The Good Life

Spring has finally arrived and given way to summer. The ice is gone, temperatures are on the rise, and the sun has been brave enough to show itself on occasion. The quiet stillness of the early morning is often shattered with the roaring whine of an aircraft departing the bay or the airstrip.  This brief interruption of solitude is brought courtesy of yours truly, unleashing 300 ear shattering horses on the pristine Alaskan wilderness.

Take-Off Run

On the Move

Landing

Peaceful Beaver

Slow Down Sister

My oldest daughter has always shown the most interest in doing the things her papa does, from taking a nap to flying an airplane.
On our last trip back home from Palmer she got to sit in the copilot seat. She was excited to be able to control the airplane, the only trouble was she was sitting a little low to be able to see over the instrument panel. I used my hand as a "flight director" so she would know when to turn, climb, or descend. Using this "technique" she was able to navigate us through the mountains of Lake Clark Pass. We also would take turns pointing out any and all waterfalls we would see along the way.

My Little Copilot


"Flight Director" working with the "Autopilot"

A Guide to Marine Life

With the acquisition of my float rating, I have the opportunity to guide for the lodge with the float-plane. This can mean flying down to Katmai or Funnel Creek to do bear viewing, or just "lake hopping" in search of some good fishing and beautiful scenery.

Bears at Katmai


Anticipation


Lucky


Leftovers


Glad to not be on the menu


Fan Creek on Lake Kontrashibuna


Fishing at Fan Creek


The Creek's View


Fishing at Kijik Lake

Float

One of the items on my "to do list" has been to get a seaplane or "float" rating. I started to learn in a floatplane when I was a kid, and have always been intrigued by them.
This Spring I started picking up a few pointers here and there, and by the end of June I was able to take a checkride and received my rating.

The plane I used was a highly modified Cessna 180 with Aerocet 3500L's. The engine has been upgraded from a O-470 at 230hp to an IO-520 at 300hp, which really makes the plane perform well on the water. Since getting my rating, I have flown the company's other Cessna 206's as well as continuing to fly the "180". Floats, like Skiis, open up many more opportunities, as now the lakes and rivers become fair game.


Me and the Cessna 180 on Aerocets


Landing


One of the 206's


Step Taxi

Free

The last weekend in September our family got tickets to see the Broadway Show, The Lion King, in Anchorage. This was the first time I had flown my entire family together anywhere, and the first time our youngest had flown at all with me. The weather was beautiful for both 1.5 hour flights, although we had to wait on fog the morning of our return trip. For those of you who haven't seen the airplane, below is a picture of it with our load for the trip back home. We had all five of us, the pile of gear which included a bicycle, and two extra gas cans with room to spare.

The "Grocery Getter"