UH-60, you'll find the C207 doggy and ground loving compared a C206. I'd go long periods flying a Sled then hop into a 185 or a 206 and go, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, now we're talking." And really enjoy playing in a rocket ship for a while.

But, when it comes to hauling shit, especially bulky shit, in the piston powered single engine Cessnas, you're right back to nothing beats the 207.

Gump

Sounds like old sled drivers are kinda like old sleds. Lots hours on them but they just keep getting the job done. I suspect both have to get their rivets tightened up once in a while.

Yup... Red wine and a good cigar seem to do the trick.

Gump

175 magnum wrote:Sounds like old sled drivers are kinda like old sleds. Lots hours on them but they just keep getting the job done. I suspect both have to get their rivets tightened up once in a while.

Hahaha! Laughed out loud at rivets tightened.


Gump, I love hearing your stories. Thanks for sharing!

Shocked these guys from Anatuvak when I landed to say hi...

Love pics of Sleds with dog sleds.

I have a photo of Hoser I took up in Ambler. He's sitting on the floor at the rear doors of my Sled, looking down at a group of harnessed sled dogs hunkered down next to my airplane while we unload into the dogsled.

Hose, and the sled dogs are looking at each other, all with the same look...

Man, you sure got it good, you lucky dog.

Gump

Don, you sure have great old photos. I wonder if you'll ever take me up on the offer to write some stories down...

Zzz wrote:Don, you sure have great old photos. I wonder if you'll ever take me up on the offer to write some stories down...

Yeah, it's time to give them up you Old Sled. The statute of limitations has surely passed. [emoji6]

Flew one on skis once Story to follow

gbflyer wrote:

Zzz wrote:Don, you sure have great old photos. I wonder if you'll ever take me up on the offer to write some stories down...

Yeah, it's time to give them up you Old Sled. The statute of limitations has surely passed. [emoji6]

Didn't worry to much about ferry permits back in the day....

GumpAir wrote:UH-60, you'll find the C207 doggy and ground loving compared a C206. I'd go long periods flying a Sled then hop into a 185 or a 206 and go, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, now we're talking." And really enjoy playing in a rocket ship for a while.

But, when it comes to hauling shit, especially bulky shit, in the piston powered single engine Cessnas, you're right back to nothing beats the 207.

Gump

The old sleds were killers. Only thing got them airborne was the curvature of the earth. When they put the cuff on leading edge at least it would fly. Was the best $$$ making plane for air taxis ever in the bush.

Well yeah. Like Contactflying trys to get across nowdays, ground effect was the ONLY thing that kept you flying! [emoji41]

Good thing we had miles and miles of empty tundra to wallow across.

Gump

Left FBKS once in sled with 62 cases of beer for Bettles...dam used lots of runway tried to climb over small hills towards north. Nope had to leave little flaps in and fly down to Nenana to get around hills and head north. Landed at Bettles they unloaded 82 cases of beer...she would haul it just wont climb

[emoji849] Way more than once I let rampers (good rampers too) load me up with the weights I wanted only to find I was in a world of shit once airborne. I'd flog through the air heavier than shit, then land and add up the weight once I got where I was going, finding I was hundreds of pounds over my acceptable gross due to a math error.

Problem was the nature of the stuff sent bypass mail. Heavy goes in first, then all the rest of the available room gets taken up with chips, mail bags, and odds and ends of crap for your village agents from the store. There was no way to tell by looking, and even if the tail was on the ground after loading, you were in CG if you could pick the tail up by hand or when firing up the engine.

I always flew full fuel out of Kotz, Barrow, and Deadhorse. On paper I had fuel for the trip ETE and reserve to make the W&B look legal, but in reality I carried max weight, and figured max fuel as a little safety net just between me and my airplane to know about. There just aren't any alternates close enough to help you if you get stuck in a hold for wx, and no guarantee your alternate isn't FUBAR by the time you get there.

A Sled flys a whole lot better a few hundred pounds over gross than it flys a few hundred pounds shy of fuel. And lots of gas keeps a guy from getting dumb and scared before he has to get dumb and scared.

Gump

Kind of figured if I could lift tail holding brakes at 1500 RPM would be good to go. Rear pax in last and out first. Lot easier on floats just look at heels of float see how far down they look. After awhile u can tell how CG is. Hard to load a floatplane out of CG...won't get on step...great safety factor for us dummies

Saw Hank Rust talking to an FAA inspector once...FAA guy asked how do u determine WB ? Hank said I draw a line on float heel. FAA guy said what do u do if u go over line. Hank thought for a bit and said I draw a new line...

GumpAir wrote:[emoji849]

A Sled flys a whole lot better a few hundred pounds over gross than it flys a few hundred pounds shy of fuel. And lots of gas keeps a guy from getting dumb and scared before he has to get dumb and scared.

Gump

Pure gold right there!

U guys are killing me. Don't stop!

More of this thread please...

Crzyivan13 wrote:More of this thread please...

Please please please!

Geez Gump these guys want more....Not sure we can tell the real stuff

Wow you guys were bandits, shame on telling these stories.