Christian Pirep Food-6

Hi Sandy.

I don't know, whether Rudy is flying Food-6 as well, but I flew it today.
It was beautiful weather today and I took the C-130 back into the air again to deliver these 63 food bags to Shageluk.
The routing went via Sparrevohn and then direct to SHX. As I arrived I had the impression that the runway was very short and narrow, and I was da** right. I managed it to land safely and taxied back to the ramp and I tried to park the aircraft backwards by using the reversers, but on this gravel runway I had no luck. I then edited the aircraft.cfg file and increased the reverse thrust and this helped a lot.



After unloading these 63 bags we departed for the flight back to ANC this time via McGrath.




It was a rather fast flight and nearing Anchorage I made contact with the tower and requested landing permission. I was sent downwind for an approach to RWY 32, though I had expected RWY 14 as we departed from there. This time we were flying low at an altitude of about 1000 feet with high speed and then I pulled the Hercules up and turned inbound to RWY 32. I climbed to about 5000 feet and tried another Sarajevo style approach. And to give you an impression how it would look like I took a small video of it. That was a very good decision from what I can tell you now! Otherwise you probably wouldn't believe what had happened. I was going down real steep to the runway and at a certain altitude I engaged the reversers and levelled off and landed also instantly. I thought already about a short landing distance, but that short? You will have to see the video the believe it.

Ok, Sandy, flying time was 02:10.

Video is available at TCA-Charter.

PIREP Angel: Food-10 and return to McGrath

Food-10 and return to McGrath

Once again, took off heavy loaded from McGrath. Headed VFR direct to Ophir. I coudn't find the strip and even with Connie's help I could only find when I was almost over it. Had to maneuver the 208 to the edge to get down and safe into Ophir. A lot of tall trees around it. I'm starting to make a habit of getting branches into my landing gear. Check out this picture, I was so close that even the tree ducked!!


Good thing Connie is getting used to it or I would have to get earplugs into my headset. After all that twisting it's amazing that I got BOTH wheels on the strip.



We stayed around for a little bit as she had to do her reporting thing and I had to go out into the largest men's bathroom in the world.

Once unloaded we headed back to McGrath for some more rest and TV time.


PAMC-Z17-PAMC : 40 minutes.

Currently standing by at McGrath.

Angel

PIREP Angel: Transfer to McGrath

PANC-6AK : 50 minutes

Transfer to McGrath. With an empty plane it leaped into they air with room to spare from 6AK.
Connie got some nice pictures after she stopped yelling once she realized we weren't going to go into the frozen lake ahead.

6AK-PAMC : 55 minutes.

PIREP Angel: Food-5

Food-5

Well we sure had plenty of off-duty time in Anchorage when dispatch reached me as I was show Connie the watering holes that bush pilots frequent in Anchorage. Being that some of the villages do not allow alcohol and that no sane pilot will fly while under the effect of it there was plenty to choose from.

The dog food drops had begun. As usual the ground crew had been nice enough to keep the dog bags really frozen so they wouldn't smell. It was 40 of them and at 60 pounds each it was almost a ton of food destined for Rainy Pass. We sure were heavy this time but I was fresh from both RP and Rohn so it wouldn't be a problem. Connie on the other hand was happy that we would get another chance to enjoy the scenery from so close to the mountains and from RP itself.

Strangely we got taxxing while there was a lull in traffic so we got airborne and heading to RP pretty quickly. Soon ATC had us lined up for rwy 29 which is definitely a better approach than 11. I almost got under the power curve on final, but the PT6A roared enough to keep me from tasting the ground around RP. Landing was firm (crash-like)..I need some sort of braking device. I hear Snowboss is patenting one. Maybe I'll ask him to test fly it.

Connie asked me if we could stay a cpl of hours and since there was no other assignment from Anchorage we were expected to transfer to McGrath and that would be it. So I said shure, knock yourself out. And she almost did while trying to walk on puntilla Lake!! Meanwhile I made full use of my RP membership and enjoyed a discount meal at the Rainy Pass Lodge.

She interviewed almost everyone there (Not that there were many anyway). As the cpl of hours were ending I told her we should get going to McGrath

PANC-6AK : 50 minutes

(sorry no picture..but hey, you know what Rainy Pass is like!)

ANGEL: Some pics from previous Pireps

This is from when I took a supply flight of straw from Anchorage to Unalakleet. Weather was miserable at ANC. But I was inside the roomy, comfy but noising Herk.



And here I am approaching Unk. As usual I was almost flying sideways to land at Unk.


After returning the Herk to Anchorage I got a ride to Mc Grath to deliver straw to Rohn. Yeah, you can't see the strip, neither could I!! that's why I did 4 , yes 4 dizzing go arounds until I managed to get the commemorative tree branches on my landing gear before setting it down at Rohn.




This next ones are from landing at Takotna. It's so easy compare to Rohn that I even managed to set the main gear first before the nose gear.




And here I am flying peacefully back to Anchorage. After a hurried time trying to keep the schedule on time for the race.




I wish I could've included this with the pirep's they have to go with. But better to post them now than never.

Angel

Christian Pirep TX ANC

Hi Sandy.

Stayed the night in Unalakleet at the Brown's Lodge and got up early at around 07:00 for a good breakfast. Then I got to the airport and did the pre flight checks on the Bell 412. And I checked everything twice - who knows...
Found nothing irregular and I checked the weather and it looks like it would be a wonderful day for flying with good visibility and moderate winds along our routing. This time I selected a rather more direct routing via McGrath and further on to Anchorage. I departed Unalakleet at 09:50 during sunrise and flew a heading of about 90° inbound to the MCG VOR climbing to 9500 feet to stay clear of the Alaska Range later and for a better fuel consumption. And I btw found out why I have so different fuel consumptions (probably). If I start with a saved situation the fuel consumption is too low. If I re-select the Bell 412 the fuel consumption is more realistic. Now knowing this I will test it in the future.
The flight itself was rather uneventful.
As soon as I could pick up ANC VOR I turned towards this VOR to shorten the route a little bit. This time I also wasn't experiencing the CTD around Rainy Pass, so I think the summer version did the trick.
As I approached Anchorage Stevens they had Rwy 14 in use, but I crossed if after a MD-11F from UPS had landed and I landed at our cargo building. I headed over to the office and found the door unlocked. I thought to myself, that you might have left in a hurry and also left a mess behind, but then I realized that it must have been a burglary, because I found our petty cash was broke open. I hope there was too much cash in it. I called the police and they said that had been more burglaries in the past on the airport and they have a good feeling to catch them soon. Better it is, that the police catches him/her/them before we do! If not you have a new volunteer for testing your revolutionary new breaking system.

Ok, now I'm cleaning the office from that mess...

Christian

P.S. Flying time would not too bad I think. I almost forgot it over this situation: 02:41

Christian Pirep Food-17

Hi Sandy.

Still yesterday. I departed Unalakleet for the third flight then and headed to White Mountain. On board there were 24 dog food bags. The flight was really uneventful - nothing to see, but ice of the frozen Norton Sound. Flying time there and back: 85 minutes.

Christian