Things you don't expect to see......

[Wanderin_dave]

Like dropping in to a country vic airstrip half an hour from Melbourne and coming across an Aviat Husky on big tundra balloon tyres. She looked in top nick, but it begs 2 questions....

Why/where would you use it?

and

Can I have a go? :ok:

[compressor stall]

Yup, that's my sort of plane. You're right tho', not too many places in oz that you need one.

Alaska, however, it's the perfect toy. People have them instead of 4wds. 5pm Friday night in Anchorage and there is a steady stream of high wing fun leaving Lake Hood heading off to mountain cabins, on floats skis or tundra tires [sic].

I'd move there in a flash. :ok:

[djpil]

You could use it to go anywhere you like. A great second aeroplane.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Bloke near Scone has a nice Super Cub with Tundra tyres - achieves remarkable STOL performance. Did his BFR last year and he showed me what it can do :eek: :ok:

If you want to land away from prepared strips almost "at will", it is a great thing.

Google "Big rocks Long Props" - the videos will leave you in NO doubt of the usefulness of Tundra tyres, even if there is o Tundra :ok:

[bushy]

You have to be careful going "anywhere you like". One of the common causes of prangs is bad airstrips.
Have a look at the book "Bill Vincent-bush pilot." One outfit down there pranged seven aeroplanes in a two year period. Some of the strips were not good.
A long time ago I did get involved in a mineral exploration project in the Tanami desert. I was doing aerial survey in a 400 hp Fletcher, and backing up a team of geologists. This involved landing in the spinifex on unprepared strips. But I made sure that I had a good man on the ground, and radio contact with him. He would run along the proposed area with a Toyota land cruiser numerous times to make sure there were no ant hills hidden in the spinifex,(they are like concrete) and to mark the area. The fletcher was built for this sort of operation and I had been bush flying for many. years.
And there is more than just handling skills involved. We were a long way from any sort of support, so had to be self reliant for everything. The geolocical crew relied on the aeroplane for food and water supplies, and to find them when they got lost.
It can be fun to go where "no man has ever gone before" (last time I did that, I found a road over the next hill) but thorough preparation is needed.

[multime]

Bushy
Would love to know how long ago your FU-24 survey,s were.
Apparently they use real airstrips now.
Interesting though.
Regards
Multi

[bushy]

Hi multi. I don't know of "real airstrips" in the tanami desert. Try looking to the W of Muckaty. I was camping with the geologists who were roaming the desert in toyotas and motorbikes. They navigated by compass and odometer. True DR. I was also flying in their water and food, and people. And yes it was a long time ago.

[zanzibar]

steady stream of high wing fun leaving Lake Hood

YouTube - de Havilland Beaver Plane Crash at Lake Hood (HD) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVwlodvWh7w)