170 to the rescue (beer run)

[alaskan99669]

Friends of mine building a cabin on Hewitt Lake running low on beer. No problem. Good excuse to go flying!

[Jr.CubBuilder]

It's a hard job, but somebody had to do it

[Brad Brady]

That can't be enough Beer to build a cabin When are you making the next run?

[DaveF]

Have any, uh, Moose Head in there?

[buzzlatka]

I have no pics to show for it but we took off with 3 guys, 1 keg, and 2 cases of 22 oz bottles from the boonville airport (aka anderson valley brewing company).

[hilltop170]

Back in the good old days, when I was in my 20's, I regularly took 4 people, 2 cases of beer, all our gear, and full tanks for weekend trips out of O'brien Airport, Waxahachie, Texas. O'brien is 1800' long at 590'msl. Sometimes it was close.

[170C]

You guys probably need some Moose Droll beer. Brewed in Montana I think. Had some last year at Oshkosh that some folks from Billings brought. Pretty nasty stuff Richard, the trees at the south end of O'Brien's have gotten taller, especially on a hot TX summer day with no wind, full fuel & 2-3 folks aboard. I was down there last weekend coming back from the
C-170 flyin @ Hilltop Lakes. Phil seems to be doing well. Said he is going to sell his Travelair. When are you coming back to TX? Or are you already here? Be sure to drop by the hangar when in GP.

[hilltop170]

If those trees have grown 5' since 1975, I wouldn't try loading up the 170 like I did back then.

I just got back to Texas in time to go to the State Fair, wouldn't miss it. We plan on going the 14th or 15th so might see you out at the airport that weekend.

Thanks for the update.

[170C]

So you had to have one (or more) of those Fletcher's corney dogs & a funnel cake or so Wouldn't mind having one of each myself Look forward to seeing you. Do you think you might make it to Reklaw?

[flat country pilot]

170c

You guys probably need some Moose Droll beer. Brewed in Montana I think.

Feeling the need to change your spelling
Its "Moose Drool" brewed in Bozeman MT and its pretty good.
We can buy it here and that makes us happy.

Bill

[blueldr]

It is apparent that the time honored "PROFESSION" of beer hauling is still active in Alaska.
In the days of my glorious youth when I was a young Master Sergeant in the USAF stationed at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska, I owned a Stinson L-5G and kept it at Weeks Field, the Fairbanks municipal airport at that time. This was in '48 or '49.
On a weekend trip to Tanana to visit a delightful young lady who was a nurse for the Alaska Native Service, I found that there was a seriously pent up demand for beer by a construction crew that was building housing for the CAA (now FAA) on the airfield. Beer was available in Tanana from the local Northern Commercial Co. store, but was very expensive.
In Fairbanks there was a "Discount" store in a big tent called "The Nevada Kid" where they sold Carling Beer by the case at a price that was killing all the local Fairbanks merchants.
I could load up about 300 pounds of canned beer, (the legal load in the L-5G was 180 pounds), haul it to Tanana, sell it to the construction guys at a bargain price (for Tanana) and pay for my gas. If my memory is correct, gas was 32 cents a gallon.
The real bonus was the weekend visit with the charming young lady. There weren't many such opportunities in Alaska back in those days when Alaska was still a territory.
God how I had fun in those days!
Later on, I was allowed to keep my airplane on the air base, but the Commanding General made me stop the beer hauling. Said I was in competition with local bush pilots and that wasn't allowed if I kept my airplane on the base. I didin't really care since I was able to steal more than enough GI gas to make up the difference.

[N171TD]

Stealing govt. gas --- doesn't that make you an equal to the politicians that now have positions in DC.

[hilltop170]

blueldr-
Did you know Larry and Ginnie Bartlett when you were at Ladd Field? They were there at that time also. They had a Cessna 195 when they were there and just sold it last year!

[blueldr]

I don't remember anyone named Bartlett from my four year tour of duty at Ladd AFB. The only C-195 aircraft I recall being in the Fairbanks area were the LC-126 airplanes operated by Air Force 10th Rescue Squadron. I don't believe I ever saw a civil model.
The fuel I was "stealing" was primarily Mogas and old barrels of condemned 80/87 and 91/98 oct. avgas left over from WWII that were scheduled to be sent to the fire department crash crew practice burning pit. The firemen were glad to not have to hand pump it out of the barrels into the practice pit.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

The fuel I was "stealing" was primarily Mogas and old barrels of condemned 80/87 and 91/98 oct. avgas left over from WWII that were scheduled to be sent to the fire department crash crew practice burning pit. The firemen were glad to not have to hand pump it out of the barrels into the practice pit.

I had faith that when the full story came out B, that you weren't really stealing the fuel but simply taking initiative on your own and disposing of the fuel in a safe and reasonable manner and saving a lot of work for others. You probably helped save that pit from becoming a super fund site and saved tax payers millions in cleanup in the years to come. Wonder you didn't get an accommodation or something.