Bonanza Man wrote:Father says to daughter "your ass is too big". Best line of the show last night.

I couldn't believe I heard that. I backed it up and recorded it with my phone so I could show it to my wife. Funny...

Sure looks dark and COLD! I think I will stick with Georgia...
(sorry for the double post....can't delete it)

One of today's loads to Takotna. I had to ask the recipient if they bought a house in Anchorage and decided to ship it out.
There's a lot of room in these pigs with the co-pilot seat, pedals and yoke out...
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Sure looks dark and COLD there! I think I will stick with Georgia...

Today's the solstice. Tomorrow ought to be 4 seconds longer than today. We've rounded the corner and spring's on the way back! Small consolation but a welcome event in every Alaskan winter.

All the time I spent up there, Winter was by far my favorite part of the year. The best light, the best time for seeing critters, and the best flying.

Absolutely nothing in my flying world beats the last leg of the last flight of the day. Heading home on a dark Arctic winter night. Air thick and cold, unbelievably smooth. Tundra Telegraph playing out all the local drama and BS on the ADF listening to KOTZ. And the Northern Lights starting their nightly dance, seen as they should be seen. 100 miles from the nearest human light, so absolutely nothing dilutes the splendor. A lot of nights bright enough to where I could shut down all the aircraft lighting, and let the aurora reflect off the snow and bounce up onto the bottom of the wings and illuminate the cockpit. Unless you've seen it that way.... You just don't know.

Giving myself goosebumps.

Gump

Hells bells Gump..... I never knew you were a closet poet.
Your usual dry, to the point prose has given way to a nostalgic bit of travel down memory lane.
Must say, I enjoyed it.
Winter that far north does indeed have a stillness to it that is hard to describe. The odd thing is, you almost remember it as being silent up there on that last leg.... when in reality, we had no noise cancelling headsets... Nice to remember it that way. Happy solstice.

I'm a dumb Swede. That SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) where people get all screwed up by the darkness.... I got the opposite. I come alive when it's dark and cold out, and get this primal joy being out in it. Especially out flying in it.

Gump

If it's so fantastic why did you leave?

Diabetes. Lost my medical three days before Christmas 2003 when I jumped into ANC to see Doc for my flight physical. No medical. No job.

Gump

Alaska doesn't discriminate against diabetics. There's more to life than flying. Best wishes for your continued well being.

Tell that to the FAA. Three year f**king battle and lots of $$$$ in doc visits and lab work later I am back with no restrictions other than glasses.

I went back Summer 2007 to Bethel, but Bethel ain't in the program anymore. Can't do the frat house pilot house living, nor do I care for that area. When I retire from what I'm doing in NV now in a couple more years, I'll probably wander back to Kotz to play.

Gump

Long Day in Barrow
Noon

1 P.M.

2 P.M.

2:30 P.M.

Sew...

Tweto puts his two daughters in the back of his Cub, a move Ive seen elsewhere and I've always wondered.. are Cubs officially 3 seaters ??? or does it matter if your under gross or ???

Ive always believed that each passenger over 2 years of age must be in their own seat and belt but I must be wrong because our Chief Pilot just bought a '75 Maule M5 that has one large seatbelt that stretches across the entire back seat.

All the time I spent up there, Winter was by far my favorite part of the year. The best light, the best time for seeing critters, and the best flying.

Absolutely nothing in my flying world beats the last leg of the last flight of the day. Heading home on a dark Arctic winter night. Air thick and cold, unbelievably smooth. Tundra Telegraph playing out all the local drama and BS on the ADF listening to KOTZ. And the Northern Lights starting their nightly dance, seen as they should be seen. 100 miles from the nearest human light, so absolutely nothing dilutes the splendor. A lot of nights bright enough to where I could shut down all the aircraft lighting, and let the aurora reflect off the snow and bounce up onto the bottom of the wings and illuminate the cockpit. Unless you've seen it that way.... You just don't know.

Gump that sounds freaking amazing.

During my undergrad years I spent just a summer working for King Salmon Lodge in PAKN. What a job! The next summer I decided I needed to buckle down and go to summer school so I could finish in 5 years and I never went back to AK.

Should have spent an extra year in college.

SixTwoLeemer wrote:Sew...

Tweto puts his two daughters in the back of his Cub, a move Ive seen elsewhere and I've always wondered.. are Cubs officially 3 seaters ??? or does it matter if your under gross or ???

Ive always believed that each passenger over 2 years of age must be in their own seat and belt but I must be wrong because our Chief Pilot just bought a '75 Maule M5 that has one large seatbelt that stretches across the entire back seat.

Is it a PA-12, modified with flaps and other accouterments? They have three seat belts.

Is that the PA-12 withthe crosswinds STOL modes?

We have another thread of the exact same name (come on, guys...) where we talked about this. I asked the same question. Enjoy some deja vu.

viewtopic.php?p=92385#p92385

Most PA-12s have a single lap belt across the rear seat. I've never seen one with two belts. Mine has a single full-width lap belt plus a single Y shoulder harness in the center that's for the typical lone rear seat occupant. Shoulder restraints in back are unusual.

Many Supercubs have a third seat mod added. Not applicable to the plane discussed here apparently but for those who asked if Supercubs can legally carry three people? The answer is often yes.

Just watching the latest episode.... looks like the 180 either got converted to a fuel injected IO-520 or possibly 550. The commentary of it costing $20K raised my eyebrows! If anyone knows where I can take my plane in alaska to swap my O-470 for an IO-520 with new 3 blade prop for 20 grand I will fly up there tomorrow!

Yep $20,000 sounds pretty cheap $45,000 to $50,000 is more like it