How to make friends with a pilot. (Kenai: how much, home) - Alaska (AK) - City-Data Forum

6.7traveler · 08-11-2013, 10:00 PM

Step one: Hangout at the airport.
Step two: Offer to wash someone's plane for free
Step three: Any suggestions?????

Seriously though? Any ideas? I am salivating at the mouth thinking of wilderness out there. I would venture to say I have done every trail I south central and the Kenai. If not I've come close. I've made two Denali weekend trips. But Lake Clark, Katmai, Gates of the arctic, Arctic National Refuge, these places are calling my name, I dream about them. How does one access these places without winning the lottery? If I can only afford one drop off/pick up hike before summer ends which one should I choose? I am leaning towards a 7 day lake Clark hike. How did any of you get introduced to flying? Any suggestions?

1stimestar · 08-12-2013, 12:33 AM

My dad builds and sells planes and is a pilot so I have a few pointers. Hanging out at the airport wont get you anywhere. If they are hanging out, it's in their hangers. And you wouldn't want to go stalking hangers as a stranger or they may think you are casing the place. They wouldn't let you wash their plane even for free, until they get to know you. How about posting a flyer around offering odd jobs and grunt work as barter? My dad always has stuff to do around the hanger. Of course, he lives in his and all his other hanger buddies come over every morning for coffee. Then they come over in the middle of the day to see if he has a certain nut or bolt or something and he gets interrupted in his work lol.

highlife2 · 08-12-2013, 01:04 AM

You have to be seriously committed to aviation to break into the Alaska aviation community, I have not even been fully accepted myself but I kinda forced my way in since I now own a very unique plane in ak and my dad owns a super cub and I was able to make a few friends in the aviation community who are very prominent. It was a very painful process at times.

If your not gun ho about getting your license and other various endorsements as well as at least buying into a time share then no one will take you seriously. It is extremely expensvie to own and operate even a Cessna 150 so most pilots wont take you up "just because". Us pilots like our wilderness because everyone and there mom is not out there stiring up dust from 4 wheelers and tossing beer cans everywhere. Just go out to these memorial day weekend hot spots some time on a nice summer weekend and you will see what im talking about. These areas turn into a massive motor home park with so much dust you cant breathe from all the 4 wheelers and people shooting randomly into the woods.

starlite9 · 08-12-2013, 04:40 AM

Join the Civil Air Patrol. You get to meet a bunch of pilots, fly a lot and maybe even learn to fly in the process.

Or just go look for work around lake hood where you can get to know people in the area and pilots in general.

I started flying in the 70's and have met a lot of really good people in the business.

But the quickest way to get yourself out to these places, is to take a charter out and back. Cost money, but that is the fastest way you can get there, but not cheap.

6.7traveler · 08-12-2013, 08:35 AM

Thanks for all the advice. I am in homer right now, any idea of how much it might cost to get across the inlet and then be picked back up in several days or so? $500? $1000? $2000? I also had a small powder coating business at one point in time and still have most of my equipment. Would there be any need for this up here? Do people have powder coated parts on their planes?

starlite9 · 08-12-2013, 10:28 AM

Call up the FBO's at the airport and just ask them what they charge to fly you out and drop you off. Sometimes if they have a Charter to pick others up, you might get a deal when they are empty both ways. But you will pay for two trips. Dropping you off, and later picking you up, if your time is flexible, you may get a good deal.

Lots of aircraft parts are powder coated, but I don't know if you need some kind of certification by the FAA to do aircraft parts, again just call one of the local FAA offices and ask them. Then if you can, make up a flyer and send/deliver it out to all the places that work on aircraft. Take a product that you did already to show the quality of work on it for them to see and touch.

6.7traveler · 08-12-2013, 11:06 AM

Thanks for the informative replies starlite, you gave me some good ideas to think about and work on.

centauri · 08-12-2013, 11:36 AM

Best way to make friends with a pilot is to buy us beer!

richelles · 08-12-2013, 01:25 PM

Star says he'll fly for food but the closest I came to cashing in on that statement was buying him coffee in a shop near Lake Hood. But actually it might be more correct to point out I never tried to take him up on the deal. But in person close to each other during the coffee stop we didn't argue politics and I found him to be a noble person to talk to.

highlife2 · 08-12-2013, 03:32 PM

I would love my landing gear cleaned up and powder coated, my dad had it done to his cub and its pretty nice. You can call the FAA ACO (dave.swartz@faa.gov) to see if this is a big deal or if its a minor alteration, you dont want to deal with the FSDO if you can help it. My guess is powder coating would be considered a minor alteration and could be signed off by an A&P. If you get the ACO to sign you off and you can powder coat in cherry red send me a PM.