Trapperty and the rest of the guys would you list your prefered routing from WY to Kotz. You have been kind enough to discuss the tail end of the trip but what about the beginning and middle. If you would just list the Airports and a couple of waypoints you feel are important I could map them for future planning. I have heard "the Trench" and so on but really can't get a grip on it until I lay it out on a map. Thanks. By the way could you adjust the legs for a Husky.

My basic list of towns/airports goes like this starting in Canada Lethbridge Alberta(approved airport to clear customs), Red Deer Alberta(lots of other airports in between if needed), Whitecourt Alberta, Grande Prairie Alberta, Dawson Cr BC, Fort St John BC, Ft Nelson BC,Watson Lake Yukon, Teslin Yukon, Whitehorse Yukon, Beaver Creek Yukon, Northway AK. I probably missed some Airports so anybody feel free to add to the list and also add some of your favorite stops.

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mtv wrote:Whynot,

Well Galena hasn't changed that much, actually. The Air Force switched to F-15s sitting hot alert there sometime in the eighties, but they pulled out of there after the end of the Cold War, and the base is in "warm" status.

Otherwise, the village hasn't changed much. Old Town is still a bit rough around the edges. AFS only bases out of Galena when they have incidents going in the neighborhood these days. Still a monster airport, though, with regular air service out of Fairbanks.

MTV

Actually Mike, Galena has been turned over to the locals and is no longer in "warm" status. See the following story.

http://chat.juneauempire.com/stories/09 ... 0108.shtml

When I was a Captain in the Air Force in 1973 I used to fly into Galena on my way to Tatalina AFS where I was stationed. It was a bustling air station at the time and we scrambled its jets from our radar site to confront the Russian bombers that were testing our air space, response, and radar coverage.

It is sad to see this proud ol' outpost with its deteriorating asphalt runways slowly being eroded by the Alaska conditions.

Nizina

Eric,

Yeah, I recall now that the Native Corp. got hands on the base.

I used to do moose surveys out of GAL most years, and the F-15's would blow out of there in burner occasionally.

Nothing deteriorating about that runway, though. It's still well used and maintained. The tower closed several years ago, when the military pulled out, but that was a blessing, not a curse.

A few years ago, they were working frantically on the Illinois Creek mine just south of there, and everything was being staged out of Galena. That mine got shut down, but who knows, it may come back one day. They spend a LOT of money on it while it was going.

MTV

Baddog wrote:Trapperty and the rest of the guys would you list your prefered routing from WY to Kotz. You have been kind enough to discuss the tail end of the trip but what about the beginning and middle. If you would just list the Airports and a couple of waypoints you feel are important I could map them for future planning. I have heard "the Trench" and so on but really can't get a grip on it until I lay it out on a map. Thanks. By the way could you adjust the legs for a Husky.

The trench doesn't make much sense IMO coming from Wyoming, unless you want the scenery/experience. Flying somewhat direct to the Edmonton area then north along the highway is the best routing from there, Trapper's post pretty much sums it up, adjusting fuel stops to your desired leg length and weather.

With the exception of Beaver Creek I have been to all of his listed stops at least twice and they are all good fuel stops, some are better for hotels or camping than others. Whitehorse has a nice cheap pilot dorm right at the airport, with a couple of restaurants within walking distance. Just about every town (in Canada) has a taxi service, rather more expensive than US fares IME. If you think about it that route sees a lot of touring Americans by both aircraft and highway, it is a relatively safe and painless adventure so long as you spend some time studying Canadian general aviation procedures and get your customs ducks in a row for both countries. And aren't in a hurry with the weather even in the summer.

mtv wrote:Get a copy of the Alaska Supplement, it's mandatory for a newbie flying up there, in my opinion, and has a wealth of information. It's the AK equivalent of an A/FD, but with much more information.

Especially spend some time in sections C and on of the Alaska Supplement. There is a great deal of information there about the specific procedures and hazards for a lot of locations. That is my favorite area to question new pilots on when they are starting in AK.

I have also caught a pilot planning a flight in AOPA flight planner and he printed out the information for Stevens Village from their A/FD. The AOPA card had the landing distance drastically wrong and hadn't been updated in some time while it was correctly updated in the Alaska Supplement. Obviously a person needs to reference FLIP for information, but make sure it is current.

Stopped in Galena for gas about April or May of 08. We hit the dining facility there during the stop. Don't know who that cafeteria services now, but they let us in for a couple sandwiches while there.


Brett

Be ready to spend some coin in Galena. Gas isn't cheap there. I have been avoiding getting gas there as much as possible. I put a belly tank on so I don't have to spend so much on gas down there.

KLK,

If it says "village" anywhere in the title, gas is VERY expensive-that's a given. Galena's not the worst. I've seen gas prices in McGrath back when gas was cheap that'd bring tears to your eyes.

Then, there was Circle City, flying a govmint airplane.."How much ya got?" Cash only, please.

MTV

Had to stop and take on fuel at Manley Hot Springs last spring in the 180 due to a maintenance problem, and got hammered on the price.

Baddog wrote:Trapperty and the rest of the guys would you list your prefered routing from WY to Kotz. You have been kind enough to discuss the tail end of the trip but what about the beginning and middle.

If the ground is dry, camping at the old WWII emergency strips beats hell out of any hotel room in the likes of Fort St. John or Fort Nelson.

Taxiing across the AlCan to fuel at the car pumps at Toad River is good for grins.

And the sweetest camping of all- though I've always been there in the off season when I had it entirely to myself- has got to be Watson Lake.

-DP

Some say theres some info here, www.milepost.com i have no experience with it. doug