I had never heard of this, and neither of my 2 pilot buddies have either. Coincidentally I happen to carry all of this stuff with me on every flight anyway, but how did I not know it was the law that you have to have an "an assortment of tackle such as hooks, flies, lines, and sinkers" and a hatchet.

Did everyone know about this but us?

http://touchngo.com/lglcntr/akstats/Statutes/Title02/Chapter35/Section110.htm

Yes, this list of required gear has been out as long as I can remember. They used to have requirements for a gun (and ammunition for that gun) and a small fishing net. The pack was close to 50 pounds if you had all the required gear.

AS 02.35.130. Penalty For Violation of AS 02.35.090 and 02.35.110.
A person violating a provision of AS 02.35.090 and 02.35.110 is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not more than $500.

I carried the required gear in my own plane. The air taxi's I worked part 135 for just laughed... too heavy.
There were two lists. One winter, one summer.
Misty Fjords monument required a rifle of minimum 30 cal. to enter on foot. Mt. McKinley park prohibited firearms.
Go figure.
Remember, the government is here to help you....

NO National Park or Preserve has ever REQUIRED a firearm for entry, including Misty Fjords.

The enabling legislation for Parks is different from Preserves and Monuments. Parks in general prohibit firearms, but many Preserves and some Monuments actually permit hunting, hence firearms are permitted.

MTV

Not to be argumentative MTV.... but I was a pilot for TEMSCO out of Ketchikan in the 80's.
Flew into Misty Fjords National Monument on a regular basis. I humped the Marlin .444 lever action for many a mile.
For hikers, a rifle of minimum 30 cal. was required. This wasn't an FAA rule. It was for hikers and tourists.... though not those on a commercial tour boat of course. Maybe you weren't familiar with it as a pilot... understandable. At the time, I found it quite ironic... since Mckinley prohibited firearms. Same bears and risks... just different politics from the big national park to the small and not often hiked monument in Southeast Alaska.
I was also an instructor in adult literacy for the University of Alaska at the time...so I think I could read the regs. pretty clearly.
Where did you fly up there? Did you ever know the Coast Guard Commander at Annette Island? He took over Southeast Alaska Airlines as a favor to the widow who inherited it. Had a house out in Klawock. Flew everything from the J3 to the G4 before retirement.

mtv wrote:
The enabling legislation for Parks is different from Preserves and Monuments. Parks in general prohibit firearms, but many Preserves and some Monuments actually permit hunting, hence firearms are permitted.

MTV

Parks, in general, used to prohibit firearms. Now it hinges on state law.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35484383/ns ... m4Qm46YSuI

Don't feed the bears!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/au ... ellowstone

Wallace's death was the fourth caused by grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone area in the last two years.

What I mean is, "Don't feed the bears your own carcass.

On the other hand, if you are dumb enough to be one of the tourists gored by bison in Jellystone, I'm grateful for your pending absence from the gene pool. Extra points awarded for Kaleeforneans! (Persons on this forum, excepted. )
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/ne ... 1c1f2.html

I've always gotten a kick out of that law. Especially when it required a gun. The image of a G5 stopped in Anchorage for fuel having to produce snow shoes makes me chuckle. Does a fruit and cheese platter and 6 or 8 left over bagels count as "rations to sustain life?"

Anyone know why the gun requirement was removed in 2001? It's curious that they went to the trouble of changing the law but left in the requirements for things like snowshoes. Strong snowshoe lobby?

The G5 does not need to comply since it is certified for more than 15 SOB's, but it does bring up some interesting images.

FLightlogic,

That sounds like a company rule, as opposed to a NPS rule. There's a NPS type or two on here, maybe they can offer a clue.

The firearm requirement was removed largely because of the fact that many Alaskans frequently travel between Canada and Alaska. Crossing over into Canada can be a pain if you're carrying a firearm. Canada's laws toughened several years ago, requiring permits to carry a firearm into Canada, and after that it became apparent that changing the Alaska statute that required carriage of a firearm would be a good idea.

Secondly, it is also well recognized by most survival experts that a firearm really isn't that useful in a survival situation.

In a DEFENSIVE situation, as in an encounter with a bear, perhaps, a firearm can certainly be useful, but general survival....not so much.

MTV

MTV, I still have guns around... urban survival or wilderness survival. Like the FAA not being at my funeral... the survival experts won't be out there with me when the chips are down.
Cody Lundee.... of recent TV fame is my neighbor. He also doesn't think much of guns.
Doesn't wear shoes either. I can't agree with either position.
The administrator of Misty Fjords national park declared the required firearms during the 80's.
It probably has changed by now. In the early days of the monument, it was recognized that no one would be around to help hikers and kayakers. There was no headquarters, ranger station or anything else out there that I can remember. We landed numerous places with the Beavers. Kayaked around after being dropped off by the Majestic Explorer excursion boats at times too.
I liked it. Very few visitors and pretty rugged. Learned that hiking was very difficult as the undergrowth was thick due to over 13 feet of rain per year. Shoreline kayaking was more do-able.
I was a lefthander on a budget, hence the Marlin lever action to meet the required rule.
A left handed bolt action rifle was way out of my budget at the time.
It worked well though. Dropped moose in Nome, bear in Sitka and even a red fox once to sew a fur ruff for the coat. The old Eskimo lady I went to for an authentic tanning recipe told me to go to Chevron for battery acid. I complied.... we soaked it for a week in pure acid. Came out tanned, soft and luxurious fur. Never would have believed it had I not tried it. The we sewed with dental floss. Leave it to the Eskimo's to do something very practical. Sure liked those people.

If Misty Fjords did ever or does have a requirement for hikers to have a firearm, the discrepancy could easily be explained by the fact that - though the National Park Service always manages national parks - individual national monuments might be managed by different agencies depending on the whims (and politics) of Congress. Misty Fjords is managed by the US Forest Service, a bureau in the Department of Agriculture. Different culture than the national Park Service, different mission, different way of doing things. Those guys are all crazy! So there you go

And one minor point of correction: The National Park Service has not banned the possession of firearms since the early 1930's. They have banned the unauthorized use of a firearm (still do) and previously banned the possession and carry of a firearm capable of being immediately used (but not anymore)

There ya go. I still have trouble believing that ANY federal agency would (or could) require the carriage of a firearm by visitors. That is a lawsuit waiting to happen, when someone not well trained with guns shoots themselves or another.....

MTV