Flying and critters

We are shocked by the tragic airport incident at LaGuardia. When the helicopter and jet plane collided (Jan., 2025), NTSB did an amazing presentation about who does what, the issues they will examine. If you are interested in the process. People, and media are jumping into the fray, with speculation. We have to wait. 900 flights a day...

The problem with investigating the incident is getting the experts there. The protocols include having many agencies with standing in the investigation. Canada is involved as they were a Canadian plane, Canadian crew, had Canadians on board, and it is a Canadian-built plane. It is a joint effort. With Newark having had an issue, and slow lines in airports, and the administration firing 400 FAA senior officials, the TSA head, and 3,000 air traffic controllers in Jan., 2025, policy choices have consequences.

Back to your regularly scheduled topic. Let the professionals do their jobs. 

Lots of critters out and about.

Butch was back. I finally cleaned up and brought it indoors! Twice bitten, once shy! They are hungry. They do like to explore! Butch on the deck📹, June, 2021. 

 

Yes, I still have my lights. They'll be Easter lights now!

This pair are a hoot. Momma has snow on her head. The fawn has antler nubs, it must be a male.

We've had 6 hanging around.

The birds have been back, out singing in the snow and cold. Complaining, methinks. I wrote a story about Eddie and Eva, geese who seemed to have flown north too early!

 

 I told many stories about Eddie and Eva (e.g., SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009 "It's your fault", a story about a snowy day!) This was a pair who returned all 4 years we lived there year-round. (April 2006 - September 2010). They returned with offspring and had happy times. 

Some bird nabbed lunch, March 2025. I've been throwing peanuts out for #75. 

The frog pond was frozen. Now it is frozen again. March 20, 2025: 

Good Bunny Labbit is hopping about!

   

 Butch is on clean up duty! In a snowstorm...

 

Snow day Sunday!

That was a storm. It lasted from Saturday afternoon to late Sunday night. I woke Sunday to a lot of snow on the back deck. I wanted to shovel it to get to the 'rain' gauge. This was 7 a.m., vs 10:30. 

By the afternoon my work was for nought!

I had to do the driveway, even during the storm, as it gets so deep at the highway, and slushy from the heat of the tire friction, that it is slushy. My snow bank!

Can you see the snow blown off of the roof? Drifting snow is a problem.

When I was done, I was somewhat snowy. Many thanks to Jean in New Zealand, I was wearing one of her warm toasty mufflers. I was quite relieved to grab another shower and lunch.

 

🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬 🌬

🛬There was a horrible crash at Toronto's Pearson airport Monday. A jet from Minnesota flipped over after landing. People were hurt, but of those 21 people were taken to hospital, all survived. One thing one has to remember when you are travelling south you need to have warm clothes on you in an evacuation. CBC has posted an article with photos.

We have lots of people who will investigate it and determine what happened and prevent it in the future. I wrote about the NTSB investigation in the U.S. of a plane/helicopter crash. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will investigate, following protocols, and will invite the NTSB and/or the decimated FAA from south of the border. The plane is laying upside down on the tarmac, covered in snow and burned. Two runways are still closed.

Things to remember, when you are given a minute to evacuate and your plane is on fire, don't to  an Instagram post to show us you using the emergency exit. Just sayin'.

Lots of crews responded

This is an interesting read from the Weather Network, about the winds at the time.

Winds may have been a factor...

Just in case you are worried, you should be. I'll just leave this here!

🛩 'Controlled flight into terrain'

Most of my US-based blog friends have voted. We will watch the news with baited breath from this side of the border.   🤞 It's been a wild ride. It will have an impact on Canada, and Canadians. One candidate doesn't understand how tariffs work. We spent 4 years confronting this. He doesn't understand the supply chain, the cars, for example, are built in both our countries, with different plants creating different parts of the while. He doesn't understand that businesses put the cost of tariffs onto the consumer. It's that simple.

Deep breath, people. We shall see what unfolds.

I was awake at 4:30 yesterday. Today I slept in until 5:30, I was so happy! 

I like watching and tracking flights, as my faithful readers know! I spotted this plane, C-GSGV, and tracked it. Well, you may laugh, but I was proud of myself. Between a secondary cataract in my left eye, and floaters in both eyes, I thought I did well. 😏 

Once I was back indoors, and looking at the radar, there was this one, Nov. 3rd: N331RF:

N331RF - Cessna 208B Grand Caravan [208B0754] - Flightradar24 .

This one was a bit strange, as well! KASI AVIATION SERVICES, from Quebec.

🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩 🛩

 🛩 'Controlled flight into terrain'

Now, to my title piece, the OPP released this information:

A pilot from Elizabethtown-Kitley was able to walk away with just minor injuries after his small plane crashed near the Smiths Falls Airport. Officers with the Lanark County OPP responded to the Russ Beach Airport, just east of Smiths Falls, shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2024. A pilot had been conducting a training flight, simulating repeated take off and landing maneuvers, when the Cessna 172 lost power and crashed about half a kilometre from the runway. The pilot, who had been alone in the plane, was able to walk to the Smiths Falls Flying Club’s facility. The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) was notified of the crash.

I had to look it up. Of course! 😎 

 I tracked the flight: C-GPTW. You can see where the track ends 500m from the airport. The pilot must have had a time getting back to the airport through the bush. This is a plane I often see around. It belongs to the Smiths Falls Flying Club. 

The Canadian government TSB investigates incidents. 

☔It's been cold, and rainy. Snow tires are on. We're ready. Today, however, we begin with a warm front from the US. Last week it was a cold front from the north! 

The lightning, and tornadoes are epic. I feel so badly for people affected by the weather on this continent, and across the pond.