CASCADE FLYERS

EARLY AIRCRAFT CARRIER OPERATIONS

This very entertaining video clip came from Mel - thanks very much Mel for sending this. These were the good 'ol days of Naval Aviation!

TAYLORCRAFT CLIFFHANGER IN ALASKA

Thanks Ron for sending these images. The photos and report seems to be verified in AOPA Pilot Blog and in the Anchorage Daily News.

The Anchorage Daily news states that a 21-year-old pilot looking for a place to snowboard lost control of his 1941 Taylorcraft in a snow-crust landing and slid to the brink of a cliff. The plane caught on a rock just below the top, and nobody was hurt.

Some information that came from SuperCup.org is below.

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** Report created 4/20/2009 Record 17 **
********************************************************************************

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 27440 Make/Model: BL65 Description: TAYLORCRAFT BL-65
Date: 04/19/2009 Time: 2250

Event Type: Incident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: TALKEETNA State: AK Country: US

DESCRIPTION
AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON LANDING, TALKEETNA, AK

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
Pass: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: METAR PATK 192253Z VRB03KT 10SM CLR 09/M06 A2997

OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Landing Operation: OTHER

FAA FSDO: ANCHORAGE, AK (AL03) Entry date: 04/20/2009

This is an addendum to our Mountain Flying post from last week!

PILOT NEEDED ASAP FOR HAWKER 800A JOB

Aaron sent a message needing a co-pilot on the Hawker 800A (an example is shown in the image below) that he is the chief pilot on. The information is below, but you will need to write via the email list to contact him directly. Please spread the word - or apply for the job yourself!

Position:  Full-Time Hawker 800A Co-Captain or SIC
Location:  KBNA- Nashville International Airport
Compensation:  This position is salaried, and will depend on the candidate’s level of training and experience.
Company:  Land Development/Investment Company
Requirements:  ATP Minimums/Written Exam, First Class Medical

Other Information:  We are a small real estate development company with offices in Dickson, TN and San Diego, CA.  Our main office is in the Nashville area, and the Jet is based there.  Typical monthly flight activity is 10-20 hours and 5-10 days a month.  Pilots are on call most of the time, but typically have at least 3 days notice before a trip.  Please send a resume and cover letter to the email or fax.  Please highlight pertinent past experience, current employment desires, and future goals in your cover letter.   We are hoping to find a candidate that is interested in a career in corporate aviation. Anyone with ATP minimums is encouraged to apply, regardless of experience.  This is an excellent opportunity for a lower time pilot to make a jump into a career in corporate aviation.

Also posted on www.ngpa.org website

Contact:               Aaron (send message via the email list for the contact info)

LOW FLYING AND CRAZY PASSES

Thanks Dick for sending this video link...it makes for a good work break during the day when chained to the office desk.

ALASKA AIRLINES SUPPORTS LGBT TRAVEL WITH AN EXCELLENT ON-LINE CALENDAR

Alaska Airlines?!? Look at the incredible support they have for LGBT people! They have an entire section dedicated to LGBT travel and not just a token page buried deep in their site. They have quite a comprehensive calendar of events and discounts for travel to them. Thanks Ron for sending the information about this.

And if you need help or have a question you can "Ask Jenn", the cauco-aboro-asian-afro-hispo-he-she virtual assistant they created.

BIRD STRIKE ON CESSNA WING

Reportedly, a student pilot on his second solo flight at Harvey Field in Snohomish, Washington hit a bird on the left wing of this Cessna. Upon asking a local red-neck how the plane flew after the bird strike the only comment was, "well he made it down"...duh, no way, really! So not a lot of insight about that. But, it's still interesting to speculate about the size of the bird and what it would be like to experience this in flight.  Perhaps we can track down the student pilot for first-hand information.

MOUNTIAN FLYING THRILLS AND DANGERS

Dave O sent this article about this veteran pilot who had many years of experience mountain flying who it seems was killed recently in an accident in the mountains - while flying:

Sparky Imeson flying low before accident

By Alton K. Marsh, from www.aopa.org, March 27, 2009

Sparky Imeson, the pioneering mountain flying instructor who died in the crash of his Cessna 180 on March 17, may have been involved in low-level flying prior to the accident. A preliminary NTSB report bases its statement on a witness who saw an aircraft similar to that flown by Imeson.

“The witness stated that the tops of the wings were below the power lines and he estimated the airplane was 20 - 30 feet above the ground traveling at a high rate of speed,” the NTSB report states. “He added that the airplane was low enough, it spooked a heard of elk near the airplane’s flight path. The witness continued watching the airplane as it pitched upwards and to the left, making a 180-degree turn near the Kelly Gulch area to a southerly heading. He added that as the airplane pitched upwards, he was able to see the tops of the wings. The witness further stated that he stopped watching the airplane to continue observing the trespassers.” Imeson’s aircraft had taken off from Bozeman, Mont., with Helena as the intended destination, the NTSB report said.

The witness observed the aircraft from a point about two miles northeast of what later was the Imeson accident site. The witness stopped watching the aircraft before the accident....

As the weather gets nicer we pilots are certain to be conducting our own mountain flying excursions in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and around British Columbia in the coming months. The lessons in this video from the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1975 still apply! Click the video image to jump to the source.

 

We can get ourselves into mountain flying situations very quickly in our area - such as a flight from Portland to Seattle - cutting the corner east around the McChord restricted area for example. Those flying around Vancouver Island, (Qualicum Beach :), or to Tofino have plenty of examples.

The sad accident last year that occurred near Mt. Vernon on Sunday, during the return from our Orcas Island Fly-in is another example.

Flight schools and FBO's most likely have some kind of mountain flying awareness courses - many sadly may not be very good quality. There are lots of sources on the internet for learning and refreshering and there is the famous mountain flying school in McCall, Idaho too.

I hope CF members will send in a few photos and some little blurbs this year of their own mountain flying experiences for posting to our our website.

 

ROSE AIR - JANE'S PART 135 COMPANY

If you have any need to fly around the Pacific Northwest please consider Rose Air an incredible and unique Part 135 air taxi company operated by CF member Jane. Especially for any and all women who are interested in aviation in any aspect - Jane is truly an amazing inspiration. Please contact her through her website if you any question about aviation or any trip ideas that you may have. 

            

WORK BREAK

This photo from Antony, from Seattle:

COPALIS BEACH AIRPORT

At our Seattle April lunch the group discussed a desire for a fly in at Copalis Beach Airport, the only beach sand airport in the U.S. The fantastic Washington State Department of Aviation has this this to say about Copalis:

"Located at the mouth of the Copalis River, Copalis is a unique airport. It is the only known beach airport in the United States, and is the only stretch of ocean beach in Washington where landing is legal. The runway is the 4500 foot stretch of ocean beach from the Copalis River on the south to the rocks a mile north. The clam digging is excellent, and resting or watching the great Pacific Ocean from here is fantastic. You can surf, fish, hunt for glass fishing balls, or find interesting pieces of driftwood. No camping is allowed at the airport.

Since the runway is the beach itself, there are some things to watch out for. First, land only on the damp sand; the dry sand is very, very soft and dangerous. The airport is generally unusable at high tide since the runway is under water. The available parking area will also be under water, so remaining overnight can cause definite problems to an aircraft. Usage is very high during periods of low tides. As many as 75 aircraft have been reported as being parked there at one time.  Since the ocean washes the runway twice a day, debris and driftwood are possible. Overflight is essential to inspect for pedestrians, vehicles, animals, and debris. Remember, people on the ground can not hear the airplane with the power off, so be ready to go around. The airport is generally open year round."

We have a few members like Rob who have flown to Copalis Beach many times so hopefully we can organize a fly in to this amazing airport this summer.