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Got the skis - now what?

NunavutPA-12

FRIEND
67.8N,115.1W CYCO Canada
I have an exp. PA-12-160 with flaps, -18 gear and tail. It was built in 1998 and has always been on straight floats.

I just committed to a set of Datum 3000 wheel-skis. Now more expenses loom:

I have the standard gear with die-spring shock struts, 8.50 x 6 tires, Cleveland wheels and brakes. The 8.50's will have to go in favour of a smaller tire for the skis.

1) Eventually I'll probably want 3-inch extended gear, but that means new shock struts too. Stick with the standard gear for now or bite the bullet on the gear and struts? Is the perfomance penalty so severe with the standard gear that I really "need" 3-inch extended gear right off the bat?

2) Engine heater: here I could save money by using a cheap car heater at the (un-heated) hangar or a catalytic heater when overnighting in the boonies. I like the Reiff system and it's not a huge expense. Advice?

3) Covers: I can really cheap-out in this department. I may not need wing-covers in this climate with our very dry snow and not much of it. A broom is cheaper but what's the wise men say? Engine covers I can make out of cheap sleeping bags. Or.... just order proper covers? Again, not a major expense. Prop covers too, I guess.

4) Need more cabin heat. Thinking of a muff on each tail-pipe (cross-over, muffler-less exhaust). Advice? Has anyone tried to scavenge heat from the oil cooler?

5) Of course, using any kind of electrics for engine pre-heat will mean getting a small generator. More expense and a lot of weight to carry around.
 
my thoughts:put the gear on as soon as you can! it will help with prop clearance in deep snow and being able to get airborne slower. 2,use what works best for you just make sure you have heat i use a 12v buddy heater when i have power or a portable colmun propane heater with some ducting when i don't.3, kennon cover makes nice stuff and are a good price it makes life nicer having a good set up.4, how cold is cold? start but trying to cut down on the drafts and close off the area's that don't need heat ie ext bagg ect. my thoughts may not be worth much but they are free!
 
Thanks.

I won't be doing much flying when the temperature is colder than -20C (-5F). Ski-flying here is November to mid-December, then April and May. Other months are too dark, too cold or dangerous flat light. Maintenance/change-over is in October and June. Floats July, August and September.
 
Long gear!

Long gear!

use the same heater this year in hanger or field. Or get on of the simple glue on oil pads. It will take a few hours to heat, but so what, plug it in the night before and let it heat up.

Covers are important, things change and it is the frost that you need to keep off the wings.

Winter clothing for heat inside, and seal the cabin better. Double muffs are good, but take some $ or lots of time to get right.

Lots of threads on pre-heat. Sierra Bravo has a very cool setup with an ammo can, look through the threads. One caution: if using any open flame type, keep one eye on it at ALL times, many birds have been burned from a moment of inattention.
 
Okay. So what's the concensus on where to buy the 3-inch extended gear? I know a few outfits make them - who do people like best in terms of price/quality?

And the struts: Lengthen the ones I've got? Get new ones? Don't think I could afford AOSS, probably have to stick with the die-spring struts. Who makes 'em? Do I have to change the cabane-vee if I go with longer gear?
 
i don't think you have to change the cabane V. try Javeron he has nice stuff. BCC also has them but i don't know if they will sell them w/o buying a kit from them. I don't have any experience with them but their is also a company that makes a Super-12. if you have the 18 gear then you should have lots of options.also Larry Bower has a nice duel spring strut that you can adjust the spring load easily for diff weights (kind of like a snow machine) you set the length when you get them and they come with fairings.
 
Update:

I put on Airframes extended gear. Cut and extended my old struts. Installed safety cables. Installed second heat muff on the other cross-over pipe.

Swapped-out 8.50 x 6 tires for 6.00 x 6 to fit wheel-skis. Installed Lithium-iron lightweight battery and ELT under front seat.

Yet to do: install defroster and rear-seat heat. Weather-strip the doors.

Datum 2500 retractable wheel-skis arriving tomorrow!

Unfortunately, it's -30 in my hangar so I won't be doing any more work for a while.
 
Way to go..!!
It seemed not long ago you were talking about putting engine in long term storage. NOw your getting all this ski stuff done. And it's dark there..
glad your not letting this winter stuff slow you down...!!!
 
Thanks, but I wish I was tougher - up until last week I could put in 20-minutes work at a time and then had to spend an hour warming up. That was when it was "only" -20 in the hangar. Now, at -30 it's just not possible to do anything that requires removal of gloves for more that 60-seconds. Besides, even at noon there isn't enough light. I have no power, heat or lights at the hangar. I sure envy the guys further south who have those nice heated hangars!

So this weekend I plan to look longingly at my new skis and make airplane noises.
 
Nunavut: Could you post some pictures of the terrain and buildings in your area? I just can not picture what its like where you live. Are you close to sea ice? To me I don't know how its possible to survive in such a harsh climate.

Thanks Jon
 
Okay - that last one was taken last January thru my kitchen window upon the return of the sun:
Caribou I my backyard:
 

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Pretty ordinary houses (maybe just a bit better insulated than most). Here's mine:
 

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(was posting one at a time because I can't see them in the preview screen)

My hangar and "the fleet":
DSC01949 small.jpg

On the other hand, summer isn't too bad (if you don't mind the mosquitos). Our camp 110 miles south at the tree line:
 

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Last one was probably too big a file. Trying again with smaller version:
Camp small.jpg
 

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Any one of these guys might help. No juice needed. Does not heat air, radiates heat to objects, even in a 50mph wind.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Duraheat-TT..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item4d15472754&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MH35LP-Port..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item1e740c8654&vxp=mtr

I have one of these in my hangar and put it in front of the plane when I'm working on the engine, if your within 10' of it your warm. Gloves off even at zero. 7' tall umbrella of heat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Outdoor...601?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4600654d21


Glenn
 
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Nunavut: Could you post some pictures of the terrain and buildings in your area? I just can not picture what its like where you live. Are you close to sea ice? To me I don't know how its possible to survive in such a harsh climate.

Thanks Jon

Yes, I'm at the mouth of the Coppermine River and a stone's-throw from the arctic ocean (Coronation Gulf).

How is it possible to survive in such a harsh climate? Not to be facetious but, in a word, MONEY. Either you're one of the 15-percent who have to buy their own heating fuel or one of the 85-percent who get their heat for "free" thanks to the generousity of the nanny state. Hold on .... I guess I'm paying for them too! Oh well, no matter who you are, there would be no people in this part of the world without some kind of government assistance I suppose.

On the other hand, it's great country to explore. Nunavut is bigger than Alaska but with only 30,000 people. Almost no private land, other than some that the Inuit (Eskimos) own, but generally you can travel, hunt, fish, camp where you please and pretty much have the whole country to yourself. Our camp is on a very nice lake; moose, caribou, wolves, wolverine, martin, foxes, musk-ox all over the place. Can catch a lake trout right from the beach in two minutes. Don't have to get permits, no compaints about float-plane noise from the "local residents". At our camp we are 100-miles from the nearest human. Biggest worry is grizzlies, ... and the fact that should something major happen to the airplane it would probably have to be abandoned because the cost of recovery might exceed its value.
 
So, where do the electrical lines leading to your home go? How is the electricity generated and where, and how much does it cost per KWH? Whatever it costs it's cheap for way up there!

Another Datum ski flier here, 4 th season. I just made my first flight yesterday and due to a lack of snow (and that can/will change any day, big time) I took off on the wheels after negotiating my gravel driveway and grass strip, flew for an hour with the skis tucked up (ski mode, where the ski structure somewhat streamlines the tire) and then landed at a towered airport, then back to my mountain strip. And not manicured turf by any means, but gophered up pretty good. They have no problem at all with reasonable off airport conditions, after tweaking my rigging a bit the second season I am very happy with the ground clearance. My only bad experience with the purchase was dealing the customs on the US side, a big PITA, you of course won't have that problem. It is great fun, never having flown anything with retractable gear, to lift off on the wheels and immediately hit the switches (dual, one for each ski is preferable) and start the "retract" sequence. I get just enough electrical whine through my headset to tell me when process is complete, then I verify with my eyeballs. On 6:00's and once in the SKI mode, they are less draggy then my 29" Airstreaks. I have yet to land on pavement on the skis, haven't forgotten, yet, to put the wheels down, but have landed on frozen grass with no problems. Couldn't take off though, until we scoop shoveled a 35' path of snow onto the grass, that allowed to me build enough speed to once back on the grass, keep accelerating. They seem to hold up to a fair bit of abuse in other words.
 
courierguy: I've been following your exploits on this site and BCP for some time.

All the electricity in Nunavut is generated by diesel - one power plant in each community. Not sure of the cost to me per kwh but my bills are generally $100 to $200 per month, depending on the season. Again, there's a generous subsidy (probably around 40-percent), otherwise nobody could afford the actual cost. About 80-percent of Nunavut residents live in "public housing", heavily subsidized, and pay only a small percentage of a normal power bill.

It might be several months before I can put my skis on, but the weather doesn't really improve until March anyway. Ski-flying here in April, May (and even into June on the sea ice) is great with the bright sunshine and very long days.
 
Nunavut: Thanks so very much for posting the pictures. I my self truly think your pictures are amazing. I knew your environment was pretty harsh but never realized that it could be that harsh. You and the people who live there are truly living life on the edge. For most people here in the US we don't have any concept of that places like that exist. I did follow Will Steger on his Artic expedition and have gone to some of his talks and only have a small concept of the harshness without truly being there. I can see where most of the people there would not survive if it were not for the government supplying some sorts of energy. I myself never think much of turning on a light or turning up the heat in our homes, we think it just should happen. The temp here is 14F tonight that's like a heat wave and yet its cold compaired to the wind chill we have been having the last week or so. Your world is operated totally different from ours. I can see that everything you do in the out doors must be a challange due to the extremes. Living daily must be dangerous and a task. The clothing you wear and the skin protection you need. I can see where you need a parka with the fur around the face and very heavy linned chopper mitts. Gosh I'm greatful for my warm home. Thank you so much for your posts.

Jon
 
It's 40-feet wide by 30-feet deep. Fits the PA-12 when on wheels but not on floats unless I put it in on the trailer sideways.

It was made by Coverall in Saskatoon, but I think they are out of business now and another company (Norseman Structures, also of Saskatoon) took over their assets. It's been up since 2006 and has handled some vicious winds. The south end (the end in the picture) needs to be replaced soon because it's the most exposed to UV. It has engineered trusses (not a pipe frame) and sits on screw piles four four feet into ground that is frozen most of the year - so it's not going anywhere!

I put in a simple wood floor, which I would certainly recommend if you intend to work on your 'plane inside.
 
Riverking:

We're really not as tough as we like to think! We have warm houses, two well-stocked local stores, two schools, health centre, police (5), post office, etc. 14 flights per week by two airlines out of Yellowknife, using DHC-8, ATR42 and ATR-72 and even two flights a week with the 737-200 series on our 5,500-foot gravel runway. Population is only 1,400.

No roads out but many people still have private vehicles (mostly 4WD pick-ups) to drive on the ten miles of local roads. Almost every family has at least one snowmobile, an ATV and a boat. One guy even has a couple of airplanes!:lol:

We spend a lot of time indoors during the long winter, which makes the arctic far from being the healthiest place to live. Who wants to go for a jog at -40? There's probably more big-screen TV's here than most places.

Av-gas is about $8.00/US gallon, MOGAS $4.17, heating fuel $4.51. Food costs are about double the rates in southern Canada. A house like mine would rent for about $3,000 per month including utilities. I built the house myself 30-years ago when costs were lower. Flew all the material in on a C-130.

Of course, wages are considerably higher here than in the south, probably almost double, and there are subsidies on fuel, electricity, municipal services and certain essential food items. There are also tax breaks for living here and some employers give a "northern allowance" on top of wages. That allowance can be around $25,000 annually for many people.

So we really don't have it that bad, and most things (other than education and the crime-rate) have improved in the 43-years I've been here.
 
More questions, the more I learn the more I want to know.
What do people do for work that far north?
 
The unemployment rate is very high. Probably 30-percent or more.

The government hires maybe 150 people - teachers, nurses, police, administrators of one kind or another. Another 50 work at the diamond mines located about 200-miles south. Small businesses and the airlines employ a few. The rest are students (high birth rate means the average age is about 25). Many of those young people don't do anything at all.

There is no real industry here. The communities were established in the fur trade days, now long gone.
 
Interesting info on northern living and especially in today's northern Canada. Hearing of the subsidies makes it all make more sense. It's the same in many of our remote Alaskan villages. When Anchorage was paying .09/kwh the village prices, even some with road access paid .47/kwh and are subsidized. In Fairbanks where I live it's something like .25. Sounds like you saw Art and the Polar Pumpkin pass through. He finally made the pole after a few tries. He's a friend of many years. I worked with he and his wife in Antarctica in 1984-85. I have a PA12 with all the upgrades that spends half the year on older Federal 2500's that I like a lot. I passed through northern Canada, pre-"Nunavut", in 1975 to work on Baffin Island. Pretty incredible country.
 

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Beautiful PA-12! Mine is a little "rougher" but I'm gradually getting it equipped the way I want.

I was going to retire right about now but new floats are needed so another year of working is in store for me.
 
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