North Pole Journey 2010
2010 Route
The following path taken in 2010 covered 7,976 Statute miles in 9 days.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
049 53'58" N 097 08'21" W (CYWG)
Winnipeg was initially known as Fort Rouge in 1738, and is now a city of 663,617 inhabitants.
Hawthorne Aviation
Global Aviation Services
Winnipeg International Airport
This airport served 3.4 million passengers in 2011. It is the most iconic airport terminal in the world.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
058 46' 09" N 094 10'09" W
Churchill is near the Hudson Bay, with a population of 813, first settled in 1619.
The Town of Churchill
Churchill was a critical stop for refueling. I arranged for the purchase of 220 gallons of 100 LL fuel here at $12/gallon. It was delivered, as promised, in four 55 gallon drums.
Polar Bears Everywhere!
Churchill is the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Resolute Bay, Nunavut, Canada
74 41'51" N 094 49'56" W (CRYB)
Located above the Arctic Circle.
The Hamlet of Resolute Bay
The hamlet of Resolute Bay from a neighboring hilltop with the Northwest Passage in the background. Located above the Arctic Circle the record high temperature here have been recorded at 65.3 F and a record low of -62.0 F.
Eureka, Nunavut, Canada
79 59'20" N 085 56'27" W (CYUE)
Founded in 1947, only 600 nautical miles from the geographical North Pole
Eureka Research Facility
Eureka is the second-northernmost permanent research facility in the world. At it's peak in the 1970s there were 15 staff. Today 8 staff rotate in the facility. Only 600 nautical miles from the geographical North Pole with a record high temperature of 69.6 F and a record low of -67.5 F.
Midnight Sun
The settlement sees the midnight sun between April 10th and August 29th.
Landing Approach at Eureka
After 12 hours of flying, I make my approach to the gravel runway at the Eureka Weather Station on Ellesmere Island.
Eureka International
The staff of eight work at this facility. I'm greeted by a stout gentleman who announces he is the Mayor, Sheriff and Undertaker. We load up and head to the Weather Station by pickup truck.
THE GEOGRAPHICAL NORTH POLE
90 00'00" N (BINP)
The North Pole is the northernmost point on the earth, lying diametrically opposite the South Pole.
Ten minutes after launch
Resolute Bay weather conditions: 400 foot ceiling. The visibility was like I've never experienced. Here is an image on top of the undercast as I broke out at 6,000 feet.
DESTINATION: 90 DEGREES NORTH
A view of the Arctic ice cap, from the starboard side of my plane as I circled the North Pole on July 27, 2010.
Compass Behavior Passing Magnetic North
My compass swings wildly as I pass the Magnetic North Pole several hundred miles to the West. Magnetic variation here renders the compass useless. Fortunately my Garmin 430 GPS provided reliable navigation all the way to the North Pole.