Blue Ice Aviation

Exposing Real Alaska

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Photo of the Day — Big Crevasses

I took this photo of Mike shortly after he departed one of our ice strips. The transition from smooth to upheaved ice is often over a very short distance. These crevasses will never be filled with snow because they are too big of holes at too low of an elevation. In the winter the 6+ feet of snow that will fall in this area will cover the smaller cracks but leave the others exposed. Snowmachiners love to use the glaciers as a sort of highway and it is amazing to see what they have driven over the following spring as snow bridges collapse. I have seen some terrifying tracks across some awfully large gaps. I have never had a problem with snow covered crevasses and neither has Mike in his thousands upon thousands of snowy glacier landings. As I have mentioned in other posts we are usually only landing on the glaciers if the lighting is good, and part of our reasoning for that is so we can see the sags that are created as snow bridges begin to droop. If I see a dip in the Glacier you better believe I am not going to land on it.

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Photo of the Day — Taking-Off Uphill. Good Idea or Bad ?

First of all, can you see why I am always squawking about how much fun it is to glacier bike ?  Look at that ice! It’s perfect!  The ice forms some amazing contours and they are a blast to ride.  

Anyways, I chose this picture because it demonstrates well an optical illusion created by the glaciers.  It is easy to determine the size of a rock if it is sitting next to a tree because we know approximately how big trees are.  On the glacier rocks sit alone on the ice and the brain becomes uncertain.  It’s best to judge correctly because even my 35″ tires have their limitations.  The problem of determining size carries over to rising terrain as is pictured above.  How tall is that hill of ice, and how far away is it ?  Both of those questions are crucial in determining which way a departure will be made.  The wind blows down-hill on glaciers 95% of the time and it is often a pretty stiff breeze, like 15-25 mph.  Unlike the wind in the mountain valleys the wind on the glacier is often very consistent allowing a stable approach well below normal landing speed.  Sometimes we will land on the glacier fully loaded and only roll 50 feet, It’s great.  The problem is taking-off, which is better … up-hill with the head-wind or down-hill with the tail-wind ?  This is where it is SO important to know your airplane.   It’s a tough decision because neither option is very good, and the consequences weigh heavy.  

In my Super Cub, I will normally take the downhill with the tailwind option, because it is so scary to out-climb rising terrain.  On the other hand if I am on a Glacier I will often go up-hill because the air coming down glacier is cold and dense and steady so the Super Cub performs like a rocket ship (I realize that is a rough analogy for the Cub :o)  Believe it or not in the picture above I can take-off right over that ice mound (it’s a stock 160HP Super Cub) loaded with a client and 70 lbs of gear.  It looks horrible though, doesn’t it ?  What gets people in trouble is that they will try to out climb something like this and then get uncomfortable and start a downwind turn … this is where it gets ugly because you are climbing at a relatively low airspeed, and then to throw a turn in there you give up the horizontal component of lift.  On top of that you are loosing the headwind as you turn, and the plane begins to sag and the ground is getting closer so you step on the rudder to hurry the turn and BANG! the high wing gives up as the critical angle of attack is exceeded and the airplane enters an incipient spin at 100′ off the ground … bad ending.  It is absolutely pertinent when doing flying like this that you be proficient because the margins are thin at times.  Mike and I do NOT fly “tricked-out” Super Cubs with all the mods, we just fly more than anybody else so we know our Cubs very, very well.

If you want to see terrain like this then drive North out of Anchorage about 2 hours to Sheep Mountain, and we will go on a little flight.  I guarantee you will never forget it.  Most Alaskans don’t even know what’s out there.

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Video and Photo of the Day — Dance Party Christmas 2009

Hangars are good for lots more than just parking airplanes. We had a big dance in the hangar when Samantha and I got married in 2002. My mother in law Diane Meekin decided it was time to have another so we cleaned up shop, and tore a rug until midnight last-night. M&M productions provided the music and we had a great time getting rowdy. Most of these folks are born and raised Alaskan’s, so you will have to forgive the dance moves. The usual Blue Ice Aviation photos will be back on line tomorrow.

Left to right: My Wife Samantha, Sister-in-law Meagan, Mom-in-law Diane, Sister-in-law Haley

My wife Samantha and I, and two of her three sisters Paisley and Meagan, great family, good times.

My Dad is in the green shirt and the rest of the folks are very close friends.

Laesa was drinking juice and the rest were sipping my mother-in-laws famous Pomegranate Martinis.

Good buddy Luke and his Wife Samantha.

My fantabulous mother danced with me.

Good friends Jenny and Nate

Brother and Sister rippin’ it up.

Betty, Ed, Sandra, and Aimy

Kim and Bob having a good time.

Mother-in-law Diane and Father-in-law Mike Meekin

My Sister-in-law Haley dancing with Brandon

My Wife Dancing with her Dad, Mike Meekin.

My Mother-in-Law and I Dancing and singin’

Sister-in-law Meagan and her boyfriend Dave

Laura Beth tearin’ a rug with her dad Ed.

Sister’s Aimy and Mica

Some pretty scary dance moves in here, but you may enjoy it :o)

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Photo of the Day — I DID NOT Cut and Paste !

I’ve always thought the Super Cub in this picture sort of sneaks up on you. People have accused me of cutting and pasting the super cub into this image. I cannot remember the name of the client that took this image, but he was an instructor at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. If I remember correctly they were only in here skiing for 24 hours because the snow conditions were so unstable that it was sketchy do any skiing, so they called on the sat-phone for an early pickup.

It was an awesome little spot on the glacier where I landed them. Right up on the this little knob in the sunshine. Without some light from the sun the glacier can be a horribly deceiving place to land. Many a pilot has wrecked their plane on short final when their brain becomes confused by the lack of information from the ground. The white snow is totally non-de-script and a pilot relies heavily on peripheral vision when determining where the ground is at in relation to the tires/skis. The ground will simply disappear into a blanket of nothing as the airplane gets nearer the snow. Often the landing is being made on a steep slope so the ground is rising to smite thee and yet it is invisible. It is an awfully weird sensation that leaves you feeling awfully helpless. There are tricks to overcome these sensations and we do it safely hundreds of times each year. You can see the shadow on the left side of the image. You can land in the shade but it’s more difficult so I always look for the sunshine. And this spot was perfect.

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Photo of the Day — Hauling Moose Horns in the Snow

These guys took this moose off a short strip in the Chugach. The strip is only about 320′ long and it ends in a creek in both directions. It’s a fairly short strip even when the braking is good, with smooth tires and 3″ of snow it almost feels like the airplane accelerates when the brakes are applied. I think it’s because when the plane first touches down a deceleration is felt and normally when I stomp on the brakes you can really feel it. Well, on the snow when I hit the brakes I am braced for a deceleration, but I feel nothing so it feels like the airplane actually speeds up. There is this fleeting moment when it flashes through my brain, “UH OH! I don’t know if this pig is going to stop in time ?” A second after that thought pass through the brain the forces of gravity and friction combined with a loss of inertia results in a measurable deceleration.

If I remember correctly the moose horns in this picture measured right near 60″. Usually there are no adverse affects to a moose antler being attached to the wing … but occasionally the wind will catch them just wrong and they will vibrate in the wind forcing me to cruise at minimum airspeed to diminish the affects. On a strip like this it takes two trips just to haul the meat and horns. It’s about 500-600 pounds of meat on the average moose, but with the horns and everything else it’s not uncommon to get more than that. We can take a moose in one trip if it is all boned out and the airstrip is more than 550′ long. I made 5 take-offs and landings on this nasty little snowy strip this day. 2 for the moose, 1 for gear, 2 for the hunters.

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Photo of the Day — Little Lake Covered in Snow

So I am posting a little late this evening but it will still be up by mid-night.  This is a little lake near our house in the Chugach Mountains.  This was taken during the first snow fall of the season.  It was mid August and we had several hunters in the mountains under this blanket of snow, it was great !  I’ve got some great pictures from this day that I will post later this month.

Thanks for all those who emailed about the free Blue Ice Aviation calendar yesterday.  They are in the mail and you should be receiving them in the next couple of days.  If anybody would like to purchase one for $15 contact me anytime at BlueIceAviation@gmail.com to place your order.  You can preview the calendar here.  I sincerely pray that the next two days will bring many people hope as they reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ and what that means for the world today.

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Photo of the Day — Almost as Sexy as as Super Cub

In my humble opinion, the only bush airplane that even comes close to a Super Cub in terms of Sexiness is the Cessna 185. I do not own this C-185, but my father-in-law, Mike Meekin does (MeekinsAirService.com). I am the owner/operator of Blue Ice Aviation but I fly for Meekins Air Service as well so I get to fly this beast on a regular basis. This particular Cessna 185 is an awesome machine to fly. It is a 1961 model so it is relatively light weight. It also has the IO-520 rather than the IO-470 so there is significantly more horsepower. A Robertson STOL kit was installed so the ailerons droop when the flaps are applied. A Robertson kit definitely reduces your stall speed but it also kills aileron performance so gusty winds demand a lot of rudder action. It also has the ART wing extensions which you can see in this picture as the wing tips extend well beyond the ailerons. This is an old missionary plane so it has been in South America, Indonesia, and most recently, the Philippines. In fact, it is the same aircraft that was hijacked by guerillas in South America in the 1980’s when NTM missionary, Paul Dye, was taken captive, a story that actually shaped the course of my entire life … but that is for another day. I love this airplane and if you are interested in flight-seeing which does not involve landing on glaciers and mountain tops than we will likely use this aircraft. Come check us out Meekins Air Service/Blue Ice Aviation does more remote bush flying than anyone else in the state of Alaska.

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Blue Ice Aviation Calendar

OK, so I just got my new 2010 calendars. I am stoked about them, I think they turned out pretty good.  If you would like one just email your mailing address to BlueIceAviation@gmail.com.  I will mail it out and you can send me $15. I know, I know, I know, this is pretty old school, but I am not set up with one of those fancy “buy online shopping cart” thingy’s … YET. Purchasing hoodies, calendars, photo books, all that is coming later, but for now I am just going to have to mail you a calendar, and you are going to have to send me a check … sounds like fun, I love the Post Office.

I tried to get a scenic image in every shot so that you are not stuck looking at my Super Cub every month for the next 365 days. The image from November was taken by Wayne, director of the MCA (Mountaineering Club of Alaska), and I really appreciate his donation, since he did not know he donated until just now :o) So anyways I hope you enjoy the calendar. Send me an email BlueIceAviation@gmail.com

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Photo of the Day — This Never Gets Old

Look at that !  Taken with a $150 point-and-shoot through a dirty plexi-glass windscreen.  I am not a great photographer, you just can’t go wrong considering the surrounding terrain.  This was taken in the Talkeetna Mountains.  In comparison to the Chugach Range the Talkeetnas are pretty tame, but it still has its fare share of rock and ice as pictured above.  If you have any interest in photography, it would be really fun to take you out on a flight and show you around.  I can even pop the door open so there are no obstructions to the image.  If you are interested in flying with Blue Ice Aviation for photography purposes go to the website.  I am in the process of totally re-doing my web-site and there will be more information on this in the months to come.  Also if anyone wants a 2010 Blue Ice Aviation calendar send me your address and I will throw one in the mail.  You can mail me a check for $15 bucks.

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Photo of the Day — Heavy Snow + Big Winds + Buried Gear = Bad Day

There is a long story behind this picture, and it is not a good memory. Mike and I had a group of 4 mountaineers that we had landed at 8500′ elevation at the base of Mt. Marcus Baker. They were on a 7 day expedition in mid-May attempting to climb the tallest peak in the Chugach Mts. Before we departed we left explicit instructions as to landing strip preparation in the event fresh snow fell or winter winds blew. These four mountaineers were in over their head on this mountain so when a big storm rolled in from Prince William Sound they used their satellite phone to harass us continuously, as if there were something we could do. I would have had better luck trying to fly to the moon than attempting a pick-up in the prevailing conditions.

When the storm passed 7 feet of fresh snow had fallen. I was backed-up with flights, but because of their incessant whining agreed to pick them up a day early. I arrived over their camp at 5 pm and was very disappointed to see that there had been no airstrip preparation as I had instructed. With 7 feet of fresh snow I was reluctant to land, but since there were several men on the ground to dig me out I did it. I landed on the steep slope and managed to turn around and get the nose pointed down hill. The snow was really deep so I cold just barely keep moving. If I had not had gravity on my side take-off would have been impossible. I decided to pack the area down a bit by taking off and landing several times. When I applied power and started sliding down-hill the snow was so deep that it was flying up and over the front of the wings, and over the windshield. The poor old-bird barely accelerated and would occasionally bog down as I slowly gained more speed. It was taking me nearly a half a mile to get airborne because of all the snow I was plowing. I finally packed it down enough to take-off loaded, but opted to leave the heavy gear behind because I needed all the help I could get to get airborne. I got done really late that night and was planning on picking up the gear the following day.

When I returned the following day the wind was blowing really hard. I landed but immediately regretted this decision. I got VERY stuck and the wind velocity was increasing all the time. I was all alone at 8500′ on a glacier, in snow boots and carharts, in a 40 mph wind, in the face of another Spring storm, with a very stuck Super Cub. I was NOT having fun anymore. I will not go into all the details because I would rather not post them here, but ask me sometime and I will tell you the full story. I eventually got dug out and was deciding how I was going to get out of there. I could not take-off uphill and into the wind because it was far to steep, and ended abruptly into the mountain pictured above. I had two options: #1) take-off with a 40 mph tail wind #2) spend the night at 8500′ in a storm. I did not like either option, but opted for #1. To give myself the best chance I dug a big hole and set the tail of the airplane into it so that the wind blowing down glacier would blow over my tail rather than getting underneath and tipping me up on my nose. Then I got out the snow shoes and stomped out a runway to improve my initial acceleration. I needed a windsock so that I could judge when there was a lull in the wind. This is a common practice when using a one-way strip. Surveyors tape (the most common windsock) is worthless when the wind is blowing this hard because it just sticks straight out all the time, so I used a piece of 1/4″ nylon rope about 8 feet long. I tied it to a probe and then crawled into the Cub and started the engine. I left all the gear behind once again as I did not dare add any extra weight. I sat with engine running for several minutes waiting for the nylon rope to sag, I waited and waited, and when it drooped I applied full power and started down the glacier. Normally I lift off at a ground speed of about 35-40 mph. My GPS showed over a 100 mph before the wings created enough lift to carry me off the ground. It felt so good to be back in the air and off that stupid mountain.

The above picture shows the climbing gear when I finally retrieved it in August. Almost 100 days it sat on the side of that mountain. Not because I forgot about it, but because that wind storm buried the 6′ probe and flag so thoroughly that there was no trace of it for months. I occasionally flew over the area looking for some sign of the gear but it was gone. I did not think I would ever find it. Until this one beautiful day in August I decided to give it one last look. I took a very good GPS location and flew straight home to put my wheel skis on. When I finally landed along side the gear, I was thrilled. The snow was set up like concrete and it took me nearly an hour to dig it out and load it into the Super Cub. What a goat-rope, I worked my buns off for these guys and made 3 trips on my own nickel to retrieve this gear. I did not make any money, but I got this picture … so enjoy it … it cost me ;o)

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Photo of the Day — Whackin’ Bushes

I remember when I was kid watching a Super Cub pilot come in a drag his tires through the bushes I thought he was a maniac. Whackin’ the bushes with the tires is often a better option than staying above them and therefore loosing the first 25′ of usable airstrip. In other words, to miss the bushes you have to maintain a couple of extra feet of altitude. A couple of feet in height is a big deal when the strip is only 350′ long. I try not to drag the landing gear through the bushes because I am afraid of denting the Alpha Omega suspension system, although I did get the landing-light one time … oops.

One of my clients gave this picture to me, and I did not even notice the bushes the first time I looked at it. You need to be real careful not to drop it in from this position because it tears up the tail feathers something fierce. You can see my tail wheel will hit too, and I am very aware of the flying-wires attached to my tail. If flying-wires start getting drug through the bushes you will have problems. It is really no big deal at all, just don’t land short.

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Photo and Video of the Day — Maybe a Little White Knuckled

This is my Dad, Wes Keller. I had just picked him up off a river bar after a 10 day moose hunt, and we went for a little cruise around the area just for fun. I had never landed on a glacier with my Dad, so I set down and we walked around a bit. Nothing is more fun than taking your own Dad out and showing him around. My Dad is also a pilot with several thousand hours of flight time in the Air National Guard and Air Force. And when I was a little baby he had a construction company up on the North Slope and we lived in both Wainwright and Point Hope. He flew a Cessna 207 all-over the North Slope of Alaska hauling building supplies. Dad and I have flown together a fair bit, but I had just never taken the opportunity to do this.

He was a little white knuckled when he saw nothing but steep ice over my shoulder out the front, I know this because I felt him grab my seat back just moments before we touched the ice. Maybe it was pay back from when I was 15 years old and he had me hanging my arm out the door of our Stinson-3 air dropping propane bottles to our cabin. HA ! that is a great memory. It was a full five-gallon propane bottle. I wanted to make sure I was ready for the drop, so I forced the door open 2 miles before the drop-point and got the bottle outside the plane. I was feeling pretty good about it for the first few seconds, but then the wind started blowing the bottle around and banging against the side of the fuselage and my arm was getting really tired. I kept hanging on, but I was scared I was beating up the side of the airplane and I was loosing my grip after what seemed like an eternity Dad said, “drop!!” and I let the bottle fly, and pulled my numb arm back inside the cabin. We were both laughing pretty hard. The propane bottle made it but it took two men 30 minutes to pull it out of the 4 foot deep hole it had burrowed into the swamp. Now Dad is a State Legislator working as the representative for Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin’s home town. This picture is one of my best memories, I love my Dad.

Below is a video of landing on the glacier pictured above.

Thanks to Cat Powers “Cross Bones Style” for a great song.

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Photo of the Day — Best Flight in the World

Obviously I cannot take credit for taking this image because I am in the airplane following.  We were out over College Fjord cruising around with some guys from Australia.  This is such an unbelievable trip because when we take-off from Sheep Mt. the elevation is 2900′ then we climb up to 10,000′ and go through this little pass in the Chugach Mts, and then descend over the ice and rock to sea level.  It has to be a nice day in-order to cross the mountain range because we have to climb so high.  We do not do this often because of the difficulty in scheduling with the weather, but it is definitely possible if the client is flexible.  

One of the great things about where we live at Sheep Mt. is that there is plenty to do in the area.  We have several beautiful lodges within five miles of our air-strip.   You can go river rafting with Nova, pick blueberries, go on a day hike, view dall sheep, or just hang out and eat good food while enjoying the scenery.  If you are interested in a flight into Prince William Sound, as pictured above, then I recommend that you book a couple of days at Sheep Mt. so you can be flexible with the weather.  You will not get bored, it’s a great place to hang out.  In fact the luxurious Majestic Valley Lodge is located just 100 yards from our hangar.  Our clients often stay there and then just walk over for their flight.  It is an ideal set-up for guests if they enjoy being away from the crowds, but not too far from Anchorage.

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Photo of the Day — No, Really … you don’t need to do that!”

This picture turned out good because it really does look dangerous. It really wasn’t, I think the worst thing that would have happened if you fell in would be a twisted ankle because it is only 8″ wide. Jim is from Washington DC and had never seen or done anything like this. He is a friend of my dad’s and it was really fun to show him around a bit. In fact, our conversation before landing went something like this:

Me: “OK Jim, you ready?” 
Jim “What are we doing” 
Me: ” I am getting ready to land right there on the glacier.” 
Jim: “No really, you don’t need to do that … we’re not going to do that … you don’t need to do that”. 
Me: “Oh! …. OK, whatever you want man, I do this all the time, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, lets go do something else.” 
Jim: “Lets do it, I just thought you were joking at first, I didn’t know you were serious. “

I’m not joking ! These glaciers are the coolest thing to land and walk around on. I have had clients tell me it is a totally life changing event, empowering. Have you ever heard the sound of the wilderness. Have you stood at the toe of a mountain, on an icy glacier, and looked at this breathtaking creation, to hear only the glacier, to smell fresh clean air, to stand where no one has stood, to take pictures of things no-one has ever seen. Do you know what that is like? You must experience this at some time in your life, somewhere in the world. And then, to lift off the ground and fly over mountains, lakes, and rivers, back to civilization for a bacon cheeseburger and a beer … does it get any better ? I don’t think so.

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Photo of the Day — How to Spend Thousands of $$$$ in mere Seconds

Notice the tires, they were still virgins when I landed here … but that was lost by the time I left. These 35″ Alaskan Bushwheels were only two days old when I took this picture. I tore a pretty nasty chunk out of my left one when I landed. Glaciers have a nasty way of tearing up rubber. Little quarter sized rocks with razor edges freeze firmly into the ice and when my tires roll or slide over them they slice and dice. I have learned to never use my brakes on the glacier unless absolutely necessary. Even then the rocks have a way of slicing my expensive tires and spending my money. I can’t see these rocks from the air because they are so small. I always look for the nice clean spots in the middle of the glacier, unfortunately the smooth ice is typically nearer the moraine which always contains lots of small rocks. So I often end up in a catch-22. Land in the big bumps or the razor rocks. I usually end-up somwhere in the middle like in this picture.

Lots of people ask me what I think of these new 35″ Bushwheels … I’ll tell you. I was very skeptical because they seemed so big. Also, any pilot that just spent nearly $6000 to purchase, and install them, surely is not going to admit they don’t like them. So I was not sure if I was getting an accurate report. I also new that a quick test flight in somebody else’s cub would not answer my questions. Not to mention what they say about guys with big tires on their truck that, “The tires are inversly proportional ….. yada, yada, yada. So, my old tires were totally shot, and I needed new ones, I took the plunge and bought 35’s. I was not totally nuts about them at first because they had an odd feeling on touch down, I could not see over the cowl while taxing, and they are miserable to crawl up on and fuel. You can actually feel the tail come up when the tires touch down because of the inertia it takes to get them rolling. I liked them but I did not love them, but I decided to keep them. I now have 600 + hours on them and more than twice that many landings. I am falling deeper in love with each landing. These things ROCK. I will buy another set absolutely. Guys say, “I’m buying them for the safety”. They are full of crap. 35″ tires are not any safer, but they sure let you land in some awesome places.

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Photo of the Day — GLOF … not Golf but GLOF

Often there is not enough shoreline to allow a landing on the side of this lake. The level of these large glacial lakes fluctuates with warmer temperatures so when the glaciers are melting at a maximum rate there is less shoreline than during cooler temperatures. This lake is also periodically flooded due to Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding (GLOF) caused by a temperamental glacial lake lake 15 miles up-valley from here.

I will due a full entry with a video explaining more about GLOF in the next couple of weeks. But I am starving right now and I need to eat. I was outside working on my house in the falling snow and listening to Christmas Music all day. I was supposed to fly today, of course I have been trying to fly since last Friday but the weather is not cooperating. Mike is stuck in King Salmon tonight because the weather was nasty all day. There was lots of snow falling, and low visibility all-over Western and South-Central Alaska today. Maybe tomorrow. It is really difficult to get much flying done this time of year. With only 5.5 hours of daylight and chronic bad weather it is usually just one big race against the darkness.

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Photo of the Day — Descending Carefully

The cylinder head temperatures for my Lycoming O-320 engine runs about 320 degrees in standard conditions at cruise power.  I have seen it as hot as 405 on a long climb when heavily loaded, but even that temperature is well below any cautionary range.  I often take-off from the house and maintain full-power for 15-20 minutes while I climb up to the the desired altitude.  Imagine pulling onto a road in your truck and putting the gas pedal on the floor for 20 minutes, it seems like that may cause some mechanical issues over time.  A naturally-aspirated reciprocating engine, like my O-320, was certified for 2000 hours of continuous, full power (2750 RPM) operations.  It was actually designed to operate under full-power for the entire life of the engine … that is pretty awesome.  Even more amazing is that it is technology from the 1940’s.  In-fact the mechanism that makes the spark for combustion is called a magneto, the same contraption that made the spark for tractors almost a century ago (magnetos were first used by Daimler in 1899).  These simple little 4 cylinder 160 horsepower engines are incredible pieces of machinery with a nearly perfect record.  To purchase a new engine from the Lycoming factory costs nearly $30,000.  A complete rebuild typically costs about $10,000 if I do the work myself.  

I believe this image was taken as I was descending out of 8,000′ after a long hard climb.  As I mentioned above, an engine will build a fair amount of heat in a climb,  and it is careless to simply, chop the throttle and descend quickly for landing.  When the throttle is reduced the amount of heat being produced is decreased, and the increased airflow caused by the descent may “super-cool” the engine.  Super-cooling becomes a problem when the different types of metals in the engine expand and contract at different rates due to rapid temperature changes.  This can lead to visible cracking of the cylinder head and that is the sort of thing that can ruin my day.  A crack very seldom causes catastrophic failure, but it can cause serious wallet damage.  I was slowly descending while circling above my desired landing point on the Nelchina Glacier in the Chugach Mountains when a mountaineer zoomed in on the Super Cub and snapped this picture.

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Photo of the Day — A Little Family History

I do not have much to say about this image.  I know images like this make me happy, because it encapsulates my job.  The airplane in front of me is operated by Mike Meekin.  There is nobody in the state of Alaska with a better reputation as a bush-pilot, and  fair business man than Mike Meekin.  Mike’s dad, Austin Meekin, homesteaded the property in this picture in the 1940’s.  Mike is now 58 years old and has lived his entire life in Alaska.  He did not live in a house with a flush toilet until the 1980’s.  Mike was definitely raised in the wild west of the Last Frontier.  As a young man he worked as a big game guide for his dad, and then in the oil and gas fields in the winters.  He married Diane Hall in 1981 and they had 4 daughters, I was fortunate enough to marry the oldest, Samantha.  Samantha and I were married almost 8 years ago and we are expecting our first child in April.  I have been flying for/with Mike ever-since.

My Dad and my brother are both commercial pilots.  My older brother, and best friend, Zach Keller, flies both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for New Tribes Mission, and is moving to the Philippines as a missionary pilot in a couple of months.  My Dad, Wes Keller, is currently a legislator for the State of Alaska, and used to fly in the Air Force and the Air National Guard.  I grew up around airplanes and I always knew I would fly.  The day after I ended high school I started flight training and got my license when I was 18 years old.  I later attended Moody Aviation and received my aviation mechanics rating as well as two years of comprehensive bush-flight training in preparation to fly overseas as a missionary pilot.  My wife and I never went overseas as missionaries, but I have been flying full time in the cub for the last 6 years.  I have nearly 4000 hours of flight time almost all of which is right-here in the Alaskan Bush.  I have been blessed with a good job, but an even better family.

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Photo and Movie of the Day — She is The Next Generation of Bush Pilot

This little airstrip is one of our nastiest. You can watch the video and it will significantly diminish its nasty little disposition. It is difficult for a number of reasons. The biggest problem it that it sits on top of a knob so the winds are never funneled in any one direction, instead the wind swirls and is seldom a help. It is difficult to see because the tundra hides it almost entirely. I don’t dare wander off the established strip because of the sharp rocks would destroy my $3200 tires. To add to the difficulty of visibility is the fact that the far end of the strip disappears just seconds before touch down because of the center of the strip is so much taller than the end. This is a relatively new strip, only 4 years old. We only use it twice each summer and its always an adventure. The video makes it look like I simply turned and landed, but the truth is that I made 5 passes before I got the wind to cooperate. If a nasty strip like this allows me to power-up and go-around I may make several attempts until I can feel the winds are in my favor before setting down. The worst thing you can do is get in a hurry, the ground isn’t going anywhere.

So after making five passes, fighting the wind, and struggling to locate the exact position of the strip I finally got it on the ground, I crawled out of the plane and unloaded the 300 pounds of groceries. I was waiting while they sorted through the supplies, and enjoyed the opportunity to stretch my legs. A teenage girl walked over to the 1962 Super Cub and spent a long time standing at the door gazing at the faded old instruments, wooden floor boards, and manual controls. After some-time she turned to look at me and in disbelief and acknowledged, “You mean you landed that thing here MANUALLY, I thought it was all electronic ? !!”. I just about died laughing… but she’s probably right someday I’ll get replaced by a bush plane drone. Until then I’m gonna enjoy every second.

I threw in a couple of scenic clips from random flights this summer, but most of this video was taken on the day of the flight described above.

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