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

Monday, June 23, 2014

Valentine, NE to Holdrege, NE to Emporia, KS - June 22, 2014

We departed Valentine in north central Nebraska and flew GPS direct to Holdrege, Nebraska in south central Nebraska.  This leg was 1.5 hours and we witnessed the change from cattle country in the Sandhills to crop raising agricultural farms. 

After we refueled in Holdrege, we departed for Emporia, Kansas which would be the very last fuel stop of our long journey.  This leg was 2.0 hours and the end was now officially in sight.

I must admit we were getting tired of living on the road for so long and we truly looked forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight.....about another 4 hours of flying was all that stood between us and home.


Jim & Cindy


The landscape changed from ranches in the Sandhills to farms which grow what Nebraska is best known for........corn. 

Topped off in Holdrege, NE and departing for Emporia, KS

The very last fuel stop of the adventure.....Emporia, KS.  The landscape changed very little between Holdrege and Emporia and continued unchanged until we arrived at the Missouri Ozarks.

Mighty Mouse, fueled and ready for the last leg of this memorable adventure.  Who would have thought that such a plane could provide the transportation requirements for a trip of this magnitude. 

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