Here Comes the Boss, watch out Mrs. Brown!
I wasn't planning on heading to Unalakleet, (UNK for short), until I heard of the Fish Fry Party, at Brown's Lodge, and you can not miss parties like a good fish fry.
McGrath to Unalakleet:
I got up before first light and wrapped the engine heater around the cowling of my C206, that was parked in our TCAA operatons area. By that time my Seattle-Best Columbia coffee was brewed, it was time to get out of my wool pajamas and get into my flight suit. After downing my first cup of coffee, and with one-eye now fully open, I headed for the FAA building to check WX conditions along my 150-mile trip to UNK. The FAA guy looked at me kind of funny, but he did give me a good WX briefing. He stated there was broken clouds at 4,000, vis more than 20-miles. Once past the Yukon River he stated I should get into clear skies. UNK was reporting clear skies, and wind at 090 at 19 knots. I thought to myself, that is calm winds for UNK. I filed a VFR flight plan, gave the FAA guy a dry cigar, and headed back to the bunkhouse.
After my second cup of Seattle-Best, my other eye started to open. I put the remainder of the coffee in my thermos bottle and headed out to pre-flight the C206. I did a quick preflight, reoved the engine heater, and climbed aboard, damn the seat was cold, my testicles jumped clear up stopped just under my Adams Apple. I checked the cockpit, turn master switch on, mixture to rich, fuel pumps on, and gave the ole girl a few shots of prime, also a couple shots for me. Set mag switch to both and hit the start. The engine turn over very slow, then fired and quit, guess I should have kept the engine heater on a while longer. Well, I gave the ole girl several more shots of prime, and hit the starter, and BANG, fire and brim stone came out of the exhaust stack, but thank God the pistons stayed put in the engine, I guess I gave her a couple shots to much. The engine coughed, sputtered, and almost shook itself from the engine mounts, but it soon was purring like a kitty cat, actually more like a mountain lion. After about a 20-minute warm up and temps were finally in the green, I taxied towards Rwy-25 and did the mag checks and cycled the prop three times to make sure the oil was in motion. I line up on Rwy-25 McGrath, wind calm, 1/4 flap, set trim for hands off rotation. I run throttle up and all three hundred horses came to life. Within seconds the ole girl was climbing towards the sky, and with only me, 3/4 fuel and 50# of luggage, I had a good climb rate. I raised the flaps, brought the manifold pressure back a little, turned on course and climbed to 3,500 feet.
By now the heater was putting out hot air and my testicles returned to their normal position. I leveled at 3,500, and squared the power to 23/23, and was indicating 136 knots, about right for this aircraft. With smooth air, I opened my thermos and poured a cup of coffee, tuned in UNK VOR, but I was to low to bring it in, so I just flew my correct heading and enjoyed the views below. Before I arrived over the Yukon River, UNK VOR signal arrive and I center the needle and tracked in on the VOR. Crossing the Yukon River I had a good view of Eagle Island, a few miles off my right side. Once past the river, it is a short run to UNK. I tuneto the Unalakleet automated WX station and they are reporting the wind out of 070 degrees at 18 knots (just a slight breeze for this place). We cross the UNK VOR and entered a left downwind at the pattern altitude of 800 feet. The wind carried me a little farther out over the Bering Sea than I wanted, but I turn to base and drop 1/4 flap, need no more in this wind. I turn final and was carrying 90 knots indicated towards Rwy-8, and I could see Capt Butler and Stanton Kalchatag, out there in the wind ice fishing, hope they are catching some, hope I didn't make this trip for nothing.
With a little power on I came over the fence at 85-indicated (around 67-knots ground speed), then eased the power off, flared, and the damn thing wanted to float. Well, years ago when I was flying Mooney aircraft, I learned a trick that would get you a grease job landing every time in the Mooney's. In the older Mooney you had to pump down the flaps, so all you had to do to raise the flaps was release the pressure and they would lowly come up. So to get a real grease job landing in the Mooney you would pump down the amount of flaps you wanted. The Mooney like to float a little, so you would flare just above the runway, hold a little nose up and release the flap pressure and the flaps would start up and the aircraft would come down in a nice soft touchdown.
OK, back to my C206, we are in a float, and I do the Mooney trick, raise the flaps and it settles nice on the runway. If you do this, make sure you have a firm grip on the yoke, as normally if you raise flaps while airborne you will get a pitch down, and you don't ever want to land a tricycle gear aircraft nose wheel first. I turn around and taxi over by the terminal and park the ole girl. I get it tied down, then get my gear bag, lock the door to preserve my Crown stash and head into the terminal. I asked them for a lift out to Brown's Lodge, and one of the loading crew said he would give me a ride. We head out and I find he has a 1953 Chevy pickup, rusted out places all oer the body, from all the salt water mist from the Bering Sea, I would guess. Also, it was in need of new shocks real bad, was like flying in moderate to severe turbulence, but sure better than walking.
Total flight time, 1:17
Hope to see you all at the Fish Fry Party tonight.
Snowboss, in UNK
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