These guys in Alaska know how to get it done! This is a 21 minute, very worthwhile video of the repair and recovery of a damaged Cessna 185 at a remote hunting camp far from any civilization. The guy who flies it out has brass balls!

http://www.optimaljet.com/Opti...ML/mulchatnaHigh.htm

Solid Brass

Very cool!!

Alaskans are very resourceful .

Regards,
Scott

Great video!

One thing I didn't understand though. Why did they use makeshift wooden spars to attach the new portion of the wing and aileron? Seems like they were bringing in a lot of other supplies and some sturdy parts could have been brought.

I am envious of Alaska Pilots! I got the 6 disc set from Big Rocks and Long Props about bush flying and it made me squirm,pucker and feel like a student pilot! The scenery was awesome particularly when he visited the Claus family (not Santa!) for the ski flying edition! No doubt, those guys have big ones!!

Thanks for posting...A very impressive bit of salvage work.

I wonder what the costs of something like that would be? And the costs of the permanent repairs?

Are these plane owners generally insured, or does their own bank account take a big hit in cases like this?

Like Pete, I wonder if this plane was insured. I noted that the owner of the plane flew it out.

When I landed a bonanza wheels up off airport the insurance company had some field repairs made then their pilot flew it out.

They never even asked me if I wanted to fly it out.

Not knowing the full details on this one, I don't know the fellow. My guess is no, hull insurance would cost to much. Most will just carry liability, if flying for hire. I flown a good 18 years in Alaska. All I can say is that airplanes like that 185 is valuable, since they stopped making them just about 30 years ago. With that in mind and maybe the 50 K in floats alone, really makes doing what you need to do worth while. That airplane may not look like much but I bet he could get 180 to 200 K for it any time he wants. The University of Alaska has an Airframe and Power Plant course that you can take and get the A+P certificate to work on airplanes like those fellows did, its a very long three year course that is as hard as getting an degree. A friend of mind did that, they do stuff up there that makes flying there interesting to say the least.

If I had discovered Alaskan flying when I was in my 20's I would have gone there and never looked back.

I can't think of any flying that would be more challenging.

i regret the day i left i flew l-20s [beavers] for the airforce in 1955-1956. out of ladd a.f.b. i was 20 years old and unsettled.

I really enjoyed watching that.