I’m stoked to be going to Alaska for the very first time! I get into ANC 0935 this Friday and have 6 hours to kill before my buddy airlines in. He has the car and hotel so I will be running around sightseeing until he gets in.

I figured I could walk over to the aviation museum and then wander around Lake Hood looking at airplanes.

I’m already going to fly while there but I would be interested in maybe doing a local floatplane flight. Any must-do activities suggestions are appreciated, especially on where to get lunch in the area. Thanks, Roger

Great Alaska Bush Company

Rent a bike and do the Moose Loop.

https://anchorageparkfoundation.org/moose-loop-trail/

Nah, you got it right: Take a walk around Lake Hood, and if you have time, visit the museum there.

MTV

You can have a blast touring Lake Hood and the museum.

Devon Holmberg (@borntoflyAK) is a long time BCP guy and flies sightseeing flights for Regal Air from Lake Hood in Beavers. He let me ride right seat when I went out with them.

If you had a full day I'd scoot up to Talkeetna for the compulsory turbine Otter flight around Denali. Amazing.

Go to Merrill Field and check out the Airframes Alaska/Aero InStock store. Any good? Have yet to visit.

Walk around Lake Hood!

MW

Looks like my initial thoughts about a stroll around Lake Hood is the winner here.

In case of inclement weather, however, I will seek the suggested indoor activities.

Thank you all!

akgreg wrote:Great Alaska Bush Company

This is the only correct answer.

onthegas1 wrote:where to get lunch in the area.

Wandering around Lake Hood and the Aviation Museum are good suggestions. While doing that, the Millenium Hotel is a good place to stop for lunch and watch the flight activity at Lake Hood. On a nice day (which Friday probably won't be) you can have lunch on the deck while the floatplanes landing to the west (the normal, low wind pattern) drop low over your head. Even on a cloudy, maybe soggy day, there is a nice view of the lake from inside. Enjoy your trip!

Ross

pipeliner wrote:

onthegas1 wrote:where to get lunch in the area.

Wandering around Lake Hood and the Aviation Museum are good suggestions. While doing that, the Millenium Hotel is a good place to stop for lunch and watch the flight activity at Lake Hood. On a nice day (which Friday probably won't be) you can have lunch on the deck while the floatplanes landing to the west (the normal, low wind pattern) drop low over your head. Even on a cloudy, maybe soggy day, there is a nice view of the lake from inside. Enjoy your trip!

Ross

Thanks Ross, looks like that’s the plan. I have rain gear and can dump bags at nearby hotel when I get in .

If you reload your own cartridges , head just out of town , down inlet on the Sterling Hwy to the Rabbit Creek public shooting range and load up on the brass . Many shooters up north dont bother to reload due to the high shipping costs on components . When you have time to kill before catching a flight out , dump all your dirty skivvies , sox and t shirts in the trash so you have room in your bag .

Got back from Alaska.

Left yesterday flying a wheeled Cessna185E starting from Lake Hood with the new owner using the coast route via Yakutat, Ketchikan and Port Angeles WA. No customs and COVID-19 BS! Overnighted in Puyallup WA. Yes, some weather along the route. Flew plane to Goodyear AZ today; smoke all the way from Ashland OR to Tehachapi CA.

Great trip and I will make a report with photos after I get home. I ended up walking all the way around Lake Hood and going to the Alaska Aviation Museum and was great! First time in Alaska and what a flight back, about 19 hours total with 6 fuel stops.

Definitely looking forward to the pictures. Pipeliner mentioned watching the floatplanes landing. If you go to Youtube and type Lake Hood Seaplane Base, there is a live cam that shows a lot of action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaSBuCedy7A

How long did that leg from Ketchikan to Port Angeles take? Not sure I'll ever be brave enough to fly it but I'm curious.

A guy tried that Ketchikan > direct >Port Angeles route in a C170 back in January.
Got literally within sight of P.A. when he made a radio call then disappeared off radar.
Airplane & body were never found, most of us assumed he ran out of fuel.

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2021/01/28 ... ashington/

I am surprised either would plan Port Angeles over Bellingham. KBLI is 15 miles closer and the final portion over land.
Not to downplay the dangers of that stretch but for the geographically challenged, PAKT to KCLM is 533 nm, plus any weather diversions. So less than 4 hours in a 185.
Better to land in Victoria without a clearance than ditch in the straight with no gas.

Duplicate post

That was a strange story on many levels. Why would you just not stay high enough if you were low on gas?

Zzz wrote:How long did that leg from Ketchikan to Port Angeles take? Not sure I'll ever be brave enough to fly it but I'm curious.

Zane, it was 4:00. The 185 holds about 5.5 hours fuel. The tailwinds we had earlier in the day ran out due to an atmospheric river flowing from the southwest. This also created clouds up to 11,500 at times until an hour out of Port Angeles where it cleared up, just as forecast. We stayed high over the water until well within gliding distance of US dirt. Weather from Anchorage to Ketchikan was tailwinds and mostly clear skies that afforded spectacular views of the many glaciers along the way.