Landing on the Ice

mit · Post by **mit** » Sun Apr 29, 2007 8:31 pm

I was out at the lake last weekend. It is probably still good this weekend.
Now lets see if I can post this picture?

Thanks Dave!

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 2:51 am

Tim,
Was that Blair lake or Birch lake? I used to fly a Norseman off those back in '47 to '51. Skiis in winter and floats in summer.

mit · Post by **mit** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 5:44 am

blueldr wrote:Tim,
Was that Blair lake or Birch lake? I used to fly a Norseman off those back in '47 to '51. Skis in winter and floats in summer.

Neither it is Deadman. Who did you fly for?

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:59 pm

Tim,
Back in the days of my joyful youth, I was flying for Sam. Uncle Sam.
I was in the Air Force, stationed at Ladd AFB in the cold weather test unit.
I flew the last Norseman,C-64 the USAF had, and in Feb. 1951 I went to Downsview (Toronto) Canada and picked up the first DeHaviland Beaver, L-20, they bought for service test.

mit · Post by **mit** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:14 am

blueldr wrote:Tim,
Back in the days of my joyful youth, I was flying for Sam. Uncle Sam.
I was in the Air Force, stationed at Ladd AFB in the cold weather test unit.
I flew the last Norseman,C-64 the USAF had, and in Feb. 1951 I went to Downsview (Toronto) Canada and picked up the first DeHaviland Beaver, L-20, they bought for service test.

That is neat! Do you know Randy Acord?

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Tue May 01, 2007 4:11 am

Randy Acord was with CWT during WWII, before my time there. I did, however, meet him briefly one time at Weeks Field, then the Fairbanks Municipal Airport. I kept my personal airplane, a Stinson L-5G, there and he was running a one man, one airplane flying service. Seems to me he had a Bonanza and was running tourist flights. He was great friends with my old C.O.and flying companion, one "Bearpaw" Stewart.

mit · Post by **mit** » Tue May 01, 2007 5:43 am

Randy had a stroke a couple months ago he is getting better, but it is slow going. Yep he had Bonanza.

pdb · Post by **pdb** » Tue May 01, 2007 7:05 am

blueldr wrote:Randy Acord was with CWT during WWII, before my time there. I did, however, meet him briefly one time at Weeks Field, then the Fairbanks Municipal Airport. I kept my personal airplane, a Stinson L-5G, there and he was running a one man, one airplane flying service. Seems to me he had a Bonanza and was running tourist flights. He was great friends with my old C.O.and flying companion, one "Bearpaw" Stewart.

Randy was also the guy who did the test flying of a P-38 on skis during WWII.

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:28 am

On Skiis, no less!

jrenwick · Post by **jrenwick** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:32 am

Now you know the answer to question #4 in the "Test Pilot" quiz in this month's AOPA Pilot magazine!

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Wed May 02, 2007 1:48 am

Did any of you guys from Fairbanks ever know Sam White? He was a well known ex game warden and bush pilot who used to park his Stinson L-5 next to mine at Weeks Field. Sam was known far and wide for his justfully famous "Bean Hole" Beans. He had a pair of small taboggins bolted to the bottom of his airplane skiis and a grossly oversize tail ski so he could fly off of some really soft snow on his trap line. I suppose Sam is long gone. He was getting up in years then and that was some 55 years ago.

mit · Post by **mit** » Wed May 02, 2007 5:57 am

blueldr wrote:Did any of you guys from Fairbanks ever know Sam White? He was a well known ex game warden and bush pilot who used to park his Stinson L-5 next to mine at Weeks Field. Sam was known far and wide for his justfully famous "Bean Hole" Beans. He had a pair of small taboggins bolted to the bottom of his airplane skiis and a grossly oversize tail ski so he could fly off of some really soft snow on his trap line. I suppose Sam is long gone. He was getting up in years then and that was some 55 years ago.

I didn' know him but know a lot of folks that did. Jim Readon just wrote a book about him that is out. I just bought a copy today.

Then gave it to a friend that is flying to Florida next week.

Now I need to buy another one. You may have known Dick McIntyre also. He flew out of Ladd too.

blueldr · Post by **blueldr** » Wed May 02, 2007 6:49 pm

McIntyre might have been the guy with a Howard who had been in some kind of a partnership with Jim McGoffin.Seems like he had a sporting goods store or some such. Jim McGoffin had a Belanca Cruisemaster and an Aeronca Sedan, and ran a one man flying service. In later years, during the "Oil Rush", I read where McGoffin ran an outfit with big iron like Herks hauling to the north slope.
I also rember that Cliff Everts, who worked for Wein at that time, was converting a Swift to a Lycoming 180. I see that his outfit is still flying some of those old Curtis C-46s. We also had a C-46F in CWT that I flew sometimes. It was a good cold weather airplane.

simon · Post by **simon** » Wed May 02, 2007 10:32 pm

Sorry to change the subject, but here is one for you Fairbanks guys. What is the deal with that 120-140 (not sure) that is sitting on the west side with the rudder removed by the old DC-6's and such. Is that a boneyard or just someone's tiedown. I think there is a straight tail 182 and cherokee over there too.

Just wondering.
thanks

mit · Post by **mit** » Thu May 03, 2007 1:24 am

blueldr wrote:McIntyre might have been the guy with a Howard who had been in some kind of a partnership with Jim McGoffin.Seems like he had a sporting goods store or some such. Jim McGoffin had a Belanca Cruisemaster and an Aeronca Sedan, and ran a one man flying service. In later years, during the "Oil Rush", I read where McGoffin ran an outfit with big iron like Herks hauling to the north slope.
I also remember that Cliff Everts, who worked for Wien at that time, was converting a Swift to a Lycoming 180. I see that his outfit is still flying some of those old Curtis C-46s. We also had a C-46F in CWT that I flew sometimes. It was a good cold weather airplane.

Dick started Frontier Flying Service and Frontier Sporting Goods. He loves to hunt and fish! Jim McGoffin started Interior Airways that became, AIA, then Mark Air. He wrote a book a few years ago, titled Triumph over turbulence. He died a couple years ago. He donated his widgeon to the museum in Anchorage. Cliff is still at it his son is running a lot of the business now. I may see Dick and Cliff tonight.