Operation Pumpkin Drop… from Airplanes

Broomsticks and bushwheels, witches and wings, pumpkins and props… it’s gettin’ spooky and festive, so watch your six!

Halloween is here. What better way to celebrate than to drop perfectly plump and pretty pumpkins from a plane and try to nail a scarecrow.

That’s right, it’s time for the annual pumpkin drop. Alaska pilots and bush pilots alike gather together just north of Anchorage to put their flying and bombing skills to the test, dropping pumpkins on a scarecrow target.

I’d fly from Homer up to Soldotna where I’d meet up with Shawn Holly. He owns a Cessna 170B that is highly modified. It’s a bush flying beast.

Then up the Knik Glacier area, where we’d meet up with a bunch of other pilots and commit some aviation. Flying doesn’t always have to be for work. Really, flying is VERY fun, and opens up a lot of great opportunities.

SuperCubs, 180 and 185 Skywagons, 172s, Champs, 140s, Tripacers — you name it, they were there.

About 50 airplanes showed up.

Later Shawn and I went to rescue/pick up one of his friends that flipped his SuperCub. It was a bit out of the way, but he needed a ride home from his remote cabin.

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AUTHOR

Chris Palmer

Chief Flight Instructor and President of Angle of Attack. Founded in 2006.