Alaska Journal

[Sal Picante]

I miss Astro...

What a good dog.

George and Charlie are alright too, I guess... But Astro's awesome.

(From one Vizsla owner to another...)

[entropy]

GJM,

Didn’t you do a bunch of testing yourself with that .45 bullet? I recall the equally excellent HK field pistol thread and subsequent shopping for my USPfs.

[GJM]

I miss Astro...

What a good dog.

George and Charlie are alright too, I guess... But Astro's awesome.

(From one Vizsla owner to another...)

Gosh, Les, I don't remember you having a Vizsla back when we were at Rogers together. After the thread on night eye shades, Charlie started wearing them and decided Astro should have them too! More Vizsla pictures are always welcome in this thread, so don't hesitate to post some.

GJM,

Didn’t you do a bunch of testing yourself with that .45 bullet? I recall the equally excellent HK field pistol thread and subsequent shopping for my USPfs.

My testing was for reliability in HK pistols, but I didn't do penetration testing.

[GJM]

Rain, rain, rain here lately, along with low clouds. Things improved slightly this morning, and we got out in the helicopter to go land on gravel bars north of town. This is what it looked like out.



We monitored flight service on the radio, and heard reports of a low, thick marine layer quickly approaching the airport. We beat feet back for the airport, so we didn't get stuck out. There was a UPS Metroliner on the LPV approach, and we offset them and went max speed trying to reach the field before it went zero zero. They landed and we reached the runway as the clouds hit, but we were able to slowly hover taxi the length of the field. Rotor wash can clear the way in conditions like this.

[entropy]

Yeah...that time of year again.

I envy those that can hover. Me? I got a min speed of about 150kts over the numbers...lol

I was away from flying for a few months but first leg back was the RNP down the Gastineau Channel to minimums. I think there is still a few pieces of poly foam in my ass. That was followed up by a trip into FAI after the town lost power from that windstorm they had. Sorry no pics. I was busy. 😁

Flying is never dull in the 49th State.

[GJM]

It has been raining non stop for 5 or 6 weeks. I left my M2 in the case a few days and it started growing rust.

[GJM]

Alaska weather has sucked since mid July, with rain and clouds all but a handful of days for two solid months. We headed out to our remote cabin to enjoy deep fall in Alaska, cut willows and alders now that most leaves are gone, and winterize our cabin.

Low pressure and east wind almost guarantees the moisture uplifting on the west side of Cook Inlet, making for clouds, turbulence and ice. Pretty fast ride across the ocean with the easterly tailwind, and right on schedule, ice/turbulence/updrafts where the wind lifted at the land mass. The quality of the light has changed so much since August, and winter is about here.

[GJM]

Went down to the gravel pit where we shoot, out at our cabin, and it was like a pond. So much water, if this were Louisiana, I would be looking for ‘gators. 38F and a light rain, which was darn chilly.

The propane canister barely sticking out of the water is a 100 pounder, to give an idea of the water depth.



I was shooting my inclement weather field pistol, a G5 19 with an Acro and Mayhem, as my Open gun refused to get out of the truck! Changed the zero with my Browning DBM from 165 Fusion to 150 Gold Dot, which took four clicks up on the T2 at 50 yards.

Standard temperature lapse rate is 2C/3.5F per thousand, so not surprisingly, the fresh snow level looks about 2.000 feet above us, or 2,500 msl.

[GJM]

Clouds just lifted some, and there is fresh snow.

[entropy]

Yep. That time of year again. This will be my second season and I’m still way at the bottom of the learning curve. We got a new approach to 8 in PAJN that doglegs us at the cut and gives us lower minimums. Haven’t done it yet tho. Trade off is a steeper glide path. No free lunch.