Dutch Harbor

I am impatiently waiting.

Gotta be a word limit here - I just lost a load of words.

To make it simple - I departed Fort Wainwright, AK in winter to fly to Fort Richardson, AK - near Anchorage, AK. I checked weather.

Enroute, approximately half way I began to get some clear icing on my wings. I reported it to ATC.

ATC gave me a lower altitude to try and escape the icing conditions. It didn't help. I felt the plane begin to wobble and turned off the autopilot. That way I had much better control of the aircraft.

After more attempts to get out of the icing - I finally arrived at the Army Airfield. I informed the tower that I had icing and would be landing faster than normal.

As I approached the field, I was 30 knots faster than normal just to keep the plane from stalling. When about 10 ft over field I pulled back gently on my power levers and the plane stalled and fell straight to the runway. Afterwards, I parked the plane and went to the leading edge of the wing - broke off a chunk of ice and measured it at 3.5 inches. There was more ice all over the rest of the wings. And, tail section.

IMHO the pilot of the recently crashed plane due to icing did not turn off his autopilot soon enough to really get a FEEL by the seat of his pants what was happening. The autopilot did NOT know anything about ice - and was programmed for a normal - no condition weather - landing. The plane stalled in autopilot and the autopilot automatically stopped operating. The pilot had only approx 100 hrs in the plane and must have overcompensated by pulling the stick back - thus making the plane land flat on it's belly. Normally, a pilot with more time would have pushed the power levers forward aggressively and then gently pulled the stick back to level and stabilize the aircraft.

In pilots terms - power = altitude. Stick equals airspeed. That simple.

Too bad I lost the first story.

A friend I served with in the Navy has a pilot's license. He is currently building a kit plane in his basement. I am going to invite him to read the thread. I know he would appreciate it at least as much as I.

Well, edgar - your friend must be spending his time in the basement building his airplane. Please tell your friend to tell me what is the name of the build it yourself airplane. There are sooooooo many nowdays.

I - personally, have had the ambition to build a replica of the very first airplane to break the ONE HUNDRED mile per hour mark. Let your friend tell us all which one airplane that was.

Till later,

Still and forever your friend.

Dan

Oh, I forget, On or about St. Patrick's Day - I have friends who live in Califorinia who will be visiting and we will be in your area at about the 16th to the 17th. Which day would be the best to meet with you for a cup of coffee - or anything else you would like?? Your choice of coffee shops........... We are all very good traveleles and would like to meet with you. That is up to you.

We plan to visit the Space Center and the first world's largest indoor ampitheather. Then, the last stand of the Mexican Army at where they were defeated - RIGHT there in Houston at San Jancinto - site that expaines all else in TEXAS - except for it's name. Originally, the Caddo Indians settled East Texas. The Caddo's were a very smart people - they had stettled the land for thousands of years. Their name for the area occupied by Texas was the "Land of the Friendly People." The term in Spanish is not Spanish, but, it is a replica of the Caddo peoples name - Texas.

What do you think about that - and what are your opinions?? Farmerman?

Well, I live on the far side of the Houston area, near Tomball. If you would care to meet in Goodson's Cafe or Chili's, or some other place on that day, after twelve noon, it could happen.

I have been very busy and did not email my friend until a few minutes ago. He lives in South Dakota, I believe, unless he has moved recently.

A friend of ours whose a retired US AIR big bus piot, is also building a plane. Hes got it in a barn near Ashtabula Ohio , They just bought a place north of Palmerton Pa and he had a big equip shed built with a big overhanging (like a penteaves) roof. He said this would be important for his plane . (I have no idea why except it looks cool).
Were gonna trailer the whole thing back from Ashtabula to Palmerton this summer when his new barn is done. Hes been working on the thing and it looks like one of those tiny biplanes that they use for stunts (Pitt special?) . He spent years on the wood and fabric. I hope it makes it in the trailers. (Im hauling one gooseneck and hes hauling another). Im glad I only built a boat, I dont think I could hack all that xylene and banana oil. Id be a drug addict again.

My only plane experience is as a passenger.

edgar, Tomball is a distance from where we are going so maybe next time..... Thanks anyway.

You don't know what fun is until you have turned the plane over and looked UP at the earth. Inverted is great - and, split S is super too. The plane I flew most in the Army was the OV-1 Mohawk. It was designed to land on aircraft carriers - so, the landing gear was really beefed up to withstand heavy landings. The Navy didn't want it - so, the Army ordered a bunch of them in 1960. Great plane to fly - it does an aileron roll in about 3 seconds. And, is fully aerobatic. 9.5 positive G's and almost 5 negative G ratings. We called it the Gruman Ironworks plane.

Hi Farmerman, how's it growing??

I suspected it, danon. That's a hell of a journey, to me.

edgar, I just heard your brother passed away. I'm sending sympathys from our family to your family.

Thank you, danon. It's greatly appreciated.

What would you like to know? I live and work here, we have a Resort, called the Grand Aleutian Hotel, plenty of new fishing companies are based out here the largest of which I work for (Unisea) . We have a Safeway and a store called Alaska Ship Supply, and the population of the town is somewhere near 4,000 I believe. Summer the island is a little less populated, the early months in the year are when the island is "booming" since most of the plants are running Opelio Crab, Pollack, Cod, Halibut, etc... The town is definitely growing and changing as the years pass.

I waxed nostalgic when I started this thread. The part I saw was a small abandoned town, with a refueling station. I'd had no idea all those years that 4,000 people lived around there. I don't have a specific question any more. But, if you would like, I think many of us would like to have you describe the place and life there.

Hey Gerhardtvisions--Are there any left over Loran-C towers out on the Aleuts anymore? I dont know whether they were dismantled after they were abandoned (sat nav is waay more accurate anyay).

We used to go hunting for diopside crystals near chignic and went fishing for doormats from some place near Duitch Harbor.
It was a beautiful but unforgiving place . What were the names of the sweet red berries that grew along the hill flanks?