Evergreen Shutting Down

Ha was thinking of paying them a visit and checking it out. Sounds like a bad idea, given then guarded gate and all. Eh oh well.

The security guards down there can be a bit overzealous, although I haven't run into any issues since Evergreen sold their operations.

I flew down there with a student to do pattern work, and when we decided to make one of the landings a taxi-back, one of Evergreen's security guards blocked off the taxiway with a pickup and began demanding to see our ID's. Aside from the idiocy of cutting off an airplane and then running towards the spinning propeller (had I not cut the mixture, I'm pretty sure he would have run into the prop), MZJ is a public use airport and we were on a marked taxiway, so I have no idea what he thought he was doing. After I verified that the guy wasn't any kind of law enforcement, I (politely) refused to show him my ID, restarted the airplane, and went around his truck to get back to the runway.

After I got back home, someone from Evergreen called the flight school and threatened to take the issue to the FAA, but given that the security guard had blocked off an active taxiway for no apparent reason, I'm guessing someone figured out that involving the feds wouldn't go well for Evergreen since nothing more happened from that.
 
Did you ever fly Part 135? I believe that's covered in the first hour of class, after the location of the break room and fire extinguishers...

Yup, for a few years. But I never rememberd hearing "You can't fly a 737, because we don't have the proper certificate."
 
The security guards down there can be a bit overzealous, although I haven't run into any issues since Evergreen sold their operations.

I flew down there with a student to do pattern work, and when we decided to make one of the landings a taxi-back, one of Evergreen's security guards blocked off the taxiway with a pickup and began demanding to see our ID's. Aside from the idiocy of cutting off an airplane and then running towards the spinning propeller (had I not cut the mixture, I'm pretty sure he would have run into the prop), MZJ is a public use airport and we were on a marked taxiway, so I have no idea what he thought he was doing. After I verified that the guy wasn't any kind of law enforcement, I (politely) refused to show him my ID, restarted the airplane, and went around his truck to get back to the runway.

After I got back home, someone from Evergreen called the flight school and threatened to take the issue to the FAA, but given that the security guard had blocked off an active taxiway for no apparent reason, I'm guessing someone figured out that involving the feds wouldn't go well for Evergreen since nothing more happened from that.

That's the funny thing, the airfield itself in terms of flying operations is fully public. You can takeoff, land, taxi, even fuel to your hearts content, just like any other uncontrolled field. So long as you don't taxi off into the aircraft storage area west of the runway, and pilots are requested to avoid the Kodiak DZ when it's operational there; but aside from that, no different than any other field.

However, accessing the airport from the ground in terms of driving in, is restricted to employees, LE/fire or military access to the AHP.
 
I've always wondered if the museum was subsidized at all by the airline. I hope the museum can continue to operate or maybe move it somewhere else.

I wonder that too. The museum, of course, houses the Spruce Goose, but they also put a lot of work into new buildings and features over the last few years. Last I head they opened a water park, which seemed like a rather strange move. I wondered at the time if that was due to flagging visitor numbers.
 
Did you ever fly Part 135? I believe that's covered in the first hour of class, after the location of the break room and fire extinguishers...
I'm pretty sure you can fly about anything you want under 135. The problem is the 7,500lb cargo and pax limitation. If you can make money flying a 737 with only 7500lbs in the back or 9 pax... well go for it.
PenAir up here flies a couple of Saabs under 135 in cargo ops out to the Alutians and other places. That's generally a 121 airplane, but they've managed to make it work with the payload limit. I don't know, but my guess is, they have to carry so much fuel there really isn't enough payload left for more than that anyways.
 
That's the funny thing, the airfield itself in terms of flying operations is fully public. You can takeoff, land, taxi, even fuel to your hearts content, just like any other uncontrolled field. So long as you don't taxi off into the aircraft storage area west of the runway, and pilots are requested to avoid the Kodiak DZ when it's operational there; but aside from that, no different than any other field.

I was out there several times a month over the last three years doing photo flights (although I never landed for those), and that incident was the only time I've ever had trouble out there.

I've been in the pattern when the drop zone and Army helicopters were active simultaneously, and other than occasionally extending a downwind to let a CASA come plummeting in, I never had to do anything different despite the high levels of unusual stuff going on there.

Do you happen to know what all those Mallards off the end of the runway are doing there? I think they showed up around the time Chalk's shut down a few years ago, but I was surprised that they were apparently just sitting there without being parted out or scrapped.
 
I was out there several times a month over the last three years doing photo flights (although I never landed for those), and that incident was the only time I've ever had trouble out there.

I've been in the pattern when the drop zone and Army helicopters were active simultaneously, and other than occasionally extending a downwind to let a CASA come plummeting in, I never had to do anything different despite the high levels of unusual stuff going on there.

Do you happen to know what all those Mallards off the end of the runway are doing there? I think they showed up around the time Chalk's shut down a few years ago, but I was surprised that they were apparently just sitting there without being parted out or scrapped.

The Mallards have been on the south side there for a long time, owned by a holding company. Very recently, about half of them disappeared to the scrap heap. The Evergreen P-2s that were down there also have left, one sold for parts and the other to the museum if I remember correctly.

A good number of aircraft sit in storage there that you wonder why they haven't been scrapped, as they aren't going to go airborne again and likely aren't needed for parts. The DC-8s come to mind in that way. I did notice today going by the scrapyard that some of the very recent Delta arrivals have been moved to the scrapping area, starting with the DC-9-50s, which are already getting taken apart.
 
I'm pretty sure you can fly about anything you want under 135. The problem is the 7,500lb cargo and pax limitation. If you can make money flying a 737 with only 7500lbs in the back or 9 pax... well go for it.
PenAir up here flies a couple of Saabs under 135 in cargo ops out to the Alutians and other places. That's generally a 121 airplane, but they've managed to make it work with the payload limit. I don't know, but my guess is, they have to carry so much fuel there really isn't enough payload left for more than that anyways.
Was I was there briefly they were using 121 rules but 135 rest rules due to the fact they flew the Saabs with 30 pax. The moved up the aft bulkhead to increase the baggage area.

I believe the pure freight birds are operated under 121 because they can haul more than 7,500 pounds.
 
Was I was there briefly they were using 121 rules but 135 rest rules due to the fact they flew the Saabs with 30 pax. The moved up the aft bulkhead to increase the baggage area.

I believe the pure freight birds are operated under 121 because they can haul more than 7,500 pounds.
I was told recently that they were moving more towards 135 because of the ATP rule and everything. I don't really know though.
 
Welp, looks like my uncle's going to retire. Except they're gonna ditch the retirement plan too.

Bummer. Major bummer.
 
One of my good friends(yes some people like me), got furloughed from there about 1.5 years ago. He told me it was the best flying he has ever done in his career. Great crews and amazing overnights that are not PG-13. This cat is on his 5th or 6th airline now. Crazy busyness we live in.
 
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