Corvus Migrans the Wandering Raven II

Hi Ingo. Great new's about your up coming DVD's Always great to see your story's and adventures. Ingo, when I last sent you a message, I mentioned you are " One amazing pilot in my Book" That is a American
saying in general about my opinion" I didn't really write a book. But if I did, you could be in it.

Safe flying Ingo


Bill

C-M,
Did you produce a CD? If so I missed how to purchase it. Could you let me know how to get one? Thanks!

Last year you could purchase it over the supercub.org shop. But I gues they are sold out. I have to ask steve if he wants to have some more. On the other way I am back in AK at the Manch 10. to the March 24. and I have still some DVDs im my cabin. If you want just contact me via privat messages here in supercub.org. The video is about my second flight through Canada/North-West-Territory. "Only the Horizon was the Limit" is the name
C-M

The year 2010 was not a good year. The compression ring of cylinder #2 was broken. I became suspicious about the slightly fluctuating compression check, so we pulled the cylinder and bingo. And then we pulled them all and bingo again cylinder #4 had a stuck second ring. I sent the cylinders to Anchorage to the engine shop located at Merrill-Field to get the valve guides and valves changed and the cylinder overhauled. These were first run 1000 hr investment cast very nice millennium cylinders. The first thing what the shop did was they cracked the heads of TWO of the cylinders while removing the guides. And they almost made it with the third. But fortunately then they drilled that guide out. I actually doubt that they had heated up the cylinders to 3-400° as it is requested by the FAA-Lycoming worksheet.So they cracked the heads. I guess they simply sledgehammered the guides out cold. So I had to buy two new Lycoming cylinders. And when I got them back, I discovered, that they HAD NOT honed my other two milleniums. What a lousy job for an old shop, which for decades overhauled engines for Alaskan bushpilots, which depend on the quality of work. But at least they paid 500$ not much for two first run cylinders. Bu I had to pay full for two new lycomings. But now I have mixed cylinders.
NOT RECOMANDABLE ANY MORE.
For sure when I’ll get an overhaul for my engine, I’ll send them down to the lower forty eights. Cheaper and I’ll get for sure a far better quality.
All together I was grounded for 5 weeks. Additional my transmission shaft on my pickup broke. The new transmission made noise, so the second and so the third. Then I gave up changing transmissions. I spent altogether almost 7 grand only to sit in town.
But finally I was back into the air, breaking in my cylinders and going duck hunting with my friends. This gave me quite a rest.

End of August beginning of September I took off for another nice flight to the Aleutian. I always ever wanted to fly to Adak. But I am flying a cub not a Bonanza. It takes days to do this from Fairbanks to Adak and the weather changes so fast in this part of the world. I also wanted to enjoy the islands site. To be in a hurry, unknowledgeable about the certain background of weather patterns, landing sites, in this area, looks for me to take a too big of a risk for this island hopping. So I take my time to explore and enjoy these islands, also building up experience for this little project. I am flying only a little slow cub so the distance and especially the time for this voyage are big.
I had waited the whole summer until a very big high pressure arrived. Before there was a chain of low pressure “marbles” coming from Vietnam area which moved continually up north. So I packed up my cub and flew in one leg to Lake Illiamna.
Crossing the Alaska Range was a miracle, a wonder. I had absolutely nice weather and the cliffs and the mountains were so close by, that I almost could touch them, even I flew in an elevation of 10,500’. At Illiamna I fueled up and continued to my selected destination north of the lake, where a well known creek is. Well known to the fishermen they like to fish for rainbows. Landing on the tundra was no big hassle and I sat up my camp.
Late in the evening the noise started. Everywhere the ptarmigan were purring, crying late into the clear star and full moon lit night. I had forgotten my 22 ammo and I didn’t like to shoot these chickens with shot. I also had only five shot shells with me. So they were unharmed.
Next early morning when the first Beaver-plane arrived with guided fisherman, I looked out of my tent just only to observe two half ton brownys running no 300’ away from my tent. OK last evening I had tracked a very fresh and wet bear track at the lake shore also bear tracks were everywhere like human tracks at a bathing area. But as ever I was not scared. Not yet!
So I continued to my walrus point. But except of three dead walruses and two grumpy old ones no walrus was present. One of the walruses had a bloody snout and the tuskers were chopped out. The fresh blood showed me that they must have been alive when the bodies entered the beach. They didn’t die in the water and got swamped to the coast. Well!!!! That is not my problem, anyway.
I had my camp again on the same place in the background pretty good protected from the elements. Next day a browny sow with her cub was at the dead walruses. So I knew the reason why the big monsters didn’t beach. Next day I continued to Cold Bay to refuel and flew to “my” lagoon. Only to observe that the water was too high for the bears to fish for salmon. There were only two bears compared to last time’s 20-30 bears fishing. So I went beach combing.
Coming back in the windy afternoon I took a little nap in my tent which was beside of my cub. Suddenly I heard a snort, then a roar and then I thought my tent want to collapse. I shouted back aggressively and observed my tent wall, wondering if the bear wanted to jump on and collapse it. I myself felt like being a sausage wrapped in nylon.
Well, I gripped my gun opened up the tent and jumped out. But there was nothing. A bit surprised I went around the tent and then I saw the browny. He just walked alongside my cub. I was so pissed off and full aggressive, that I wanted to run behind him and kick him in the butt. But instead took the gun and fired a shot beside of him to scare him. His reactions were only two slow jumps and slowly he walked away. Showing me that he wanted to have no trouble.
Next day the wind was up from the east, coming stiff and strong over the mountains from the Pacific. So I broke camp. The wind came 80° from the east over the 25 feet high dunes. It became turned down parallel to the beach when it crossed the dunes. So I had a favorable head wind for takeoff. But the wind itself was around 45 mls from the east, what I later estimated with my GPS. Still I had some trouble to taxi onto the beach in the shadow of the dunes. I was afraid that the wind would catch one of my wings and would flip me over.
Finally I was at the beach and stopped the engine to make my preflight. Then I discovered that again my brake disk was ripped off the wheel, as it had happened 2008 in North-Canada. But now I was experienced. I took a string and tied the brake unit to the landing gear, so the wheel was free. Now I could concentrate for the coming tricky take off. But before taking off I called up Cold Bay FSS to get wind information at place, which was OK.
Well! I knew it will be easy to take off into the stiff wind along the beach in the shadow of the dunes. This wind blew surprisingly laminar. But I also knew that being 10-15 feet higher I’ll come into the lee turbulences generated from the dunes. Later climbing up above 40 feet and higher I would be up in the strong but steady wind flow from the east, about 70-80° to the right from my take off path.
For me it was very interesting to observe, what happened to my cub and to me involved in my reactions. When I throttled up I was airborne within 200’. Climbing a little bit, it got me into the heavy turbulences, which I handled instinctively. It was of interest for me that I was calm and in no way afraid. I guess three years ago I would not have taken off. I guess I would have crashed. But today it was “actio-reactio”. My cub went like a rollercoaster up-down-roll-left-right-roll etc. I guess it took only five to seven seconds and I was in the steady current and turned into the wind. Compared to my GPS now I calculated the air current 40-50 mls . The later landing in Cold Bay with my broken brake in 26 mls head wind gusting 38 mls was a piece of cake, because there I had the wind direct on the nose. But I took my time. I used up about 1500’ to touch down very slow and controlled, any time ready to give full throttle for a go around.
Drilling three new holes in the drums disk with the help of the chief pilot from Pen-Yan-Air was nothing and I continued my flight back to Fairbanks. I had to do this because a very strong stormy-rainy system moved in from the south and I wanted to be back in time to go duck hunting again with my friends.
I made another camp at Lake Illiamna, where I got at night the visit of two bears, I discovered next morning. Two brownies which I heard at 4 am were passing by at 80’ from my camp. I only shouted loud and off they went and I continued to sleep.
It was a really marvelous weather on my flight back to Fairbanks that I took the direct way via the Mt McKinley. I could not refuse to fly the summit between Mt. Foraker and Mt. McKinley. It took me an hour to climb slowly to altitude and another hour to descend back below 3000’ at Fairbanks. I was still burning in my rings. But friends what was that an experience to fly these beautiful mountainous area. I had no wind, no turbulences, and marvelous light and I enjoyed this flight.
This year was absolutely the year of the bears for me. Back at the duck camp of my friends at night going from the campfire to my tent at the lake, I ran into a little two year old blacky only 30 feet away. I had to chase him away: “Hey buddy” I shouted “don’t come closer or I’ll call my friends and they want to kill you!” Well he turned around in the beam of my flashlight and away he went into the tall grass.
C-M

Nice travelog Ingo. Adak in a Cub -- has it been done before? Is there fuel enough on the way? You'd need some good tie-downs. There must be quite a high risk of losing the aircraft, wouldn't you say?

I look forward to the pictures.

Well it is a risk. You need the weather pattern. You need landingsites where you can ride out storms in the shadow of an island. Or stay safe when the weather is on the ground. There is Pan-Yan which flys commercianly the chain. But they fly with Grumman Gooses or other fast land airplains. So they make the trip forth and back in one day. So they are still flying in the same weather when they take off. But I want to stay for some days somewhere. THAT is a different story for a little plane. But it is worth the effort! And so I take my time to get infos from all over the chain. I do not like to loose my cub.

Hey folks I just got a fresh supply of Wandering Raven DVDs in the on line store.


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Just finished this DVD. This was great! Thanks Ingo I felt like Iwas there.

Long ago in a very nice full moonlit winter night, I hummed up north in my cub. Observing the white earth with valleys, creeks, the black spruce tree silhouettes moving behind me, I flew through the mountains which divide the Tanana River from the Yukon River to the north east of Fairbanks. Crossing the Yukon river I followed my course further north over this quite hibernating land. My engine was monotonous humming. I felt the vibration from the airburbels on the fuselage, generated from my huge borerprop. I dreamt along, dreaming about winter dwarfs and snow ghosts hiding on the diffuse ground. Slowly over almost two hours after takeoff I approached Gold Bluff my destination. We call it that way, because of the golden gleam of the bluff in the evening’s sun you can see from faraway. I have a little cabin there and I wanted to spend a couple days at this place.
Finally I could realize the narrow but long slough where I used to land. I circled a few times at very low altitude. The black spruce trees 20-30feet below me appeared like huge hungry claws, which wanted to grab me. The light of the moon gave the scenery a pale white, gray and sharp black contrast. But I could see that my slough looked OK. I set up my cub for the approach, full flaps 48-50 mls. OK here is the river, now comes the gravel bank; well here somewhere must be those little prickly birch trees in the flight pass. Oups, there they materialize out of the diffuse moon light in the beam of my landing lights. A little pull on the stick OK I am over, now drop the nose to gain a tad bit speed and now pull slightly slow up, in ground affect ad little power, keep your feeling in the skies, yes there is the feel of soft deceleration. Power off, I am on the ground. When I had made my two more taxi runs down and up compacting the snow to make my proposed take off runway, I stopped the engine and stepped out to place the engine cover over the warm engine. I ignited my catalytic heater and stored him into the engine compartment for the night.
When done I rested for a moment before going to my cabin and enjoyed the crisp and cold quietness of the nature in that beautiful full moonlit night, with the black silhouettes of the dark spruce trees, the white snow lit by the moon. The slow cooling metal of the engine cracked quite then and there.
Suddenly I heard the voices of the lost and the free. One voice here, another there, a third a little farther, I counted 9 voices of soft howling wolves no 2-300yrds away. What a moment, I got goose pimples on my back. These animals are free so free I would like to be but never can.

This was long ago when I had my old 150 HP Cub and learned advanced bushflying. I thought to place this little story also here! ;-)

Amazing story! Enjoyed your fantastic writeup and pictures thank you C-M. I am getting ready for next year adventure down the Chain. As far down as weather permits. All VFR in an experimental.

Vlad said:

Amazing story! Enjoyed your fantastic writeup and pictures thank you C-M. I am getting ready for next year adventure down the Chain. As far down as weather permits. All VFR in an experimental.

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Well I tried to make that trip since three years. Bad weather, engine problemes and finaly a spoiled vacation, because of thikness. But now my engine is purring producing very good power and especialy not using much oil. I simply got mad and changes all cylinders to brand new Lycomings. May be I'll be on the chaintrip like you Vlad.
The big problems are misarable weather, which can change from possible to impossible within minutes, scarry strong winds, no tiedown on the beaches. There are no trees and somtimes no driftwood on the beaches. Take a lot empty sandbags with you and a windresisting tent. Bears on the peninsula and Unimak Island are a nuisance. So bearalarm and a gun is essential. Further down foxes are the biggest predators. Dutch Habour will be the last place to get 100ll. Nikolski on umnak and Adak are a possibility to get autofuel. You may blend it with your still remaining 100ll to have better than 88oct. AND think about that, that if you are running lower than allowed octane fuel you have the option to "change" your compression with your throttle. You only have full compression when you are on full throttle. On less than 75% power you can safely operate lower octane. But don't kill me if it does not work with you. I am not responsible for any failed duplications of my experiences. AND take a lot of time to anjoy the sites or sit out bad wether. Fly safe
C-M

corvus-migrans said:

...that if you are running lower than allowed octane fuel you have the option to "change" your compression with your throttle. You only have full compression when you are on full throttle. On less than 75% power you can safely operate lower octane. ....
C-M

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hmmmmmmmm.... ah......????????

Look into BioLite Camp stoves. On line. It charges up your Phone?? Only online.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEEuM-NrkEE

Some intertainment for bushflying
C-M

I like the multi pass.

that was very entertaining. Thanks for posting C-M. Always look forward to your posts.

Ingo,

When are you coming back to northern Canada?

Larry
Kugluktuk, NU

NunavutPA-12 said:

Ingo,

When are you coming back to northern Canada?

Larry
Kugluktuk, NU

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Hi Larry!
I am still dreaming of my adventures in northern Canada. I realy love the endles freedom. Even Alaska is a little pool compared to Canada. Different but once you experienced Canadas tundras, northern Plains, flying for hours yeah days (only the fueltank is your limit) not seeing a human trace. This is impossible for an european. I may visit you but I have to learn how to do the last internet hindrence to cross the border. Untill yet it was just to much stress for me
C-M

http://youtu.be/pQfNdkguk9U

Well a different video about the wandering raven
C-M

Wonderful, loved it. Thank-You!

Mr Raven
Could you translate your exclamation of "Schiesser" when the willows on the side of the strip in AK sucked you sideways? I might need to use it myself sometime

Thanks

jim

It's when your seat cushion disappears.


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Well now german for americans: "shiesse" is the german explanation for "****":smile: I hear this word many times in Alaska every summer with my friends when they fool arround

Interesting: Supercub.org has an automaric depression for nonsociety words:lol:

Well, we've been fishing at the Kobuk River. Got some very huge fish. I had camped there after landing on this small space along the river I took off two days later. A friend videoed that and I like to share that with you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKZNBoO57nI

Ingo,

I have 100LL for you, and a spare room at the house. It's only a couple of thousand miles! ;-)

Larry
Kugluktuk, Nunavut

NunavutPA-12 said:

Ingo,

I have 100LL for you, and a spare room at the house. It's only a couple of thousand miles! ;-)

Larry
Kugluktuk, Nunavut

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I know. But flying in Canada those distances is not my problem. I realy like to fly over these vast wildernesses, landing where I want, camp, enjoy the nature and for shure to come to the "Bloody Falls" back again talking, discussing planes etc with you. But it is the crossing of the border I have to invetsigate. Going to Canada seems not to be a problem, but coming back to AK without internet connection in the bush that's it. But as I said: I have to investigate that. But there is also the aging a problem. I do not like to believe this, but I have! Well let's see what the next year will bring.
C-M

I am still flying in Alaska. A "tid bit" older but still bold (still carefull)
This year I flew down to the Peninsula to visite the walrusses and other wildlife also enjoying the nature with a travel-mate

Well this is now a while ago, about one month. I came back from ANC with new mags (Bendix) new Attlee sightgages a new annual from Dan's and wanted to start my planed flight to the peninsula Bristol Bay. But no my mixturecontrolcable jamed. It took me a week to get one and put it in. I had to take a different route than Dan's 25 years ago. But now it was strangly smooth. OK I packed up and filled evrything in my cub. What I am happy again to have the 2000# gross wheight increse. My cub was full plus 60gls fuel, good for 6 hours. So I took off and flew down to the Alaska Range. I had marvelous weather. A few clouds which girlanded the Mt. Denali and Mt. Foracker. Man flying in 9000-10000ft abouve the mountains in such beautifull weather it is something. Some weeks later under bad weather a K2 Beaver from Talkeetna crashed into the glacier. Five fatalities!

After 5 hrs flying I landed at Illiamna to refuel. Only to dicover that the pump does not accept my german master amd visa cards. God grace I had the AMEXCO which again saved the day. fueled up I cuntinued my flight at the Lake Illiamna to the west in search for a campsite. It was windy and I had to search carefull not to have a windy camp. 3-4mls north of Igiugig I used the same campsite I had 25 years ago. It was a wide soft beach.

Well here I am back. It is raining and I am bored. So I post.
Next morning I broke camp und flew down the peninsula along the Bristol Bay. But at the Kwitchak River I got a sad surprise. Ten years ago there was only one fishinglodge. Now there are four with many, many beavers on flaots. And everywhere riverboats. You could even see Bristol Bay fisherboats running upriver.Crowded!
At the Bay you could see hundreds of salmonfisherboatrs. Now I see from where we get the Pacific salmon in Germany
After three more hours flying I arrived Cape Siniavon in hope to see many walrusses. Nope there were only 30-50. But before north there was new herd of about 300.
Landing at the cape was interesting. It was blowing 15 gusting 25 ( I had a windspeed instrument with me)90° from the landingpass. I was very afraid to loose control in 100-200ft AGL maneuvering in that strong turbulence, while searching for a landingsight. So on flair on the first one I almost crashed my cub. But the 180 ponnies pulled it out.Than I saw the near by landingsight. But do not ask me how I got down. I only remember fast in, full flaps, flair and brake and my cub was shaking in the wind. It all was instinkt. So I do not remember, but I made it, as in so many other occasions.
Here I saw the first browny approaching me untill he got my scent and went away. But every night the next morning I could see the tracks arround my camp. next day a 185 from Wildman Lodge landed to look for the walrusses. When he took off with 4 people he needen more than 800 feet applying full flaps on rotation. Our old bushflying trick. A day later I needed only less than 360ft but I was heavy. I am happy to have a cub. I flew to Nelson Lagoon for fuel. 7,50$ a gl versa 10$ in King Salmon. Here at Nelson Lagoon all the airplains from the lodges bought fuel.
The way back to Lake Illiamna was uneventfull. Except at my campsite the wind was with more than 30mls direct on the coast. It generated 3-4ft high waves. So I landed at Igiugig and camped on an old place I had 20 years or so ago. It was a good windsheltered site. Igiugig is a very quite little village but not as quite as it used to be years ago.


Well the FSS-Lady said VFR not recomanded. 1ml visibility at Lake Clark Pass. Well it is only a short stretch through the valley. Refueling and off I went. At the End of Lake Clark you could see the bad weather comming. In the pass-valley I heard and comunicated with three! other airplanes they came in opposit direction. Funny feelings came up. They reported flying around 2000' so I flew below 800'. It looked dark and clouds everywhere. The sidewalls steep and disappearing in the upper mist. Looking sharp to the front hoping to see an approaching airplane right in time. It was realy in interesting mood. Than finaly I came out and was looking for my checkpoint "Beluga" airport. I was a little bit confused in that mist. I didn't trust my GPS until I took my map that showed me GPS was right. It happened the first time with me. A new lesson. You have a tight course in your head and do not trust the instruments, like a bloody beginner!!! Well I found Beluga and via Takeetna I flew in 4-6000' direkt to Fairbanks to land then in beautifull weather at our strip.

Have to see again how to get the pictures in