BALTIMORE-SEPT ISLE- IQALUIT- KEFLAVIK-PARIS

B AND I FLEW FROM BALTIMORE TO SEPT ISLE ON THURSDAY 7 JUNE WHERE WE FUELED AND TOOK OFF FOR THE LITTLE KNOWN NATION OF NUNAVUT NORTH OF THE ARCTIC CIRCLE. DAYS AND NIGHTS DO NOT MEAN MUCH WHEN THE SUN NEVER REALLY GOES DOWN. IT GETS GREY FOR A FEW HOURS BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND TWO AM BUT YOU DON'T NEED A FLASHLIGHT OR ANY LIGHTS TO GET AROUND.

I HAVE BEEN FLYING THROUGH IQALUIT FOR MANY YEARS, FORMERLY KNOWN AS FROBISHER BAY. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THERE TEN MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR IS BY PLANE SINCE THERE ARE NO ROADS OUT OF TOWN AND THE BAY FREEZES SOLID. THEY SAY THE ICE BREAKER SHIP CAN'T MAKE IT UP HERE THIS YEAR UNTIL THE END OF JULY OR EARLY AUGUST. THEY ARE ASSURED OF SIX WEEKS OF SHIPPING LANES BUT HOPE TO GET AN ADDITIONAL FEW WEEKS THIS YEAR IF THE ICE BREAKER WILL STAY AND KEEP THE LANES OPEN.

ALL THE JET FUEL AND ALL OTHER FUEL FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR MUST ARRIVE DURING THAT SIX WEEK PERIOD AND LAST THE ENTIRE YEAR.

HOW BEAUTIFUL AND PRISTINE THE AIR IS AT NIGHT AND IN THE EARLY MORNING. BRANDEN AND I WENT FOR OUR USUAL WALK. IT IS SUCH A JOY TO BRING BRANDEN. IT IS SUCH A JOY TO SEE THE REACTION PEOPLE HAVE TO BRANDEN. IT BRINGS SO MUCH JOY IN TO THEIR LIVES AND THEREFOR JOY INTO MINE. HE IS UP TO 140LBS AND AT THE GEORGETOWN VET CLINIC WHERE HE WENT FOR HIS TEST AND PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS. I TRIED TO THINK WHY BRANDEN BRINGS SO MUCH JOY TO OTHERS. MY THOUGHT IS THAT HE IS JUST OVER SIZED THEN ANYTHING THEY EXPECT IN A DOG. HE IS LARGER AND GRANDER THAN WHAT ANYONE EXPECTS OF A DOG...AND PEOPLE NEED A BREAK FROM REALITY ONCE IN AWHILE. EVEN IF IT IS JUST IN THE FORM OF BRANDEN GIVING A KISS. HIS KISSES ARE ALSO OVER SIZED.

WE STAYED OVERNIGHT AT THA FROBISHER BAY INN WHERE BRANDEN WAS VERY WELCOME. SINCE WE GOT IN QUITE LATE WE DID NOT PLAN TO LEAVE ON FRIDAY 8 JUNE FOR SANDROSTROM GREENLAND UNTIL 1 PM IN THE AFTERNOON. THE SUN NEVER GOES DOWN THIS TIME OF YEAR AT SONDERSTROM SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHEN YOU LEAVE FROM A DAY/NIGHT STANDPOINT.

I HAD TROUBLE WITH UNIVERSAL AVIATION AND AS A RESULT THE TAKE OFF TIME BECAME SO LATE THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE SONDERSTROM WHEN THEY WERE OPEN. I DECIDED TO SKIP SONDERSTROM SINCE THE WINDS WERE VERY FAVORABLE AND FLY DIRECTLY FROM IQALUIT TO KEY..DIRECTLY. NO PROBLEM ON THE FLIGHT. THE PROBLEMS BEGAN WHEN WE LANDED AND CUSTOMS ABSOLUTELY REFUSED TO LET BRANDEN ENTER ICELAND EVEN IN TRANSIT. I KNOW THAT YOU ALL KNOW THAT THE AIRPLANE IS THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED STATES AND THEREFORE HE CAN STAY IN THE AIRPLANE. HIS TEN HOUR BETWEEN PEE PEES CAME IN HANDY BUT SO DID A VERY NICE ICELANDER NEAR MY AGE WHO WAS OUR HANDLER. HE GOT US MOVED TO THE OLD UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BASE NOW ABANDON EXCEPT FOR MINOR USE BY THEIR TINY ICELANDIC AIR FORCE. HE WENT TO GET US FOOD AND SAID TO ME...WHAT CUSTOMS DON'T KNOW WON'T HURT THEM. I WILL BE GONE AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE AROUND FOR MILES. BRANDEN GOT HIS EXERCISE ON THE AIR BASE AND WAS HAPPILY BACK ON US SOIL BACK IN THE AIRPLANE WHEN PEOPLE ARRIVED. WE SLEPT IN THE PLANE...QUITE COMFORTABLE ACTUALLY NOSE TO NOSE WITH BRANDEN TUCKING HIS LITTLE NOSE UNDERNEATH MY BIG CHIN OR WAS IT HIS BIG NOSE TUCKING UNDER MY LITTLE CHIN.

I DECIDED TO SKIP NORWAY AND FLY KEFLAVIK TO PARIS SINCE THE WINDS WERE PERFECT. EVERYTHING WAS GOING ALONG FINE UNTIL WE WERE APPROACHING THE UNITED KINGDOM LEAVING SCOTTISH TERRITORY AND THEY GAVE US SO CALLED .833 FREQUENCIES AND PILOTS WILL UNDERSTAND. AND WHEN WE COULDN'T BRING THEM UP THEY MADE US DESCEND TO 27000 FROM 39000 THE HIGHEST ALTITUDE PERMITTED IN EUROPE FOR PLANES UNEQUIPPED WITH .833 FREQUENCIES. HOWEVER WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH .833 FREQUENCIES BUT I HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED ON THAT SUBJECT OR FORGOT IT AND THEREFORE WE LANDED AT LONDON'S LUTON AIRPORT FOR FUEL.

UPON LANDING I CALLED ROGER WHITE ONE OF THE TOP PEOPLE AT CESSNA WHO IS SPONSORING THIS TOUR AND THEY PROMPTLY GOT ME IN CONTACT WITH THE GARMEN 1000 EXPERT. IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES WE CONVERTED KLAHADELLA I NAMED THE MUSTANG AFTER MY TWO LOVELY GRAND DAUGHTERS ADELE AND CLARA WHILE SLIGHTLY GERMANIZING AND ITALIANIZING THE NAME.

THE LONDON PARIS CORRIDOR IS AS BUSY AS THE WASHINGTON BOSTON CORRIDOR AND B AND I WORKED VERY HARD WITH ALL THE TWISTS AND TURNS BUT MADE IT TO PARIS ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET.

THE CESSNA CITATION SERVICE CENTER AT PARIS LE BOURGET AIRPORT GAVE US A GRAND WELCOME. WE SHALL REST IN PARIS UNTIL MONDAY WHEN WE ARE OFF TO MOSCOW VIA WARSAW. KEEP THOSE PRAYERS COMING OUR WAY AS WE CROSS 6,000 MILES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. - BRANDEN AND FRED