Wow, very nice picture. How about starting a new topic with that?

richpiney wrote:Wow, very nice picture. How about starting a new topic with that?

Seriously? Or did I offend someone again, I can delete it?

When installing my skis (2012) Wip had just digitize new CAD plans and I was one of the first customers to use them. It was a steep learning curve for both the company and myself. I found plenty of errors, and on top of it Cessna185 rigging was shipped instead of the Scout. Well, I am a newbie at skis and it was painful and a bit dangerous installing them myself. Then flying with just advice from MTV and others whom I learned to read from. My insurance company didn't require time or a sign off either. So off I went and the picture tells the story.

Phil's three hour drive through beautiful Alaska is trivial in my opinion compared to the challenges and screwups I faced in 2012 on my first install. The closest support was in St. Paul 2K miles away, a 30 hour drive. There was no other A&P(s), just little old me, a telephone and the net.

C3000As are hydraulic and integrate into the float scheme (all new stuff to me) C3000As also, are physically rather large too (for a Scout) because they are originally for higher gross weight Cessna aircraft. Scout, was an afterthought. But, unfortunately the Scout takes an 8.5 tire and the skis need to fit it. ACA will not OK smaller tires. It turned into an amazing journey, touching down on snow. Snow is a tough game for me in any capacity.

Got a nose fork from them years ago. Prompt service. The axle tube wouldn't fit, holes in the fork were .015 undersized. The company's claim was that it couldn't be their issue, the parts builder was ISO - whatever certified. So we turned the .015 off the tube and went on. One could argue that the Cessna part was oversized I suppose.

Phil, we call it "Alaskatude". Hard to get used to. I've thankfully found that aircraft places have a smaller dose of it, but it's still there. Relative Cheechako here, only been 22 years in country.

Glad it worked out. I would have been fit to be tied.

MTV is right, if they are that choosy they should have asked over the phone.

And what is with the people that flame a guy for posting a bad experience? On my favourite hunting forum a guy posted a pic of a scope he had mounted by a gunsmith. It was about 15 degrees twisted. Bunch of people jumped all over him for besmirching a hard working gunsmith and said he should have sorted it out with the gunsmith, not the online hunting community.

Horsehockey! If I pay you to do a job and you screw it up it is up to me what I do with that information. Especially when exacting tolerances are required. Don't tell me I should bring a faulty part back after I drove 6 hours... double check your work and make sure I'm not wasting my time or you may get a reputation for shoddy work.

My own experience with the Airglas nosefork was a good one (they even threw a pair of nomex gloves into the box) but I appreciate the data point of Phil's experience.

albravo wrote:...And what is with the people that flame a guy for posting a bad experience?...

If anyone flamed Phil, I didn't read it.

Nothing wrong with Phil relating his poor experience, and nothing wrong with other people pointing out that perhaps there's more to the story.

A person would have to be phenomenally thin-skinned to consider that getting flamed.

Barnstormer wrote:I sourced what I need for a traditional ski install (sans bungees) at Stoddards. Awesome company, super helpful, fine people.
http://www.stoddardairparts.com

I've also now seen what Carbon Concepts did on his own skis, all the hardware weighs less then a pound. Will probably do something similar.

Also posted this at SuperCub.org and numerous guys have told me they'd make what I needed, or knew other places to get it, or showed me what they did. That is what I've grown to love about aviation, especially backcountry aviation, with very rare exceptions we are a brotherhood willing to help each other out if we can. In fact I can say that Airglas is the first exception to that I've ever run in to. It appears from others posts that they are "less then helpful", even for those that do have their skis.

And yep I'm experimental so can do what I want, and I will. Keep an eye out for posts about my new skis and their install. Got another 2" of snow this morning and the sun is out again!

Agreed, I'm constantly blown away by how far out of the way others in aviation will go for you without having met them ever before. really is a rare thing and I always try and keep the karma going around if I can.

Also agreed sounds like BS but as a few others mentioned the few dealings I've had with the guys at Airglas has been really great, super helpful without feeling the pressure of a sale. Sometimes you just get someone on an off day though and don't know whats going on in the background.

Why loose a new customer over an alleged dispute with another aircraft enterprise? Explain the problem that goes with supporting another competing business then make a friend by saying were here to help and hope you come to us first next time for your product. I've had that happen but it takes maturity to deal in a positive attitude in that situation.

Been here over 52 years and have seen both sides of the Alaskatude from old timer Alaska dudes. At one time local vendors in Southeast, Kodiak, and the Interior staked out their business specialities and made it hard on new competing startups. Eventually they'd learn to get along and pass off work and parts they realized others could supply that weren't profitable or too time consuming.

Now with Internet website exposure many local businesses are having a hard time making it. Not sure about Landes' business model but selling a few ski rigging parts might make a new customer want to return.

Gary

Barnstormer wrote:
Childish and petty. And piss poor business conduct.

Childish and petty is whining about it on multiple forums trying to flame a long time alaska business that has provided nothing but stellar products to backcountry pilots for a long time.