Float Plane & the muddy bay

Heheheh.....  

Speed has never killed anyone.
 Suddenly becoming stationary,
 that's what does it.
  

This saying reminds me of the Lt. at the Police Dept who had his own float plane. He laughed when he found out I was afraid of flying and he said that the flying is not the problem it is when you quit flying that you have to worry about......

Anyway he decided 3 officers decided to approach Tim and see if they paid for the gas if he would fly them out to this river on an Island that had no town that the salmon were suppose to be big and the run was in. Of course being a avid fisherman himself he readily agreed and plans were made.

Off they flew into the wild blue yonder, the day was bright and this was going to be a great trip. High expectations abounded and excitement was in their voices.  They came to the bay and landed without  a hitch.  They anchored the plane, put on their backpacks and off they went for their day of fishing.  

The rumors were right, the fishing was fantastic, the weather held and stayed sunny, they had their packed lunches on the river bank, filled what they could carry of fish so off they hiked back to the plane.

They arrived back at the bay without any problems but OH MY GOODNESS, where did the water go?  Here was the little float plane sitting in a bay of muck and mud and no water anywhere close to it.  Now this isn't good. You have to have water to get going or a hard surface to use the wheels, mud and muck up past your knees is not for a runway.

Being the troopers they were into the muck they waded, out to the plane they go, they load their precious treasure of salmon aboard and crawl in.  Mud is hanging all over them. Lt. is not happy to see all that in his plane. He starts the engine and pulls the throttle thinking he can skim on the mud until he reaches the water...NOPE, the plane is stuck!

He tells the guys, get out and shove!  They say, you have to be kidding?  NOPE, you have to shove, I can't shove and fly both and we are going to have to use the engine and propeller to move this thing.

Oh great, out the other 3 climb and get behind and start shoving, the plane is not moving. They have to get out before dark or wait until morning, wet, tired, cranky and covered in mud and nothing left to eat except that precious salmon....

Lt. fires up the engine and gives it some throttle, it moves a little, shove harder he yells. They shove for everything they have and he gives it more throttle and yep it is moving towards the water but BLAST that propeller is blowing mud and gunk all over the other 3.  The finally work their way to the water enough to float. By now tempers are flaring and no one is happy anymore. They wash off as well as they can in the ice cold water of Alaska waters and crawl in the plane. Lt now has water, mud and gunk all over and 3 very upset fishermen.

They fly back home safe and sound and were the most humorous things you ever saw crawl out of that plane that day. You could tell by the look on their face now was not the time to ask questions or to laugh. Trying to control yourself you help  load them in the blazer for the drive home, into the hot bath, hot supper...still no laugh.

By the time they went back to work the humor was back and the story still remains a favorite to this day of everyone who heard it.

Told you airplanes weren't cool.....ha ha