Gotta love flying in Alaska….

[Anomaly]

Thought some of you might appreciate this:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=84 ... 93&fref=nf

[Soñadora]

that is just too cool

[Panope]

I was expecting to see a left hand turn signal flashing away.......

Steve

[SloopJonB]

Surely, even in Alaska that's not legal?

[LarryHoward]

Surely, even in Alaska that's not legal?

What? Stopping for petrol illegal?

[Panope]

Surely, even in Alaska that's not legal?

I have driven around enough in B.C. to know that, although illegal, making a turn onto a road without signaling is completely accepted behavior

Steve

[SemiSalt]

Felicitated by a paucity of powerlines.

[JoeP]

In the town of Kodiak there is an airfield aligned end to end with a narrow lake. Float planes use the lake and land planes use the strip. There is a road that runs across the adjoining ends of the lake and strip. Needless to say it is not a 4 way stop. Occasionally someone will turn up the runway thinking it is the road which turns to parralel the runway on the other side.

IMG_20141107_212935.jpg

[cap10ed]

In the town of Kodiak there is an airfield aligned end to end with a narrow lake. Float planes use the lake and land planes use the strip. There is a road that runs across the adjoining ends of the lake and strip. Needless to say it is not a 4 way stop. Occasionally someone will turn up the runway thinking it is the road which turns to parralel the runway on the other side.

IMG_20141107_212935.jpg

Chubb Island in the Bahamas has the same problem. The airstrip doubles as the road to the club house. Stop sign with a notation. Look both ways and UP before using the runway.

[SloopJonB]

Surely, even in Alaska that's not legal?

I have driven around enough in B.C. to know that, although illegal, making a turn onto a road without signaling is completely accepted behavior

Steve

That's not really a valid comparison - Vancouver has the worst, most incompetent drivers on the planet.

The proof is that they can't drive in the rain.

[Rob McAlpine]

Crop dusters in west Texas use the farm-market roads to take off and land pretty routinely. The first time I was coming down a road and found a plane coming right at me it was pretty exciting. He just hopped over me. Turned out I knew him, he had an oilfield service company and did crop dusting on the side.

Rural life is different. We take for granted things that city people think are nuts. The reverse is also true.

[derekb]

It is legal in many states on some roads. Idaho, Montana, Washington, Texas and Washington all have (or had when I last looked) some areas it is legal to land on roads, typically if the county authorizes it. Most state laws exempt the airplane from laws for things like bumpers etc.

The following is taken directly from the Montana Code; MCA 67-1-204 (3)
Lawfulness of Flight and Landings:

Aircraft landings and takeoffs from public roads in this state are
lawful if proper safety precautions, as approved by the governing
jurisdiction of the roads, are taken prior to the landing or takeoff,
except as otherwise provided in this section. However, the local
governing jurisdiction may not incur liability as a result of an
approval under this subsection.

[Soñadora]

so, what are the big, bouncy tires for?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13NubUmsBXk[/youtube]

[kimbottles]

The first time I flew with an Alaskan Bush Pilot I was pretty sure I was going to die.

But he wasn't the least bit concerned, of course, all in a day's work.

[SloopJonB]

No wonder the death rate is 20 times higher there than in the rest of the world!

If they have to touch down on water to get enough room to roll out, how do they take off again?

Like this?

http://www.wired.com/2011/05/video-youn ... mpetition/

[Olaf Hart]

http://bangshift.com/bangshiftxl/man-au ... tory-ever/

[floating dutchman]

No wonder the death rate is 20 times higher there than in the rest of the world!

If they have to touch down on water to get enough room to roll out, how do they take off again?

Like this?

http://www.wired.com/2011/05/video-youn ... mpetition/

The landings are very skilled for sure. But that take off. Is that even possible?

[Ken Heaton (Salazar)]

No wonder the death rate is 20 times higher there than in the rest of the world!

If they have to touch down on water to get enough room to roll out, how do they take off again?

Like this?

http://www.wired.com/2011/05/video-youn ... mpetition/

The landings are very skilled for sure. But that take off. Is that even possible?

1st Place Bush Class is at about 4:40 in this video 1st Place, Alternate Bush Class is at about 7:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvT5LMhvogw

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvT5LMhvogw[/youtube]

[Panope]

I like the final plane of the video. Talk about stripped out and light weight. No wingtips. No engine cowling. No fabric on the aftter fuselage. No tailwheel.

Steve

[Ken Heaton (Salazar)]

A friend built one of these this summer.

This video isn't his but is the same model:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zDo7hkmCNY[/youtube]


Specifications
Wing Span 31' 3"
Wing 114 to 147 sq.ft.
Mean Cord Length 55"
Height 7' 5"
Length Folded 21' 8"
Width Folded 8' 6"
Adjustable Seats 2
Doors 2
Cabin Width 44"
Landing Gear Tail Wheel
Gear Width 98"
Fuel Capacity 27 Gallons
Performance Figures Using Rotax 912S 100hp at 1320lbs
VNE 130 mph
Cruise 100 mph
Stall w/ flaps 40° 32 mph
Stall Clean 37 mph
Take Off Roll 400 ft
Take Off Distance to 50ft 550 ft
Ground Roll 250 ft
Landing Distance From 50ft 450 ft
Climb Rate 1000 fpm
Weights and Loading
Gross Weight 1320 lbs
Empty Weight w/ 912S 737+ lbs
Useful Load Up to 583 lbs

http://justaircraft.com/

[Ken Heaton (Salazar)]

I like the final plane of the video. Talk about stripped out and light weight. No wingtips. No engine cowling. No fabric on the aftter fuselage. No tailwheel.

Steve

He doesn't appear to use a tailwheel anyway...

[Panope]

I tried the big macho tire thing on a my home-built for a while. The advantage of big tires for short take-off and landings is greater angle of attack (removing the tail-wheel does the same thing).

I was not too keen on the reduction of cruising speed so it was a short lived experiment.

Steve

[Ken Heaton (Salazar)]

Hi Steve,

From a search on your tail registration number that seem to be a Fisher Super Koala? Does that mean it is all wood construction? (It being you I thought you wold have welded up an aircraft...)
Is there a thread on Scantlings somewhere about her? The photo is dated 1998. Is that your current aircraft?

So many questions...

[kimbottles]

Hi Steve,

From a search on your tail registration number that seem to be a Fisher Super Koala? Does that mean it is all wood construction? (It being you I thought you wold have welded up an aircraft...)
Is there a thread on Scantlings somewhere about her? The photo is dated 1998. Is that your current aircraft?

So many questions...

Steve has a hanger full of airplanes and other cool stuff.

[Panope]

Yep, I had serious case of airplane disease 10 or 20 years ago.

Ken: The plane that I built is indeed a Fisher Super Koala. All wood construction except for the aluminum struts. I designed and built the floats a couple years after the plane was finished. The plane was such I pleasure to fly with the floats installed, I never switched back to the wheels.

Life, and other things have changed so it as been a hangar ornament for quite a few years. Someday, when those "real" airplanes are gone, and I have no particular place to go, I will resurrect the Koala.

Steve

[kimbottles]

Steve is one TALENTED guy!

[Tucky]

For a second I thought that was a butt hanging out of your mouth. Oh my. Beautiful work.

[Panope]

Jesse, Most of my friends in high school and some of my family members were smokers so I had plenty of opportunity to take up that habit. Fortunately, I found that the positives of smoking were far out weighed by the negatives.

Most of my photographs of the build include myself because of the need to document (to the FAA) that I was the person who actually did the work.

Many of the diagonals in the wings (geodetic) have precisely the same scantlings as a popsicle stick.



Full Size drawings of the Fuselage sides were laid out on a building table and then covered with a sheet of visqueen to prevent glue sticking to the print.




Wing ribs were made the same way.



I shot the color coats outside in the grass.....



Those who are familiar with small planes will appreciate the capabilities of this aircraft: It will haul 2 adults off of glassy water and then cruise at 65 m.p.h......on 47 horsepower. I have looked stats on a Zillion other planes and have not found another AMPHIBIAN that can equal this on the same power. Here is My Step Mother right after her first ride in the plane.

[Ken Heaton (Salazar)]

Yep, I had serious case of airplane disease 10 or 20 years ago.

Ken: The plane that I built is indeed a Fisher Super Koala. All wood construction except for the aluminum struts. I designed and built the floats a couple years after the plane was finished. The plane was such I pleasure to fly with the floats installed, I never switched back to the wheels.

Life, and other things have changed so it as been a hangar ornament for quite a few years. Someday, when those "real" airplanes are gone, and I have no particular place to go, I will resurrect the Koala.

Steve

Holy Aviation Affliction Batman! Are all those yours?

[Panope]

Ken, All that crap is mine. Recovery from my condition (aircraftaholic) has been a very slow process but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I will eventually find an appropriate, qualified buyer for the Pitts Special. The Bonanza is the plane I make my living with, but I predict that the firm that I fly for will relocate its headquarters to Alaska within 5 years. When that happens, I will imedeiately sell the Bonanza. The little brown Cessna belongs to my wife. She uses it to commute to her job in Seattle when the weather is nice (about half the time). Someday she will get a different job and that plane will no longer have a use.

The Chivy in the back of the hangar was my high school car. I know I will regret letting it go but I just do not use it anymore.

The hangar is a "condo" unit that does have significant value. I will sell it when the time is right.

That will leave me with the Koala which I will store at home (the wings come off in 20 minutes) for a time when I may want to fiddle around with a plane again.

Also, I will never sell that little plywood runabout. My father built it a year or two before I was born.

My passion for everything aviation once knew no bounds. But, as BB sings it.......... The Thrill is Gone............

Steve