Day 32 Fishing at Red Lake

Today Jack spent the day having some R&R with Braydon at Red Lake.

This is Jack's message with the picture: 

 "I caught 2 pikes to Braydon's 1, finally was better at something than B" 

I am told there is a picture coming of the actual fish but the internet is  bad and the pictures aren't going through. Maybe just another big fish story?

For those of you who do not know the connection between Braydon and Jack, I will give you a quick update.  

When Jack was taking his flying lessons at  Principal Air - Flight Training  ( Jeanette, awesome teacher)  he met Braydon and they clicked.   Braydon was the 20 something year old son Jack did not have. Now don't be mistaken, he absolutely loves his girls but a guy is a guy and girls often don't speak their language. So Braydon became Jack's flying partner, putting in hours first on the training plane then later in GEJG. Those two put in a lot of flying time together, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, as Jack did not  have to do much paperwork with Braydon there ( you can imagine Jack's happiness!) and Braydon got flying hours to qualify for his commercial licence. Win, win.

 Braydon was successful at getting his commercial  ( he is a very good pilot) and got a job this summer at Whitewing Resort flying the plane of his dreams, a supercub float plane. His job was to fly into lakes in the area to pick up  trapped minnows used for the local fishing lodges. He was so pleased to have this job. (I hope to give you an accurate account here).

One week ago, while taking off from a smaller lake, he got caught in a huge down draft and his plane went down.  This is called a weather phenomenon.  The plane crashed into the trees and ended up in a bog.  Braydon does not remember the crash but does remember waking to the smell of l/AV gas and burning sensation of chemical burns. He was covered in it. Now the next sequence of events are a testimony to Braydon's training and level headedness. He turned off all electrical, rolled out of the plane into the boggy water, removed the clothes soaked in gas, rinsed as much gas off his body as possible, took a picture of the side of his head to see where he was bleeding from to put pressure on it and got out his emergency pack. Radio soaked in fuel but he turned on elt and the search and rescue came, a Hercules circled until a helicopter came to lift him out of there and to the hospital in Dryden. It took several hours and Braydon was every mosquito's dream, out there in the bog with few clothes on.

Jack's comments are, Plane write off but newer and better one coming - the owners of the plane/lodge are saving his job for him as they very much appreciate and respect Braydon as person and pilot. He's loved by many people in town - people walking up to him and hugging him.... Everyone  has been super supportive and thankfull that Braydon was able to be airlifted out by herc plane and helicopter . Very fortunate esp as was doused in av gas! Took off clothes got into water .... Got chewed by hundreds  mosquitoes!!! Bad  -even with netting but I think he was in bit of shock and just glad to be alive - national safety board  investigated, say cause, weather phenomenon downdraft  no further investigation required.  Braydon lucky and smart / trained . 

We are so thankful that he kept his wits about him. The Whitewing Resort owners Bobbi and Dave have been so good to open up a cabin for Braydon's Mom and Jack to stay in. Jack is glad he was able to visit him and as Jack said "to have a day of normal things like fishing!" The next few days or perhaps week will mean some down time for Braydon as he waits to get the all clear to fly again. Every day he seems better and Jack's hearing his laughter again and that's reassuring !  Braydon keep your wings up!! thinking of you as you get back in Left Seat and look forward to our next get together! 

Jack off to St Andrew's, Manitoba in the afternoon for his own bit of excitement there tomorrow.

Flying seems to be both exhilarating and dangerous but then so is driving in downtown Vancouver most days!

So happy GEJG has so many flying hours under his belt already and is on the home stretch. Stay safe. 

Hugs to the Fly Boys

posted by Jo