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Alaskan Bush Plane Attacked by a Bear...

Discussion in 'Jet Aviation Discussion' started by JetForums, Mar 11, 2016.

  1. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #1
    JetForums

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    When Bears Go Bad!​

    Alaskan bush pilot Luke Miller flew into a friend's hunting lodge in southwest Alaska for an overnight stay in 2009. Luke, a charter pilot and fishermen, left a cooler with bait inside the plane. Little did he know a furry visitor would attempt to take the bait. Chewing his way through the fuselage, a bear made mincemeat out of Luke's ride home.

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  2. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #2
    JetForums

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    What follows is an example of how destructive a bear can be when enticed by the scent of food...

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  3. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #3
    JetForums

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    Both port and starboard sections of the fuselage served as a snack...

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  4. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #4
    JetForums

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    While fabric isn't exactly a good source of fiber for bears, rubber appears to be on the palette too...

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  5. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #5
    JetForums

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    The pilot called a friend and asked him to bring two new tires, three cases of duct tap and rolls of plastic sheeting. This pic shows the beginnings of the repair...

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  6. JetForums, Mar 11, 2016
    #6
    JetForums

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    And the final work of art...

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  7. Jet News, Mar 13, 2016
    #7
    Jet News

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    Wow... necessity is the mother of invention!
  8. HTMO9, Mar 15, 2016
    #8
    HTMO9

    HTMO9 Senior Member

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    Tape can sometimes be very helpfull :).

    When I was 14 years old, I had my first wooden glider. After an off field landing (a very common "incident" with those old and low performance gliders), a curious stupid cow stepped into my left wing and made two big holes into the fabric covering of that wing.

    As my father had me paying my glider flying out of my pocket money, I could not afford a professional repair. The holes were covered with highspeed tape and I flew the rest of the season with this "combat repair".

    As you said, necessity is the mother of invention. And later I have tested the high speed tape flying a F-104 G Starfighter. We had a bet going in the squadron, what speed this tape could withstand. It could stand 500 kts and more. Even at supersonic speeed it did not felll off, it burned off :D.

    Bush flying is the real mother of all flying.