decided to take a look.<br /><br />It was not long before I spotted a dim silhouette racing at break neck crazy speed down channel towards the cove. That had to be the victims.<br /><br />I circled overhead. Then I realized it was dark enough that the crazy fast boat might run into rocks or into one of the unmarked fish farm nets. I figured as long as I was out, I might as well provide some navigational guidance.<br /><br />Slowing down so they could follow my lights, I descended towards the water and turned back to the ship. Whether they were following I don’t know, but they made it into the cove.<br /><br />Now the trick was to turn around in the valley without running into the vertical rocks while keeping the wings from going vertical in the swirling wind.<br /><br />Done. (Barely.)<br /><br />The next trick was to land in the dark cove at night. That wasn’t such a trick. SuRi had the cove lit up like Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Easy.<br /><br />I slept well.<br />
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Wet Visitors
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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Oo. That water looks ugly in the photo, Dan, even though the dolphins probably didn't think so. Whitecaps don't show up much when you're looking downwind. And digital cameras can make dark look bright. (But I won't make an easy 'bright' joke here, because no night water landing is something to take lightly, no matter how bright SuRi's lights were and how skillful the pilot.)
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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I remember reading a FAA case file, Don, that concluded landing a seaplane at night on unlit water was careless and reckless operation. Reckless, sure. Careless? No way. I was caring a lot!
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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Whee! I'll bet you were! There are lots of nighttime activities more carefree than a glassy-water landing in whitecaps, with no visible horizon.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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This is what it looked like in the 'protected' area before the SuRi left me, Don.
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Rocking Ruff
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Don Maxwell - Apr 16,2013
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It's hard to tell the scale--but it sure does look wavy to me. <br /><br />Hm... Are minimal whitecaps higher waves in salt water than fresh?
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Eric Batterman - Apr 16,2013
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Nice pics/story (as always). There must be a few pairs of night-vision goggles aboard Suri?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Of course, Eric! The boat has FLIR cameras everywhere (except in the SeaRey).
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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And the helicopter pilot has goggles. He had put his machine away for the night. And, he reminded me that it isn't legal to fly VFR at night in Chile.
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Eric Batterman - Apr 16,2013
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Any photos of Suri's Times Square lights?
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Dan Nickens - Apr 16,2013
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Not from this night, Eric. I was too beat up to handle a camera. Here's one from a less exciting twilight (and without the spotlights).
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Last On
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Kenneth Leonard - Apr 19,2013
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Dan - when they are ready for FLIR in the Searey, I know a guy. Seriously.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2013
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I'm thinking the better course is to leave such advanced rescue capabilities to the helicopter, Ken. Normally it would have been launched in these circumstances. For this occasion it had been put to bed and the helicopter pilot had joined happy hour with the guests.<br /><br />And, furthermore, if the SeaRey had FLIR the boss would want to play day and night!
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Steve Kessinger - Apr 20,2013
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Then the simple solution is a rotary wing rating for you, Dan.
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Dan Nickens - Apr 20,2013
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Considered the possibility, Steve, but it would take more than a rating to operate in the kind of conditions this helicopter does. It would take experience and that would take time away from the most fun flying there is: SeaRey flying.
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Frank A. Carr - Apr 16,2013
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Thanks again for taking us mere mortals along on another scenic journey Dan. Photos are typical: awesome.<!-- >'"><br><font color=red size=6>' or > missing in user HTML. Please fix the HTML.</font> -->
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