Bush Tool Kit

akloon · Joined: 05 Jul 2007 Posts: 94 Location: Anchorage, AK

Something else I found useful yesterday, a spare spark plug and spark plug socket. Had a bad mag drop on the R side, isolated the cylinder using the EGT gauge (selectable by cylinder-quite helpful), then pulled the plugs. Found the lower #5 plug fouled. Picked clean with safety wire, swapped it to the top just in case so I wouldn't have to pull the bottom cowl off, and it ran fine.
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1995 M-7-235B

gear · Joined: 28 Jan 2009 Posts: 95 Location: Winnipeg

RobBurson · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 259 Location: Troutdale, Oregon

Sat phone, credit card. Laughing

crbnunit · Joined: 18 Mar 2008 Posts: 308 Location: Alaska

I've found places up here sat phones won't work and those little gems are expensive! There are places you can rent them or better yet, borrow one from someone who already has one!

a64pilot · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 1486 Location: ALbany Ga., KABY

aero101 · Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 511 Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

The Iridium works well up here, 100% coverage by my experience, and they have a Northern Lights subscription package for Alaska Coverage that is hard to beat. I think it's about $200 every 6 months for around 180 minutes which rollover if unused. I wouldn't fly anymore without it up here, can save your bacon in case of mechanical problem or any kind of delay, as well as prevent an unneccessary search. Any of the other sat systems are not reliable and they are still rented up here, don't understand why??? You can get a reasonable deal on used phones and accessories on ebay, save up to 50%... Most are used very little, and some of the rental shops rehab and sell with like new warranties as well. Just make sure you get the Motorola 9505A or later model phone if buying used. I have purchased several of the 9505A's used and have yet to have a problem with one.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2605&_nkw=satellite%20phones&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_pgn=1
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Jim

aussieaviator · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 46 Location: Sydney, Australia

maules.com · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 1015

Apparently, in the days of wooden props, a spare was commonly tied to the fuselage, just in case. Hey Aussie-a I heard a story told on the Birdsville track of a fellow replacing a Model T connecting rod by carving it from Mulga bush and packing the bearing area with sections of his leather belt to get back home.
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Jeremy
www.maules.com
Maule AK Worldwide

dunbarst · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 28 Location: Jackson, Wyoming

iridium is the way to go so far though globalstar is nearly ready to launch it's new constellation and it may improve. Both are low earth orbit systems while inmarsat is geosynchronous. I have used all three at various locations in high southern latitudes in Antarctica all the way to the Pole. You do have a dropped call problem when the satellites are handing off from one to another but in general they work well. there a couple of aftermarket solutions to hook it to the intercom so you can use it in flight.

We bought ours but rental looks very reasonable at $20/week .

http://www.satellitephonestore.com/satellite-phone-rental.php