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Polar Pilots
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Polar Pilots are a group of six private and student
pilots who promote recreational flying across the southern half of Baffin
Island in Canada's Northwest Territories. Operating off of the eight thousand
foot hard surfaced runway at Iqaluit (YFB), we fly our 1971 Cessna 172,
CG-OLJ, across a three hundred mile radius from our home base. Polar Pilots
recently constructed a three thousand square foot hangar. Cold storage
space is available for visiting flyers.
Bert Rose talking with friends and waiting
to take OLJ flying
We are interested in supporting recreational
flying in Canada's Arctic. We are available to consult about sight seeing
flights to Pangnirtung and Broughton Island, gateways to Auyuittuq National
Park; York Sound home of the Terra Nivea and Grinnell glaciers; Lake Harbour,
access point to Katanalik Territorial Park and Cape Dorset close to the
Mallikjuak Territorial Park.
Mitch and Mary camping "under the
wing" at Yorke Sound
Summer flying in south Baffin is glorious - 24
hours of light from the beginning of June until the end of July encourages
flying at all sorts of odd hours. Visiting pilots have quickly learned
that Baffin's communities are separated by long distances and offer virtually
no flight services. Briefings are advisable before considering flying to
Baffin Island. Flights north from mid-June through mid-July offer the best
opportunity for uninterrupted travel in light aircraft. The month of April
may provide excellent, if frigid, flying weather.
Cam ( on the left) gets OLJ ready
for an early spring flight
Iqaluit is a frequently used stop-over point
for Trans-Atlantic flyers. Community facilities support both the overnight
visitor en route to Europe and visitors to the Eastern Arctic. Iqaluit
is a plane watchers delight - annually we see everything from C5As to fleets
of European airshow teams.
Iqaluit hosts a permanent Forward Operating Location
in support of the Canadian military. Canadian F-18's visit the community
several times per year.
What are Iqaluit's Facilities?
The Iqaluit airport was constructed by the American
military in fifties as a component of the North American Defence Strategy.
The runway 00/18 is equipped with ILS approach systems. Available fuels
include 100ll, jet A-1 and jet A-2.
Three commercial airlines, First Air, Kenn Borek
and Air Baffin, are FBOs. First Air offers daily flights to Ottawa and
Montreal on Boeing 727s with connections to Greenland and the western arctic.
Northwest Territorial Airlines and Canadian Airlines currently offer twice
weekly service from Edmonton on Boeing 737s.
Iqaluit is a community of 4,000 comprised roughly
of 2,500 Inuit and a mixed non aboriginal anglophone and francophone population
of 1500. Of particular interest to visitors are the Unikkaarvik Visitors
Centre with its multi-screen audio visual diplays related to life in
the Eastern Arctic, the Nunatta Sunaqutangit Museum with an extensive
collection of Inuit art and the Iqaluit Centennial Library featuring
the Manning Collection of publications relevant to the North. The headquarters
and Nunatta Campus of Nunavut Arctic College, the Canadian Arctic's
only post secondary institution with its library featuring the Pilot and
Hochelega historical collections are important historical sources for researchers
and visitors. Retail services are provided through nearly a dozen stores
and restaurants. Accommodations are offered by four hotels and two bed
and breakfast operators. For the hardy, the Sylvia Grinnel Territorial
campground is a 25 minute walk west of the airport. Taxi service is readily
available around town. Several local galleries offer excellent selections
of world famous Inuit sculpture and prints.
Pat runs through a pre-flight before
going flying
Our members are:
Other recommended Flying Links include:
For information about Nunavut, which in 1999
will become Canada's newest Territory have a look at:
This page was last updated; May 9. 1997.
