Here are some photos from Fairbanks on Tuesday
We started Tuesday morning with a cruise on The Riverboat Discovery.
During the cruise a demonstration "landing and taking off" by this restored Piper Cub with floats.
Along the way a demonstration of sled dog training by David Monson. David married Susan Butcher in 1985 she was a world famous dog musher and winner of multiple Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Races. Susan passed way in 2006.
Final stop on the cruise was a area where we learned about the native heritage.
Back on the bus for a ride out to "Poker Flats" we stopped at Chatanika Lodge for lunch. Normally the lodge is closed on Tuesdays but Barbara Propes arranged for them to be open to serve us lunch. We were very impressed as the next photos show more.
We just had to add our dollar to the collection, here Hal Faulkner staples it to the wall over the bar area.
Our hosts Shirley and Ron Franklin chatted with us after lunch. Ron is quite a story teller. Below a link to the Lodge on the web.
We arrive at Poker Flats, a high altitude rocket research center run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The "Flats" is the largest such rocket launching complex run by a university in the US. Our tour there was arranged by Ralph New who was at C/2/562 when it became operational and also there when the site was shut down. Some of the tracking radar equipment was transferred to the "Flats" from C/2/562. Ralph is in charge of that part of the complex.
Poster gives you a overhead look at the complex.
Inside of one of the Launcher Assembly buildings.
This is how the building is moved away from the launcher platform when a rocket is ready to be used.
A look inside of the launch control console.
A portion of the tracking radar complex at Poker Flats. For more on this complex click on the link below.
On our way back to Fairbanks we did a brief photo stop at the pipeline.
This "pig" as they are called is used to scrape wax from the inside of the pipe when it is first used. After that another type is used.
This polyurethane "pig" is used to improve the flow of oil, other types of pigs are used to inspect the pipe for defects periodically.
That evening we could view a special showing of "Dr. Strangelove" or be on our own. Again Barbara Propes did us a huge favor in arranging free access to "The Fountainhead Auto Museum" . The collection is outstanding nothing newer that 1940 and in some circles is rated as the 5th best in the country. All the cars are maintained in running condition and taken out once a year for a "spin around the block".
To give you a indication of the quality of cars on display this is a 1921 Heine - Velox one of 5 ever made 3 sedans 1 limousine (never finished) and this Sporting Victoria. In the days when you could buy a fully loaded Rolls Royce for a mere $10,000 the Heine's were priced at $ 17,000 to $25,000. None of the 5 were ever sold not because of the price. A Hollywood movie star reportedly sent Heine a check for $25,000 but he refused the sale.
Also on display this the first car in Alaska, built by a man that had never seen a car in person. It is a 1905 Sheldon Runabout Sheldon was 22 at the time he built the car to impress his "girl" going only by pictures in magazines. A link to the collection below.