♪♪
The Valdez fly-in started out probably back in the 80s.
It became this Mecca of short-field takeoff and landing Bush flying.
You know where everybody meets
All the cowboys show up. You know everybody shows up with horse.
♪♪
Ok welcome everyone. We'll start the
safety briefing for the stole competition.
If you have not done it somewhere else do not do it here first.
This is not the time to try the new technique.
This competition prepares pilots
for landing off airport.
Whenever you're looking for a place to land, you have to be absolutely
certain about that spot. You have to be able to touch down at the spot or a little
bit later and never before it.
Being able to get down exactly where
you want and stop as quickly as you can.
One is really fun in competition. But two is excellent training for flying supercubs.
There's a lot to it that separates some of these guys
from just your normal flying around the United States types of pilot.
I guess that's why they come and seek me out a little bit.
♪♪
I've been a flight instructor for about 20 years now.
Like any kid, whatever his dad does
you probably don't want to do it you know, but it's the only thing I ever knew.
♪♪
When you're hanging around a bunch of pilots, we have a lot of pride,
you know we talk about well I've been flying
this airplane for the last 5,000 hours, you know and I've been in this airplane
for 2,000 hours. And I learned to fly when I was 16.
I've been flying since I was about two weeks old.
I've been flying since the headset would fit over my little baby head.
I started flying with my father when I was eight years old.
So I asked my dad one day, I'm like, "hey when was the first time
I was in an airplane." And my dad looks at me and he says, "son,
you were conceived in an airplane." Laughter.
♪♪
This will be my sixth year at the Valdez fly-in.
I've won first place in four of the five years.
We have the t3
tail wheel suspension, you can find that at supercubsnorth.com
In the front here we have the leading edge slats.
They help the air stay attached to the wing and help
it fly at a high angle of attack.
We have a 240 horse power motor.
It cruises at around 85 miles and hour
but it climbs out at better than anything I've ever flown in.
Most of the guys that I compete with at Valdez
at the stole competition, are seasoned bush pilots that have been around the block
for a long long time, they've seen way more than I'll ever
see in my life. So they all give me a hard time about
having won in the past. And I just hope that I don't run
out of luck here.
Woo it's close
Because these guys, they're
certainly really good and I don't doubt that they'll come
back and get me one day.
Alright he needed to it within 194 feet.
He landed, 55.
55 feet 8 inches. Let's give him a wave.
I've been flying in Valdez at the competition for about the last ten years and it's been great fun.
But nothing has ever come close to the amount of pride and fun
that I had today getting to compete with my daughter in this event.
I've been coming here with my dad since I was probably an infant
and this year he finally convinced me to compete too.
Laura Joy Erb. Her first landing distance was 209 feet, so we'll see if
she can beat her first landing distance.
Yes, that will qualify.
Alright Wes, proud dad
now, let's see her second landing
was 162.
Your best landing was if I remember right,
152.
That's close but I would have to check the numbers, I think she might have beat me this year.
♪♪
Getting in a supercub for the first time is like strapping on a set of wings.
And see everything from a bird's perspective
and then touch down and get out and suddenly you're 100 miles
from where you last were, maybe even in a place that nobody's ever been before.
and it's just an unreal experience.
Flying up in Alaska is a lot different than flying in the lower 48
because the weather changes so rapidly
the terrain is much more varied.
♪♪
Having the opportunity to be a pilot in Alaska
has really defined who am as a pilot and
who I am as a person.
♪♪