Summer... and a spate of good weather predicted for both Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Time to fly!
Along the "coastal route" through Yakutat: low-level coastal clouds and fog socked in everything for hundreds of miles, with the clouds going right up to the mountains of the coast, including up the Copper River Basin.
I stopped for fuel in Gulkana (instead of Cordova) for that reason, and headed towards Yakutat not knowing what the weather would be like when I got there. Made radio contact with another pilot about 20 minutes ahead of me along the same route, who could scope out the weather and help me design my options: smaller airstrips that were accessible through gaps in the clouds.
Fortunately, the clouds cleared over Yakutat (and Malsapina Glacier) by the time I got there...
...and I was able to land, fuel up, have some lunch, and take off again -- for more VFR-on-top all the way past Mount Fairweather:
Once I was able to turn inland, the clouds disappeared and all of Southeast opened up under clear skies! Landed at PAJN after 6.9 hours (much of which was VFR-on-top).
The main reason I came is to visit my husband who is on a gig here for the week. However, while I'm here, I wouldn't pass up the chance to meet fellow PoA'er @AKBill and go see some of Juneau's tourist attractions.
Here's Bill and Monkey, at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center:
A few days later, Hubby had a day off and needed to get his airplane fix. So we went on a flightseeing trip around Glacier Bay NP and Taku Glacier. Bluebird day, and too many pictures to post here...
Along the "coastal route" through Yakutat: low-level coastal clouds and fog socked in everything for hundreds of miles, with the clouds going right up to the mountains of the coast, including up the Copper River Basin.
I stopped for fuel in Gulkana (instead of Cordova) for that reason, and headed towards Yakutat not knowing what the weather would be like when I got there. Made radio contact with another pilot about 20 minutes ahead of me along the same route, who could scope out the weather and help me design my options: smaller airstrips that were accessible through gaps in the clouds.
Fortunately, the clouds cleared over Yakutat (and Malsapina Glacier) by the time I got there...
...and I was able to land, fuel up, have some lunch, and take off again -- for more VFR-on-top all the way past Mount Fairweather:
Once I was able to turn inland, the clouds disappeared and all of Southeast opened up under clear skies! Landed at PAJN after 6.9 hours (much of which was VFR-on-top).
The main reason I came is to visit my husband who is on a gig here for the week. However, while I'm here, I wouldn't pass up the chance to meet fellow PoA'er @AKBill and go see some of Juneau's tourist attractions.
Here's Bill and Monkey, at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center:
A few days later, Hubby had a day off and needed to get his airplane fix. So we went on a flightseeing trip around Glacier Bay NP and Taku Glacier. Bluebird day, and too many pictures to post here...
