Bluegrass Airlines, September 2009

 

QIKIQTANI COMMUNITIES TOUR

By Allan Lowson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qikiqtaaluk Region or Baffin Region is an administrative region of Nunavut. Qikiqtaaluk is the traditional Inuktitut name for Baffin Island. Nunavut means 'our land' in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit. Its inhabitants are called Nunavummiut.

 

The region consists of Baffin Island, the Belcher Islands, Akimiski Island, Mansel Island, Prince Charles Island, Bylot Island, Devon Island, Cornwallis Island, Bathurst Island, Amund Ringnes Island, Ellef Ringnes Island, Axel Heiberg Island, Ellesmere Island, the Melville Peninsula, the eastern part of Melville Island, and the northern parts of Prince of Wales Island, and Somerset Island, plus smaller islands in between. The regional seat is Iqaluit (population 6,184). It contains both the northernmost and southernmost areas of the territory.

 

Before 1999, Qikiqtaaluk Region existed under slightly different boundaries as Baffin Region, Northwest Territories. The total area of the region is 1,040,417.90 km˛ and the total population is only 15,765.

 

Given the scale of the region, we will be “just” touring the communities on Baffin Island together with the two on Melville Peninsula. Most of these communities are served by Canadian North with Dash 8 aircraft. The two which are not are Arctic Bay and Nanisivik.

 

The Canadian North scheme is available at www.flightsim.com as anxcgrgo.zip and you will need the base model which is contained in either dw8qnaha.zip or dwd8q200.zip, but you can fly anything you like on this tour.

 

It would make life a bit easier if you are able to use the NDBs along the way. As we are so close to the Magnetic North Pole, you will need to keep an eye on your course between communities. A constant magnetic heading will not take you where you expect to go. Following the NDB needle will be more reliable. Only one airfield, Artic Bay CJX7 lacks a NDB and it is just 7.5nm along the peninsula from Nanisivik CYSR. The total length of this tour is 1606 nm, so something faster than a Cessna 172 may be advisable if you want to visit all the communities!

 

If desired, you may download an FS9 flight plan:  here

 

 

Community Name

ICAO

Heading

Distance

NDB

IQALUIT

CYFB

254

0

YFY 204.0

KIMMIRUT

CYLC

335

65.0

YLC 277.0

CAPE DORSET

CYTE

016

195.8

YTE 332.0

HALL BEACH

CYUX

027

294.9

UX 378.0

IGLOOLIK

CYGT

033

37.4

YGT 241.0

ARTIC BAY

CJX7

162

227.0

YSR 382.0

NANISIVIK

CYSR

157

7.5

YSR 382.0

POND INLET

CYIO

184

119.0

YIO 214.0

CLYDE RIVER

CYCY

204

222.0

YCY 256.0

QIKIQTARJUAG

CYVM

253

200.9

YJI 237.0

PANGNIRTUNG

CYXP

252

93.0

YXP 218.0

IQALUIT

CYFB

0

160.6

YFY 204.0