This year at Windy Camp there is a Beaver (single engine prop plane on floats) that is stationed at the camp, making it easier to get people around. The pilot of this plane is named Neil, or as we like to call him, Jack Black in disguise. Imagine Jack Black (as per School of Rock) in a bug shirt, black carrhart’s, and an inflatable fishermen’s vest (in case of a hard landing) peeing off of his floats in front of eight or so people. Imagine Jack Black stuck behind a deflated zodiac in his plane with his legs waving in the air yelling, “Son of a Gun, Son of a ****.”
This is Neil and the Scare Plane. Neil, somewhat like Dick the helicopter cowboy, likes to fly low and fast. Our trip to the Kent Peninsula was somewhat of an exception because he climbed high enough to hand over the controls to Heidi so he could enjoy an ice cold Coke while doing his paperwork. Heidi, white-knuckled at the controls, pondered this state of affairs and decided to get her pilot’s license. Marilynn, white-knuckled in the back seat was busy hoping that Neil would NOT let Heidi land the plane.
Neil spots the sampling site and we circle a few times looking for float-eating boulders. Neil lands safely (Marilynn thanks God) and we get stuck in the mud slightly offshore. Neil (ever the manly man) handily jumps off his floats in Carhart’s and work boots to anchor the plane. Marilynn and Heidi (more sensibly) don their waders and proceed to hump the gear out of the plane through the mud to shore. “The gear” includes: one 15 hp 4-stroke motor, 1 12 ft zodiac, 5 coolers, 2 tubs, 1 12-V battery, 1 generator, 1 freezer, 5 jerry cans, etc etc. Jack Black lifts everything down from the plane and hands it to us. Upon completion, Jack Black (looking back at us from the floats) says, “You girls just impressed the SHIT out of me. He then hops in his plane soaking wet, and yells out the window, “when do you wanna get picked up.”
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