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Like to fly and Take photos-24JAN2021 Photos
Got a bunch of photos to share. Had to chip ice, shovel snow and pre-heat airplane for flying today.
I'm still trying to break in a new cylinder on my airplane. Bad exhaust valve caused super low compression. Sun still not very high over the horizon yet, but warmed up to over 36deg F, and the sun came out and chased the clouds away. Decided to get to the airport and fly. We got hit with about 2-3 inches of rain snow mix on Saturday. Heavy and hard to move, but flying was the reward. Then I had to chip some Ice Chocks away from the front of my tires, you'll see how thick the clear ice is from freeze/ thaw this winter. While flying at 6500ft altitude flew right through Ice Crystals. Never done that before, carb heat was applied and I dove for warmer air. Carb Ice has killed plenty of pilots. It was weird flying in it, all sparkly and moving past the plane at 180kts. Wish I had taken a photo or two, but warmer air meant engine would stay running.....When the fan up front is turning, it helps to keep the pilot cool. When it stops, pilots tend to get hot and sweaty. Just cleaned now time to chip: ice chip time, you can see how clear the ice is-see the yellow painted centerline underneath the ice, oh the power cords are for my pre-heater source, a couple of hairdryers. Also used them to Melt snow and then dry the brakes. Gets kinda interesting with frozen brakes when you land. Better be ready for anything in winter, frozen brakes are not fun! Right wheel: Tailwheel: Just in time, the sun is chasing the clouds away. You can see the top of MT Redoubt a volcano, last erupted 2009, before that was 1989. What a show of nature! Mike |
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#2
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Flight Photos 24Jan21
Here are some flight photos. These were taken on my first flight 1.2 hours of flying. Then headed in for a sandwich and fuel for the airplane.
Mt Illiamna is a dormant volcano: Looking farther South is another volcano, MT Augustine, it forms its own island in Cook Inlet, Bruin Bay is west of it, easy to see bears there! Mt Redoubt again, sometimes it has steam escaping, could not see any today: And now for the big surprise. Mt Foraker and Denali could be seen, this is from about 150-miles away, used 300 zoom power to bring it in. The island you see in Cook Inlet is Fire Island that everyone flies over when landing in Anchorage. Next set will be the refueling photos, got real close to a couple of hard working airplanes. Mike |
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Refuel Time-Both Airplane and Pilot 12:30pm 24Jan21
C46 Photos of Dumbo and Hot Stuff, you can see high sun at 12:30pm. Really doesn't get very high in the sky this time of year. The moon does but not the sun. Moon photos are coming this way.
Sun and two C-46 Commandos Dumbo and Hot Stuff taken with engine running waiting for my turn at the fuel pumps, $5.81 gallon for avgas: Closeup of Dumbo and Hot Stuff, can see top of Redoubt again: Now just fastened seat belt shoulder harness, yes 4-point system for doing aerobatics, something to take up when you're 62-years old. Loops, rolls are fun! Getting ready to start engine and wouldn't you know it. I was stuck, had to shutdown and remove packed snow from right wheel, it wanted to put me into the fuel cabinet. Good thing my brakes were warmed up, new snow melted quick while taxiing to runway. More to follow, time for sleep tonight been a long day and I'm beat from all the shoveling and chipping. I'm going to be sore tomorrow...Hands hurt, back muscles are already complaining, etc.. Mike |
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Great images, Mike! And lots of good info on the challenges of flying in very low temperatures.
Glad to see those C-46s still flying. Don |
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Must be a lot of fun flying in those icy conditiions.
Nice pics of the mountains. All they need is a big ol' tree in the forground and more happy little clouds.
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~Doug~ AC010505 EAMUS CATULI! Audere est Facere THFC 19**-20** R.I.P. it up, Tear it up, Have a Ball |
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#6
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Hi Don / Doug,
Yes, cold but beautiful, getting ready to post more photos. The reward for the work is the view! I wanted it so, time to get busy as I saw it. Mike |
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2nd Flight Photos-Heading East
First photo is the Kenai Peninsula. Hoping this helps with my descriptions of each photo. The Kenai Peninsula is huge. We have Boroughs here in Alaska, not counties.
This map photo only shows a part of the Peninsula, Where it says Kenai Fjords National Park is the Harding Icefield, easy to see how big it is: Here is a map photo showing the Sterling Hwy 1 and the Kenai River from Kenai Lake to Skilak: This photo shows Skilak Lake looking East as I head into the mountains at 7500ft altitude, you can see the braided river that empties from The Harding Icefield into Skilak (looks like frozen river): Heading right at the moon, The valley that I'm flying towards is the Kenai River from Kenai Lake to Skilak, Hidden lake is the frozen lake at about 12;30 position at the right front edge of my engine cowling: Mt Denali Looking North through the haze: Kenai Mountains looking northeast from 7500ft altitude. Normally I fly between 6500ft and 4500ft if I'm flying the valleys; today, I'm still in the process of breaking in a new engine cylinder so extra altitude just in case, started to climb up to 9500ft for even more clearance now that I'm entering the mountains: Kenai Lake and Cooper Landing, Alaska, drift boat guides abound, the river in this section is a trout fishing mecca, some sections are setup for trophy fishing only; small one have to be released, yes the straight white frozen line is the highway from Anchorage to Kenai: Looking South where the Russian River and it's lakes junction with the Kenai River, in the summer half of Anchorage is here fishing for Red Salmon, Single track hiking/horse/bicycle trail can be used to access this valley, lots of bear/human interaction. Bears usually don't mess with people, but every once in awhile someone gets too close to a cub, or the bear gets annoyed with so many people, and mauling's happen: Flying down the Kenai River valley, Cooper landing is underneath me, you can see the gravel white airstrip just off my nose spinner. Lake is Kenai Lake, the moon still guiding me: Quick look to the North. This is Resurrection Trail. It travels from Hope, Alaska to Cooper Landing. Single track trail with out any roads or homes. 38.8 Miles long and is awesome to bike ride. Bears, lots of bears, wolf packs, moose and Mountain sheep/Goats can be seen here. The frozen lake in the Center is Juneau Lake that has forest service cabins you can rent. With the rent you get a row boat to use for fishing-Land locked Silvers, Rainbow and Lake Trout and burbot are the main fish to catch, these are wild no fish are planted: More to follow, really took quite a few photos. Mike
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Cardstock Property Tables and Terms Flying Cardstock Models http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/m...uers-projects/ Last edited by mbauer; 01-25-2021 at 10:47 PM. Reason: adding descriptions |
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One Last Look At Kenai Lake
Here is the last photo heading in this direction. Kenai Lake with Porcupine Island, the road you can see leads to Cooper Lake, plenty of summer homes along this road, also plenty of Cooper Landing year round residents, name is Snug Harbor Road:
I turned around at this point and headed back down the valley I just flew up. Has road and help if my engine were to quit. Would have been super easy just to head to the photos in the next post. Instead I took the long way to get there. Mike |
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2nd Flight Continued 24Jan21
Now traveling South parallel to the Harding Icefield on the left, here is Tustumena Lake, yes it is incredibly big, lots of fishing but haven't seen anybody waterskiing, murky with sand bars here an there, Kasilof River outlet to the Cook Inlet:
Harding Icefield mountains, looking back at Skilak Lake in the distance: Tustumena Lake Inlet, I think this one speaks for itself: Another shot showing a little more to the North: Next photos will cover what the west Side of Cook Inlet looks like. Mike |
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2nd Flight Continued 24Jan21 Traveling South
Ok, while flying South took some photos of the West Side of Cook Inlet, Mt Redoubt a volcano almost directly due west of Kenai, it is a volcano, it has erupted twice (series of eruptions each time) since 1989, no steam today:
Sunset looking at Mt Augustine, volcano, that is the small peak about an inch from the sun. It is an island all by itself near Bruin Bay. Mt Iliamna is the bigger volcano in this view, last eruption 1876: Sunset with Iliamna and Mt Redoubt to the north: Decided to try and get a better photo of the moon. 300mm zoom lens shot looking straight up through my canopy: This shot has a couple of things to mention. Once again Mt Redoubt to the North Mt Iliamna to the south, Cook Inlet between myself and the volcanos. See the bent shape road that is heading my way? That is the road to the Caribou Hills. A local favorite snowmachine riding area. If you could look straight down, you could see the cabin my daughter bought a couple of years ago. They were out riding in the hills leading to the Harding Icefield when I took this photo: Mt Augustine to the south, Mt Iliamna. Where the road leads to the coastline is a couple of fishing spots in the summer. Ninilchik, and Deep Creek Alaska. Memorial weekend will turn this area into the 3rd or 4th largest city in Alaska. Motor homes, pick up campers and tents: Fish for salmon on the river, or out in Cook Inlet for salmon and Halibut, plenty of charter boats: Turning towards home and Kenai. Realized I was spending too much time sight seeing/photography. On the right you can see the outlet of Tustumena Lake. Kenai is visible if you know where to look. My main concern was get on the ground before dark. Once the sun goes down it gets dark fast. I don't have a Landing or Taxi light on my airplane. It is light weight for doing aerobatics: Increased engine rpm to 2500rpm, 75% power and raced home at 175kts indicated or 202mph: More photos of Redoubt and the West Side: Mt Spur another volcano that spit some dust into the air in 1989 or 1990, can't remember for sure. I was working a t the local oil refinery at the time, was climbing a tower to get some reading when it went off. Saw the very beginning of the eruption, hung onto a ladder rung for the next hour just to watch, did call the control room so they could rotate the security camera to watch: One last post for this series coming up. Mike
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Cardstock Property Tables and Terms Flying Cardstock Models http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/m...uers-projects/ Last edited by mbauer; 01-25-2021 at 11:48 PM. Reason: messed up photo order, fixing |
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