Iditarod 2009

This year I decided to be a spectator to the 2009 Iditarod in our MX7-235 Maule equipped with TrickAir 3000 skis. We departed from Anchorage AK, and made it all the way to Unalakleet AK and back to Anchorage.

I landed at just about every check point between Anchorage and Unalakleet. Frozen rivers/lakes, snow covered runway/gravel and on the Yukon River where I estimated the snow to be about 15 feet deep. Deep enough where I gave up trying to find ice for the ice screws to tie down the aircraft. After that landing, I step out of the aircraft onto the skis and then onto the snow where I promptly sank to my waist. I was left with no other choice to lift myself back on the TrickAir skis to get my snowshoes. The aircraft was floating on the surface like we were on 1/4" of snow.

I was very impressed with the ski's performance. I did the trek with 4 other super cubs and I can say when we departed the Yukon river I was airborne a lot sooner than any of my much lighter counter parts.

Martin Hinshaw
ANC