Cessna 150-150 Mighty Mouse: Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek - June 15, 2014

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

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek - June 15, 2014 - Part 2

Flying the Alaskan Highway came to an end today. From here on out, it's GPS direct and, weather permitting, it'll be a marathon to get home.

We flew to the end of the highway and consider this to be a milestone. This is the point where we'll part company for good and the old guy served his purpose well. The terrain changed from the foothills of the Canadian Rockies into farm land so it seems we've come full circle. The land is flattening out quickly now and we saw the last of the Rockies in the far, far distance out the right side of Mighty Mouse. We could still see the snow on top of those distant mountains and shortly they were completely gone and out of view.

We took our final pictures of the highway.......both from the air and the very last pictures from the ground on Alaska Avenue where mile marker 0 turns Alaska Avenue into the mighty Alaskan Highway. My what a journey this has been so far.

Jim & Cindy

The terrain has changed from mountains to foothills to farm land....all in the matter of a few hours of flying a simple Cessna 150/150.....my what fun this has been to witness.