Anymouse
En-Route
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
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- 3,167
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Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
BTW... Did anyone notice the double centerline on that "taxiway?"
Katamarino's Alaska flight
- Thread starter Katamarino
- Start date
BTW... Did anyone notice the double centerline on that "taxiway?"
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I think that double yellow line means you can't pass any cars while taxying to parking.....
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
A slightly more direct route (Basra - Dubai - Amsterdam - New York - Anchorage) than last time had me back in Anchorage on the Saturday evening. My friend, J, collected me in her rental car and we ran over to check out the airplane.
Airplane checks on Saturday night.
All was good, the cover had done a wonderful job! We stopped in at the AirBNB apartment she'd arranged, and then headed for a quick dinner in Anchorage before the third member of our party, Q, arrived. J had arrived a day earlier and already knew the way around most of Anchorage, it turns out it isn't terribly big. Dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse, very well reviewed, was poor; it took more than an hour to get a simple burger and piece of salmon, and the quality was not great. If in Anchorage, I’d go elsewhere!
The next day the three of us explored Anchorage a little in the morning. Visits to souvenir shops netted me a large quantity of bear-themed T-shirts. We made an attempt to visit a shop belonging to @Anymouse 's cousin, but it turned out to be closed on Sundays, so we had to make do with a photo outside instead!
More bears? Must be back in Alaska!
@Anymouse’s cousin’s store. The name sounds like a euphemism for something.
After lunch we made our way back to the airport and loaded up. With 3 on board, baggage and camping gear, and 110 gallons of fuel, I wasn’t super keen to use the gravel strip, so we took advantage of the linking taxiway with Anchorage International and taxied across, taking off from the long paved runway at the international. Day one was simply a 50nm hop across the water to Kenai; the airplane performed great after a few weeks sitting idle, to my relief.
Taxiing across the apron at the international:
Heading south to Kenai
Dealing with Avis at the airport was a drama; they refused to honour the written reservation I had from Avis.com stating that they were only an Avis “affiliate” or some similar rubbish, and offering me a car at more than double the rate. Thieving scumbags, don’t use them if you can avoid it! We finally got hold of a car and set off up along the coast to explore. After a quick pizza, we found a fantastic campsite in the Captain Cook State Recreation Area, set up the tents, and settled in for a peaceful night. Strong winds overnight brought down some large branches, but luckily they avoided all the tents!
The first night’s camp site:
The view from camp site number one:
Airplane checks on Saturday night.
All was good, the cover had done a wonderful job! We stopped in at the AirBNB apartment she'd arranged, and then headed for a quick dinner in Anchorage before the third member of our party, Q, arrived. J had arrived a day earlier and already knew the way around most of Anchorage, it turns out it isn't terribly big. Dinner at the Glacier Brewhouse, very well reviewed, was poor; it took more than an hour to get a simple burger and piece of salmon, and the quality was not great. If in Anchorage, I’d go elsewhere!
The next day the three of us explored Anchorage a little in the morning. Visits to souvenir shops netted me a large quantity of bear-themed T-shirts. We made an attempt to visit a shop belonging to @Anymouse 's cousin, but it turned out to be closed on Sundays, so we had to make do with a photo outside instead!
More bears? Must be back in Alaska!
@Anymouse’s cousin’s store. The name sounds like a euphemism for something.
After lunch we made our way back to the airport and loaded up. With 3 on board, baggage and camping gear, and 110 gallons of fuel, I wasn’t super keen to use the gravel strip, so we took advantage of the linking taxiway with Anchorage International and taxied across, taking off from the long paved runway at the international. Day one was simply a 50nm hop across the water to Kenai; the airplane performed great after a few weeks sitting idle, to my relief.
Taxiing across the apron at the international:
Heading south to Kenai
Dealing with Avis at the airport was a drama; they refused to honour the written reservation I had from Avis.com stating that they were only an Avis “affiliate” or some similar rubbish, and offering me a car at more than double the rate. Thieving scumbags, don’t use them if you can avoid it! We finally got hold of a car and set off up along the coast to explore. After a quick pizza, we found a fantastic campsite in the Captain Cook State Recreation Area, set up the tents, and settled in for a peaceful night. Strong winds overnight brought down some large branches, but luckily they avoided all the tents!
The first night’s camp site:
The view from camp site number one:
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I usually fly into Merrill Field when going to Anchorage, but having some work done at a shop at Lakehood always makes for a interesting in and out on LH’s 2200’ gravel strip. Busy seaplane base and fairly busy International right next door. Not to mention the part 93 rules with Elmendorf AFB not to far away. Not to difficult, but could get pretty busy at times.
Have a safe trip.
Have a safe trip.
Anymouse
En-Route
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 3,167
- Location
- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
- Display Name
Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
We made an attempt to visit a shop belonging to @Anymouse 's cousin, but it turned out to be closed on Mondays, so we had to make do with a photo outside instead!
@Anymouse’s cousin’s store. The name sounds like a euphemism for something.
Well that sucks. Too bad y'all couldn't hook up. Bill has a few stories from when he flew his 185 on floats a bunch of years ago.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
The following morning, mercifully un-crushed by any fallen trees, we explored the beach a little before setting out to see some Kenai sights. The beach was more mud/rock than sand, so we didn’t spend too long there. Exploration completed, we set out south again back towards Kenai.
The beautiful beach by the camp site:
We stopped for a drink at one of the many tiny roadside coffee kiosks that seemed to be popular up here, and then dropped in to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge visitor center to get some ideas about the best place to go. They suggested driving along to the far end of the refuge and doubling back along the gravel internal park road; apparently many bears had been seen in the area!
So you’re saying we might see bears? Excellent!
The walk took us through woodland, so we made sure to be nice and noisy so as not to surprise any bears. The trail took us to overlook the river, which flowed through a beautiful canyon. It looked like a fun place for rafting!
The top of the canyon:
The river through the canyon:
Taking a hike in the wildlife refuge:
A view over the wildlife refuge:
We returned to the airport, stopping for a fantastic Thai meal, and also at a shop to try and repair my phone which had stopped working in the wildlife refuge. No dice!
My favourite licence plate, outside the restaurant:
The next leg of our flight took us down the peninsular to Homer.
On the way to Homer:
Conditions were great on departure, but by the time we arrived we had to sneak in through rain and ceilings that I will describe only as “low”. Within 30 minutes of landing, everything was back to normal however, and we set out for a walk into town. It was a bit late in the day, so we just walked down past the visitor center to the beach.
We took a taxi back to the airport and retraced our steps a little to Ninilchick.
The Homer spit, on departure:
This small gravel strip has a campsite directly across the road; ideally, we could camp under the wings, and pay a few dollars to use the showers next door!
The campsite at Ninilchick:
The beautiful beach by the camp site:
We stopped for a drink at one of the many tiny roadside coffee kiosks that seemed to be popular up here, and then dropped in to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge visitor center to get some ideas about the best place to go. They suggested driving along to the far end of the refuge and doubling back along the gravel internal park road; apparently many bears had been seen in the area!
So you’re saying we might see bears? Excellent!
The walk took us through woodland, so we made sure to be nice and noisy so as not to surprise any bears. The trail took us to overlook the river, which flowed through a beautiful canyon. It looked like a fun place for rafting!
The top of the canyon:
The river through the canyon:
Taking a hike in the wildlife refuge:
A view over the wildlife refuge:
We returned to the airport, stopping for a fantastic Thai meal, and also at a shop to try and repair my phone which had stopped working in the wildlife refuge. No dice!
My favourite licence plate, outside the restaurant:
The next leg of our flight took us down the peninsular to Homer.
On the way to Homer:
Conditions were great on departure, but by the time we arrived we had to sneak in through rain and ceilings that I will describe only as “low”. Within 30 minutes of landing, everything was back to normal however, and we set out for a walk into town. It was a bit late in the day, so we just walked down past the visitor center to the beach.
We took a taxi back to the airport and retraced our steps a little to Ninilchick.
The Homer spit, on departure:
This small gravel strip has a campsite directly across the road; ideally, we could camp under the wings, and pay a few dollars to use the showers next door!
The campsite at Ninilchick:
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Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Homer spit....
Did you visit the Salty Dog.??
Did you visit the Salty Dog.??
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
After a very relaxing night in Ninilchick we took off, direct to Kodiak. Would this finally be my chance to see some bears?
Heading south from Ninilchick:
Passing back by Homer airport:
Mountains south of Homer:
Nanwalek airport:
Crossing the water towards Kodiak:
We landed at the municipal strip, right in the center of Kodiak. A local pilot, and owner of Vertigo Air, landed just behind us and came to say hello; he organized for us to use a tiedown spot belonging to a friend of his as space was at a premium.
Due to our policy of last minute bookings, given the unpredictable nature of GA travel, there were no rental cars left on the island. We made the only sensible decision and rented a 15 foot box truck. Jay was kind enough to give us a lift to collect it.
Loading the “rental car”. Cargo space was adequate for our needs.
We set off to explore the island!
We clearly weren’t the only one with the truck idea. This guy must have snapped up the last of the small ones!
We drove out to an old WW2 air strip. The plating used to help reinforce the surface was still visible.
From the airstrip we hiked up to an old WW2 bunker.
More Kodiak:
Checking out the Pacific Spaceport:
Another day, another complete lack of bears. We decided to get serious and called around bear viewing operators. None other than Jay from Vertigo turned out to have open seats the next morning, so we snapped them up! That night, we camped out near town. J set up her tent in the back of the truck.
Heading south from Ninilchick:
Passing back by Homer airport:
Mountains south of Homer:
Nanwalek airport:
Crossing the water towards Kodiak:
We landed at the municipal strip, right in the center of Kodiak. A local pilot, and owner of Vertigo Air, landed just behind us and came to say hello; he organized for us to use a tiedown spot belonging to a friend of his as space was at a premium.
Due to our policy of last minute bookings, given the unpredictable nature of GA travel, there were no rental cars left on the island. We made the only sensible decision and rented a 15 foot box truck. Jay was kind enough to give us a lift to collect it.
Loading the “rental car”. Cargo space was adequate for our needs.
We set off to explore the island!
We clearly weren’t the only one with the truck idea. This guy must have snapped up the last of the small ones!
We drove out to an old WW2 air strip. The plating used to help reinforce the surface was still visible.
From the airstrip we hiked up to an old WW2 bunker.
More Kodiak:
Checking out the Pacific Spaceport:
Another day, another complete lack of bears. We decided to get serious and called around bear viewing operators. None other than Jay from Vertigo turned out to have open seats the next morning, so we snapped them up! That night, we camped out near town. J set up her tent in the back of the truck.
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Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
Today was the day. Bears! We met Jay at the dock where Vertigo’s Beaver was moored, along with the other 2 passengers and the bear guide. Conditions were blustery, but Jay’s knowledge of the bay had us off with no fuss and we were soon winging south across Kodiak island.
Jay’s Beaver:
Here we go!
It’s Bear time!
Yes, please keep walking that way…
The bears gather here as the salmon slow down to take the fish ladder up the falls. Two interns live here full time and count the salmon, one by one, as they go past. This determines whether the fishery is opened.
From Kodiak we flew north, past Anchorage, destination Denali Park.
Retracing our steps north of Kodiak:
We landed at Talkeetna for fuel, marked online and in flight guides as 24 hour self serve (this has since been changed after I moaned on AirNav). It turns out, it was not self serve, and they were only open 9 – 5. The “after hours” number on the door produced no answer. Don’t bother landing there after hours if you need fuel. Luckily we had plenty to get where we were going, so we pressed on. Another airplane landed looking for fuel as we were leaving, having been misled the same way we were.
Out of Talkeetna, heading north:
Highway and railroad:
Through the gap towards Denali. Ominously the airport code is “PAIN”.
Some mountain obscuration may be present.
The strip at Denali:
Cooking dinner at Denali:
The campsite was about a 15 minute walk from the aircraft. Not horrible, but not ideal! The weather was miserable so we bought our tickets for activities the next day and settled down for the night.
Jay’s Beaver:
Here we go!
It’s Bear time!
Yes, please keep walking that way…
The bears gather here as the salmon slow down to take the fish ladder up the falls. Two interns live here full time and count the salmon, one by one, as they go past. This determines whether the fishery is opened.
From Kodiak we flew north, past Anchorage, destination Denali Park.
Retracing our steps north of Kodiak:
We landed at Talkeetna for fuel, marked online and in flight guides as 24 hour self serve (this has since been changed after I moaned on AirNav). It turns out, it was not self serve, and they were only open 9 – 5. The “after hours” number on the door produced no answer. Don’t bother landing there after hours if you need fuel. Luckily we had plenty to get where we were going, so we pressed on. Another airplane landed looking for fuel as we were leaving, having been misled the same way we were.
Out of Talkeetna, heading north:
Highway and railroad:
Through the gap towards Denali. Ominously the airport code is “PAIN”.
Some mountain obscuration may be present.
The strip at Denali:
Cooking dinner at Denali:
The campsite was about a 15 minute walk from the aircraft. Not horrible, but not ideal! The weather was miserable so we bought our tickets for activities the next day and settled down for the night.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Back in my old stomping grounds... I spent a summer flying tours around the big mountain. Many times I took off at max gross weight out of PAIN. I would take off towards the mountain, zig zagging across the valley showing folks some of the local sights. Actually I was trying to gain altitude to clear terrain. The planes were parked at Kantishna strip, which back then was a one way in, one way out with the word HAZARDOUS in big letters on the chart.
Looks like you found out why the area is called rainy pass.....
Looks like you found out why the area is called rainy pass.....
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
We wanted to go to Kantishna but ran out of time. Next time, hopefully!
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
We took a day off from flying the next day to explore Denali a bit. The first order of business, after a shower and breakfast, was to visit the sled dog kennels and see their demonstration. Motorised transport is banned within the primary 2 million acres of Denali Park (with the buses an exception I think) so in the winter, sled dogs are the only way to patrol the park.
The walk from the campsite to the airfield and visitor center:
Some relaxed sled dogs:
Sled dog demonstration:
The sled dog office:
After the demonstration we returned to the visitor center to buy some books, always a must in a national park, and have some lunch before boarding our tour bus. Private vehicles can only drive about 12 miles along the 90+ mile park road; the rest is buses only. It reduces traffic, and also makes a huge amount of money for the operator who has a monopoly on the buses; tours are not at all cheap! Luckily, they did turn out to be very good quality with a fun and knowledgeable guide. As well as the beautiful scenery we saw 2 moose and even a large grizzly bear.
Park buses:
One of the cabins originally built by the road construction crews to stop bears getting at the food, now used by the park service rangers for winter patrols:
Denali river:
That evening a pleasant guy from Brazil took the campsite next to us. He and I went for a walk to explore.
The very enthusiastic Vito:
Standard cheesy US photo:
We met a British lady leading a large tour group who press-ganged us into taking hundreds of group photos for them.
That evening the weather was much better, allowing for a great evening around the campfire.
Juvy setting fire to her socks (apparently this was not the desired result).
A visitor hoping to enjoy some marshmallows:
Denali was a beautiful visit. I’d have loved to have had longer to explore and hike; although maybe not take the 12+ hour return bus ride to the other end of the park. That’s what ‘planes are for!
The walk from the campsite to the airfield and visitor center:
Some relaxed sled dogs:
Sled dog demonstration:
The sled dog office:
After the demonstration we returned to the visitor center to buy some books, always a must in a national park, and have some lunch before boarding our tour bus. Private vehicles can only drive about 12 miles along the 90+ mile park road; the rest is buses only. It reduces traffic, and also makes a huge amount of money for the operator who has a monopoly on the buses; tours are not at all cheap! Luckily, they did turn out to be very good quality with a fun and knowledgeable guide. As well as the beautiful scenery we saw 2 moose and even a large grizzly bear.
Park buses:
One of the cabins originally built by the road construction crews to stop bears getting at the food, now used by the park service rangers for winter patrols:
Denali river:
That evening a pleasant guy from Brazil took the campsite next to us. He and I went for a walk to explore.
The very enthusiastic Vito:
Standard cheesy US photo:
We met a British lady leading a large tour group who press-ganged us into taking hundreds of group photos for them.
That evening the weather was much better, allowing for a great evening around the campfire.
Juvy setting fire to her socks (apparently this was not the desired result).
A visitor hoping to enjoy some marshmallows:
Denali was a beautiful visit. I’d have loved to have had longer to explore and hike; although maybe not take the 12+ hour return bus ride to the other end of the park. That’s what ‘planes are for!
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
The next day was an exciting day. Flying again! The super-cool Jay from Kodiak also owned a flight-seeing operation near Denali, with a landing on a glacier as part of the tour. He had hooked us up with a deal we couldn’t refuse. We packed up the tents and hauled everything back up the hill to the airfield before getting airborne and heading north, initially to Nenana for fuel. The beauty of the long range tanks paired with the Flint tip tanks was that this was the first time we’d had to refuel on the trip so far, and even now we still had a few hours in reserve. Nenana was a cool airport with a paved, grass, and water runway all parallel to each other!
Putting the passengers to work at Nenana:
A C54-G was parked up at Nenana looking slightly the worse for wear. Apparently it had suffered an engine failure in 2007 when carrying 3000 gallons of heating fuel to a mine. Being on fire with 3000 gallons of fuel in the cabin presumably demanded swift action, and they landed gear up in the closest available location without injuries.
Replete with fuel, we departed south back to Healy River. Poor fuel availability in Alaska meant that we’d had to overfly it and now retrace our steps; but it made sense to use the time now while waiting for the glacier flight instead of later. The great folk at Fly Denali gave us a lift to a local bar and grill, which rather irritatingly was serving only German food to celebrate “Aug-tober” fest; none of us were big German food fans!
Oddly, the bus from the film version of “Into the Wild” was parked at the restaurant. The events of the famous book and movie had played out just miles away, not nearly as far from civilization as I’d supposed. If he’d just walked along the river a few miles in either direction he’d have come across people and been fine.
Back at the airport, we were loaded into the turbine Beaver and off we went! Conditions were great; smooth, without too much cloud. Just a few days earlier a similar airplane from another operator had slammed into a ridge ultimately killing all on board. We tried not to think about that.
The interior of the mighty Beaver:
The Alaska range!
Denali, here we come:
More glaciers? Why yes.
Significant vertical terrain:
Final approach!
Parked on the glacier:
The view on the glacier:
This particular section of glacier was called “Mountain Home”. There’s actually a hotel up here, built onto a rock outcropping, accessible only by air and quite pricey.
Hotel, clinging to the rocks:
Lift-off from the glacier:
Back at Healy River, we swapped airplanes and headed out northwest to Chena Hot Spring resort. This resort has its own beautifully groomed gravel strip, hot springs (obviously), sled dog kennels, geothermal power plant, camp site, all kinds of other outdoor activities. Also, bizarrely, a museum of ice.
Parked at Chena; campsite only 20m away!
Hanging out by the airplane after landing, I heard some people walking out of the campsite and turned to greet them. Turns out, not people:
The activity that evening was obvious; hot springs!
Putting the passengers to work at Nenana:
A C54-G was parked up at Nenana looking slightly the worse for wear. Apparently it had suffered an engine failure in 2007 when carrying 3000 gallons of heating fuel to a mine. Being on fire with 3000 gallons of fuel in the cabin presumably demanded swift action, and they landed gear up in the closest available location without injuries.
Replete with fuel, we departed south back to Healy River. Poor fuel availability in Alaska meant that we’d had to overfly it and now retrace our steps; but it made sense to use the time now while waiting for the glacier flight instead of later. The great folk at Fly Denali gave us a lift to a local bar and grill, which rather irritatingly was serving only German food to celebrate “Aug-tober” fest; none of us were big German food fans!
Oddly, the bus from the film version of “Into the Wild” was parked at the restaurant. The events of the famous book and movie had played out just miles away, not nearly as far from civilization as I’d supposed. If he’d just walked along the river a few miles in either direction he’d have come across people and been fine.
Back at the airport, we were loaded into the turbine Beaver and off we went! Conditions were great; smooth, without too much cloud. Just a few days earlier a similar airplane from another operator had slammed into a ridge ultimately killing all on board. We tried not to think about that.
The interior of the mighty Beaver:
The Alaska range!
Denali, here we come:
More glaciers? Why yes.
Significant vertical terrain:
Final approach!
Parked on the glacier:
The view on the glacier:
This particular section of glacier was called “Mountain Home”. There’s actually a hotel up here, built onto a rock outcropping, accessible only by air and quite pricey.
Hotel, clinging to the rocks:
Lift-off from the glacier:
Back at Healy River, we swapped airplanes and headed out northwest to Chena Hot Spring resort. This resort has its own beautifully groomed gravel strip, hot springs (obviously), sled dog kennels, geothermal power plant, camp site, all kinds of other outdoor activities. Also, bizarrely, a museum of ice.
Parked at Chena; campsite only 20m away!
Hanging out by the airplane after landing, I heard some people walking out of the campsite and turned to greet them. Turns out, not people:
The activity that evening was obvious; hot springs!
Anymouse
En-Route
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 3,167
- Location
- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
- Display Name
Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
Hotel, clinging to the rocks:
Don Sheldon's house!!
https://www.amazon.com/Wager-Wind-D...9J70/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536397145&sr=8-1
I always wanted to stay there, but yeah, it's pricey!!
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I used to fly people over the DBG sight. DBG stands for dead bus guy. I would warn people that read the book that the area is no were near as wild and solitary as the book describes. The guy might have been a scholar but he wasn't very bright.
Great glacier shots.!! I never got a chance to land up on the glacier.
Definition of courage: Taking off your clothes in the middle of winter to step into the hot springs. Every cell in my body was warning me that I will freeze to death in seconds.
Glad you finally got to see some bears. Being in the same neighborhood with bears is a strong reminder that we are not the top of the food chain.
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Anymouse
En-Route
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 3,167
- Location
- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
- Display Name
Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
I did Chena Hot Springs a couple times. The worst part was getting back out.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
Looks like they've added a new place, the Sheldon Chalet, right next door. Accommodations for up to 10 people. Looks spectacular! https://sheldonchalet.com
I didn't see any pricing listed for the Chalet. (If you have to ask...
) Sounds like the house is $500/person/night, minimum 4 people, minimum 3 nights.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
The night at Chena was relaxed and comfortable. We woke refreshed and ready to check out the resort. After breakfast we took a walk down to the sled dog kennels. It was an order of magnitude bigger than those in Denali! Guests could take trail rides on dog carts, although we elected not to partake this time.
Party airplane?
Next on the agenda was a visit to the ice museum! Completed in 2005, all the ice melted in the first summer. A rethink of the cooling system led to a successful re-opening, and now it stays at -7 Celsius all year round. Of course in the winter in Alaska, one could step inside to get warm. The musuam is full of ice sculptures designed and carved by Steve and Heather Brice, multiple times world champion ice carvers. Appletinis are available in carved ice glasses at an ice bar inside, and you can even take your glass home with you…
The Aurora ice museum. Airplane-on-a-stick to be discussed later.
The ice bar:
Jousters:
You can get married here:
The igloo:
Ice peculiarities:
If you like, you can pay an exorbitant sum of money and stay the night here! Polar bear bed is one option.
The resort was purchased from the government who were running it as a loss and is now a showpiece for renewable and other green technology. We took a tour of the geothermal plant and greenhouse.
Retired vehicles:
The resort was gifted 6 reindeer, with a promise that they’d return more (I think 20?) years down the road. Right now they have 5, not quite going to plan.
The geothermal plant doesn’t have the heat to boil water; so they use a refrigerant instead with a lower boiling point.
Hydroponic cabbages in the greenhouse.
The previously mentioned plane-on-a-stick. It flew in some time back and was now being mounted for no clear reason.
The engines were just being prepared for mounting:
Party airplane?
Next on the agenda was a visit to the ice museum! Completed in 2005, all the ice melted in the first summer. A rethink of the cooling system led to a successful re-opening, and now it stays at -7 Celsius all year round. Of course in the winter in Alaska, one could step inside to get warm. The musuam is full of ice sculptures designed and carved by Steve and Heather Brice, multiple times world champion ice carvers. Appletinis are available in carved ice glasses at an ice bar inside, and you can even take your glass home with you…
The Aurora ice museum. Airplane-on-a-stick to be discussed later.
The ice bar:
Jousters:
You can get married here:
The igloo:
Ice peculiarities:
If you like, you can pay an exorbitant sum of money and stay the night here! Polar bear bed is one option.
The resort was purchased from the government who were running it as a loss and is now a showpiece for renewable and other green technology. We took a tour of the geothermal plant and greenhouse.
Retired vehicles:
The resort was gifted 6 reindeer, with a promise that they’d return more (I think 20?) years down the road. Right now they have 5, not quite going to plan.
The geothermal plant doesn’t have the heat to boil water; so they use a refrigerant instead with a lower boiling point.
Hydroponic cabbages in the greenhouse.
The previously mentioned plane-on-a-stick. It flew in some time back and was now being mounted for no clear reason.
The engines were just being prepared for mounting:
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
The plan for that night was to camp at Fairbanks; but, we wanted to be able to say we’d set foot in the arctic circle so we decided on a little detour to Fort Yukon.
Headed for Fort Yukon:
Inside the arctic circle!
My favourite airport sign to date:
We explored the town a little before heading south again.
Airport fuel truck?
“I don’t call 911. Nothing here worth your life”
Our unofficial guide from the airport:
Off to Fairbanks:
The Fairbanks airport campsite is incredible. Toilet and shower blocks with hot water and power, firewood, pavilions, and special airplane parking areas in each camping spot! That evening we ordered Domino’s pizza for delivery to the campsite. Luxury!
The fantastic airport campsite in Fairbanks:
Headed for Fort Yukon:
Inside the arctic circle!
My favourite airport sign to date:
We explored the town a little before heading south again.
Airport fuel truck?
“I don’t call 911. Nothing here worth your life”
Our unofficial guide from the airport:
Off to Fairbanks:
The Fairbanks airport campsite is incredible. Toilet and shower blocks with hot water and power, firewood, pavilions, and special airplane parking areas in each camping spot! That evening we ordered Domino’s pizza for delivery to the campsite. Luxury!
The fantastic airport campsite in Fairbanks:
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Again, great pictures..!!!
The DC-4 (C-54) was a work horse in Alaska. They went to some of the smallest villages landing on dirt runways is summer and packed snow and ice covered runways in winter. They carried everything from people to groceries to heating oil. It was a blast being able to ride jump seat in those old planes.
But looks like Alaska is getting too tame. I remember when the only way to check weather was to get in and go see what you can, or can't, see.
https://avcams.faa.gov/
The DC-4 (C-54) was a work horse in Alaska. They went to some of the smallest villages landing on dirt runways is summer and packed snow and ice covered runways in winter. They carried everything from people to groceries to heating oil. It was a blast being able to ride jump seat in those old planes.
But looks like Alaska is getting too tame. I remember when the only way to check weather was to get in and go see what you can, or can't, see.
https://avcams.faa.gov/
overdrive148
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overdrive148
That ice museum seems like a pretty chill place.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
Today was the final day of the “vacation” segment of the trip; tomorrow, the “expedition” phase would begin! Today’s job was just to get the girls down to Anchorage to catch their flights home, and collect my backwoods West Virginia buddy who was flying in with his rifle to join me on the push into the arctic.
The weather had turned somewhat. I had two choices for the flight; low level VFR and hope that the pass through Denali Park was clear, or file IFR and hope that the freezing level isn’t too low. A call to the briefer in the morning prompted me to choose the latter option; freezing levels looked like they’d be at least a couple of thousand feet above the MEAs and no icing was forecast below that. If I encountered any I’d have an out of descending or turning back.
Fairbanks issued us our clearance and we were off with no delay, and climbing over the airport before proceeding south.
Our night camping spot, Fairbanks, on the climb out:
Before long we were over the higher ground, and cloud was rising to meet us. A strong headwind had my groundspeed in the 50s at times!
Further along the route we started to pick up some icing. I requested, and was given, a lower altitude and things became no worse. By now we had passed the high ground and could descend to much warmer temperatures if necessary.
We cancelled IFR about 15 miles from Anchorage and were given a straight in approach to the Lake Hood strip. Before long we were on the ground and unpacking the airplane! The girls checked in and headed through security to catch the same plane back to the lower 48 that my friend James was arriving on.
We grabbed a bite to eat and set out to find a camp site. Merrill Field’s camping was closed for the season so we headed 20nm south east across the Turnagain Arm to Hope, a little grass strip nestled in a side valley. There was a 50kt wind blowing down the arm that led to some violent turbulence as we turned into the site valley. Happily, the valley was sheltered; we made a low pass to assess what the wind was doing, and then came in for an uneventful landing.
Departing Lake Hood:
Up the Turnagain Arm:
Before long a pick-up truck rolled over to greet us. Johnny was a local pilot who welcomed visitors (apparently a number of other locals were not so friendly); he’d gone so far as to install a latrine for visiting pilots, and paint out the “No” on the “No Camping” sign. We set up camp by the airplane! Johnny disappeared for a while and returned with a large jug of beer which he shared around, and a pleasant night was had by all.
The very friendly Johnny, with James:
Parked up for the night:
The weather had turned somewhat. I had two choices for the flight; low level VFR and hope that the pass through Denali Park was clear, or file IFR and hope that the freezing level isn’t too low. A call to the briefer in the morning prompted me to choose the latter option; freezing levels looked like they’d be at least a couple of thousand feet above the MEAs and no icing was forecast below that. If I encountered any I’d have an out of descending or turning back.
Fairbanks issued us our clearance and we were off with no delay, and climbing over the airport before proceeding south.
Our night camping spot, Fairbanks, on the climb out:
Before long we were over the higher ground, and cloud was rising to meet us. A strong headwind had my groundspeed in the 50s at times!
Further along the route we started to pick up some icing. I requested, and was given, a lower altitude and things became no worse. By now we had passed the high ground and could descend to much warmer temperatures if necessary.
We cancelled IFR about 15 miles from Anchorage and were given a straight in approach to the Lake Hood strip. Before long we were on the ground and unpacking the airplane! The girls checked in and headed through security to catch the same plane back to the lower 48 that my friend James was arriving on.
We grabbed a bite to eat and set out to find a camp site. Merrill Field’s camping was closed for the season so we headed 20nm south east across the Turnagain Arm to Hope, a little grass strip nestled in a side valley. There was a 50kt wind blowing down the arm that led to some violent turbulence as we turned into the site valley. Happily, the valley was sheltered; we made a low pass to assess what the wind was doing, and then came in for an uneventful landing.
Departing Lake Hood:
Up the Turnagain Arm:
Before long a pick-up truck rolled over to greet us. Johnny was a local pilot who welcomed visitors (apparently a number of other locals were not so friendly); he’d gone so far as to install a latrine for visiting pilots, and paint out the “No” on the “No Camping” sign. We set up camp by the airplane! Johnny disappeared for a while and returned with a large jug of beer which he shared around, and a pleasant night was had by all.
The very friendly Johnny, with James:
Parked up for the night:
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
In the native villages I think a number of people have a lot of suspicion of outsiders. They told us in one that they'd had pilots and hunters dropping in unannounced and scaring off the walrus or caribou. Most people were friendly, and many of the unfriendly ones cheered up once they realised you weren't here to cause trouble. A few people, as with anywhere, were just miserable buggers of course.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
When we awoke it was still blowing hard in the arm. We had breakfast at a local coffee and kayaking establishment (an interesting combination), and then took off; we headed north, skirting the east side of the Anchorage airspace, to land at Birchwood.
Here we dropped into Airframes Alaska to purchase four 5-gallon flexible fuel containers, which would be an essential took once up in northern Canada. They’d take our “maximum fuel on board” to just over 130 gallons.
We hopped down from Birchwood to Merrill field to fill up on reasonably priced gas, and then departed west and flew down the western shore of the Cook Inlet.
Departing from Merril Field:
There had been rather a lot of rain along the shores of the Cook Inlet:
From listening in to other pilots on the general frequency, we elected to have a go at making our way through the Lake Clark pass.
Low, scattered cloud as we approach the Lake Clark Pass:
Into the pass, between the layers:
Mini glacier:
We were quickly over the highest point of the pass and following the river down towards Lake Clark:
We skimmed up the lake at a few hundred feet, passing a float plane heading in the other direction, and stopped off in Nondalton to stretch our legs.
Parked up in beautiful weather at Nondalton:
Walking into town to visit the store. This seemed to be the school:
From Nondalton it was a couple of hundred miles across low marshy terrain to Dillingham, where we stopped for fuel. We still had hours of gas on board, but in Alaska it seemed wise to fill up at any opportunity. The weather was getting windier as we went, primarily a headwind, but ceilings remained manageable with the low terrain.
On the way to Dillingham:
Fall colours already?
From Dillingham we elected to set off on one more leg and find somewhere to camp out for the night. We followed the coast before cutting inland a little to get to the village of Goodnews. The wind was 40-50kts by now, straight down the runway.
Along the coast to Goodnews:
Sheltered behind the snow-plough building at Goodnews, trying to hide from the 40+ kt winds. We cooked a dinner of hot dogs over our little gas stove, in the airplane (standing outside with the door open of course, but it was the only place we could stop it from blowing out!
The view from James’ tent:
Here we dropped into Airframes Alaska to purchase four 5-gallon flexible fuel containers, which would be an essential took once up in northern Canada. They’d take our “maximum fuel on board” to just over 130 gallons.
We hopped down from Birchwood to Merrill field to fill up on reasonably priced gas, and then departed west and flew down the western shore of the Cook Inlet.
Departing from Merril Field:
There had been rather a lot of rain along the shores of the Cook Inlet:
From listening in to other pilots on the general frequency, we elected to have a go at making our way through the Lake Clark pass.
Low, scattered cloud as we approach the Lake Clark Pass:
Into the pass, between the layers:
Mini glacier:
We were quickly over the highest point of the pass and following the river down towards Lake Clark:
We skimmed up the lake at a few hundred feet, passing a float plane heading in the other direction, and stopped off in Nondalton to stretch our legs.
Parked up in beautiful weather at Nondalton:
Walking into town to visit the store. This seemed to be the school:
From Nondalton it was a couple of hundred miles across low marshy terrain to Dillingham, where we stopped for fuel. We still had hours of gas on board, but in Alaska it seemed wise to fill up at any opportunity. The weather was getting windier as we went, primarily a headwind, but ceilings remained manageable with the low terrain.
On the way to Dillingham:
Fall colours already?
From Dillingham we elected to set off on one more leg and find somewhere to camp out for the night. We followed the coast before cutting inland a little to get to the village of Goodnews. The wind was 40-50kts by now, straight down the runway.
Along the coast to Goodnews:
Sheltered behind the snow-plough building at Goodnews, trying to hide from the 40+ kt winds. We cooked a dinner of hot dogs over our little gas stove, in the airplane (standing outside with the door open of course, but it was the only place we could stop it from blowing out!
The view from James’ tent:
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Wow... Goodnews has changed a lot since I was last there. Most of the time we landed on the road going towards town instead of the runway because it was usually more aligned with the wind and also the road was in better shape than the landing strip. There was just one little and very worn out wooden building at the landing strip.
Again, great pictures and great adventures.!!
Again, great pictures and great adventures.!!
Anymouse
En-Route
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- 3,167
- Location
- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
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Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
Along with Capstone, came a whole bunch of improvements all over the YK.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
The next morning, the weather was much improved; cloudbase was up to maybe 800ft, and the wind was down to 25kts or so! There was no phone service at all, but I had managed to use the InReach to get hold of TAFs and METARs along our planned route. We took a walk into town first, meeting a resident who was out for a walk with his grandson and the kid’s puppy, Popcorn.
Goodnews:
The Claw came in handy again:
The first flight of the day was short hop over to the town of Platinum. On landing we were met by a very friendly native gentleman by the name of Frank who invited us back to his house for coffee; we rode off on the back of his 4-wheeler.
Frank’s walrus:
Frank:
We flew north along the coast to the town of Eek, where we stopped and made some breakfast. The only real reason for stopping was that it had a fun name. From here we continued to Bethel (or Beth-hell, as it was described by a local pilot we’d met). We had to search around a bit to locate the fueler, but eventually managed to fill up with expensive gas, followed by a bite to eat in the terminal.
Better weather today:
Approaching Eek:
Wet lowlands near Bethel:
Civilian C-130 at Bethel:
The commercial terminal:
We decided from here that we’d like to go to Mekoryuk and set out west. Shortly before coasting out we decided to have a better look at the map and realized that we were around a mile from busting straight into the ADIZ, with potential associated complications (getting shot down, for example). A rapid turn to the north and we decided that we’d both be very happy to visit Tununak instead.
Tununak. The big building in the background is the school. It was clear from every village we visited that the government has poured a lot of money into the villages; lots of fancy new buildings and facilities.
At Tununak James decided he’d had enough of coast for a while and I was inclined to agree, so we set out inland towards Marshall Hunter. James’ keen eyes soon picked out a couple of moose in a lake; how exciting! We descended a bit, circled (making sure not to get too close), and generally enjoyed things. Turns out we probably overdid it, as over the next 100nm we saw at least 50 moose. This was clearly good moose country.
Heading out of Tununak:
Moose viewing altitudes:
At Marshall Hunter, we ran into Jonathan. He owned a retreat center over the hill that had been started as a gold mine, but was now used for kids camps and other retreats. He’d flown over to bring some bedding to a couple of guys in town whose own bedding had been struck by bed bugs! We spent a while chatting, before he invited us to join him back at Kako.
Jonathan and his 206:
Jonathan gave us a thorough briefing about his one-way-in, one-way-out strip with a bend in the middle, and off we went, following him in his 206. I watched him land, and then followed him in.
Inbound to Kako:
On the ground at Kako:
Looking back down the strip:
Goodnews:
The Claw came in handy again:
The first flight of the day was short hop over to the town of Platinum. On landing we were met by a very friendly native gentleman by the name of Frank who invited us back to his house for coffee; we rode off on the back of his 4-wheeler.
Frank’s walrus:
Frank:
We flew north along the coast to the town of Eek, where we stopped and made some breakfast. The only real reason for stopping was that it had a fun name. From here we continued to Bethel (or Beth-hell, as it was described by a local pilot we’d met). We had to search around a bit to locate the fueler, but eventually managed to fill up with expensive gas, followed by a bite to eat in the terminal.
Better weather today:
Approaching Eek:
Wet lowlands near Bethel:
Civilian C-130 at Bethel:
The commercial terminal:
We decided from here that we’d like to go to Mekoryuk and set out west. Shortly before coasting out we decided to have a better look at the map and realized that we were around a mile from busting straight into the ADIZ, with potential associated complications (getting shot down, for example). A rapid turn to the north and we decided that we’d both be very happy to visit Tununak instead.
Tununak. The big building in the background is the school. It was clear from every village we visited that the government has poured a lot of money into the villages; lots of fancy new buildings and facilities.
At Tununak James decided he’d had enough of coast for a while and I was inclined to agree, so we set out inland towards Marshall Hunter. James’ keen eyes soon picked out a couple of moose in a lake; how exciting! We descended a bit, circled (making sure not to get too close), and generally enjoyed things. Turns out we probably overdid it, as over the next 100nm we saw at least 50 moose. This was clearly good moose country.
Heading out of Tununak:
Moose viewing altitudes:
At Marshall Hunter, we ran into Jonathan. He owned a retreat center over the hill that had been started as a gold mine, but was now used for kids camps and other retreats. He’d flown over to bring some bedding to a couple of guys in town whose own bedding had been struck by bed bugs! We spent a while chatting, before he invited us to join him back at Kako.
Jonathan and his 206:
Jonathan gave us a thorough briefing about his one-way-in, one-way-out strip with a bend in the middle, and off we went, following him in his 206. I watched him land, and then followed him in.
Inbound to Kako:
On the ground at Kako:
Looking back down the strip:
FloridaPilot
Pattern Altitude
I'm amazed how clean your airplane looks in the photos especially going through all of those dirt strips. Amazing adventure!
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
I have been giving it a quick polish whenever I've found a good opportunity!
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
We enjoyed our luxurious accommodations in the Kako pilot house; it was nice not to have to set up and break down a camp site for once! We enjoyed visiting with Jonathan and his wife and son, learning about the history of the mine-turned-retreat and the challenges of running a remote camp like this deep in the Alaskan interior.
In the morning we explored the camp, starting off with a hike up to the top of the hills surrounding it. After a couple of wrong turns we made our way to the very peak, with stunning views in every direction. Returning to the camp we checked out the abandoned gold mining equipment and enjoyed a tour of some of the main buildings before taking off and heading north to Unalakleet.
Abandoned vehicles at the start of the track:
My fearless guide:
Stunning views back down the trail:
Kako camp and strip:
Abandoned mining equipment:
The rolling hills heading north out of Kako:
Final approach at Unalakleet:
Unalakleet is the home of the famous Flying Wild Alaska shows, although the airline has now merged with another. We didn’t see anybody we recognized. After fueling up we went to explore the town and grab a bite to eat. We ended up in a pizza restaurant that was very forgettable, with astonishingly slow service, but at least they were friendly!
On our return we met a Swiss lady waiting with a very large pile of luggage for her airplane to return and ferry her out to join friends fishing for a couple of weeks in the wilderness. It sounded very adventurous!
Our new Swiss friend:
We flew north to find a camping spot for the night, and settled upon Salmon Lake, in the hills north of Nome.
On the way to Salmon Lake:
Coast guard station:
Rounded hills; glacial, was our guess.
We set up camp at Salmon Lake and walked down to check out the lake itself. To our surprise it was packed full of salmon, spawning and dying just feet from shore! I suppose the name should have clued us in.
Eagle-eyed James spotted a mother bear and 2 cubs through the binoculars, which caused quite some consternation. It turned out on further review that they had rather long skinny legs for bears, and we relaxed a bit as the moose wandered off.
Camped out at Salmon Lake:
In the morning we explored the camp, starting off with a hike up to the top of the hills surrounding it. After a couple of wrong turns we made our way to the very peak, with stunning views in every direction. Returning to the camp we checked out the abandoned gold mining equipment and enjoyed a tour of some of the main buildings before taking off and heading north to Unalakleet.
Abandoned vehicles at the start of the track:
My fearless guide:
Stunning views back down the trail:
Kako camp and strip:
Abandoned mining equipment:
The rolling hills heading north out of Kako:
Final approach at Unalakleet:
Unalakleet is the home of the famous Flying Wild Alaska shows, although the airline has now merged with another. We didn’t see anybody we recognized. After fueling up we went to explore the town and grab a bite to eat. We ended up in a pizza restaurant that was very forgettable, with astonishingly slow service, but at least they were friendly!
On our return we met a Swiss lady waiting with a very large pile of luggage for her airplane to return and ferry her out to join friends fishing for a couple of weeks in the wilderness. It sounded very adventurous!
Our new Swiss friend:
We flew north to find a camping spot for the night, and settled upon Salmon Lake, in the hills north of Nome.
On the way to Salmon Lake:
Coast guard station:
Rounded hills; glacial, was our guess.
We set up camp at Salmon Lake and walked down to check out the lake itself. To our surprise it was packed full of salmon, spawning and dying just feet from shore! I suppose the name should have clued us in.
Eagle-eyed James spotted a mother bear and 2 cubs through the binoculars, which caused quite some consternation. It turned out on further review that they had rather long skinny legs for bears, and we relaxed a bit as the moose wandered off.
Camped out at Salmon Lake:
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Yep, the American taxpayer spends a lot of money so the eskimo can live their subsistence life styles. But after spending several years in the bush, I came to understand and accept their life style, and was accepted by the eskimo as one that is helpful and could be trusted. A deep honor.
Don't believe everything you see on those ''reality'' shows. I mean how wild have you found the flying to be.?? Flying there is like anywhere else. Except it takes a little more planning. Come to the Phoenix area to see where most of those people live at least 6 months out of the year.
Again, great pictures..!! They are bringing up some really pleasant memories. What a great adventure.!!
Anymouse
En-Route
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- Jul 30, 2007
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- 3,167
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Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
Just got an email that says Aircraft Spruce has a warehouse in Wasilla, AK now.
That's it. The adventure of flying in Alaska is over now that you can get your over priced stuff from Spruce locally.
That's it. The adventure of flying in Alaska is over now that you can get your over priced stuff from Spruce locally.
Glad you met Frank! He’s a great guy....I used to fly him a lot when I worked out of BET.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
Another merger? They had been merged already during the show. Hageland and Era IIRC. What are they now?
Anyway, Jim and Ferno retired to the woods, Ariel went to LA to study broadcast media or somesuch. According to Wikipedia, Ayla is studying to be a paramedic in Anchorage, but she wasn't on the show that much as it was.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
We took off downhill, rolling down the smooth 2,000ft gravel strip and turning out right over the lake to head south for Nome.
On the way in, we spotted what were presumably some relics of the cold war, to catch those pesky Soviets before they could get too close:
Nome is well known for gold dredges; many of these old behemoths are abandoned, such as this one:
We walked from the airport to have a look around town, and a bite to eat.
Nome is the end point of the annual Iditarod dog sled race. Much of the race course is supplied and monitored by ski planes, operating as the “Iditarod Air Force”.
Breakfast completed, we stopped into a store for a few supplies (I bought a flare gun), and headed back to the airport.
Before taking flight, though, we taxied over to the other side of the field and went to take a look at a giant abandoned dredge.
Today’s flight would take us as far West as possible, hopefully to within sight of Russia, before heading north to find a camp site for the night near Barrow. The first leg was to Point Wales, just a few miles from the Diomede Islands.
The Coast Guard station at Port Clarence:
Tanks washed up on the beach:
The strip supporting the Tin City Long Range Radar Station:
Coming in to land at Wales, where it was blowing an absolute gale:
Departing Wales:
Diomede islands on the left, and the Russian mainland on the right!
Heading up the coast past Shishmaref:
Flat land on the way to Kotzebue:
Downwind to land at Kotzebue:
On the way in, we spotted what were presumably some relics of the cold war, to catch those pesky Soviets before they could get too close:
Nome is well known for gold dredges; many of these old behemoths are abandoned, such as this one:
We walked from the airport to have a look around town, and a bite to eat.
Nome is the end point of the annual Iditarod dog sled race. Much of the race course is supplied and monitored by ski planes, operating as the “Iditarod Air Force”.
Breakfast completed, we stopped into a store for a few supplies (I bought a flare gun), and headed back to the airport.
Before taking flight, though, we taxied over to the other side of the field and went to take a look at a giant abandoned dredge.
Today’s flight would take us as far West as possible, hopefully to within sight of Russia, before heading north to find a camp site for the night near Barrow. The first leg was to Point Wales, just a few miles from the Diomede Islands.
The Coast Guard station at Port Clarence:
Tanks washed up on the beach:
The strip supporting the Tin City Long Range Radar Station:
Coming in to land at Wales, where it was blowing an absolute gale:
Departing Wales:
Diomede islands on the left, and the Russian mainland on the right!
Heading up the coast past Shishmaref:
Flat land on the way to Kotzebue:
Downwind to land at Kotzebue:
Anymouse
En-Route
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2007
- Messages
- 3,167
- Location
- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
- Display Name
Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
Kotz! My old home!!
If you get up to Point Hope and talk to a fellow named Larry, be sure to ask him if he's still the world's highest paid coolie. (There was an article in a local paper that actually said that on the headline). He used to own a couple Fieros too. His house is easy to recognize. It has an old fuselage incorporated into it.
If you get up to Point Hope and talk to a fellow named Larry, be sure to ask him if he's still the world's highest paid coolie. (There was an article in a local paper that actually said that on the headline). He used to own a couple Fieros too. His house is easy to recognize. It has an old fuselage incorporated into it.
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
Looks like Kotz hasn't changed much. I spent almost 5 years there and really enjoyed it.
Looking at the runway, where the angled taxiway turns, I was landing left to right in the picture, and ground looped a Navajo right there where the taxiway turns into the runway. I was heading for the water (well, frozen at the time) backwards, and fire walled the throttles to stop.
The DOT guys had sanded the runway in anticipation of the Alaska jet landing soon. I was the first to land after the sanding. Braking action was reported as good. Well, it wasn't good. When I got on the brakes a little and that Navajo swapped ends, backwards and I was going towards the lagoon. As I was going backwards I notified the on field FSS that the braking action was nill. The DOT guy, a friend of mine, got on the radio and told me I was a pile of moose poo. He had just sanded and braking action was good. I said it's not good, it is nill. About that time the Alaska jet came up and asked about the nill braking action report. DOT guy said he is checking it now, and he panicked when he realized I was not a retched moose gooser after all.
Turned out, right after the DOT had sanded the runway, a small band of freezing rain passed through unnoticed and coated the newly applied sand. I was the unfortunate one to find that out, but fortunate for the Alaska jet.
I have heard that Larry retired and left Point Hope a few years ago. Yes, he is a great guy. I stayed at his house waiting out weather a number of times.
Looking at the runway, where the angled taxiway turns, I was landing left to right in the picture, and ground looped a Navajo right there where the taxiway turns into the runway. I was heading for the water (well, frozen at the time) backwards, and fire walled the throttles to stop.
The DOT guys had sanded the runway in anticipation of the Alaska jet landing soon. I was the first to land after the sanding. Braking action was reported as good. Well, it wasn't good. When I got on the brakes a little and that Navajo swapped ends, backwards and I was going towards the lagoon. As I was going backwards I notified the on field FSS that the braking action was nill. The DOT guy, a friend of mine, got on the radio and told me I was a pile of moose poo. He had just sanded and braking action was good. I said it's not good, it is nill. About that time the Alaska jet came up and asked about the nill braking action report. DOT guy said he is checking it now, and he panicked when he realized I was not a retched moose gooser after all.
Turned out, right after the DOT had sanded the runway, a small band of freezing rain passed through unnoticed and coated the newly applied sand. I was the unfortunate one to find that out, but fortunate for the Alaska jet.
I have heard that Larry retired and left Point Hope a few years ago. Yes, he is a great guy. I stayed at his house waiting out weather a number of times.
Anymouse
En-Route
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- Jul 30, 2007
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- 3,167
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- Clinton, AR (Sometimes)
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Display name:
Total Stud Bush Pilot
I hope he's doing well. I was fortunate enough to spend just one night at his house. He was definitely a great host.
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
We taxied to Bering Air, and filled up with AVGAS. Aswith most places around Northern Alaska, cost was running around $8/gallon; still cheaper than Europe! Bering kindly allowed us to leave the aircraft parked next to their facility while we went to explore. As with many of the airports in Alaska, all of Kotzebue was an easy walk from the airport. First stop was the national park visitor center:
Local wildlife, with our airplane in the background!
The local radio station:
We stopped at the local restaurant for dinner, much better than the food in Unalakleet! After that, however, our day was not done; we returned to the airport and struck out north again.
Departing from Kotzebue:
Following the coast to the northwest took us past more small communities on the shore, and over the Red Dog port, supply and export base for the Red Dog mine. This mine is the world’s largest producer of zinc, and also has its own paved runway up at the mine itself.
Red Dog port:
Sea cliffs approaching Point Hope:
Point Hope:
The Chukchi sea, from Point Hope:
While James hung out at the aircraft I decided to walk into town, which for once was much further than expected. Thankfully, as I was walking out after having had a look around, one of the residents offered me a lift on his four-wheeler!
The school:
Finally back at the airport, we took off for the last flight of the day. The weather to the North East was deteriorating so we elected to just see how far we could get, with a few potential stopping points along the way.
Proceeding north at an altitude of “not very much”. We saw a couple of big brown bears on the beach.
Passing what came to be known as “The sexiest parallel”.
We arrived shortly before dark. Once again, the weather was rainy with strong wind and overcast of a couple of hundred feet. Perfect camping weather! A kid from the local village turned up on a four-wheeler to investigate and we showed him around the airplane and heard about local life, not to mention about all the bears that were apparently in the area.
Camped up at Point Lay LRRS.
Local wildlife, with our airplane in the background!
The local radio station:
We stopped at the local restaurant for dinner, much better than the food in Unalakleet! After that, however, our day was not done; we returned to the airport and struck out north again.
Departing from Kotzebue:
Following the coast to the northwest took us past more small communities on the shore, and over the Red Dog port, supply and export base for the Red Dog mine. This mine is the world’s largest producer of zinc, and also has its own paved runway up at the mine itself.
Red Dog port:
Sea cliffs approaching Point Hope:
Point Hope:
The Chukchi sea, from Point Hope:
While James hung out at the aircraft I decided to walk into town, which for once was much further than expected. Thankfully, as I was walking out after having had a look around, one of the residents offered me a lift on his four-wheeler!
The school:
Finally back at the airport, we took off for the last flight of the day. The weather to the North East was deteriorating so we elected to just see how far we could get, with a few potential stopping points along the way.
Proceeding north at an altitude of “not very much”. We saw a couple of big brown bears on the beach.
Passing what came to be known as “The sexiest parallel”.
We arrived shortly before dark. Once again, the weather was rainy with strong wind and overcast of a couple of hundred feet. Perfect camping weather! A kid from the local village turned up on a four-wheeler to investigate and we showed him around the airplane and heard about local life, not to mention about all the bears that were apparently in the area.
Camped up at Point Lay LRRS.