I was going into Kamina(look at the Fane piccy and imagine it 25% shorter, 25% thinner with terrain each side and beyond just like what is beyond Fane) one day. The weather had been crap for over a week and no-one had been able to fly in there. Now on the first morning that they'd seen any sun for a week you would think they would expect a flight with all their 'stuff'.
Instead they decided that it was a good morning to mow the grass!
Having decided that, you would think that they would at least keep someone on watch for aircraft! Nope.
Now Kamina is in the dead
end of a very narrow valley requiring a 3 or 4 nm final approach, no possibility of GA from about 2nm. it was still a very cloudy/foggy morning making a high 'circuit' above the valley impossible.
I flew up the valley configuring as I went( you know power back as you pass that rock outcrop, flaps down at that tree) and as I got close I saw what appeared to be a piece of flapping material in the middle of the strip about 30m in from the cliff.
Twas said non-reflective dude mowing the lawn
Facing up the hill with an old 2 stroke mower
.
It was way to late for a GA, even if cloud wasn't making the valley tighter!
Well I waggled my wings, flashed the landing lights and throttled the twin otters PT6s up and down to no effect, other than to stuff my approach up
I was very close now and saw the large crowd watching proceedings from the parking bay, no-one was waving their arms or trying to effect any change in rocky's behaviour.
The wing span on a DHC6 is 65'. The compacted bit in the middle of this 90' wide strip was about the same as an otter's wheel base, the rest being muddy, wet grass! there is a windsock pole about 30m in from the cliff edge! Rock is still mowing the F**KING GRASS!
I put the aircraft as far to the left as I could, hoping not to collect him with the right hand prop or the windsock with the left wing/prop. I hoped fervently that he wouldn't look around now because Papuans tend to run right in front of you rather than away when your driving your car at them. Like dogs and stuff.
Well just as he disappeared from view he looked around
I didn't hit the windsock and to this day I don't know how
I was in reverse from about 3 feet up because I was now a little fast and high. I skidded up the wet muddy bit in max reverse and full 'opposite lock' on the nose wheel stearing and slid to a halt with my tail in the parking bay, fully perpendicular to the strip
I reversed into the bay, shut down and opened the cockpit door as the local white priest made some stupid remark. My legs were shaking mightily on the rudder pedals so I let hime have both barrels. I'm fairly certain he's never heard the 'F' word used to such good effect in his life
I glanced down to the bottom of the strip and saw Rocky still lying face down with his hands covering his head, the 2 stroke mower had rolled off the end of the strip and dropped straight down into a creek bed, he never mowed again apparently.
Chuckles.