Alaska Cub, Night Landing Poem

Night Landing

We were blasting along in October of Ninety-Three, we were all alone my J-5 and me.

She was stable and steady with 135 ponies, wings from a 12 , tanks from a Super, and she smelled like old Salmon not Swordfish nor Grouper.

We were headed for home at Anderson Lake and our path through the darkness printed the GPS screen like a snake.

No runway lights, no reflectors, just dirt and some trees,
If I?d had room, I?d drop to my knees?.

The ground mist so thick, the house lights were fuzzy, I spied my fuel situation and started to feel queasy.

So a light in my head starts to appear,,, it must be an idea since there sure as heck ain?t no lighting up here!

I?ll just stare at my Garmin and slowly let down, With a line to the Strip?s middle, on the ground we?ll soon be found..

Well waypoint or no, I punched in the numbers, and let down to fifty feet, real slow and all a-lumber?..

So over the Lake water on the prop we do hang, going about 40, looking slightly insane.

Towards a dark cut in the trees we do head at low speed, about ten landing lights, yeah that?s what I need.

I tickle the throttle back just scooth plus a hair and suddenly Porch Flood Lights in our flight path do appear.

So QUICK to full power, and yank hard back on the stick, while counting roof shingles and feeling REAL SICK.

What the heck,, who the hay,, and why is that guy in his skivvies waving that way????

So around we go, to avoid a solid building slamming and how the heck did this house get built here, while I was down the inlet clamming.

Alex Clark February 24, 2004 Homer, Alaska

Very Nice Alex...

Better than anything the english department here at UAF ever made me read...

Bill

Thanks it is true, I alomst did fly into somebodys living room. I had not figured on the cross wind and my GPS was taking me to the middle of the strip but at a 45 degree angle to the approach path. It was about 1 AM and real misty. I thought I was doing fine and suddenly all of these flood lights are in my face. Then I see the living room lights come on. (It was a glass front Chalet style) This guy is standing there in his underwear waving me off. So I almost roll the tires over his roof while trying not to stall. He came on the radio a minute later with some joice observations.
I was one of the stupider things I have done....