27 April 2019, 06:33
Magine EnigamPilot Lands Plane on Wooden Pier Barely Wider Than His Aircraft
https://www.msn.com/en-us/trav...k8Ih?ocid=spartandhpI think this is a custom built super cub with carbon fiber skeleton and super light skin.
I've flown as a passenger in super cubs in Alaska many times, but not recently.
We landed on some pretty narrow and short places.
03 May 2019, 05:01
BobsterPretty risky. Wind had to be just right. Although from the result it appears he had a good safety margin.
03 May 2019, 05:29
Todd WilliamsSo ... the pier is 500 yards or more long, not 450 feet or so!
And it's not floating on the ocean!
It's not moving away from the aircraft's flight path!
It's not pitching and rolling with the waves!
He's flying a STOL modified super cub with a stall speed of something around 40 kts!
So ...
What's the big deal?
Story reminds me of those Blaser thingys. Much-a-do about nothing!
03 May 2019, 13:01
Magine Enigamquote:
He's flying a STOL modified super cub with a stall speed of something around 40 kts!
So ...What's the big deal?
Most people don't know what can be done with such an aircraft.
Three summers ago, I got the invite to fly in a super cub with an expert. It was payback for a favor, so I got to choose the flight path. I chose to fly low over the tops of the mountains on Chichagof Island Alaska. I have long wanted to see if the stories were true about the Sitka deer in the meadows above tree line in August.
They are true. One memorable scene was four large bucks, in velvet, laying on the remaining old snow in the shadow of a cliff. They were pretty safe from hunters up there. From any direction - at least a day of hard hiking/climbing (but not technical) to get there.
Other than the deer and brown bears in the creeks, we saw something truly remarkable. There were landing tracks on the side of a mountain. They were used enough to be distinct, with the turn-around and all. We made at least two passes to take a close look. The approach was up hill, and short. The departure was down hill. My "expert" said he wouldn't do it. But the site was obviously used. This was a quick way to get on top, hunt bucks and get out before the weather changed. Hiking in and out would take days.
Another time, I witnessed a landing on snow on a short island. The ground was frozen but the ice on the lake was too thin to support the aircraft.
I know that because the plane I flew in on was sunk to the wing struts in the lake through the ice. Lucky for us, the ice was thick enough to support a person, but not the plane.
Snow about two feet over muskeg hummocks. The super cub was fitted with skis. The pilot was counting on the guy on the ground to accurately report conditions. They weren't reported accurately. It was much rougher than reported or expected. It all worked out safely, due to pilot skill and luck. We had to trample snow, and cut some willows, for a long time to make a departure path.
The pilot had to depart over a drop-off about 6' with the thin ice lake below. Trees on the other end prevented departure that way. Obviously it was a takeoff which he couldn't practice. When he cleared the dropoff his air speed was low and he purposely let the plane dip within inches of the ice, maybe skimmed it. It took only a few seconds of the no drag acceleration of full power to get the air speed needed to climb.
Pucker factor rampant.
The initial intent was to haul passengers out, but it became obvious that was a bad idea. We had to charter a helicopter to come get us.
That's the short story
09 May 2019, 09:21
DCS MemberThere was an AR member who has left, but a rather accomplished pilot and gunsmith and refurbisher (I feel bad to give him a label when he’s much more accomplished). He can lan or take off like most STOL pilots.
