Interesting Aircraft

[DavidCBaker]

I've always admired the DeHaviland Otter Turbo Single. Got to take a trip in one today.

[Westwindmike]

Do they need any pilots???

[DavidCBaker]

I wish. But if there was only one spot, I'd take it before I told you about it.

[BrasilNuts]

I got to ride in one in Alaska, lots of fun.

[Guest SUNTZU]

My brother apparently hates those airplanes so much he jumps out of them in midflight.

[Guest mustangdave]

My brother apparently hates those airplanes so much he jumps out of them in midflight.

Can't say as I blame him..jumpin' out of a perfectly good aero-plane is a serious RUSH...oh...and have a parachute too

[Guest SUNTZU]

He keeps trying to get me to go but I keep telling him that I'd need a cargo chute.

[Jasongar8]

I got to ride in one in Alaska, lots of fun.

There are a ton of them in Alaska. Did you take off from the sea plane airport in Anchorage of just from a lake strip?

-Jason G

[wjh2657]

I have always had a thing for utility aircraft. I believe the Dehavilland C (Canada) Otter and Beaver along with the Antonov AN-2 (Annie) were the most practical aircraft ever built.

[Guest Ghostrider]

I have always had a thing for utility aircraft. I believe the Dehavilland C (Canada) Otter and Beaver along with the Antonov AN-2 (Annie) were the most practical aircraft ever built.

Have you seen the new Kodiak? I haven't seen one with floats, but they sure do look sweet, tough, and useful.

[wjh2657]

Took a look at the Quest Kodiak. it looks like a worthy successor to the tradition. A good rugged airplane at a reasonable price and capable of operating in the most unforgiving environments.

[Jasongar8]

I looked at a Kodiak at Oshkosh at the Quest "booth" and it was awesome. It was just as I would order one. Brown leather interior with orange, black, and white paint. It was SWEET! One with floats would be even better.

-Jason G

[wjh2657]

I have over 10,000 flight hours in KC130s (Loadmaster) and over 2,000 FH in UH-1( Gunner and Observer.) But I have a special spot in my heart for the utility aircraft, they truly serve mankind!

[BrasilNuts]

There are a ton of them in Alaska. Did you take off from the sea plane airport in Anchorage of just from a lake strip?

-Jason G

We left from Ketchikan and went to Coffman Cove on Prince of Whales Island and back. It was my first time in a single engine aircraft.

[DavidCBaker]

I have over 10,000 flight hours in KC130s (Loadmaster) and over 2,000 FH in UH-1( Gunner and Observer.) But I have a special spot in my heart for the utility aircraft, they truly serve mankind!

I'm with you on that.

I sold my portion of the Piper Lance I owned for years. My dream has been to get a Maule, which strikes me as a very affordable, utility, all around capable aircraft. Very workable on shorter and unimproved strips; hauls a lot; fast enough cruise speed; full IFR when needed.

And they are appropriately ugly!

I spent a lot of time in a STOL-equipped Cessna 185 with luggage pod as a kid, and that's a true utility aircraft, albeit on the smaller end of the spectrum.

[Westwindmike]

I sold my portion of the Piper Lance I owned for years. My dream has been to get a Maule,

I used to fly the Lance on daily cargo flights. It would handle anything you could squeeze in the door.

I visited the Maule factory in Moltrie a few years back. On the demo flight, we took off from and landed on the ramp! Great short field bird!

[DavidCBaker]

Yeah, I used to joke that I never needed to do a W & B on the Lance--if you could close the doors, you were good. That, and 6 hours (96 gallons) of fuel! Great plane.

I understand they use it for drug running in Mexico because of the capacity and "tractor" nature of that model.

[Wingshooter]

I'm with you on that.

I sold my portion of the Piper Lance I owned for years. My dream has been to get a Maule, which strikes me as a very affordable, utility, all around capable aircraft. Very workable on shorter and unimproved strips; hauls a lot; fast enough cruise speed; full IFR when needed.

And they are appropriately ugly!

I spent a lot of time in a STOL-equipped Cessna 185 with luggage pod as a kid, and that's a true utility aircraft, albeit on the smaller end of the spectrum.

You're right, the Maule is not the prettiest bird in the sky, but it sure is work horse. Their takeoff distance, payload and climb performance is impressive.

[wadejjet]

A bunch of pilots on here, huh? Very cool...I am myself as well. On topic (sorta), I saw the Kodiak at Oshkosh too last week,...very nice! I have to say though, if i could have taken anything home with me from their it would have definitely been the Grand Caravan that Cessna had displayed...lovely!

In real life though, I fly a '71 Aztec...it's really turned out to be a nice airplane for us.

[DavidCBaker]

The Grand Caravan is a terrific bird, especially when you consider how much of FedEx's remote traffic they haul every night to Memphis, in all sorts of weather.

I also have my helicopter ticket, though it's pretty darn expensive to stay current. Mostly I've stayed current in the Schweitzer (sp?) 300 line, as well as the "M.A.S.H." chopper over at Cornelia Fort.

[wadejjet]

I also have my helicopter ticket, though it's pretty darn expensive to stay current. Mostly I've stayed current in the Schweitzer (sp?) 300 line, as well as the "M.A.S.H." chopper over at Cornelia Fort.

Nice...i'd like to give that a shot someday. But like you say, its pretty pricey.

[DavidCBaker]

I'd had my fixed wing for years, including a few add ons, and I was honestly humbled at the process. I figured: how hard can this be?

I soon found out the the hardest part (hovering) is what you have to do first in order to go anywhere, and I'm sure I must have looked drunk from a distance until I got the hang of it. But helicopters made me interested in aviation again. After the initial thrill wore off, it was setting the autopilot and waiting for something bad to happen. The only fun parts were IMC landings to minimum.

But in a helicopter, I felt a lot of freedom again. I'm very grateful for having the opportunity.

[DavidCBaker]

On the return trip, the pilot kindly let me sit right seat, so here are some more pictures. The panel is strikingly simple. Notice the Garmin 296 (I think it was):

Sheepskin seat like a BMW. Flip-over yoke:

Look how high we are above the water. The pilot knew exactly when to flare on the approach. That was pretty impressive, and must come from a lot of practice. This thing has a wide wingspan (and serious dihedral angle), but I wonder if he ever gets into ground effect? I didn't have a chance to ask:

Even though this bird is equipped for IFR, they only fly VFR, down to 2 miles and 300 feet. Not sure why, unless there aren't any certified approaches to the harbors? I guess that makes sense. He said that the most common condition that causes a flight cancellation is high winds. Even as we taxied out, the winds were at 8 kt but he still had to keep the rudder on the float fully deflected.

Here are the floats, which double as luggage compartments:

This baby was first launched in 1959, before I was born.

Here's a twin turbine moored at the same dock:

[wadejjet]

Great pictures...I used to dream of flying a twin otter in the USVI for Seaborne Airlines down there...always seemed like a fun way to spend a few years...maybe someday still.

[Guest Ghostrider]

I do not intend to mislead. I am no pilot. I'm just in love with cars and planes.

I especially like the period of about 1938 till the "jet age" although jets are nice, I do like the spinning disk in the front.