Still more drought flying here in the Hill Country of Texas. I should need floats for this picture.

last saturday actually:

More bottom of the lake stuff. Takes early morning flying now unless you like getting you ass kicked.

certainly cant miss that red prop mate! great photos!

DrifterDriver wrote:certainly cant miss that red prop mate! great photos!

Yea kinda embarrassing. But better then the alternative - no prop. Thought about taking some Krylon rattle can paint to it but my new prop should be here in the next week or two. Besides it's kinda fun listening to folks tip toe around it in conversation, not wanting to hurt my feelings when they first see it. Of course my favorite is "No, I really like that red prop on your plane".

(Forgive my spelling, and the low Rez iPhone pics... Trying Tapatalk and it's early)

Got up to ANC on Wed. My buddy Larry flew down from Faibanks and picked me up in his 180hp c170.

Thurs am we headed out into the bush for two days... Headed south to Seward, down Resurrection Bay and around Cape Resurrection and landed at Whideby Bay Beach for lunch, explored Prince William Sound, down to Cordova for fuel and low lvl down the beach to see the shipwreck wreck, camped at Cape Yakataga, fire, beer, and a good night sleep on the beach. Up over the costal range in the AM into Wrangell St Elias, crossed the Bearing Glacier, then Bagley Ice field and down the Tana Glacier. Down the Tana river drainage and landed at May Creek for lunch. Down the Chitina drainage (tried to find Nizina's place then up the Copper to Gulkana for fuel, wi-fi, snacks and a tan (70 degrees and sunny!). Followed the Glenn Hwy to Tahneta pass to Matanuska glacier then down the Matanuska drainage over Palmer and into Lake Hood.... 2 days of epic WX and awesome flying! Now headed to get my crisp new BCP hat. See some of you at the show today!

Isn't that coast awesome, bigrenna? Looking up to mountains 15,000 ft high from the ocean beach is unreal.

Ice went out of the bay a few days ago!

Nice pictures, Greg. I bet that was a lot of fun.

BRD, that's only the second 170 I've seen on amphibious floats.... I wonder what the useful load is?

Great pics and sounds like an awesome adventure! Jealous!!

BigR should have said you were going could have hooked you up my brother, he has a 185 out there and was at the show today, heading to Kodiak for a bear hunt tomorrow, he would have enjoyed some New England company

I jumped in the plane yesterday just to get an aerial pic of my neighbor's above my place new 3 KW grid tie solar system (the larger array in the rear, on the roof he already had hot water panels) that I installed for him. We had just wrapped things up an hour earlier. Then I got side tracked (tracked, get it?) by a train passing by in the valley 1,000' below. I know a lot of train drivers', and I like to escort them now and then. So, a high speed dive (triple digits!!) from my neighbors and then a level off exactly at 500' above and a slow down to 45 mph and I stayed glued right over the locomotive all the way through Inkom. Don't know why, I just like doing this A variation of the "putting the plane shadow on a highway" trick, I played around with various angles but I missed the money shot. Another oncoming train.... and I tried to get the plane right in the exact spot between the two trains closure spot but alas, the damn sun didn't cooperate and the angles were wrong.

Then today, coming back from a 30 mile flight I was again along the interstate, and noted a Land Cruiser pulling some kind of oddball travel trailer. I think it may have been a manufacturer's kayak traveling road show or at least it was being driven by some hard core river rats, judging by the number of boats strapped to the tow rig and the trailer. One of those rigs you see going down the highway, that no matter what the area of interest is or equipment on board, it is obvious they are WAY into it, probably live in it full time, and are having way too much fun! Then I realized that right up ahead is one of my ag ponds I water ski in, not really a lake, just a couple hundred yard long pond with a few inches of water in it during the spring, so I zipped on up ahead and cranked a 180, skiing the length of it, and the timing was perfect. If the river rats were looking anyway, and I think it would be hard to miss, they got treated to another type of water play

After work Cathy and I flew out to the Lopez Island for an over night camping trip.



There are 2 campsites to pick from, Spencer Spit and Odlin. Spencer Spit (lower left corner) campsites are not very private and out in the open. Odlin looked a lot better.



A special thanks to Ron Fowler (BCP Redbaron180) for loaning us his car to get to the campground. Got camp set up & Mountain House for dinner



Evening view from the campsite.



Exploring the area in the morning. Looks like the campground is protected by this little cannon.



While on a walk through the forest we met the friendly Lopez giant.



Sailboat camping looks like it would be fun too. Sure is beautiful out here.



Later that afternoon foul weather was on its way in. So it was time to say good by to Ron & Rochelle and fly home. By the way, they have a beautiful vacation cabin for rent. Flying over Deception Pass.



While flying over NAS Whidbey Island I was gawking at the F-18's doing touch and go's
This was a fun little camp out during a window of good weather. Now its back to the rain.

MSPA was last weekend:

Great pics, BRD!

Thanks Rob! I have no idea what useful is on that blue/polished 170. But I'll bet it isn't Otter like...

bigrenna wrote:

Damn it, Larry, you better join up! Great adventure, guys. I wish I could have gotten out into some of that.

I went flying with Cory (grasstripilot) to an un-disclosed location today. Great fun!

amacbean wrote:I went flying with Cory (grasstripilot) to an un-disclosed location today. Great fun!

Hmmm... that looks familiar...

Hmmmm, yes.... We had coffee at a VERY SIMILAR undisclosed location a couple mornings ago.