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  1. #1
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    Default Homer, AK - Helicopter Work Trip

    Just got back last night from a whirlwind trip to Homer. We drove to Homer, which is 280 miles south of here, did a little work at a site we could drive to and then jumped in a Helicopter to a couple of sites, then had a small plane meet us for the last 2 sites. We landed back in Homer, got in the truck and hauled ass north back - about a 17 hour day, which is great time considering the distances & aircraft involved. We fully expected this trip to take at least a couple of days but the stars were aligned in our favor all the way around.

    This is the Bell 407, which is my favorite helicopter. It's smooth, powerful and fast - I'm told the only 2 helos faster are the Chinook and the Apache. As it turns out, I flew on this baby back when she was brand new in '09 out of King Salmon on a week long trip working for the Nat'l Park Service. She's still looking great and I was overjoyed to be able to ride in her again.

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  3. #2
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    Leaving the airport in Homer - we could not have asked for better weather.



    The Homer Spit, the small finger of land on the right jutting out into Kachemak Bay, is where we caught the Ferry a few months ago to Kodiak, where the Salty Dawg Bar is located.



    The tourists are slowly trickling in. A month from now, this will be wall-to-wall RVs and tents everywhere.

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  4. #3
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    We passed a small plane like he was standing still on our way out over the water. It was hard to judge, but I think we were going about twice as fast as he was.

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    The end of the Homer Spit.

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    Scenery, looking out toward Halibut Cove across the bay from Homer.

    I apologize for the yellow reflection in the plexiglas, but the new FAA regs state that all helo passengers have to wear those little yellow life jackets.





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    On our way to Dangerous Cape.

    I suspect there's a couple of hair-raising maritime stories about how it got the moniker.





    There's some pretty sweet cabins out here among the islands... and world-class fishing just minutes away.

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  9. #7
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    I'm going to bring the boat down here this summer... there's so many awesome places to fish that I spotted it was making me drool.








    A microwave repeater site on top of that mountain there - the signal just bounces off the reflector and to the receiving dish.

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    A cool little valley with a whitewater stream... probably some killer trout in this one that never gets fished.
    @jimnyc - can you rotate this please?

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  12. #9
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    On approach to one of our sites... doing the prudent fly-around to check for any bears in the area before landing.



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    And then we had a small airplane meet us for the rest of the trip - those helos are expensive!



    A pretty cool outcropping of eroded stone standing up there.



    On final to the runway. Yeah, it's the one running 90 degrees to where we're heading - that can be a nasty one in bad weather. The pilot laid the plane over on it's side at the last minute and greased it in like a pro. Love watching those bush pilots do their thing, as long as I'm not tangled up in the wreckage from a screwup!

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    Welcome to Nanwalek International Airport. No loitering.

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    Sweet copter!! Love to fly in one of them, never been on one before.
    “You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in the NBA is Chinese, the Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named "Bush", "Dick", and "Colin." Need I say more?” - Chris Rock

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  17. #13
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    Our Limo - a Cessna 207.



    Taking off from Nanwalek. They've got a cool little protected harbor here for their boats that you can only get in and out of during high tide. That's where I'd be keeping the boat, for sure.

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    One last shot of Nanwalek from the air. The tower there is how everyone gets internet and telephone.

    We had a couple of people hopefully ask if we were there to finally install cell service for them... unfortunately, no, we weren't. I don't see them getting service anytime soon, because there just isn't enough people there to justify the huge expense of setting up the tower & equipment to provide it. Cell companies have to make money or it won't happen, ya know!

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimnyc View Post
    Sweet copter!! Love to fly in one of them, never been on one before.
    Trust me, you can learn to hate them REAL quick. Careful what you wish for. Especially a sensitive guy like you. Probably puke. Nothing like making friends.
    “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” Edumnd Burke

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