Side note: i will have to share some of those stories, pictures and videos at a later time but the things we accomplished with those airplanes was downright amazing between hauling crazy external loads of lumber or boats and pretty much anything else you could think to cram in or tie on the floats or stuff inside on someone’s lap. I’m sure this nothing new for some of y’all, but for a southern kid from NC without a clue that airplanes could perform these tasks, well, I was shocked to say the least.
Having said all that, I started formal training in my mid 20s during my time in AK and I flew as much as I could in the off season until the money ran out never getting around to finishing my license. During my guiding season(s) I got a decent amount of right seat time in the 206 on Aerocets which was fun but humbling compared to a 150 on wheels. In hindsight I wasn’t as focused as I should have been with an opportunity like that but I had a lot of fun and learned some great lessons from some amazing AK pilots. Hindsight is 20/20.
From there, life got busy for me and things got back-burnered without a PPL. I always managed to fly a couple hours a year with my original flight instructor who was this eccentric Vietnam helicopter mechanic who amazingly would always kind of let me pick up where I left off, albeit it, very rusty in most cases. He had a vagabond we used to chase turkeys and deer with and I think I was one of the only students he had that enjoyed that type of flying, so we always got along and enjoyed our time together. Anyway, these few hours a year were always enough to keep the fire burning for me.
Fast fwd about a decade; I got married, started a business and had a pair of twin girls. Off airport aviation was still tugging at me though, so I got back on the horse and got going again last fall. My previous instructor had retired so after awhile of sifting through pilot mills with which I was consistently displeased, I got hooked up with a good instructor with only a couple students who had a pretty extensive background in off-airport work. He is in his 70’s and has been there, done that, and has a great sense of humor and a wonderful outlook on life. Spending time in the cockpit with someone who lacks either can make for boring and/or laborious training sessions, so I’m glad to have found this fella. The only hiccup was that finding a decent bird to train in was somewhat tough. So I quickly jumped head first into the airplane market.
After hours reading all the mission requirements and pros/cons threads folks have listed here, an early model 182 seemed to make the most sense for me. I, like most was looking for the balance of speed, off airport capability and useful load. I was pretty set on a straight tail but the market was so out of whack, I couldn't ever find a bird that had a decent price for what it was. I looked for about 8 months and finally settled on a 1960 182C after a lot of research and a good pre-buy. It wasn’t a straight tail but had manuals flaps, a decently high stance and the third window which I really liked. TT was about 5k, Paint and interior were redone recently and the engine had a fresh overhaul. Avionics were mostly original minus a GNC250xl but that was fine with me. With all the new technology hitting the market, a fresh motor was more important to me than 10yr old ‘new’ avionics. Seems like used GNS’s are getting easier and easier to come by at decent prices anyway with everyone upgrading to GTNs and the like.
My plans for the old girl are somewhat up in the air at this point. My immediate concern is to deal with my panel. I’ve gotten a refurbed GNS530W and SL30 to pair with a GTX345 and GMA345 which will round out my radios. G5’s will likely compliment. I’m still deciding between a JPI 900, MVP-50 or two CGR-30s.
From there I’ll work towards the obvious mods, starting with BAS harnesses, 8.50s, airglas nose fork (already got Cleveland’s), sportsman and vgs. Maybe some other goodies too like chrome rims and a winch.
In the meantime, I’m burning a ton of gas and learning the airplane. She flies straight and tracks true from what I can tell so I’m very pleased at this point. Im also surprised at how slow she will fly with the big flaps, no stol kit or vgs. As I build time and experience there’s plenty of grass strips, bean fields, sandbars and cow pastures that I have my eye on here on the NC coast. From there, who knows what adventures will find me. My brother lives in Hailey, ID and I still have close friends in SW AK......oh the possibilities.
I hope to continue to learn from you fellas and share some of my experiences in the process. Glad to be here!
Few intro pics....
They stuck the two “vintage” birds together on the ramp.
The backyard. We have about 15 miles of uninhabited beach and marsh 6 miles south of the field. Keeps things interesting, at least for now....
My instructor and I on the ferry trip home from West Texas where the old girl came from....
My two twins girls, one of whom is intrigued by ATIS. As we left the ramp today and walked past a CJ that had just powered up, one of them looked at me and said, “daddy, me no like jets.” Warmed my heart a little....hahaha
