July 27, Wasilla and Air Show

July 27  Started the morning helping Grant and Jim disassemble the Beaver.  The engine cowling,  propellor, flaps, ailerons, rudder, and elevators had already been removed.  This left the wings for the next items to go.  With retaining bolts removed and Jim and I holding guide ropes, Grant maneuvered his skid loader and the wings were taken off one at a time.

The next thing to go will be the engine, but Grant is saving that for another time.  When you go to our photos using the link at the bottom, the photos show the sequence of disassembly up to today. However, we only removed the wings today.  The rest was done over the past few days.

After lunch Peggy and I drove out to the Wasilla Airport to attend an air show to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first airplane flight in Alaska.  Several older vintage aircraft were flown in.  Some of them did flybys over the airport.  Once on the ground the public was able to walk among the planes for closer looks.  I was able to take some photos of some of the more unique-looking planes.

Next week Peggy and I hope to go to McCarthy, AK, and the Kennecott Mine, a national historic site where a turn of the century copper mine was located.  It is approximately 270 miles away. Grant loaned me a book, The Copper Spike, depicting the history behind the establishment of a railroad to move the copper to the coast.  It was amazing to think about how the exploits of developers tried to take the railroad right of way away from others, and especially to imagine the large struggles made to lay the track over the Alaskan environment.

I'm not sure, but it may not have gotten to 70º today.  If it didn't, it will break a string of 70º days that was approaching setting a record for consecutive 70º days set back in 2004.

Today's Uploaded Photos to Picassa