#bush flying

[aviatrix-ash]

Been wanting to redraw this photo I took of one of the helis I took care of in rural Alaska almost a couple years back. We were trying to get the last bit of time left on one of our main rotor blades so the company that leased the heli to my boss wouldn't demand we ship it back to em all the way in Texas. Which, from a place that's 500 miles from the nearest walmart and impossible to get to other than aircraft or boat, that would have cost thousands.

So, boss asked me where I wanted to go. I said, Mt. Sugarloaf, a little volcanic baby mountain that wasn't too far from us. I loved that cute volcano, I've drawn it a few times now.

So off we went to go pick blueberries and cool rocks on top of it.

When we got home, our blade still had some time left to it, boss said, "Hey, I'm a flight instructor, you're a student pilot, let's make the last 30 minutes of time on this thing a flight lesson!"

And that we did! I got pretty okay at holding positions and specific altitude hovers, he handled the anti-torque pedals tho. He said Long Rangers are notorious for being squirrely in the tails. Def not a heli meant to be a newbie trainers, but he said I didn't do too bad and was actually considering training me up. Unfortunately that didn't happen and I had to leave due to numerous events/life happenings.. I greatly miss it, rural Alaska, the job. It healed a piece of the soul that's been broken and hiding for a long time.

Anyhoo, this piece, mixmedia: Alcohol markers, color pencils, gel pen, acrylic marker. Been working on this almost all week while winding down after all day of aircraft repairs and inspections. :)

[onetangosierra]

Trent Palmer is a backcountry pilot from northern Nevada. While making an inspection pass he was reported for reckless behavior to the FAA by an unpleasant neighbor. The FAA found him in violation of FAR's and has threatened to pull his ticket. His original video on the incident can be found here along with a follow up here.

Inspection passes like the one Palmer was reported for are critical to allowing the pilot in command a clear understanding of the ground conditions and whether it's safe to land. Not being able to perform an inspection below 500' would require a pilot to land blind and risk destroying the airplane and putting the safety of everyone on board at risk. That's unacceptable.

Senator Ted Budd of NC has taken up the fight to require the FAA to add exceptions for inspection passes, as well as common training maneuvers including go arounds, practice approaches, and instrument approaches, to the list of maneuvers exempted from the minimum altitude regulation (14 C.F.R. § 91.119).

You can help by contacting your Senator and sharing this. Go to Senate.gov or call the main switchboard at (202)-224-3121. Ask your Senator to support the Backcountry Aviation Protection Act.

[sabiphoto]

Grass strip

[aviatrix-ash]

"Throgh the helicopter glass?" (Idk thru the looking glass? But mine's got a thousand spinning parts x3)

Lil marker & pencil redraw of a photo I took from the Long Ranger last summer while zipping down the runway of this village who's buildings were populated entirely by bears! I would like to learn the name of it, I've been calling it Bearville. X3

[aviatrix-ash]

alcohol marker & colored pencil redraw of another photo I took from last year's bush heli adventures. On our way home from Sandpoint we spotted this super lowtide seafloor bedrock shelf and pilot said hey, let's go treasure hunting! So we landed and went tidepooling! I found some massive mussel shells I took home :3

Been filling this little sketchbook with "snapshots" of some adventures around Alaska, mainly from last year so far. I'm aiming to actually fill it up! X3

[onetangosierra]

[onetangosierra]

[aviatrix-ash]

learned how to hot fuel the Jet Ranger off grid out of barrels today. (Means while the heli is running at idle, give her some good soup)

Been doing that all day in the cold and wind. I think I'm getting peak Alaska bush flying experience with this.

Only now my whole jacket and my boots are soaked in jetfuel. Luckily both are waterproof and it vaporizes off. But I'm just gonna smell like jetfuel for the rest of the weekend and probably forever. Luckily I actually like the smell of jet fuel and the vapors dont bother me.. :'))