Bush airplanes are modified to suit the pilot who flies them and what they are used for. Pilots often reduce the weight of their aircraft which allows them to carry a bigger payload and install extra fuel tanks for greater range (weight of fuel is included in the airplanes weight limits). Weight reduction also allows the use of pontoons, skis, and large tires to increase the aircrafts usability.
Pilots will often have the bare minimum of instrumentation and radio equipment to reduce weight (modern day digital instruments are often not used because fixing that technology is difficult in the middle of no-where; ball, needle, and airspeed are sufficient for their needs and generally fool-proof).
Meierotto owns two airplanes: a 1957 PIPER PA-18A 150 Super Cub (the plane that appears on the show) and a 1953 Cessna 180.
The Piper Super Cub (from Wiki):
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 passenger
Length: 22 ft 7 in (6.88 m)
Wingspan: 35 ft 2½ in (10.73 m)
Height: 6 ft 8½ in (2.02 m)
Wing area: 178.5 sq ft (16.58 m²)
Airfoil: USA 35B
Aspect ratio: 7:1
Empty weight: 930 lb (422 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 1,750 lb (794 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-320 air-cooled flat four, 150 hp (112 kW)
Performance
Never exceed speed: 132 kn (246 km/h, 153 mph)
Maximum speed: 113 knots (208 km/h, 130 mph) at sea level
Cruise speed: 100 kn (185 km/h, 115 mph) (75% power)
Stall speed: 38 knots (69 km/h, 43 mph) flaps down
Range: 399 nmi (735 km, 460 mi)
Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,595 m)
Most bush pilots rarely fly these aircraft more than 100 mph. Takeoff weight includes the weight of the pilot, passengers, cargo, airplane, and fuel.
As for “flying without instruments”, I put that off to the stupidity of the writers. The FAA has established SPECIFIC rules for flight – they are called Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). ALL pilots fly under one of these two sets of rules.
Basically, VFR is boiled down to “see and avoid”. The pilot is required to be his own Air Traffic Control (ATC) – make note of airplanes in the vicinity and avoid them. The weather dictates whether they can fly or not because they cannot fly in clouds, they have minimum visibility distances, they must fly between certain altitudes, etc. Their instruments are still used but they are back-up to what the pilot sees out the window of the aircraft.
IFR is an entirely different. Aircraft are required to have certain instrumentation and other avionic equipment to be IFR certified. Pilots also have to have rigorous training to obtain IFR certification. The equipment and training are expensive. The pilot can only fly using their instruments and under the control of ATC. Flight plans are required.
Obviously, flying in the wilderness of Alaska is going to be VFR instead IFR. I’m sure Meierotto told the idiot writers at one time that he flies VFR in the bush and said something like, “With VFR, I don’t use my instruments” which they mistakenly understood to mean that he NEVER uses his instruments which is certainly dramatic but not true. He still has to know his direction, altitude and speed when flying VFR.
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jgroub
8 years ago
cydnee, thanks for all the info. You really seem to have the inside track on all things Mountain Men.
So, 1957? That must just mean the model that they've been building since 1957, and not that this particular plane was actually built in 1957, right? Noooo waaay that's a 60-year-old plane!
Oh, I agree that he's flying visually, but to say that he flies without instruments is just plain dumb. Clearly he's got some minimal instrumentation and I'm sure he's using it. And like I said, I know I've seen a GPS unit stuck onto the dashboard in a couple of scenes, which to my mind is the ultimate instrument.
Yeah, I was wondering that about the speed. Whenever they show Marty's speed on the gauge it always seems to be about 80-90 or so. Me, I'd be hauling ass out of there because of the inevitably changing weather conditions - if it's clear enough to fly, then fly fast and get there before the weather changes and you get into trouble! Is it just more fuel efficient to fly slower like that, or is there some other reason to fly "slow" like he does?
So if his range is 460 miles, that means that where ever he's flying to is a maximum of 230 miles away. So it does make sense that it would be "three hours" away at 80mph.
And the 1750 includes the gas. Hmmm. Now I'm curious about how much gas the plane carries and how much all that gas weighs. Since he had his wife and kid and all their gear in there with him when they shot an elk in spring, I would guess that he's got about 450-500 pounds of cargo he can carry at a time. That's not too shabby. He was able to break down the snowmobile (ha, ha, he's definitely an expert on that!) and bring that with him, and that supercool mill for sawing the logs with the chain saw in season 4 (love that thing!) was heavy but didn't look that bad.
Hey, cydnee, as long as I have your attention, any idea what the show pays these guys? Do you think Preston gets paid too, as a "junior" Mountain Man?
I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.
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Cydnee9999
8 years ago
The airplane was manufactured in 1957. It is 60 years old. Has much of the airplane been replaced, renovated, or rebuilt in the last 60 years? Likely, yes. Unless the airplane has been in a major accident, the frame is probably still original. If this airplane has been in a major crash, the airplane would have been sold for parts instead of rebuilding the frame. It is still a 1957 model? Yes. This particular model of airplane is EXPENSIVE to buy. Parts aircraft can sell for $50K! Most airworthy Super Cubs are north of $75K up to $150K - typical is $100K. The United States Air Force flies 60 year old airplanes – the B-52 bomber. Hardly any original equipment left on them but they are still 60 years old.
It’s hard to tell how Meierotto’s airplane has been modified. The stock gas tanks are one 18 gallon tank in each wing (36 gallons total). Aftermarket wing tanks are available in a variety of sizes – 10 gallon and 23 gallon; boosting potential fuel capacity from 56 gallons to 82 gallons just in wing tanks. Belly tanks are available which hold up to 32 gallons. So that airplane COULD have a fuel capacity of 114 gallons but that will never happen as fuel weighs six lbs per gallon – 684 lbs of fuel defeats the purpose of the utility concept of this type of airplane.
Most bush pilot’s airplanes have a maximum fuel capacity of 48 gallons. That amount provides for optimal performance and range. The Super Cub burns about 8 gallons of fuel an hour. Forty-eight gallons gets them about six hours of flight time. Aircraft performance improves as fuel is consumed because the airplane is lighter. Theoretically the pilot could increase speed but there are just too many variables associated with any aircraft’s fuel consumption (air pressure, air temperature, etc) to predict how far or long a pilot could fly.
I have read articles where Meierotto has chartered his airplane to transport outdoor writers to various parts of Alaska. In one article, before the charter took place, he flew to areas along the route and left fuel caches so he would have sufficient fuel to complete the trip. That’s how he extends the range of his airplane.
I have no idea how much they get paid. Guessing $5000 per episode for the principal cast members. Nice chunk of change for a 16 episode season if they appear in each episode. The production costs for this show must be phenomenal - shooting in Alaska, Montana, and North Carolina. I tend to think that's why the Meierotto storyline moved to the Revelation Mountains. The producers could consolidate their resources - cheaper to have a production base camp in one area of Alaska to film Meierotto and Beasley.
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jgroub
8 years ago
First of all, WOW! Quite a knowledge bomb you just dropped on me! Thanks.
So, wow, that's actually a 60-year-old plane? Jeez! I guess he must take really good care of it, especially in that environment.
Very interesting about the fuel. So basically at somewhere between 30 and 40 gallons per round trip, it costs Marty somewhere around $100-200 (depending on gas prices, flight times, etc.) to fly out to the cabin and back. That's not too bad.
Thanks for your guess about the pay. $50,000 or more for a full season would wipe out Eustace's "debt" or "loan" right quick. I'd still love to know the exact figure for sure.
I love me some Marty, he's so sweet with his little girl, and very self-effacing. But he's like a lovable putz. It seems like he's always getting himself into sticky situations just to show the audience how tough it is for him out there. I appreciate that, but some of the situations seem contrived.
I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.
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Cydnee9999
8 years ago
Aviation gas (avgas) currently costs between $4.60 and $7.10 per gallon in Alaska.
As for sticky situations, I have to believe Meierotto handles those "sticky situations" with much more aplomb than is shown on TV. The editing is atrocious and drama-centric.
For example, the new engine for the snowmobile episode. Stranded in the wilderness! Bitter cold! Darkness! Exhaustion! Wolves!
Based on an actual event in Meierotto's trapping life, he said it was rather routine as far as these things go. No danger from the elements and especially from wolves. The episode had howling wolves - Miereotto stated it would be really out of character for wolves to be anywhere near humans in that situation. He heard no howling wolves when filming that reenactment - the howls were inserted in the segment by the editors.
On a similar note, did you notice when Beasley trudges back to his homestead after failing to find food for his horses, he unhooks a yellow handle connected to wire to in front of the cabin to walk to the door. That is an electric fence! Often used to keep cattle from going through a fence - in this case a deterrent to prevent critters from coming near the cabin. If you read his website - part of the 4000 lb airlift was solar panels. He has electricity! With enough battery storage to put a charge in an electric fence!
That's surviving in the wild.
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Elephantlips
8 years ago
Those situations crack me up.
Snowmobile is dead - he's going to die if he can't figure a way out of this..! (As the camera crew films him, most likely with several snowmobiles in perfect working order).
"Nope, sorry Marty, you cannot have a ride back. We have to keep the legitimacy of the show intact. Good luck buddy.. *vrrrrroooooooooom!*
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