Excited to announce that my new to me Bearhawk is home! This all began a short time ago with the intentions of searching for a new bush plane for Idaho. I knew I wanted to go experimental, and I knew I had to have 4 seats, the rest was in the air. After extensive research, I made the decision to purchase a Bearhawk, I was not in the position to build at this time (that will come later) so finding a prebuilt out there was the new challenge. There just happened to be 3 for sale in the Phoenix area, and with friends in that area, calls were made and visits set up. All three were fine planes and all three were very different. It set my sites on Cathy's bird down in Tucson, made the offer, and got it done. Thanks again Cathy, I know it was hard to let her go.

After getting checked out the next day for insurance purposes, my friend and fellow pilot Mike due to weather, departed in the afternoon, and began our trip north to Idaho. A real chance to shake down the aircraft and get to know her better. And what an amazing flight, and adventure it was. We headed north splitting Prescott and Flagstaff due to weather in both of those area's, once clearing the snowstorms in Flagstaff we were forced to head Northeast towards Page, low ceilings would not allow us to reach high enough altitudes for the VFR corridors to cross the Grand Canyon. So we skirted around the Eastern edge of the canyon and split Page and Marble Canyon.

Weather cleared North of the Grand Canyon, so we headed back Northwest in route to Bryce Canyon. Needing a bathroom break, we landed in Bryce canyon, topped off the main tanks, and continued our journey North. Flying the canyons over Panguitch, Junction, Richfield, we finally excited the canyon lands over Delta, and followed the dunes North for our night stop in Tooele UT, where I had family to visit, and we had some free room, and board.

The next morning Mike headed to Salt Lake to catch a cattle car home, and I headed to the airport to load up for the last leg back to Idaho. But when I arrived to the airport I realized the bottom had fallen out on the temps that night and air temp was hovering around 26F, this plane was not going to start, and with no engine and oil heaters to plug in (this aircraft has been living in AZ) I had nothing to plug in anyways, the airport was dead, no hangars to pull in, and no FBO. I figured I was done. As I sat trying to figure out what I was going to do, I walked around to see what I could find, and low and behold what did I find, and old propane BBQ grill, and a crappy lighter. I decided the most Alaska thing I could do was try and see if I could get it lit and heat the engine from underneath. And that's exactly what I did, I just prayed there was enough propane to get the job done (Sky Dive Utah, when ya open back up in the spring, I owe ya a $20) I slid it under the nose after getting it lit, popped the cowls just a little, monitored and waited, after about an hour and a half, and a mad hankering for burgers, I got CHT's and oil temps up to 55F, put everything away, cranked the engine and set off.

Great story! Always fun to figure out the quirks of a new airplane

Good job. You have the first one out of the way.

Wow, what a trip. Good on ya for setting setting your new plane down safely. I bet your the most fuel conscience one among us now
I'm glad this had a happy ending.

good point

Halestorm wrote:Great story! Were there any feds around? Do you think they read posts on the internet? Just saying...

What would the feds have to complain about?

I feel like a key part of this story has now been edited out and I'm really curious....

Copy that.

Me too!

Great story welcome home safe to you and your bird.

Years ago we learned the hard way that the feds do read BCP. Many of you may remember one member in particular having his certificate revoked for a period of time after he shared some makeshift backcountry repairs to a damaged nosewheel.

I read the original post here and it was a friendly suggestion from Halestorm that the OP edit it. It sucks to not have a true safe place to share experiences that we can learn from, but even worse is to get a certificate action from the FAA.

That safe palce does exist. It's around the campfire at Johnson Creek in August. See you there.

Fill out a NASA ASRS report and repost the story. Sounds like a good story with a lesson worth sharing...?

Thanks men, yep upon further council, things have been redacted and "names changed to protect the innocent", but to those around the fire I will tell the story again, NASA report filled, and upon conclusion, maybe I can post here again, sad to say but so go life right?

Dont them sneaky feds know that this is all fiction and/or hearsay?

Mountain Doctor wrote:That safe palce does exist. It's around the campfire at Johnson Creek in August. See you there.

Indeed. All the better to try to get together in person with your friendly BCP members.

I’m confused
Was it the grill?

Sierra Victor wrote:I’m confused
Was it the grill?

Gee, if he decided he needed to edit it out, why would he re-post it now? That might be "careless and reckless" in and of itself...

Sierra Victor wrote:I’m confused
Was it the grill?

RCMP have been dispatched to apprehend the propane thief. Canada!!

Edit: Why was I under the impression this took place in Canada? Anyway, the grill preheat was my favorite part.

Zzz wrote:

Sierra Victor wrote:I’m confused
Was it the grill?

RCMP have been dispatched to apprehend the propane thief. Canada!! [emoji38]

Edit: Why was I under the impression this took place in Canada? Anyway, the grill preheat was my favorite part.

Haha! Shame on you, the RCMP has way more important things to do.

I did enjoy that part. The whole story was a good one. Congrats on the new plane!

Zzz wrote:

Sierra Victor wrote:I’m confused
Was it the grill?

RCMP have been dispatched to apprehend the propane thief. Canada!!

Edit: Why was I under the impression this took place in Canada? Anyway, the grill preheat was my favorite part.

Metal garbage can lid and a bad of Kingsford. That's the Alaska way. Works on old Ford pickups too.