Crzyivan13 wrote:Looks awesome on Bushwheels Battson!

I always enjoy your photos and TRs. NZ is on my list.


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Roger that, on the big tires, good to see you saw the light and made them happen! It made me nervous seeing you on those little ones.

As an aside, I heard a story yesterday, that I can't share the details about, but suffice to say a Bearhawk was the star of the day, it's STOL and load carrying capability being put to great use to help out another pilot.

We took another flight across the water to go diving, a few weekends ago. Here's a couple of shots of the machine in the air, taken on the way over.
To my eye, the 31" tires look really exaggerated in these shots. I think they must inflate more at higher altitudes, that and not having the aircraft's weight upon them.

It's amazing that they don't slow us down more, at the same fuel flow it's really only a few knots. Or I can go another 0.5 L/hr and go the same speed. I am toying with the idea of reinstalling some 8.00s to check the airspeed difference.

To be honest guys, the 31s aren't taking me places I couldn't go before. I could go more risky places, but that's not on the agenda very often. They are added cushioning and extra insurance against unseen obstacles for now. The 26's are a capable tire too.





Here is the catch of the day, all caught underwater with spear or hand.

Man those Bushwheels look great!

Hunting season rolls on, we're getting amongst it using the Bearhawk.
Tough this year because our weather has been so consistently wet and windy.

Here the dawn is breaking as the remnants of a cold southerly front clear. The plane having weathered the storm with double tie-downs.

At the head of the Landsborough valley, at Kea flat. We had a decent load aboard and it was challenging to get in and out.





The airstrip's condition is basically an unimproved surface with clumpy tussock grass, slightly uphill to the north. The surface's quality along it's length varies greatly. It's about 650 ft long, but half is pretty rough.

There is a shallow swampy gully mid way along about 2 feet lower than the average height of the airstrip. A small creek drains through it. You'll see the big "bump" on camera as we roll through the creek. Before the gully the surface is extremely rough and only fit for tundra tires. North of the gully is smooth but very slippery in winter.

Running off the strip is likely to lead to undercarriage failure almost immediately. The tussock grass is about 3 feet high and very clumpy. There are several large rock piles hidden in the tussock, which originally marked the airstrip boundaries. Some rocks are just a foot or two off the airstrip. Just north of the gully, there an embankment formed by the creek, which has been dug away to form the airstrip. Tread carefully.

A short clip of the Bearhawk cruising over Cook Strait, between New Zealand's two main islands.

We recently took a friend's Maule on a hunting trip down into South Westland. It's winter over here, which means clear skies and smooth sailing one side of the country, and low cloud / rain on the other side.

On the way south we stopped at Okarito Lagoon for a breather. Ran into some friends with their family, they also run a Maule (M5 180hp on 29s I think, but not pictured).







Then we were off to go hunting.


We managed to find a small red deer and spend a very cold night in the Arawhata valley. The gravel landing was a delicate affair for the stock tires on the Maule.




Regrettably, on the way home we got stopped by weather.

We weren't able to get back into the low lying plains on the far side of the country due to low cloud and rain. We made several attempts by travelling up and down the mountain range looking at different passes, but it was socked in everywhere. It made for good flying in the still conditions, but our fuel reserve was a consideration.

We had to leave the plane at a high country station at Flockhill, and travel the rest of the way home by road.

Later in the week, we flew back in the Bearhawk to retrieve the parked Maule, ahead of a heavy snow forecast for the high country. Conditions were still not ideal, but there was enough of a clearance before the snow to get get the job done quickly.










We left a thank you message for the local runholder, who gave permission to leave the plane on their property.

The photo embed isn't working...

DeltaRomeo wrote:The photo embed isn't working...

Looks like you have to be logged into the Bearhawk forum in order to view, since that's where they're hosted for Battson.

I need to resurrect this thread, we are still flying all the time, posting photos is just proving a challenge....

Here is the Bearhawk lying in the remote tussock country of the Central South Island?

Sorry about the hairy goat blocking the view...

Here are some photos from a winter hunting trip also. The Carbon Cub was a nice addition.

Yet another winter hunting trip - this time into the western side of the country;

Flying south to the location, three big guys with winter gear and lots of firewood aboard


Tied down at the cabin / hut, got the fire going straight away... cold!


As we were landing a thick fog was just starting to impinge on the airstrip, it was a little unnerving as we didn't have fuel to muck around. Next diversion was back to civilisation.


That evening and the following morning we went hunting in the forest for red deer. We found a few.


It was a beautiful still morning. Cold.


Flying home meant climbing out of the steep valley, with limited fuel. We saw some other hunters on the mountain tops.




After refuelling in the central South Island at Pukaki airfield, we are on track direct for home.

Miscellaneous off-airport flying photos from the winter:











The view from our hangar - sun low on the horizon this time of year!

Yet another hunting trip to yet another spot. I'll keep the blood-sport of the forum.





And another hunting trip...





And another.......

Photos from the local AOPA backcountry fly-in, you're seeing a North Canterbury landscape this time. This is what I love about New Zealand, such short distances between such diverse landscapes:

Awesome pics Battson, looks like you had a bit of hunting success too.

Looks like NZ is very similar to British Columbia, but I'd heard that before so i shouldn't be surprised.

When you say cold, how cold are you talking? Is that lake frozen?

albravo wrote:When you say cold, how cold are you talking? Is that lake frozen?

That lake is just glassy flat, unfrozen.
The lowest average temperatures we see at the coldest settlements in winter are around freezing, most populated areas stay well above that.
The highest mountain valley lakes freeze solid for the whole winter, but most of our lakes will remain ice free all year round.

Nice pics, Batson. Keep them coming!

(Too bad the hosting site logo is so prominent and blocks so much of the images. I don't understand why they put it right in the middle of the picture like that. It makes me want to avoid their service like the plague...)

JP256 wrote:Nice pics, Batson. Keep them coming!

(Too bad the hosting site logo is so prominent and blocks so much of the images. I don't understand why they put it right in the middle of the picture like that. It makes me want to avoid their service like the plague...)

Thanks

(Yes I totally agree, I can't stand Photobucket. The idea of fixing over 10 years worth of links is not agreeable, otherwise I would drop them like a hot potato!)

I finally ditched Photobucket. Most of the watermarks should disappear over the next few weeks.

Here is a trip report from a late season fishing trip:

We left at first light and got there with good time. We landed in a small clearing and tied down despite the wind.

We walked down to the river. The river is in quite a canyon, and that makes for more settled fly fishing conditions.


The fishing was picturesque.


Some token photos of the catch, Rainbow Trout both. We caught a lot. All fish were released back unharmed, for the next time.