Valdeze Fly-in Trip

[SuberAvid 617]

This will be quite a lot of pictures if I can get tehm all to load OK through my old dial up connection.  It was perfectly clear weather on Friday and I planned to fly over with a friend and possibly two in a couple of Champs leaving at about 5:30 PM.  One of the guys never got back with us so my frien had another buddy in a T-craft who was going so that would work fine also.  When we checked weatehr the wind was gusting 25 to 38 knots in Valdeze and my buddy had only had his Champ for a little while; about 20 hrs TW time (lots more time in tricycle) so decided he decided to wait until Sat morning.  Since he had another buddy to fly with and I talked to Bill who said winds had lightened up some in Valdeze, I decided to go ahead and go. 

 

I went over the top of the Knik Glacier (highest spot) at 9500 ft.  I was sure glad I put on a sweatshirt before I took off and was even wishing I had a pair of wool gloves handy by the time I was getting close to Valdeze. (I already pulled my heater collectors for the summer).  The scenery going over the top is just incredible with the glaciers and snowfields on the Knik side and the glaciers and fiords on the Prince William Sound side.  After crossing over the top of the Knik Glacier I flew pretty much the direct line on the GPS to Valdeze across the ends of Harvard and Yale Glaciers and College Fiord, then Unakwik Inlet which had gone much further into Meares glacier than my chart showed that I wondered about my position for a bit.  Then past Kaden lake and across the end of the huge Columbia Glacier and into the Valdeze arm.  Valdeze does not really look like much coming in at 8500 ft with the sun setting and I was wondering if that was it but the GPS didn't lie.

 

Bill was waiting for me so we got the plane parked and tied down, grabbed my gear and headed for a good night's rest.

[marshawk 82]

Wow . amazing pictures there Randy, looks like some crazy country below you

[SuberAvid 617]

Part Two:

 

The last count I heard was over 230 planes on the ground at Valdeze.  The weather was perfect again on Sat, in the 60's and no clouds.  Pretty much everyone got a good sunburn; I think second picture in this group pretty much says it all; how nuch more fun can you have that that in the sunshine watching people play with their $100'sK toys.  A couple of pictures of the Lil Cub and the Just STOL that competed and a few of the others.  It was fun to see those guys in the big hardware leaving a lot of expensive rubber on the pavement.

 

Oh, I got a text from my buddy that they were leaving Palmer about 7:00 Sat morning and asked how it looked; winds were still a bit gusty but were manageable I thought, but I was late reading his message so he didn't get my text before he left anyway.  We were eating breakfast at the airport and I texted him to see if he had made it in yet; no answer.  While we were listening to a talk by Paul Clause, Richard Wein, the Nellis brothers and one other I didn't know, some great experienced pilots, telling of some of their experiences we heard that someone had just groundlooped.  Sure enough...  Another riend I talked to there said that anyone can groundloop and wreck their plane out in the middle of nowwhere by themselves and not tell anybody about it but a select few; but it takes a real man to wreck in front of 400 spectators for their viewing pleasure.  Everyone was ok and the plane is not to bad so should be back up and flying again soon with a few repair bills.

 

Bill and I got out flying after the competition and did a cool couple hour tour of the Valdeze area out toward Cordova and saw quite a few goats and black bears, it was fun to see the area with a great guide; then got back to Valdeze for another restful night.

 

The flight back was spectacular on another perfectly clear day, the glaciers are so impressive I had to take another bunch of pictures going back.  By the time I got back near the end of the Knik Glacier I was down enough on fuel that the plane was feeling pretty light again so there was a strip up in Grasshopper Valley that I had never landed; partially because I knew of a couple of guys that cracked ther planes up there.  I looked it over and it looked pretty good so I landed it.  My roll was about 280 ft so I sure wasn't going to win at Valdeze but I still had quite a bit of gear in the plane.  The strip is kind of blown out with a lot of big whoop-de-dos but the 30's really help tame that stuff.  Looks like I might have to try hunting in there sometime.

 

Still made it home in plenty to time to buy the Mothers day present and had a great BBQ with the kids and 20 mo. old grandson; a blessed weekend I would say!

[Av8r_Sed 82]

Thanks for all the great photos and writeup, Randy.  You're quite the photographer and that territory is stunningly beautiful.  You're a lucky guy to have that in your backyard.

[dholly 718]

Great trip report, thanks! I bet a Valdez pilgrimage is on the bucket list for many AK flyers, kind of like a fly in arrival at AirVenture OSH is for us in the lower 48. AK is truly a breathtaking -but potentially very inhospitable- place to fly. I personally have such a hard time trusting a new (or new to me) engine for a long time, I'm sure a trip like this would test my mettle. How long does it take before a E-AB builder/pilot can jump in his/her plane and feel just as confident and comfortable as if they are hopping into their car for a trip to the grocery store?

[akflyer 1427]

Doug, took me about 3 flights.. originally, about another 20 hours after the engine out.  If I worried about all the different ways to die I would hide in my room and never come out.

 

Do I fly higher over cold open water, yep I sure do but I don't worry about what I cant control.  If or when it happens you just do the best you can to bluff the shitty cards in your hand and hopefully the maker will fold and let you rake in the pot one more time.

 

[lostman 198]

Great pictures and trip report, as always. Leni, I agree completely. I've had three engine out landings in five years now. It takes a while every time I get back in a plane to trust it again. It doesn't matter what airplane it is either. Guess by your analogy I'm a pretty good poker player.

[SuberAvid 617]

It is definately inhospitable country once you head up the Knik Glacier there is no good place between there and Valdez except a few miles of snowfield at the top of the glacier, everything else is vertical or knife edge rocks or ice or cold ocean.  I do like the way that Subie hums along though; after 325 hours behind it it does help build confidence in it.  I don't want to get complacent with it but it is about as close to operating like a car as any plane could be.  I still pop the cowl and check things over before every flight though.

 

Oh, I guess I should learn to spell Valdez; sorry to all you Valdez folks about that.

[C5Engineer 1170]

Awesome pics as usual Randy! Did you talk to Steve Henry about the SuperStol at all?

[thebriman 69]

I feel accomplished that I can takeoff in under 200 and land in 250.  These folks make me look like a 747.  

[SuberAvid 617]

Awesome pics as usual Randy! Did you talk to Steve Henry about the SuperStol at all?

I didn't get to talk to him and actually didn't realize who it was until you mentioned him.  I wish I had.   I got to look over his plane a bit.  He had additional strips of aluminum taped on the flaps and aelerons to add another inch or so to the chord.  Also bungeed the leading edge slats to hold them open.  For some reason he didn't have an exaust pipe from the muffler out through the side of the cowl, just the hole in the side of the cowl and the paint on the cowl was fried in that area.  Makes me think it must have fell off and he didn't get a chance to replace it... or it was a weight saving mod.

 

There was one at the Aviation Trade Show in Anchorage the week before that was really stripped down and set up like the Lil cub with only partial covering, no cowl, had a plastic firewall and nitrous.  It was very minimal and looked like it was run hard and put away wet but it probably performed pretty good.

[RDavidson 183]

Awesome pics! JEALOUS!!!