Missing Maule Pilot Found!
- Thread starter Alex Clark
- Start date
Alex Clark
Registered User
Life Long Alaskan
AK tango58 Wish you would have joined in earlier.
There were all sorts of other people who showed up while searching and it still seemed to work out. Apparently going past the assigned search grids would have been a good idea. All of the dispatched aircraft were stuck in assigned grids. So you might have been more lucky than the rest.
Good point about survival gear. This would not have been a happy ending had he been equipped like a flight from LA to San Diego.
If he had to go that far that means he must have climbed and skirted along those steep bluffs and cliffs to get over to the inner Dogfish area. That would be a real butt kicker.
Since I grew up fishing those waters and Bays, I have a different outlook regarding weather conditions, tides and landing areas. I look at the Point just north of Dogfish every day. While I now fly around there a few times a month, I am still haunted by memories and fears revolving around Double Enders overloaded with salmon floundering on the rocks.
And I almost lost a Cub once in Tuxsedni Bay due to an incoming tide, because I landed on an exposed sandbar (in the middle of the bay). Unfortunately my buddy was along to take pictures, so he reminds me every couple of years or so. So I too belong to the almost killed myself club.
So it does not sound like you are a big Sat Phone advocate.
I was thinking about a thread to ask advise on buying one.
There were all sorts of other people who showed up while searching and it still seemed to work out. Apparently going past the assigned search grids would have been a good idea. All of the dispatched aircraft were stuck in assigned grids. So you might have been more lucky than the rest.
Good point about survival gear. This would not have been a happy ending had he been equipped like a flight from LA to San Diego.
If he had to go that far that means he must have climbed and skirted along those steep bluffs and cliffs to get over to the inner Dogfish area. That would be a real butt kicker.
Since I grew up fishing those waters and Bays, I have a different outlook regarding weather conditions, tides and landing areas. I look at the Point just north of Dogfish every day. While I now fly around there a few times a month, I am still haunted by memories and fears revolving around Double Enders overloaded with salmon floundering on the rocks.
And I almost lost a Cub once in Tuxsedni Bay due to an incoming tide, because I landed on an exposed sandbar (in the middle of the bay). Unfortunately my buddy was along to take pictures, so he reminds me every couple of years or so. So I too belong to the almost killed myself club.
So it does not sound like you are a big Sat Phone advocate.
I was thinking about a thread to ask advise on buying one.
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
One of the things I like about flying Cubs is I usually don't have to be anywhere at any certain time when flying. I go and do what I want and if I see somewhere I want to land I do. I spent most of the night on a sandbar in the Brazos River one night due to being stuck in soft sand. My brother was pretty upset with me and thinks I'm stupid for continuing to do it. Now I tell someone I am going but normally don't know where. Cells don't work in a lot of those places but I don't have one anyway. Guess I am at the mercy of the ELT and my buddies that know my haunts.
aktango58
FRIEND
18AA
Good morning, and good to hear from you.
Alex, I would have been still trying to get there in the weather, and as you earlier said, better to NOT become an additional victim.
Yes, he climbed up and over into Dogfish bay. "like goat hunting with you George." was his comment. That tells me it would kill the ordinary man. (if you fly in Alaska for more than a few days, you are far from ordinary).
Sat phones: they have thr place. BUT, have thier limitations, and should not be considered the be-all end-all.
Reasoning: You take off headed north to the Brooks Range, tell the wife, (extremly patient life partner with more sense than any of us) that you are headed for sheep in the xyz river drainiage. Got the Sat phone, so will call you every other day.
Your credit card shows a gas stop in Manly Hot springs, a night out in Fairbanks
and a cheap hotel. Then there is a gas charge at a service station along the Haul road.
Three days later your wife has not heard boo from you. she calls flight service and you have not called in for three days, the local no one has seen your bird, you did not show up in Happy Valley. What happend to you? Your hunt is not due to be over for another six days, you had fuel for many hours of flying, but where are you?
Reasons you call did not go through: your sat phone had the unlucky bad circut board that the vibrations of the flight destroyed or damaged, a wire came lose, battery died, you put it in your backpack for the trip to spike camp, where the bear decided that anything worth a waterproof bag deserved to be bitten and left in the creek, you are in a hole and could not call out, so were climbing out when the weather set in and are waiting to fly out........
As a tool they are great, but in many instances we get so wrapped up in not hearing and what we expect, we lose sight of the obvious. In the above scenario, I would hope that Flight service would tell all headed out that we are looking for a plane of x color. But the panic at the home front because a particular piece of man made electronics is not working can be very unreasonable
I think a good thread would be: communications lost!
Think I will start it....
Alex, I would have been still trying to get there in the weather, and as you earlier said, better to NOT become an additional victim.
Yes, he climbed up and over into Dogfish bay. "like goat hunting with you George." was his comment. That tells me it would kill the ordinary man. (if you fly in Alaska for more than a few days, you are far from ordinary).
Sat phones: they have thr place. BUT, have thier limitations, and should not be considered the be-all end-all.
Reasoning: You take off headed north to the Brooks Range, tell the wife, (extremly patient life partner with more sense than any of us) that you are headed for sheep in the xyz river drainiage. Got the Sat phone, so will call you every other day.
Your credit card shows a gas stop in Manly Hot springs, a night out in Fairbanks
and a cheap hotel. Then there is a gas charge at a service station along the Haul road.Three days later your wife has not heard boo from you. she calls flight service and you have not called in for three days, the local no one has seen your bird, you did not show up in Happy Valley. What happend to you? Your hunt is not due to be over for another six days, you had fuel for many hours of flying, but where are you?
Reasons you call did not go through: your sat phone had the unlucky bad circut board that the vibrations of the flight destroyed or damaged, a wire came lose, battery died, you put it in your backpack for the trip to spike camp, where the bear decided that anything worth a waterproof bag deserved to be bitten and left in the creek, you are in a hole and could not call out, so were climbing out when the weather set in and are waiting to fly out........
As a tool they are great, but in many instances we get so wrapped up in not hearing and what we expect, we lose sight of the obvious. In the above scenario, I would hope that Flight service would tell all headed out that we are looking for a plane of x color. But the panic at the home front because a particular piece of man made electronics is not working can be very unreasonable
I think a good thread would be: communications lost!
Think I will start it....
S
StewartB
On the other hand, I could be standing on Kodiak, happy, healthy, and on the sat phone. Meanwhile, a 747 at 41000' overhead loses a bit of it's tail, which flutters down and lands on my head. What are the odds? All we can do is provide ourselves the best chance for a favorable outcome. Still, stuff happens.
My sat phone has been damn reliable.
SB
My sat phone has been damn reliable.
SB
Mauleguy
MEMBER
Remain lost
I would rather remain lost then get a helping hand from some people. I for one think that someone has tooted there horn for most this thread. I have screwed up more times then I would like to admit and sorry to say it was always my fault. I would rather not hear from the self righteous, know it all, full of yourself SOB's. I BOW MY HEAD TO YOUR HOLYNESS!
I would rather remain lost then get a helping hand from some people. I for one think that someone has tooted there horn for most this thread. I have screwed up more times then I would like to admit and sorry to say it was always my fault. I would rather not hear from the self righteous, know it all, full of yourself SOB's. I BOW MY HEAD TO YOUR HOLYNESS!
Missing Maule Pilt Found
My sat phone works well as long as you can see the sky. About 4 years experience without a problem. Wouldn't fly to camp w/out it as cell phones don't work there. Globalstar- I know but it works great here in the Northeast (Maine and Quebec). Wayne
My sat phone works well as long as you can see the sky. About 4 years experience without a problem. Wouldn't fly to camp w/out it as cell phones don't work there. Globalstar- I know but it works great here in the Northeast (Maine and Quebec). Wayne
Alex Clark
Registered User
Life Long Alaskan
Maule Guy,
Your'e probably right, I'll buy the beer next time your'e in town.
xx
Your'e probably right, I'll buy the beer next time your'e in town.
xx
Mauleguy
MEMBER
facts
I like facts, not hear say or conjecture. Just what really happened and from that I can come up with my own ideas of how I might better handle a situation for myself.
Alex,
Sounds good, I am sometimes to quick to say what I am thinking or type in this case, it's my down fall. I end up eating lots of crow, still learning to say things in a better way.
I like facts, not hear say or conjecture. Just what really happened and from that I can come up with my own ideas of how I might better handle a situation for myself.
Alex,
Sounds good, I am sometimes to quick to say what I am thinking or type in this case, it's my down fall. I end up eating lots of crow, still learning to say things in a better way.
