GoPro Images from fishing yesterday

This camera is amazing. Took a couple trips across to the cabin fishing yesterday and strapped the GoPro on the wing. Great images all day, here are a few... I'll catch up on the blog here as soon as things slow down.

A short video

Here is some footage of landing at the cabin to the south. I picked up a Gopro camera last week and strapped it on the plane for the ride over this week. A big three days were had over there this week and i'll update the blog with some pretty great pictures! back later,
Josh

More Alaska summer

I took off around 10am yesterday and flew across with great conditions planning on fishing and hunting most of the day. I ate lunch at the cabin and landed at a nice little strip just north of where we usually fish for kings. I was the only plane on the strip and had a whole clear creek full of reds to myself. After a few hours and a limit of reds I flew back to the cabin, watered the garden and ate a bit of dinner. Life is hard up here.

Back on the scene

I have flown every day this week, sometimes twice a day. I can't stop thinking about it, and it's all I want to do. The cub has been amazing so far, and it's everything that I wanted and expected. It effortlessly takes off with large loads, and lands super gracefully as long as I do it right. This plane is a life changer. Here are some shots from this weeks evening flights. I would often take off from across the inlet around midnight and start making my way home by moonlight and the lingering summer daylight. I am a lucky one.

Supercub 4104Z "Ragtag"

Today was my first solo flight in the Cub after a couple of hours training with Doctor Russell. I have been signed off in both my airplanes so far by Dr. Russell and each flight with him is a joy. He is calm when I screw up, and always offers gentle advice to help me get back on course. He is a master of the Supercub and claims to have just plain wore out about 4 of them. Before our first flight he told me the story of wearing out the first one. I agree, it was fully worn out..... Yesterday after finishing up my last check ride with Alex I called Gregg to see if he would be up for flying the next day and he was all in. Today Gregg and I lifted off around ten, and after a few touch and go's in the pattern we winged our way north over Turnagain Arm and in into the mountains toward Knik glacier. The glacier has carved out a huge valley with abundant rocky moraine fields, perfect training ground for a new cub pilot. The flight up was super bumpy, but by the time we dropped down into the valley, there was a perfect smooth wind that made for nice, short landings and take-off's. After an hour or so of practicing landings, checking out sheep, and taking a few photographs we headed out the valley toward Palmer/Wasilla, turned left, and headed over Fire Island and back to Soldotna. Thanks go to Gregg for a great first day, and a wealth of practical knowledge. On a side note: I rarely name my vehicles, but have decided to name my plane after the cub that piqued my interest in flying as a child. Ragtag was a close family friend's Cub that spent many years flying slow over most of Alaska. I'm not sure where that airplane is now, but hopefully I can do the name justice as I begin my career as an Alaskan Supercub pilot.

Setting sail out of Seward

I was lucky enough to get an email from John Baker out of Anchorage inviting a group of us out for a weekend of sailing in the Seward area. John's Boat is a 44 foot Jeanneau Sun Odyssey sloop that will comfortably sleep 5, but handled 7 of us just fine. The yacht is immaculate and John's cooking was even better. I'll throw up a few photo's tonight, and give a little more description tomorrow. It was a beautiful weekend for sailing and if you wish, you can follow the history of our trip on my SPOT page.

Fossil point for different reasons....

Flew over to fossil point with Mike last Tuesday not looking for fossils, but looking for snow. This time of year if wheel skis are not an option, beaches are all you have left for skiing. We landed just west of the point by the two cabins, come-a-longed the plane up on the ice to avoid the high tide, and had a great day on the snow. Perfect weather last week made for ideal Alaska spring conditions. I love this state.