THE FLIGHT OF A LIFETIME





This is my very first attempt at blogging so I hope this flows smoothly and we can all enjoy it.


This week, we (my best friend, co-pilot and wife) will be flying from Northwest Arkansas to Anchorage, Alaska via American Airlines to pick up Cessna 63082...a Cessna 150.


This plane was nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" some time back as this is no ordinary, run of the mill Cessna 150.

This is a 150-150 which means the stock Continental, 100 horsepower engine was removed and then upgraded to the Lycoming O-320 with 150 horsepower.

Additionally, Mighty Mouse has the full Horton STOL kit installed and 39 gallon long range fuel tanks.

Another big plus with this conversion is the 160 gross weight increase.

Mighty Mouse is a 1976 model with about 2,500 hours total time on the airframe and a new, zero timed, Lycoming factory rebuilt engine.




Here's a picture of Mighty Mouse in Alaska.










Cindy and I will be flying with (following actually) our good friend Terry Dickinson from Big Lake, Alaska.

Terry has two planes. One is a Piper Super Cub (on floats this time of year) and the other is a Cessna 152 which is affectionately known as Mosquito or......"Skeeter" for short.

Terry has a need/desire to reposition Skeeter to his winter home in the desert of Nevada and we (Cindy and I) have a need to travel with a highly experienced bush pilot (who also just happens to be a CFI) from the Alaskan wilderness, through the Canadian Rockies and on home.

Our generic plan will have us crossing back into the lower 48 at Great Falls, Montana and at this point (probably) we'll separate where Terry will turn right to the southwest and head to Nevada and we'll turn left to the southeast and head to Arkansas.




Here's Mosquito (Skeeter) parked next to Mighty Mouse at Big Lake, AK




All three of us consider this to be the ultimate flying adventure of a lifetime and we'll do our best to document this trip for not only our enjoyment but yours as well.





Jim & Cindy

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

We arrived Anchorage (in the rain) last evening following an uneventful, on time flight....which is always a good thing.

We then road the shuttle, checked into a motel and pretty much crashed.

So, I'm wearing my favorite hat from the Cessna 150-152 Club on the plane yesterday and a flight attendant named Steve comments: "Like your hat".......hmmmmm, must be a pilot and turns out he is.  Had a nice conversation with him (several actually) regarding our adventure at hand.  It's always fun to talk that pilot stuff and it helped make a long flight more enjoyable. 

While waiting for our luggage we looked over the Polar Bear display at the Anchorage airport.  Awesome predators these guys are especially when viewed in terms of the "food chain".




Cindy & Polar Bear at ANC



Polar Bear Display at ANC


Rain is in the forecast today and tomorrow so probably no flying will take place until it's over and the weather improves.

Terry will be picking us up this morning here in Anchorage and we'll head to Big Lake (where he and his wife Charlene live and where Skeeter and Mighty Mouse call home) so at least we'll get some face time with this new (new to us) Mighty Mouse.


The journey is well underway and there's no turning back now, but then again, why would we want to?

 More to follow as things progress.



Jim & Cindy


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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousNovember 11, 2013 at 11:06 AM

    Jim, there was another Mighty Mouse here in the Arlington Wa (near Seattle) area. The owner and pilot passed away a few years ago. The plane was a 1959 C-150A, interior stripped except for the pilot seat, a 180 hp 0-360 with a constant speed prop, a handbrake for the nosewheel brake, an enlarged floatplane rudder, and a towhook for gliders. His climb rate was in excess of 2,000 fpm. Was quite a plane, but ugly.

    Kess Blaswich, Camano Island Wa.

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