It had just returned from Barrow, Alaska (as far north as you can go) and has a history of working for three different Gold Mining outfits in the Arctic Circle and the Brooks Range Mountains. I did a complete rebuild adding the Sportsman Stol, Wing-X Wing Tip Extensions, RMD Wing Tips with Pulse Lights, Whelen Strobes, new O-470-R engine, Micro Dynamics Vortex Generators, full suite of Capstone equipment (FAA Project Capstone) Electronics International engine guages, Arnav MFD 5200 with full Engine Trend Monitoring and Datalink for text messaging and weather-in-the-cockpit, extended baggage, firewall mounted battery, AOA Pro Angle of Attack Indicator, Satellite Telephone (panel mounted), XP-Mods Titanium Main Landing Gear and 14" Tailwheel, Pponk Gear Box kit, and many more things. I am about to remove the instrument panel (Avion) and build up a new Avion Panel with two 6" Glass Displays (Sagem Avionics) for PFD and MFD, making it a full "Glass Cockpit".
I have flown in Alaska since 1985 and live there for 7 years. I fly on skis and wheeles, but my 180 is not float equiped. I am now based at Thun Field - 1S0 (Pierce County Airport), just south of Puyallup, Washington where I have 45x45 hangar. I am an A&P, IA, and Avionics Tech. With just a few years till I retire from Alaska Airlines (2008), I am trying to prepare for retirement by getting ready to do something else. Aerial Photography seems to fit that spot very nicely.
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