Photos of the Day -- Mike Meekin and Meekin's Air Service. The Sheep Hunter's Best Friend.

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Mike Meekin was born in Alaska in 1952.  Mike's dad, Austin Meekin, homesteaded land in the Sheep Mountain area in the 40's.  Mike grew up in this area and has been guiding sheep hunters since he was 15 years old in the surrounding mountains.  I married Samantha Meekin, (Mikes and Diane's oldest daughter) and I have been flying with him ever since.  I own my own my own Super Cub and air taxi, but I contract to Meekin's Air Service.  Mike is my father-in-law, and best friend.  He has been making a living with his Super Cub for 30 years and there is nobody that knows this area like he does.  He made a name for himself hauling sheep hunters, and clients come from all over the world to use him as their transport service in and out of the field.  Mike has more than 18,000 hours in the same serial # Super Cub and if you don't believe it just look in his airframe logbooks.  

We started hauling sheep hunters today and we put a bunch of people into the field for the August 10th opener.  This is the time of year that we will be using the nastiest air strips, and hauling the heaviest loads in some of the most adverse conditions.  We will fly our brains out until September 20th when the leaves are gone from the trees, and the hunting season closes.  Mike and I have already put close to 1200 hours on the Cubs this year, and we are excited for another hunting season.  We found 3 new air strips today in some awesome sheep country, and I am excited to see what the season holds.  It is obvious that our summer season is coming to an end as the leaves have begun to change colors, the grasses are dyeing, and the flowers wilting.  Summer is a short season in Alaska above 3000 feet, but I love this time of year.  

If you are not an Alaska resident, but would like to hunt Dall Sheep, Moose, Griz or Goat contact us and we will point you in the right direction for proper permitting.

 

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Photo of the Day -- Hauling Moose Horns in the Snow

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These guys took this moose off a short strip in the Chugach. The strip is only about 320' long and it ends in a creek in both directions. It's a fairly short strip even when the braking is good, with smooth tires and 3" of snow it almost feels like the airplane accelerates when the brakes are applied. I think it's because when the plane first touches down a deceleration is felt and normally when I stomp on the brakes you can really feel it. Well, on the snow when I hit the brakes I am braced for a deceleration, but I feel nothing so it feels like the airplane actually speeds up. There is this fleeting moment when it flashes through my brain, "UH OH! I don't know if this pig is going to stop in time ?" A second after that thought pass through the brain the forces of gravity and friction combined with a loss of inertia results in a measurable deceleration.

If I remember correctly the moose horns in this picture measured right near 60". Usually there are no adverse affects to a moose antler being attached to the wing ... but occasionally the wind will catch them just wrong and they will vibrate in the wind forcing me to cruise at minimum airspeed to diminish the affects. On a strip like this it takes two trips just to haul the meat and horns. It's about 500-600 pounds of meat on the average moose, but with the horns and everything else it's not uncommon to get more than that. We can take a moose in one trip if it is all boned out and the airstrip is more than 550' long. I made 5 take-offs and landings on this nasty little snowy strip this day. 2 for the moose, 1 for gear, 2 for the hunters.

Filed under  //   Hunting   Super Cub  

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About

My name is Matthew Keller. I am an Alaskan Bush Pilot. I own a small air-taxi in Alaska named Blue Ice Aviation (BlueIceAviation.com). I transport people into the Alaskan Wilderness.

Get lost for a month, or an afternoon in my backyard of Waterfalls, Granite Peaks, High Meadow Lakes, and Glaciers. Guided, or un-guided it will change your life.

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