Yes, I'm in Alaska again. Thought I'd create a new thread about my life up here. Moving my SQ2 from Soldotna to Birchwood today so my mechanic can prep her for Spring flying. Yesterday I drove over to Kenai and the beauty looking across the Cook Inlet was staggering. I took some pictures but even though they don't come close to representing what I saw I thought I'd share one anyway. It truly brought tears to my eyes.

Yep, i hear you Phil, makes you stop and stand still.

I'm not much at photography anyway, and am so dissapointed between what i see and what ends up on the photo, that i just end up looking

Chris

Welcome back! I'm stuck down in Oklahoma through mid-March and miss Alaska deeply. It's a place that cannot be justly described with pictures or words, of even the highest quality.

With that said, keep em coming!

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We had to leave in '13 because of my job. Every day since I've been scheming a way to get back there. We have a plan, now we need the patience to see it through.

Phil, you're a blessed guy for sure. Please continue sharing!


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Fog has been rolling in a lot this week. Worse at high tide, usually can get in/out at low tide without much problem. If you get stuck in palmer holding out for the fog give me a call I will come over and pick you up. NINE07 EIGHT54 eight 452
DENNY

DENNY wrote:Fog has been rolling in a lot this week. Worse at high tide, usually can get in/out at low tide without much problem. If you get stuck in palmer holding out for the fog give me a call I will come over and pick you up. NINE07 EIGHT54 eight 452
DENNY

Thanks. Yea beautiful sunny VFR day here, but IFR there. Didn't know it could be tide related, interesting.

I'd sure like to get back some day before I croak. Living there for 3 years, traveling about via motorhome, and then learning to fly there, I have great memories, but not very many pics. Fortunately the ol' memory banks still work pretty well--just wish I could plug something into my head and transfer them to something that would allow others to see. OK, use your imagination:

One of my faves was of Wife 1 when she was a beautiful dark haired 27 year old, standing on the deck of the boat at the Portage Glacier, with the wind blowing her hair.

Another was looking down the neck of Mt. Spurr from a 172, soon after I got my license.

Another was a helicopter ride along the shores of Cook Inlet.

Another was from the road above Polychrome Pass near Mt. McKinley (or Denali, as you prefer).

Another was of a humongous moose, shaking his head in the bushes down below at Polychrome.

Another was watching the flames leap to the sky from the destruction of the Mt. McKinley Hotel.

Another was paddling the canoe on the incredible teal colored waters of the Kenai.

Another was a picnic using the tail feathers of the 172 as a table at Homer, and watching the bald eagle grab the sandwich that my instructor threw into the air--this was on my long dual XC.

Another was stepping out of the motorhome into the -20F cold night at the Willow Winter Carnival to see the Northern Lights pulsating in the otherwise black sky.

And here's the best one of all: returning to Elmendorf on my long solo XC, from Homer to Anchorage, when a flock of Canada geese attempted to form up on the little blue and white 150. I slowed as much as I dared so that they could keep up, and no matter what you might read about the top speed of Canada geese, they kept up for a few minutes before peeling off to the west.

Yup, lots of memories.

Cary

Was raised up there, great outdoor memories, for some reason I get grounded as soon as I think of freezing my ass off 8-9 months out of the year scraping ice off my windshield to go to work. That's what keeps me from moving back, haha.

Did not thing much of the tide thing myself until my CFI pointed it out. If the temp and dew point are close fog will roll in and out with the tide. I can see the inlet from my living room and he is spot on as usual. I pay close attention to it this time of year when it comes to trip planning.
DENNY

Actually I much prefer that Texas Hill Country this time of year.

Awesome Phil! Keep the pictures coming. Will you be there in June? By chance is the invite to base off your strip still on the table? We are planning on leaving the first week of June.

So yesterday no joy getting the SQ2 to Birchwood. And again today, no joy. Everything beautiful and clear EXCEPT Birchwood. Grrrrr.

Grassstrippilot wrote:Awesome Phil! Keep the pictures coming. Will you be there in June? By chance is the invite to base off your strip still on the table? We are planning on leaving the first week of June.

I will. And yes, the invite still stands.


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Sorry about your repositioning woes! Glad to hear you'll be around. Thanks again for the invite. We will keep you posted! Looking forward to meeting you and seeing your place.


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Another beautiful sunny winter day here on the Kenai Peninsula, which apparently means the weather sucks in the Anchorage area again. Seems to be a trend. LIFR at Birchwood again.

Barnstormer wrote:Another beautiful sunny winter day here on the Kenai Peninsula, which apparently means the weather sucks in the Anchorage area again. Seems to be a trend. LIFR at Birchwood again.

Phil,

For much of the eight years I worked in Kodiak, the airplanes (Beaver and Cub) had to go to PANC for 100 hr inspections. Almost without fail in winter, either ANC wx would suck and ADQ weather would be flyable, or vice versa. Fortunately, I had Homer and Kenai enroute to wait. There was more than once that I used both of those plus a couple other enroute "layovers".

MTV

mtv wrote:

Barnstormer wrote:Another beautiful sunny winter day here on the Kenai Peninsula, which apparently means the weather sucks in the Anchorage area again. Seems to be a trend. LIFR at Birchwood again.

Phil,

For much of the eight years I works in Kodiak, the airplanes (Beaver and Cub) had to go to PANC for 100 hr inspections. Almost without fail in winter, either ANC we would suck and ADQ weather would be flyable, or vice versa. Fortunately, I had Homer and Kenai enroute to wait. There was more than once that I used both of those plus a couple other enroute "layovers".

MTV

And yet, in the 2+ months that I learned to fly, from November 29, 1972, through the day of my checkride in the first week of February 1973, there were many, many days in which the entire Anchorage area and Kenai Peninsula were virtually clear, or at worst, with high clouds. I can't recall any days that cheated me out of doing any flying at all, and when it came time to schedule my short and long dual and solo cross countries, I didn't have to do any rescheduling. Not that it couldn't have happened, just that it didn't--luck of the draw, I guess.

Cary

Barnstormer wrote:Another beautiful sunny winter day here on the Kenai Peninsula, which apparently means the weather sucks in the Anchorage area again. Seems to be a trend. LIFR at Birchwood again.

Phil, The METAR has been lying to you... It has been clear by the afternoon, with just a little ground fog rolling through. I am guessing this is what is being picked up by weather reporting. Looking at the camera right now, you could get in no problem.

Yea made in to Birchwood just before the ice fog rolled in.
This ice fog happened while taxiing to the hangar.


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And this was after I wiped the ice away.
And the leading edge of the prop, again just from taxiing. Scary stuff ice fog.
Now just sitting at ANC waiting for my Ravn flight back to Kenai.


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My place from the air today, boy was it good to be flying again!


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