Ugh. You were at the wrong place. City actually.

Not really. A friend had a failed alternator once in FAI, and I talked to every mechanic around trying to get someone to change it for him. I finally convinced a mechanic friend to inspect it and sign it off if we changed the alternator ourselves. Everyone was too busy to help this guy.

I was pretty embarrassed by all the "very busy" mechanics around FAI that day.

It happens, and then again, I've seen mechanics drop what they're doing to help someone out.

MTV

I have seen my instructor/FBO owner here in Utah send a couple tired pilots to town for the night in his brand new pickup he had owned less than a week. And he only gets a new truck every 15 years or so. The week my buddy and I spent in Fairbanks in March getting my plane ready to come home I felt like it was a different world. We were treated like criminals until we proved otherwise.


Sounds like an awesome trip though. Were the rainbows big old hogs?

It's like QMDV says...

The more numbers and the fewer the letters in an airport identifier, the nicer the airport...

Gump

My dad always said you could always tell a nice town by looking at the city limits sign on the way into town. If the elevation exceeded the population it was a good place.

Interesting thread...

I was in ANC last Friday week [beginning of the long weekend] and it was the sunniest day for ages the locals kept telling us...



Passed this beauty as we made our way to the ramp...



Have to say found everyone friendly from ATC, hotel staff, taxi drivers to the vendor selling absolutely delicious caribou sausages outside the old Federal Building...

Spent the afternoon wandering around Lake Hood where we met some really great people, including a really nice lady who was off in her C180 floatplane to her cabin...fully armed also, so hope that the bear who had been making a nuisance of himself around her cabin had mended his ways...

Friendly ladies at the Museum mentioned an Oktoberfest there on the 23 rd Oct...

Many different types around including this Courier and of course plenty of C180/185s..




.


Heading off to the Millennium Hotel for beer and halibut we passed this C180..window open...keys there, ready to go...don't think he/she realise how badly I want those wheels and cargo pod for my 180...



Great evening watching about 80 floatplanes depart..sure is some lucky people in that area...



Next day was a chance to see the glaciers to the east of ANC...

That C180 with the cargo pod is my old airplane. Paid 11K for it many, many moons ago. It didn't look like this back then!!! O-470 with 2 blade. No cargo pod. 8.50 mains. And lots of dried mud covering a tan paint job. I haven't seen this airplane in decades. What a rush of memories.

Gump

180driver wrote:

Oh, I don't know...maybe it's just me, but when I'm out and about and need an oil change, it's pretty inexpensive (considering how much money one spends on av-gas to adventure from the US. through Canada to Alaska, or what it will cost to have the aircraft ferried up for next year's trip) to go ahead and hire the mechanic to change the oil instead of borrowing his stuff and then expecting him to take and pay for disposal on used oil.

You'll find a lot of kind AK residents, a little common courtesy goes a long way.

Think about it.

gb

GB,

I would have gladly PAID for an oil change and in fact we asked every shop if they would change the oil for us. The repeated answer was they were all too busy to accommodate us! I even offered 20 bucks to borrow a bucket and still no dice! I agree that "a little common courtesy goes a long way" which is why I was so shocked that we were extended NO courtesy by anyone at hood. I mean we were just two backcountry pilots that like to get their tundra tires dirty... trying to get a 20 minute oil change... just trying to make it honest... and we got as warm a welcome as a terrorist trying to smuggle an AK-47 through security at LAX. You think about it.

I'm sorry, I guess I missed the part in your first post about trying to get a shop to do it for you...my apologies.

I'm a long, long way from Lake Hood, but I have visited there in the winter time. I found there to be several busy shops, but never had any trouble getting some cooperation. Sorry you had a bad experience.

gb

I guess times are changing, here are a few stories from the Anc Daily News today. Can't tell u how many peanuts I ate at Coots

http://www.adn.com/2010/09/12/1450828/o ... ct-in.html

http://www.adn.com/2010/09/12/1450874/t ... melee.html

http://www.adn.com/2010/09/12/1450850/p ... crowd.html

More trip Photos:

How about letting me follow along next time? That looks awesome

Next time you come up I will gladly let you use a bucket and some hose to change your oil. Heck, if its raining out and I have room in the hangar I will let you get in out of the rain.
If you need someone to ferry your plane up, I know several starving pilots that would love to do it.

Great pictures. I love Alaska!
In our advancing years, are trying to get there every 2-3 years.
this was one of my favorite stops in 2008. http://vimeo.com/5652280

Great pictures and sorry about your experience at Lake Hood. We were there for 3 weeks in June and had just the opposite experience. We were members of the Alaska Airmen's Association and docked at their dock, no charge. The girls treated us great and gave us good advice freely and the occasional useage of a courtesy car. I ended up having a well known mechanic/shop, "Ski", do a little work on my plane. He hauled the 185 out of the water and stored it there for no charge except for the work he performed. While there I had a radio problem and had Northern Lights Avionics trouble shoot the problem. They came out to the plane and could not find the problem and did not charge me ANYTHING!!! I was not charged one single tie down or docking fee and we were there over 2 weeks. I can't wait to go back and I am not even talking about all the pilots that befriended us.

FloatFlyer wrote:Great pictures and sorry about your experience at Lake Hood. We were there for 3 weeks in June and had just the opposite experience. We were members of the Alaska Airmen's Association and docked at their dock, no charge. The girls treated us great and gave us good advice freely and the occasional useage of a courtesy car. I ended up having a well known mechanic/shop, "Ski", do a little work on my plane. He hauled the 185 out of the water and stored it there for no charge except for the work he performed. While there I had a radio problem and had Northern Lights Avionics trouble shoot the problem. They came out to the plane and could not find the problem and did not charge me ANYTHING!!! I was not charged one single tie down or docking fee and we were there over 2 weeks. I can't wait to go back and I am not even talking about all the pilots that befriended us.

Ford Didn't know you were in Pahrump-

Bill, actually all I have there is a mail forwarding service. We need to go to the golf course for lunch again! Stay warm.

FloatFlyer wrote:Bill, actually all I have there is a mail forwarding service. We need to go to the golf course for lunch again! Stay warm.

Park in front of Hanger we'll go from there. Golf course is good--maybe go down to ranch and go to Rosie's for some chili and lotto tickets .

Zane wrote:

180driver wrote:Kevin, as some on this site would say... my plane is not a "real" 180. It's actually a '59 C182B that has been converted.

I think you're thinking of another club/site that is notorious for that sentiment.

Zane, Not all of us on that other club/site feel that way either. Mike