S-39 in Alaska?

[airnutz]

Really hope Alaska isn't that stingy about recovery. Clearly an aircraft sitting at the bottom of a lake will be seen and remembered by far more people than in the air!

I don't recall that being an issue. The main holdup was one of logistics and safety. The inability to get a
hyperbaric chamber into that location was a big hitch.

Anyone got a C-47 on floats?

What was the depth of the part of the lake that P-47 "Dottie Mae" was found in? I've seen the documentary, but don't recall if they used divers at that depth (probably did). Maybe it would require a pretty big dredge machine to remove silt? Even if you were able to get it to the remote site, the State might not be too keen on, especially if the lake is connected to a Salmon run river. Short season too. Its a tough one, that one.

Dottie Mae was at 210 ft and required divers for positioning the slings and I think for some level of muck removal
to facilitate that. No dredging for the S-39, but VJ Capone who posted in the earlier thread, which TBdude kindly
dug up, reported that jet pumps would be required to blast the glacial mud away in order to relaease the a/c.
He accompanied Mr. Herrick on the first recovery attempt and that and getting a portable decompression chamber
flown into the site were the holdup to success. Since VJ stated it was a recovery attempt I was assuming(I know
don't remind me), that Mr. Herrick's paperwork with the state was in order....Given his reputation. Dunno
for sure tho...

I hope they can get it some day!

[Baldeagle]

Greg bought the S-39 several years ago from the last registered owner, so he owns it. They can't stop you from recovering your own aircraft, can they?




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