If you can fit it in it will fly

Our friend Ben Stedman was in Seldovia with his mother hanging with Ben's sister Lisa.  Ben and his mom needed a lift from Seldovia to Homer and were planning on taking the ferry, but Amanda and I decided to fly them back in the Skywagon.  We get to Seldovia and start packing everything into the plane.  Luggage, bags, cooler with fish, computer, oh...and a bicycle.  Ben's mom sat in the front with me.  Amanda and Ben sat in the back.  The baggage area was filled to the ceiling with stuff.  The plane has never been so full.  I guess it's true what they say about Skywagons: "if you can fit it in, it will fly."

Skywagons to Seldovia

Took the skywagon to Seldovia last May with Geno and Judy Rohl.  They are flying in their new-to-them Cessna 180. 

 The Seldovia Slough

 Geno and Judy Rohl

 The Skywagons parked on the ramp.

McDonald Spit

 The Homer Spit

Mt Redoubt on the flight home

Helicopter Ride to Seldovia

 Amanda and I went to Homer for the weekend with Hans and Mikki.  While in Homer we met our friends George and Charlie for breakfast.  We mentioned to them that we were trying to get to Seldovia but that the ferry schedule wasn't working in our favor.  George offered to fly us to Seldovia in their brand new Bell 407 helicopter.

 Here is George, the copilot.  His wife Charlie was our official pilot.

Mikki and Amanda getting ready for the flight.  Excited?

 Hans taking pictures as we flew over some property he was thinking of buying in Seldovia bay.

 Standing in front of the helicopter as George and Charlie were warming up the engine.

Watching as the heli lifts off for Homer.

Mt Redoubt

Flew to Mt Redoubt with Richard Kelso

185 to Peavine

Another year of Gregg and Hans Tour Alaska.  This was the fourth year and we were joined by Pierre Josefsohn.  First stop was Peavine.  I love this place.

Jim Johnsen

Jim Johnsen is a visiting CRNA from Missouri who is working with us for the summer.  I took him on a short flight to help me while I was checking a new instrument.  

He took a photo of me using my Power Tow to push the plane out of the hangar.  The cub was much lighter than the 185 and I could easily push it in and out without assistance.  But the 185 is so heavy that I need the muscle of the 7HP Briggs and Stratton engine.

New Panel for 70199

This is the original panel that came with 70199 when we bought it.  Aside from the engine analyzer and an upgraded GPS, it is a 40 year old instrument panel.  Our friend Ben Stedman looked at the wiring behind the panel one day last summer and told me that I should gut everything.

So we did.  Good advice Ben.  This new panel has state-of-the-art avionics.  Scott Bremer at Peninsula Aero Technologies did the work.

Included in the upgrade are:

Garmin G500 with synthetic vision

Garmin GMA350 audio panel

Garmin GTN650 GPS/NAV/COM

Garmin SL30 NAV/COM

Garmin GTX 327 Transponder

Garmin Aera 550 backup GPS

Electronics International Engine digital engine instruments

Spidertracks

I have flown the plane several hours now.  It's the dream plane.