Got back from Fairbanks, Alaska…it was a long, tiring trip. But we finished everything we set out to accomplish, most of which involved flying helicopters in icing. Here’s a pic of the test aircraft after an hour or so in clear ice.

Sponson ice

Fairbanks is an amazing place for airplane nuts. Some airplanes that you’d see in museums in the lower 48 states, are flying every day in Fairbanks hauling supplies to outlying communities. Here’s a Curtiss C-46 departing Fairbanks International (PAFA) with a load of fuel oil.

C46 departing PAFA

And here’s a very rare find…a Carvair. It’s a DC-6 that was modified decades ago to carry cars, and only a handful still fly.

Carvair at FAI

On my day off I managed to log some float time with a flight from the Chena Marina float pond, just a mile or so west of PAFA.

Landing at the Chena Marina

Another rare bird…a Turbo Otter at the float pond.

Turbo Otter at Chena Marina