[Bear vs Plane]

Believe it or not, I actually know this guy, and I was wondering when the pictures would show up here.

I've gotten the pictures emailed to me one million times now, and each time there's a different story attached. I'm impressed that no one here has said (yet) "what a dumbass for leaving his bait/fish/food/moose meat in the plane, so to preempt it, here is the real story:

Jill Burke, at Alaska Dispatch, looked into this exurban legend, tracked down witnesses and recorded the actual story.

When bush pilot Luke Miller, 28, made an overnight stop at a friend’s hunting lodge in Southwest Alaska earlier this year, he had no way to know that a large and very dedicated menace would, under cover of night, chew and claw his plane to shreds. ...

What follows is the tale of the bear’s destruction spree and the plane’s revival as told by the pilot’s dad, Mark Miller, and family friend and hunting guide Gary LaRose, who first discovered the bear’s fabric-eating, metal-bending offense.

Contrary to some reports, it wasn’t a fishy aroma that lured the bear in. The plane wasn’t full of fish, nor had it just been used to haul fish. The pilot didn’t radio for help—he used a cell phone—and the incident isn’t a hoax dating back nine years; it happened around Sept. 26 and 27, 2009.

And yes, duct tape and plastic wrap saved the day.

LaRose had already had a few run-ins with the brown bruin, which discovered it could use the new meat shed at LaRose’s lodge like a McDonald’s drive-through. One night, after breaking out a window, the bear grabbed a hindquarter of freshly-butchered moose, feasting on 60 to 70 pounds of it as it dangled through the window, still hanging from the rafters.

LaRose boarded up the window, and after returning from a guided silver salmon trip, butchered the remaining moose meat, put it in the freezer and cleaned and bleached the space to eliminate all traces of the meat.

The next night, the bear pushed out a screen. Two nights later he returned again, got the door open and knocked over a bucket of broken glass collected after the first break-in.

Miller stopped in a day or two later on his way to a piloting job for another guide. A storm was moving through with heavy rain and 25 to 30 mile per hour winds, and LaRose’s lodge offered a comfortable place for a night of rest. Offered a choice to tie down the plane out in the open, or about 60 feet from the shed, where it would be better sheltered, he chose the area by the shed.

“I figured the bear situation was done,” La Rose said. “The meat had been gone for three or four days and I figured it got the message.”

Early the next morning after a night of howling winds, in the dark before sunrise, a client reported another meat shed break-in to LaRose, who took a walk to check things out and discovered the bear had once again pulled out a window, but otherwise had done no damage.

No damage, that is, until LaRose remembered Miller’s plane.

“My headlamp hit Luke’s plane and it was literally destroyed,” he said. “My heart sank. It was just an unbelievable sight.”

LaRose was faced with the unhappy task of waking Miller up to tell him the bear had destroyed the 1958 Piper Cub’s wheels by clawing at the rubber, busted out the windows on the plane’s left side, and shredded fabric from rear windows to tail.

“He basically ravaged the whole plane,” LaRose said, adding that, in his 38 years as a pilot in Alaska, he has never seen anything like it.

Miller had a small amount of vacuum-sealed meat for personal use stored in plastic and stashed in the gear he had brought along for his upcoming job assignment. Despite all the damage done to the plane, the bear missed it. LaRose questions whether the bear was even able to smell it, and said Miller’s plane was otherwise clean.

Miller grew up in a family that owns a remote lodge and learned early on to scrub planes down with bleach, soap and water after hauling meat. He had transported caribou a few weeks earlier, and LaRose said he supposes it’s possible there was a hint of blood on board, but he’s skeptical, and thinks there’s a better explanation—one having to do with the bear’s fondness for the meat shed and its proximity to the plane.

“He was pissed,” LaRose said. “His easy food source had dried up and he was out for revenge.”

If malice was indeed the motivation, the bear knew how drive the point home. It took a dump next to its handiwork near Miller’s plane, LaRose said, and left a similar gift not too far away near where other planes were tied down.

After a few days of meticulous fix-it work, the plane was airworthy enough to fly back to Anchorage. Miller fitted the windows with plywood and Plexiglas, replaced the tires and the horizontal stabilizer (the bear either leaned on it or sat on it), and, according to Miller’s dad, fashioned a makeshift fabric skin out of 25 rolls of duct tape and some industrial-strength plastic wrap.

As for the bear, it hasn’t been seen since. It may have been “whacked” during bear hunting season in October, or it may be playing it smart. After all, bears know when it’s time “to get the hell out of Dodge,” according to the LaRose.

Then again, it may be off enjoying a satisfied rest.

“He’s off digesting some fabric right now. He just disappeared into the night. He doesn’t know how famous he is,” the pilot’s father, Mark Miller, said.

[Classic Thread - Security Forces (SFS) Tales]

The first article left out a couple of key words that make it even better.

FAIRBANKS — An 81-year-old man was Tasered during a traffic stop last week.

It is the second time since 1998 that police have had to make a show of force during a traffic stop to arrest Glen M. Wilcox, a Fairbanks-based Episcopalian priest and real estate agent.

Court documents allege that officers with Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Security Forces Squadron pulled Wilcox over just after 1 p.m. Wednesday for going 11 miles over the speed limit on the Richardson Highway.

An officer, identified as a senior airman in court documents, took Wilcox’s license, registration and proof of insurance and wrote him a traffic citation. When he returned to Wilcox’s car, Wilcox refused to accept the documents and sped down the highway, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.

Wilcox disputes that version of events.

“They waved to me and I thought that meant I could go on,” Wilcox said. “They stopped me again and told me to get out of my car.”

Alaska State Troopers were notified of the incident, and the 354th “initiated a high-risk traffic stop” near 336 Mile Richardson Highway. When Wilcox, a former commander of the Civil Air Patrol, again stopped, he initially refused to roll down his window.

He eventually got out of his vehicle and was told to put his hands behind his back, something he claims is physically impossible for him.

“I showed them I could barely touch my fingertips and they insisted,” he said.

Charging documents allege Wilcox used profanity with the airmen. When they tried to handcuff him, Wilcox, described in court documents as being 6 feet 1 inch tall and 250 pounds, allegedly tried to jerk away from the airmen and used his body to push them around, a claim he also disputes.

After several warnings, one of the airmen used a Taser on Wilcox to take him into custody.

“It hurts like hell,” Wilcox said. “I’m laying on the ground when they Tasered me. It’s painful and very sharp.”

Wilcox said the incident left his arms bruised and he had to seek treatment at a doctor. He also obtained a lawyer but would not elaborate on how he intends to pursue the case.

“If I were their base commander, I would put them in jail,” he said. “Four young men in their 20s do not need to Taser and handcuff an 81-year-old.”

The next day, prosecutors dropped a charge of fourth-degree misdemeanor assault against Wilcox. He pleaded not guilty to counts of resisting arrest — a misdemeanor — and failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer, a felony. He later posted $250 bail.

Air Force regulations authorize law enforcement officials to use Tasers to arrest subjects who are actively resisting arrest or noncompliant with law enforcement orders, said Staff Sgt. James Stewart, a spokesman for Eielson. Regulations do not give different directives on how to deal with older subjects.

The airmen used a minimum amount of nonlethal force to resolve the situation, Stewart said.

In May 1998, Wilcox was accused of a similar incident when Fairbanks International Airport police pulled him over for driving with expired tags. Wilcox reportedly became belligerent with police and grabbed and twisted a female officer’s arm. In that case, he had to be pepper-sprayed to be taken into custody.

Wilcox said the truck he was driving at the time had an issue that it would not start again within five minutes of starting it up. He pulled the officer’s arm away to keep her from grabbing the key out of the ignition, he said.

He later pleaded guilty to a reduced count of disorderly conduct and a misdemeanor count of failure to stop at the direction of a peace officer. He successfully completed probation and more than 100 hours of community service.

Several people who said they knew Wilcox for decades wrote letters to the judge before sentencing, saying the incident was extremely out of character for him.

Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.

To be fair, it is North Pole, Alaska - wouldn't surprise me at all if the guy looked like something from a Mad Max movie.

[Monitored Approaches]

My civilian job (cargo airline) uses monitored approaches as well. As noted above, the Captain builds and briefs the approach, FO flies the approach and go around if required, Captain takes the aircraft for the landing. At my airline they're required for all Cat II and III approaches, all Cat Is with RVR less than 2400, and all nonprecision approaches with weather less than 1000/3. From that list it sounds like every approach would be monitored, but in reality we probably end up flying them less than 10% of the time.

[The American flag is offensive]

Tell 'em how you feel about it.

[T-38 down near Edwards]

Thanks for posting the update.

Maybe I've been doing this too long, but my first thought was, if I have to die in an airplane, that's about the way I'd want the accident report to read.

DIdn't know you, Dash. Kinda wish I had. Blue skies.

[AFSO 21 and TWAT]

After a brief Lean training session, the team proceeded to inventory all of the items in the shelter essential to the A-10 phase inspection operation and segregate the things they did not need or use. Once finished, the team straightened the area and gave it a good cleaning by sweeping the floors and turning in unneeded items to supply.

I wonder if "straightening" and "sweeping" were covered under the same Value Stream Analysis as "inventorying" and "segregating". Probably had two different teams to assess the benefits of each component of the operation and then had an integration meeting the week prior.

That's what I'd do.

[The Foglesong Thread]

What the ###### was that shit?

[Lifestyle of Helicopter Pilots]

Good writeup on the medevac guys by Michael Yon.

Great article, but long. If you're in a hurry, scroll about halfway down.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/precision-voting.htm

[FAA Medical physical ?s]

Some Flight Docs have the ability to sign off FAA medicals, and some don't. Ask yours beforehand if (s)he can, and they'll do the paperwork.

Careful -

The integrated AF flight doc/AME has the ability to save you a couple hundred bucks a year, but he also has the ability to to ground your ass simultaneously on both sides of the military/civilian fence if you ever have a medical issue.

It's easy enough to lose a medical without streamlining the process.

Just my $.02.

[What Happened To BAI?]

Bentwaters

I haven't been back but have used Google Earth to look around. We lived in the little village of Ufford just outside BTW...some day wife and I would love to see the house again, but we suspect too much has changed. The old saying about not going back is too often true. Maybe one day I'll take a stroll down the BTW runway like Dean Jagger did in Twelve O'Clock High.

I lived in Aldringham, just south of Leiston.

I was stationed at Bentwaters the year we shut the lights off, 92-93. I was in a nonflying job at the time (banked) but the atmosphere and the guys from my "attached" squadron (the 92nd TFS "Skulls") are what ultimately led me to put the hog #1 on my return to fly dream sheet. What a great assignment. Wish I could have flown there. The Bentwaters-Woodbridge closing, followed by Soesterberg and then Zweibrucken and Bitburg, convinced me once and for all that Congress BRACs in dream sheet order.

I took my wife to the UK for vacation in '06 and we drove out there, knowing that they had turned the support side of the base into council housing, and expecting the worst. To my surprise it looked almost exactly the same, to a creepy extent almost. My house, which was 400 years old when I lived in it, hadn't changed either. You guys should go see your old place, I bet you'd be surprised how little has changed. As you probably remember, the British aren't exactly renowned for that.

[What Happened To BAI?]

Definitely a Fulda Gap era term. :)

[What Happened To BAI?]

BAI was history even when I was still in the hog over ten years ago. The term "deep CAS" was roughly equivalent, but didn't last long, if I recall correctly. At least as far back as the mid-late '90s, it was either AI or CAS, with not much "approved" terminology to describe where you were in the battle space without resorting to old terms.

The young guys can explain the current type I/II/III concepts in more depth than I, but those are the latest equivalents for what you might remember as direct/indirect/deep(BAI).

[F-16 VS F-15]

Holy crap - are you still talking?

Time out for you.

Let him go, he's on a roll.

[Remote to Korea]

This is more aimed at the guy from last year who thought an Osan/Red Cloud assignment was a screw job.

There's plenty of fun shit to do in the ROK if you give it a chance and don't just automatically assume it's going to suck. There's rock climbing in Seoul (indoor and outdoor), some pretty decent skiing, and the food kicks ass (my opinion). Panmunjon is worth seeing. Lots of temples. Some different SCUBA diving, decent water skiing, fishing, etc.

Alternately, you could eat at Popeye's and the club every day for a year and wear out a DVD player or two watching movies in your room all weekend. I've seen that work for a lot of guys too.

[Flight Suit Questions]

two piece flightsuit

One of our Former Army Guys went on and on about the virtues of the 2-piece flight suit prior to one of our deployments. He used to wear 'em back in the Cav, best thing since sliced bread, etc, so he got us all issued 2 each. Of course, publicly we all gave him shit about how much they sucked, but he was right - it's the most comfortable uniform I've ever worn in a hot environment, in flight or on the ground. Keep in mind, these were the tan ones, I haven't tried the ACU model.

The best feature of all for helo guys - you don't have to take off your entire combat load to take a dump, and there's almost zero chance of crapping on your sleeve.

[First an AT-6...]

What a perfect CoIN aircraft.

Well...

The 802 is a kick ass spray plane, (and Single Engine Air Tanker) and it hauls a shitload of weight. It's actually advertised as the world's largest single engine airplane, although I'm not sure about their measurement standard (AN-2?).

The guys who flew the 802 for my company when I was in Colombia loved it - but there were some significant differences in how we faced our mornings. As an OV-10 guy, I knew that I had two engines and an ejection seat, and if I got shot at, at 200 mph, I was likely to end up with 3 or 4 holes in the airplane max, and a pretty reasonable chance of getting back to the house under my own power. The Bronco had what I considered to be a decent amount of redundancy, and on a bad day, you needed all the redundancy you could get.

The 802 guys took off knowing that with their slow ass airspeed and 58 foot wingspan, if they got shot, they were going to continue to get shot until the guy on the ground got tired or ran out of ammo. If one got through the engine blanket, they were committed to stalling it into the jungle canopy and hoping our SAR guys could get there in time. More than once I met my buds at the airplane to see a hollywood-style row of holes punched through the wing, and one guy I know got shot down twice in the space of a month. Slow single engine airplanes aren't always the best idea over questionable territory.

edit: Finally found the video I was looking for. Not the best pictures for comparison, but just so you get an idea of how big that bitch actually is, compare where the wingtips are:

60 feet of wing, 120 knots, one engine and no ejection seat. And doesn't jink so well.

Great airplane for some things, COIN maybe not so much.

[FAC'ing in the Bronco]

Isn't that a tough job to get?

I met approximately zero of their major hiring requirements, but I got the job because they were looking for A-10 guys at the time (for a program that never materialized).

Better lucky than good.

That's enough from me, I don't want to distract from Hiflyer's stories. More if you got 'em Hiflyer!

[FAC'ing in the Bronco]

HiFlyer -

I've been waiting awhile to mention this to a Vietnam era OV-10 pilot.

A few years ago I had a job flying resurrected and significantly modified former USMC D-models on a State Department contract in South America. "Significantly modified" means, among other things, that we had Kevlar floor and sidewall armor, front quarter panel armor, laminate windscreen and side canopy armor, etc.

We pretty frequently came back with several 7.62-ish sized holes in various parts of the aircraft, and I remember thinking this experience was highly overrated even with a lot of armor. I also remember, after getting shot off one target, having the very clear thought that those crazy bastards that flew this thing in Vietnam flew it unarmored, against guys packing 23 and 37mm heat, if not SA-7s. I can only assume the squadron had wheelbarrows outside the chute shop so you guys could haul your gigantic balls out to the aircraft.

P.S. More stories, por favor.

[Air Liason Officer]

Good way to get in the fight as a non-rated officer.

I was a BALO from 95-99, and I bitched about it just about the entire time. Only later did I realize, as a then-CAS and now-helo guy, it was one of the most valuable learning experiences of my career.

I can foresee a little of the upcoming discussion on this topic, so a couple of preemptive shots, if you'll indulge me:

One thing the Terminal Air Control career field has always lacked is continuity on the O side, since all but a few guys would do their part time BALO gig or their ALO alpha tour and then hit the road with tires squealing and never look back. The old school philosophy was always that an ALO that wasn't a FAR'd guy wouldn't be able to do the job - of course, that was proved wrong over a decade ago when they starting putting B-52 radar navs through AGOS and found out that one motivated radar nav is worth ten pissed-off F-15 guys who would rather be anywhere other than hanging out in the back of an M-113.

The same old school now bitches about the idea of having non-rated guys controlling air - but, just a reminder - every single ETAC/JTAC out there is non rated too. Guys that work with them know - most of them kick ass at it. The college guy ought to be able to figure it out too with the proper spin-up.

Just my $.02, worth exactly what you paid for it. I think the AFSC is years overdue.

[Aviation Quotes]

Never have so few been led by so many from so far

######ing classic.

[RVSM Questions]

We get up there all the time in the Toner on long legs. They are *supposed* to let you in as a military aircraft if they can swing it...there's even a form you can fill out if you get denied RVSM. Can't say I've ever filled one out before though.

I stand corrected.

My mil fixed wing experience was prior to RVSM, and my last 2 civilian rides have both been RVSM certified so I never really thought about it - and I've never heard the "Negative RVSM" call on the radio. I learned something today!

[RVSM Questions]

If a T-1 is at FL320, do they need to follow the FAA directive and append "non RVSM" to each checkin with center?

If your airplane isn't RVSM certified you aren't getting cleared to 320 in the first place.

Which brings up a question I've been wondering about. My current civilian ride is RVSM certified, so it's not something we really think about all that much, but the topic comes up every now and then: Who is RVSM certified besides the C-17 (?) and for those of you that aren't (T-1/T-38/F-16/F-15)? what altitude do you guys go places at nowdays?

[Lifestyle of Helicopter Pilots]

or, a CSAR and a MEDEVAC roll down at the same time, and the Army takes the CSAR and we get the MEDEVAC (happened to us on this last deployment).

What are you calling a CSAR? If it's "Army helicopter goes down, crew recovered by Army assets" I'd reply that's business as usual for the Army. I also don't see a problem with the scenario you just mentioned as long as everyone is being utilized (key word) effectively.

[Lifestyle of Helicopter Pilots]

I wish I could understand it to explain it to you. I've done a few of the medevac deployments, and a CSAR only deployment. Which one had crazier missions that tested us more? The medevac ones. Which ones did I fly 100 hours in each deployment? The medevac ones. In which one was I bored out of my mind because we waited around on alert for that CSAR event that may actually happen, but not soon (hopefully)? The CSAR only one.

Granted, there are exceptions to both situations, but by and large, we've done some pretty amazing things on the medevac side of the house. Reason being, the Army is much more willing to throw us to the dogs when they don't trust that their guys (not talking AH-64/OH-58 or anything 160th here)could have hacked it. Not taking away from their skills, but they didn't have FLIR, or the 4949's, or weather radar, so they couldn't do the same crap. We train and fly intentionally in the darkest of dark nights. They don't/didn't.

Those that have deployed on the medevac stuff seem to get it. Those that haven't think they're too good.

I think a lot more people "get it" than don't, but what gets me is - if a CSAR kicks off while you're sitting on your ass, you go do the CSAR. If a CSAR kicks off while you're on a medevac - wait for it - you get diverted and go do the CSAR. So what is the problem with supporting the fight while you wait for the call for your hasn't-happened-yet-in-eight-years (OEF) primary mission?

I have noted that these same guys are usually pretty fired up to go do the direct action support stuff - guess what, that ain't CSAR either, but I guess it sounds more glamorous than medevac (?)

[Lifestyle of Helicopter Pilots]

We've complained too long about a mission that everyone in CSAR thinks is beneath them

Since you brought it up, maybe someone can explain the reasoning behind this attitude. I've seen it, but I don't get it. Our rental (AD) PJs on our last rotation were among the loudest complainers I've seen yet.