Bears don't like cubs

[Deeday]

This one is going around via e-mail and blogs, no idea what the original source is:

Bear attack on plane 2009 - Gutsy repairs

Checked the registration - '58 Piper PA18A-150. Registered 2003 to owner in Anchorage, AK.
Apparently a bear attacked his plane while parked in a remote field up here in AK. He had not cleaned out the inside after a long fishing trip and the bear smelled it.
He had 2 new tires, 3 cases of Duct Tape and several rolls of cellophane delivered. Then went about repairing the plane so he could fly it home.
Gutsy to say the least.

And this is it, all pathced up. No doubt it's a fully FAA-approved alteration:

[Dan Winterland]

That starboard tailplane looks pretty bent out of shape. I notice you can't see it in the 'after' photos. Does anyone know if he made it home?

Love the gun holster mounted on the port struts. The gun obviously doesn't work against bears!

[foxmoth]

That starboard tailplane looks pretty bent out of shape. I notice you can't see it in the 'after' photos.

Have to say that is the bit I was looking for as well!

[Runaway Gun]

At least he bothered to write the rego on the side, with what appears to be a little pen....

[Heliplane]

That's fantastic.

I recall a story from a few years ago that a very high percentage of Alaskan pilots had no licences and that FAA was launching an initiative to encourage more of them to get formally licensed!

[Genghis the Engineer]

Originally Posted by Heliplane

That's fantastic.

I recall a story from a few years ago that a very high percentage of Alaskan pilots had no licences and that FAA was launching an initiative to encourage more of them to get formally licensed!

I definitely saw an FAA document, I think it was around 2000, which set an objective date to have at-least 50% of pilots flying in Alaska licenced.

Easy to criticise, but it's a very different world to the one most of us inhabit.

G

[Intercepted]

I love the Cub! Imaging trying to make some modern Cirrus flyable in this way