Bert Rose with OLJ in the hangar

Pat Nagle getting ready for a local flight

Cam McGregor (l) getting back from a local flight

Mitch Gingras and friend camping out with C-GOLJ at York Sound, about 120nm south of Iqaluit on Frobisher Bay.

We’re a small group of private pilots operating a 1971 Cessna 172 C-GOLJ from CYFB (Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada).  Click here for a map of Nunavut.

Original partner Cam McGregor picked the name Polar Pilots when our group got together in the early 1990s.

Bert Rose put up our original site in 1996 or so.  Our flying is mostly limited to the south end of Baffin Island… north for most, but not for the true polar pilots. 

Here’s a great story from The Guardian about the guys who fly Twin Otters right to the top of the world… the true, unsung heroes of modern northern flying.

And Paul Nopper (see also our memorable visits page) writes an interesting narrative about his first trip up this way.

Who are we anyway?

Flying in Iqaluit has quite a history… from the USAF in the 1940’s and 50’s...

to the RCAF in the 60’s…  to civil aviation today… 

Visit the Pinetree Line website for more photos and stories of military aviation history in Frobisher Bay

The “old” terminal building at CYFB—now First Air’s cargo terminal, minus the tower on the left which was torn down a few years ago. This photo from 1960. (Photo: Doug Consul)

US Air Force  C-54 on the apron and a C-119 landing  at Frobisher Bay - March 1948