Coming back to Canada

May 5th was a far easier day. How pleasant to hear the Syracuse tower controller say, "Canadian Foxtrot Papa Tango November, wind calm, cleared for take-off!" The cloud ceiling was 8000ft overcast, so plenty of room for us underneath, flying IFR all the same because that is the easiest way to file a flight plan across the border.

Syracuse lay below and behind us and I was rather sorry we hadn't been into the city to see what was there. It used to be known as Salt City, after the settlers had found some salt in the swamps round about, but gained its status as a worthier place once the Erie Canal, aka Clinton's Ditch (a reference to the New York Governor of 1817), had been built through it. The area is also famous for the help it gave to runaway slaves on their way to freedom in Canada, on the Underground Railroad.

No lack of visibility anyhow, so that we could see the Oswego cooling tower on the lake shore and even a hint of the Canadian shore in the far distance. Towards Watertown sunny patches on the coast indicated that the clouds were thinning out further and breaking up as we progressed northwards past the waypoints WIFFY, WEEPY, PAGER and BRUIN. It was less than an hour's flight to Kingston, coming into Canada across Wolfe Island, now the home of a huge, wind farm which hadn't been there last time we flew this way. The 86 turbines look interesting from the air but are something of an eyesore once you get on the ground and see them from near Kingston.

It was a relief to return to Canada! We never feel quite so much at home in the States, friendly though the people down there always are. Again, when it came to the point, our crossing of the border was completely trouble-free. We had some super views of downtown Kingston as we crossed the corner of the lake, descending towards the airport. When we landed, no CANPASS officer turned up to check our plane or our persons since we had phoned in with all the requisite information. Presumably they believed Chris when he said that all we'd bought over there was a bag of crisps (chips). Actually he forgot to mention the new vacuum filter, but that hadn't cost much either ($21 ... not counting the cost of its 3 hour fitting, of course!). Once the allotted time had past we climbed out of PTN and went to sit on the rocks by the lake.

The very last leg of our trip, Kingston to Rockcliffe was flown VFR for a change, the weather being so fine by now. Marie-Ève the dispatcher heard Chris' voice as he announced his approach towards CYRO and replied, "Papa Tango November, welcome back, Chris!"

Meanwhile George, having said goodbye to us the previous morning, was also zooming home, across the Pacific in his case.