Valdez Fly-In 2005

[jebsgrandpa]

Just got back from the second annual Valdez, Alaska "Fly-In" - what a super event again this year. Last year was great, this year even better - absolutely wonderful weather, lots of planes from all over Alaska and lots of flying entertainment for everyone.
The short take-off and landing competition was very interesting and of course the good ole supercubs beat all comers (including experimentals, hot rods and some pretty ugly want-to-be stols).
The folks that do all the behind the scenes work on this are to be congratulated - as well as all the vendors that donated prizes (the big prize was a set of 31" AK Bushwheels!) My thanks to all and it looks like this is going to be as good - if not better than the old Gulkana annual event. Thanks everybody involved!!

 

[J5Ron]

What a great weekend...The Fly-In was once again a big success...The people down there put in loads of work and time to get this going...and I know they are already planning next years event...The competitions were very interesting and exciting...In the Short field T.O. and Landing...stock proved to be the ticket...Chuck McMahan came down from Gakona...with a his Stock PA18 and got off the ground in 78' on a hot no wind day...On Sunday Chuck also won the bush challenge...getting off the ground in 111'...with 300# in the rear seat area on another hot no wind day... Taking home the 31" Bushwheels with the shortest landing was a young man from Wasilla ...Mat Piat ...Flying what he calls his grandpas' Ol wore out 11... Mat in his PA 11 impressed many winning the shortest landing with a 99' Landing...he also impressed many with a 99' take-off as well... Mats PA 11 is only a 90 hp plane... There was lots of other impressive airplanes there...including a authentic producer who competed in the experimental cat...It really performed well...The infamous Mt. Goat was there...but it was outpreformed by the cubs :lol: ...as well as the Zenith...in the experimentals...I think if I remember right the shortest T.O by the Goat was around the 150's ....i think the producer was in the 150's as well...and one of the Zeniths was in the 130's...

GREAT SHOW...

 

[KelvinG]

Sorry I missed it. Sure sounds like a great time! Oh well, maybe next year

KelvinG

 

[narov]

Are there pics, videos from this years event up anywhere yet?

CV

 

[D C]

Here are the result just in from the STOL compitition.

Flour bombing:
1st Mike Stitzel , Valdez , 10 inches.
2nd Troy Tirrell , Cordova , 4'3".
3rd Mike Collins , Big Lake , 4'4"

Light Touring Takeoff:
1st Allen Gililend , King Salmon, C-180 , 132'
2nd Kevin Easley , Anchorage , C-170 , 141'
3rd Jack Campbell , Wasilla , Rallye 150, 145'

Light Touring Landing:
1st Kyle Carr , Palmer , C-170 , 204'
2nd Allen Gililend , King Salmon , C-180 , 249'
3rd Jack Campbell , Wasilla , Rallye 150 , 261'

Heavy Touring Takeoff:
1st Mitch Cullom , Anchorage , C-182 , 178'
2nd Jason Weimer , Wasilla , C-185 , 199'
3rd Sean Brosnahan , Anchorage , C-185 , 290'

Heavy Touring Landing:
1st Mitch Cullom , Anchorage , C-182 , 257'
2nd Jason Weimer , Wasilla , C-185 , 262'
3rd Rod Hanson , Valdez , C-185 , 350'

Bush Class Takeoff:
1st Chuck McMahon , Gakona , PA-18 150 hp , 78'
2nd Cole Ellis , Nebesna , PA-18 160 hp , 82'
3rd Leif Wilson , Tok , PA-18 180 hp , 87'

Bush Class Landing:
1st Matt Piatt , Wasilla , PA-11 100 hp , 99'
2nd Mike Stitzel , Valdez , PA-18 160 hp , 152'
3rd Chuck McMahon , Gakona , PA-18 150 hp , 160'

Bush Challenge With 300lbs Cargo:
1st Chuck McMahon , Gakona , PA-18 150 hp , 111'
2nd Cole Ellis , Nebesna , PA-18 160 hp , 128'
3rd Leif Wilson , Tok , PA-18 180 hp , 130'


Thats all for now,
D C

 

[Christina Young]

Very, very interesting! I'm surprised that the 150HP cub beat the higher horsepower ones in the bush challenge. I would have thought that those cubs with 180s would have really shined in the heavier loads department, despite the likely lighter weight of the 150HP.

Wasn't Chuck McMahon in one of those super cub videos winning the Gulkana contest, or was that someone else?

Anyone have the numbers on the Mountain Goat? Just curious.

 

[D C]

Oops, I forgot to post the experimental class.

Takeoff:
1st Bill Wilcox, Valdez, Zenith CH801, 139'
2nd Bill Montagne, Palmer, Mt. Goat, 147'
3rd James Frisby, Palmer, Zenith CH801, 151'
3rd Steve Bryant, Anchorage, Producer, 151'

Landing:
1st Steve Bryant, Anchorage, Producer, 247'
James Frisby, Palmer, Zenith CH801, 248'
Bill Montagne, Palmer, Mt. Goat, 270


Yes, Chuck McMahon has won at Gulkana.
The top pilots in the bush class were in a league of their own, it was very impressive from my point of view!

D C

 

[Christina Young]

DC,
How many contestants were there in each class? Were there any Maules or Huskies?

Thanks....

 

[Christina Young]

It's also funny that an ordinary C-170 beat the much hyped Mountain Goat in both takeoff AND landing!!

 

[ground loop]

The 300 lb. bush list is really an all star line-up. The should also have it with a climb over a 50 ft. brick wall and see how many of the 150 hp's survive.
I always wonder about landing distance and radial bushwheels. Since they roll easier, do they land longer? Any radials in the shortest landing?

 

[pak]

Hey Loop are you beginning to think that the 180hp and all the doodads weren't worth the money spent?? .

 

[sj]

How about winds, elevation, and temperature for the day of the contests?

sj

 

[J5Ron]

Steve....if you read the post above you would see....wind and temp comment.

"McMahan came down from Gakona...with a his Stock PA18 and got off the ground in 78' on a hot no wind day...On Sunday Chuck also won the bush challenge...getting off the ground in 111'...with 300# in the rear seat area on another hot no wind day"....

Elevation was about 50'...Valdez sits right on Prince William Sound...

Ground Loop...interesting...50' wall...since DC, Tim and I were the short field judges...I would have to say that the 150 cub,along with Chuck would have most likely still won it... Doug said...those guys...were in a class all of their own....skill....skill...skill....There were many very skilled pilots there... and it was interesting to watch the various techniques used...

Another point...by the time we got to the experimentals...the sea breeze was starting to pick up...maybe 3-6 mph...so...a little wind didn't even help the goat match up to the cubs...

Ron

 

[sj]

Sorry Ron, I am going to have to get some cheater glasses soon.

By "hot" do you mean 60 degrees, which appears to be the high temp for Valdez in the last month or so? Round here 59 degrees is standard temp and 90 is hot.

Just curious, especially after the significant effect of a 15 or so degrees we saw down in Oklamoma.

Thanks!

sj

 

[sj]

Ron et al,

Next Question:

What technique did the winners use? Tail high or three point on take off?

Was it a max braking wheelie that one the landing contest?

Mostly interested in cub technique here, not so much kitfox, C180, etc.

Hopefully there will be some video at the AA show as there was last year!

sj

 

[Bill Rusk]

Yeah...ya gotta define "Hot". In Alaska, best I can tell, anything above 32 degrees is a shorts and t-shirt day. In Phoenix it has to go over 110 before the locals say it is hot.
It can get really hot right inside this house when I forget a birthday, anniversary etc.

Bill

 

[T.J.]

I would be interested in knowing if the takeoff winners used the tail high method?

 

[ground loop]

The C-180 from King Salmon posted some very impressive #'s. I wish I could do that in a cub!

 

[D C]

Christina, 19 cubs in all including 2 PA-11's and a few PA-12's in the bush class, no Huskys.

On landing 2nd and 3rd place cubs were on 31" Radials. The PA-11 that won on smaller tires not only landed on the line but was flying much slower than the others...I think it was around 300 lbs lighter also.

The shortest take offs were all preformed as follows:
Hold brakes to full power then upon release of brakes lift the tail to level flight... as minimum flying speed is reached the tail is droped to within inches of the ground as full flaps are applied. The trick seemed to be to pull the mains off the ground with out banging or dragging the tail wheel. Those who got off the shortest were only inches off for 30' to 40' until able to climb out of ground affect without touching down again.

I believe most cubs are capable of this same performance given the right pilot.

The air temp out on the tarmack had to be at the very least 60. Thats got to be some kind of record for us... I got a dam sun burn!

D C

 

[T.J.]

delete

 

[J5Ron]

T.J.

I believe Chuck M. has standard gear...31" ABW-Radials...he really wanted to win the Landing so he was running really low...almost flat...air pressure...and the brakes were pretty tight...almost could not roll his plane by hand...and still won the T.Off contest....Most everyone had the bigger tires...Matt Piatt who won the landing had 26" Goodyears...and single puck brakes...

Sorry to hear about your Grandpa...must have been a pretty big hog...

 

[bearsnack]

So does Chuck have a narrow deck 150?Wide deck? Or is it modified? Us PA-18 150 owners want to know