My Tour of Alaska! 7000 NM! 73 Legs or more

[Guest]

***I am reposting this and I am going to continue it in this forum where it is more applicable. *** If anyone wants a route listing, let me know, I have it in excel format listing all the airports on the way.

I saw a guy on the FSPassengers forum working on a complete around the world flight in a Beech 58. As I have been jet jockeying for the last few months in AirSource, it's time to take a vacation. In the spirit of this. I want to do a similar thing on a smaller scale. I want to go all around Alaska(where I live) in a Piper Super Pacer Designed by Brian Gladden.

The trip i have plotted out covers just shy of 7000 miles and has 74 legs. I start at Merrill Field in Anchorage, AK, and the last leg lands there. And the joy of this, is I'm gonna do it through the personal division on AirSource, using FSPassengers, which tends to fail systems and make this all the more interesting. And with winter approaching(and me using real weather), it could make for some very dangerous flying. The greatest part of all this, is that there's no autopilot, it'll all be hand flown!

After this, I'll have to work up my money again as I am estimatedly going to use about 95% of my Vmoney on this trip LOL.

[Guest]

Leg #1: Merrill Field (PAMR) to Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD)
Flight Time: 1 Hour 16 Minutes
Distance: 103 NM
Total Time Flown: 1 Hour 16 Minutes
Total Distance: 103 NM

Well, it has started. My great Alaska Journey. I bought my Piper Super Pacer today, for a whopping $134,000. It's an older one, and it has about 1300 hours on it. I'm sure we'll have maintenance Problems.

Well, loaded up with 1 passenger, and 250 pounds of the gear we'll need if something goes wrong. We set off, bright and early from Merrill, making a couple circles to build altitude to clear the mountains. There are some 7500 ft peaks up there that wouldn't be very nice to my Pacer! The flight was going well until about halfway through, I discovered that my right wing tank was showing empty. Not good...I'm assuming the poppet valve didn't seal back up when I chacked fuel on the pre-flight. But I was halfway there, and had plenty of gas to make it to Valdez, so I kept on going rather than putting down in the middle of nowhere. It's been raining up here in Anchorage for about 3 weeks now, and it's still quite cloudy. I had to duck and dodge some of the cloud cover.

There is some amazing scenery in this area, especially the mountains and the glaciers! I finally made it to valdez with a fairly nice landing, taxied to parking, and found me a mechanic. Well, that little poppet valve wasn't cheap, a whopping 3500 dollars...ouch.

Here are some pictures from the flight.


Ready to taxi at Merrill


Goodbye Merrill, for a few months or so


Saying goodbye to work, I work in the hangar just above the left anti collision light


Finally got some altitude to get over these mountains


Pretty lake along the way


Lining up for final at Valdez


Just about to touchdown


Taxiing towards a nice lookin mountain


All tied down ready to go tomorrow

[Guest]

Leg #2: Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD) to Yakataga(PACY or CYT)
Flight Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes
Distance: 127 NM
Total Time Flown: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Total Distance: 230 NM

On for round two, with many more to come. After my eventful first flight, and waiting on repairs, I finally set out for Yakataga. This is one of those airports that I picked because I thought it had a cool name, and it looked like a neat place to explore. I was especially interested in a small field called John's bar just to the north of it. It reminds me of when I first started my flight training last year. "In Alaska, the 8 rule is a litlle different. It's normally 8 hours before you fly since alcohol. But here, you can drink, you just have to be 8 feet from the controls" So I think I'm gonna head out to that strip next and take a couple passes over it on my way to Yakatak.

But anyways on to the flight. This flight was actually quite uneventful. It started out really nice, but as the hour wore on, the clouds started creepin out again, and some turbulence came up. I got tossed a little bit, but being my airplane is only rated for 11500 feet, I can't really do anything about it. Any lower, I contend with the mountains...no thank you. And I just can't go higher, so I stuck it out. My one passenger (I take one passenger in FSpax every flight, along with a full 250 load of bags i.e. survial gear, water filters, salmon rod, things of that nature) was quite scared. He complained that it shouldn't be that rough. I just told him to wait till we started gettin up north towards barrow and Nome. He didn't like that answer, but said he'd stick through the journey.

Well, we got to Yakataga in one piece, and found out something not mentioned in the charts. There are 2 HUGE trees at the approach end of Runway 7. I had to pull out my landing over a 50 foot obstacle checklist. But, it's a Pacer, a good bush plane, and it's a gravel strip. It was right at home, I made a great landing. We taxi to parking and go and ask about fuel, well, they're fresh out at the moment, (something tells me they dont' like tourists??) But I have 36 gallons in the tanks, so that will take me to John's Bar and on to Yakatak just fine.

Here's some shots form the flight:

Ready to go at Valdez


It's a good day to fly


These are some pretty high mountains, my poor plane almost can't go that high...


The clouds start setting in...


Someone really needs to have a look at those trees...that could be dangerous


Comin in on gravel, my favorite


Is that Wal-mart back there??


All set down, no gas to be got though, guess we'll have to wait till Yakatak


More coming soon, Next stop, John's Bar and Yakatak

[Guest]

I'll definitely take a copy of the legs if you want to email them to me, you can find me at {roddick1} @ {gmail.com}

Thanks much.

[Guest]

Leg #3: Yakataga(PACY) to Yakatat(PAYA)
Flight Time: 57 Minutes
Distance: 91 NM
Total Time Flown: 3 Hours 37. Minutes
Total Distance: 321 NM

Well, I got up this morning, anticipating gettin to check out something interesting, and the weather kicks in again. I wanted to go check out Jack's bar(I called it John's earlier) on my way to Yakatat. Well, with ceilings at 4300, and a lot of cliffs in the way, and only 34 gallons of gas, I might be safer just heading off to Yakatat. So I updated my GPS with my new very shortened trip. (the cut to Jacks bar takes about an hour). Well the AWOS said ceilings were at 4500, but I was hitting clouds at 3000, so I dropped my altitude to about 2500 and flew it that way. Made for some good sightseeing of what I could see.

The funny part about Yakatat, is that when I was in flight training, the flight school was having a C172 ferried up from the lower 48. It sounded cool and all, but we get a call a day before the airplanes going to get there. He tells us that on his way to Yakatat, he saw a beach at Yakatat, and he tried to land on it. Needless to say, with his 172 with wheelpants, he sunk in the sand, and smacked the prop. I couldn't help but laugh at him even though our new plane wasn't coming for a number of days now. So $25,000 later, a new prop and a rebuilt engine, he comes in about 2 weeks late. Well I want to find this beach, so on my next leg, I might comb the coastline a little bit just to see if I can find where he landed.

Well, here's some pics from the flight.

Getting ready to depart Yakataga


Off we go


Dumb clouds, always getting in the way...


Flying along and the ceilings are getting lower, and lower


Stayin close to the coast, being the mountains on my left side, with the clouds, are just a CFIT waiting to happen...


I'm goin across Icy Bay, hoping my engine doesn't quit...


I had a chuckle at another lake that looks man-made


On final into Yakatat


A greased -51 fpm landing


Gettin some gas for tomorrow being Yakataga didn't have any...


Gas is got, all tied down, gonna explore a little and we'll see what happens on the next flight.


efrumtheretardedrabbit--your tracker is in the mail, anyone else want it just let me know, if you wanna fly online, I'll see if we can all hook up at once. It would be fun.

[Guest]

After Landing in Yakatat, I was Starving! I went to the Yakutat Lodge for some lunch. I had read about it in some of my studying where I was going to go. Their slogan was "Best Cheeseburger in Alaska!" So I had to try it. They weren't bad at all. The room rates were rather expensive at $125 per night. I decided to be a penny pincher, and set up my tent under my Pacer.

Anyways, back to dinner. While I was was sitting eating my cheesburger, I heard a man talking about how he needed a new plane. His family had grown, and his current rig wouldn't fit everyone. He said he had noticed my Pacer come in and said he needed something that size with the ability to get into small strips. I couldn't help but to slowly mosey over, apologize for eavesdropping, and ask him what kind of plane he flew. He told me he had a 1987 Super Cub! I was envious now, because the Pacer I was flying was just too big! I didn't plan on taking a whole lot home with me anyway! So I proceeded to ask him how much he wanted for his Cub. He told me that he would trade me flat-out for my Pacer! I thought this was working just a little too smoothly so I started to wonder what was up the sleeve of this Super Cub of his. Well, David(owner of the Super Cub) told me that if I could stay a few days, he'd show me that it was a good airplane, and he would get me current on it's capabilities.

We walked out to the ramp and he took me to N4155D. I was amazed at the shape it was in! It had nice Tundra Tires, fairly low time on the engine, and he had even rigged it up with some minimal IFR gear! (not that it's certified IFR, but it is Alaska..) I was amazed and asked him if he was sure he wanted to give up such a beauty. He told me that he really didn't, but the circumstances surrounding his growing family made it a necessity for a bigger plane.

We spent the next Couple days getting each other spun up on the others airplane. We made a lot of landings and just got comfortable with the Aircraft. Flying around and exploring the Yakutat area. I even got a little bit of fishing in. Tell that to my 13 pound King Salmon Needless to say, that was dinner the night that I flew my new SuperCub around learning all it's nuances.

Well, after my long stay in Yakutat, I figured it was time to get on with my tour. I told David that I would come over from Anchorage and visit every once in a while so he could fly his Cub, and he said I could take the Pacer out during that time too. So after exchanging addresses, phone numbers and the like, I set off for my next destination, Gustavus.

[Guest]

Leg#4: Yakutat(PAYA) to Gustavus(PAGS)
Flight Time: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Distance: 137 NM
Total Time Flown: 5 Hours 16 Minues
Total Distance: 458 NM


So after my tearful Goodbye in Yakutat. I headed off for Gustavus. To my delight, Yakutat Lodge makes one heck of a breakfast, so I was good to go after my 3 nights in a tent. The weather wasnt' the most cooperative for this leg, but I figured it was good enough to make the trip. Minus the weather, the trip was rather uneventful. My New Super Cub took to the air like a rocket on crack. This thing loves to fly. So I spent my time flyin nice and low and enjoying what scenery I could see in the haze. I had to follow a lot of coastlines to dodge a lot of mountains and stay below the clouds. Maybe I should have stayed one more night in Yakutat

Here's some photos from the flight.

Departing Yakutat


Headin off into the Sunrise(shouldn't that be sunset? )


The clouds are awfully low today.


Just loving the standard Super Cub Green tinted windows..


Well, the winter's already startin to get close in some places. Wonder what this means for my farther north flights. Glad I brought that way below zero sleeping bag.


I'm really starting to question flying today...


there's some unusual Geography out here...


I made it into Gustavus with a sigh of relief as the weather started to clear up. Well, It'll be off to Juneau next. I'm starting to think that my little aircraft needs an ADF. We'll have to see if I can find one here and a mechanic to install it.

[Jacques Abitan]

Great shots and great flights. You inspired me.

Can you send me the route listings and will fly these beautiful routes.

Thank you

Jacques

[AS 506 Jay Kae]

Great shots and wonderful area !!

[Guest]

Due to a lot of work, and other stuff, I haven't gotten to fly lately. I'm really having a hard time trying to figure out how to put an ADF gauge in my panel too! I mainly fly VC, and that's the hard part...taildraggers suck with a 2d pit

Any help would be appreciated if possible.

So yeah, I had to reload my whole machine, so I'm behind a few paces. It's taken me 4 days to get all the software back on. I never realized I used so much software at once! Between ground environment, USA Roads, a few payware aircraft, Activesky, about 42 Alaska sceneries, that humongous alaska terrain mesh, (1GB) It's been a wild ride, but with less airplanes than I had before, my machine is running a lot smoother.

Now it's just a matter of getting all my FSPassengers and FSnavigator stuff set up. I lost my fspassengers files in the reload, so I have to start all that over. Oh well. I should fly a leg tonight finally, and No ADF for my poor super cub, I can't figure out how to put one in.

[Guest]

So yeah, after just analyzing some aircraft.cfg files. I finally tweaked an ADF into my airplane. And coming off of 3 days without internet, I might actually be able to post now!

So yeah, I should be able to post a flight or two later tonight!

*sings* on the road again*