Well... Thanks to M6RV6, looks Like I'll be busy going North To ALasKa in early July... So far the plan is to Leave Whitehorse, fly to Northway to clear US customs, quick hop to Tok for Fuel, then Fairbanks and Nulato where I will be meeting with M6RV6 and SlowHawk. The plan thus far is to fly to Talkeetna to look at mighty Beavers and Otters and other superbe critters...of course not before checking out McKinley again... then off to Anchorage (no, I wont go go chilkoot charlie! but I'll show the Tundra around to whomever wants to see it...anyhow has any contacts where I can park it at a public accessible location?) The return leg if weather permits will be through either Valdez/Cordova , Yakutat, check out the Malaspina glacier and couple others, then Haines or Skagway and back to Whitehorse. All in all approximately 15/1600 miles

I'm hoping to have my strut bracket and camera to make a movie for the trip... thanks to Amacbean I may have found the perfect mount and camera... need a small cam operated by remote control.

I would like to meet as many of you as possible on this trip and show you the Tundra...so please let me know if you're nearby or better if you want to join me on a leg or two...that would be fantastic

Updates to follow...

BCT

Let me know when you plan on getting in to Fairbanks. I will pick you up and we can do lunch and chat.
Hope to see your post in regards to the flight.

Safe flying, Ken in Alaska

or I can just land at your runway to check it out ... I like looking at people's garage and backyard junk!

BCT, I hope to be headed down the Alcan before you get into Anchorage - but if I'm not, I'd like to do lunch or coffee and chat!

Dot_AK wrote:BCT, I hope to be headed down the Alcan before you get into Anchorage - but if I'm not, I'd like to do lunch or coffee and chat!

Absolutely Dot... when are you planning on driving down the AK HWY? where can I catch you in AK? you're out of downtown ANC? Also heard from DenaliPilot...guess he's in Denali so would love to pay him a visit as well. Cheers, BCT

Won't be back from Gustavus until the night of the sixth. But if you come through after that you guys should stop by or maybe I could fly in if on a weekend.

Transient parking on the east ramp of Fairbanks International, in front of the tower. In theory, there's a fee, but I've never heard of anyone actually paying it. Great access (no fence) and great security--right in front of a 24/7 ATC tower. Flight planning room and bathrooms at the base of the tower. Fuel from truck Alaska Aerofuel. At the far NORTH end of the east ramp of FAI, there's an Air Camper Park. Every airport should have one of these. Technically, this area is only for folks who want to camp with their planes, but there's almost always lots of space if you'd prefer to park there transient and stay somewhere else. Parking with a tent site for each tiedown, In the trees, toilets, showers, bicycles to ride over to Fred Meyers for food, stuff. GREAT facility.

In ANC, land at Lake Hood STRIP. Transient Parking at north end of the strip. Porta potties and a flight planning room there as well. Easy walk to hotels, food, or rental cars at ANC. Also, a fascinating place to just walk around. I ALWAYS try to do a walking lap of LHD any time I'm in ANC.

MTV

MTV is right , I stayed at the Fairbanks airport camping area last year . It is great!!!!
Doug

mtv wrote:Transient parking on the east ramp of Fairbanks International, in front of the tower. In theory, there's a fee, but I've never heard of anyone actually paying it. Great access (no fence) and great security--right in front of a 24/7 ATC tower. Flight planning room and bathrooms at the base of the tower. Fuel from truck Alaska Aerofuel. At the far NORTH end of the east ramp of FAI, there's an Air Camper Park. Every airport should have one of these. Technically, this area is only for folks who want to camp with their planes, but there's almost always lots of space if you'd prefer to park there transient and stay somewhere else. Parking with a tent site for each tiedown, In the trees, toilets, showers, bicycles to ride over to Fred Meyers for food, stuff. GREAT facility.

In ANC, land at Lake Hood STRIP. Transient Parking at north end of the strip. Porta potties and a flight planning room there as well. Easy walk to hotels, food, or rental cars at ANC. Also, a fascinating place to just walk around. I ALWAYS try to do a walking lap of LHD any time I'm in ANC.

MTV

Thanks MTV... I'll do that... I've only landed there with either the short skyvan or HS 748 and there was no room for us at the campground!!! love Lake hood, cant wait to finally go there with my own wings.

I think I have the strut mount for the camera figured out but need the camera...any suggestions on a remotely operated camera... AMcbean suggested a good one but thought others may have suggestions as well. Thanks, BCT

Howdy! I have 907pilot helping me out with frequencies and approaches for Anchorage although M6RV6 has been there few times... if there's anything you guys know about frequencies and approaches I should be using so not to piss off anyone, please let me know. Oil change is done so good for another 25 hrs.. Jerry cans, junk food and camera ready to go. Just waiting for the strut camera mount and camera to arrive so that the trip can be recorded on film...or at least the good passes!

Cheers, BCT

Be aware that ANC has both Charlie airspace (only around the international airport itself) BUT the entire Anchorage basin is encompassed by FAR Part 93 airspace, which has SPECIFIC procedures, routes and altitudes to and from each airport in the Anchorage basin. Get a copy of the ANC TERMINAL area chart, AND a copy of the Supplement, Alaska, and look for the Part 93 procedures. Violation of 93 procedures is an automatic bust, so you don't want to go there.

Contact ANC Approach early (I call em 20 out) and tell them you're not familiar with their airspace. They are really good folks to work with, and will help you out, but be advised that Anchorage bowl airspace is some of the busiest and most complex around. Remember, you've got literally a dozen or so VERY busy airports, some of them uncontrolled, all with overlapping approach/departure paths, and everything from Boeing 747s (a lot of them) and military C-5s to Super Cubs stooging around there. Oh, yeah, now Elmendorf AFB hosts a squadron of F-22s.

It's not that difficult to get around this airspace, but you MUST use proper altitudes and routes OR request a deviation from Part 93 airspace. That's the get out of jail free card.....if they'll let you.

MTV

mtv wrote:Be aware that ANC has both Charlie airspace (only around the international airport itself) BUT the entire Anchorage basin is encompassed by FAR Part 93 airspace, which has SPECIFIC procedures, routes and altitudes to and from each airport in the Anchorage basin. Get a copy of the ANC TERMINAL area chart, AND a copy of the Supplement, Alaska, and look for the Part 93 procedures. Violation of 93 procedures is an automatic bust, so you don't want to go there.

Contact ANC Approach early (I call em 20 out) and tell them you're not familiar with their airspace. They are really good folks to work with, and will help you out, but be advised that Anchorage bowl airspace is some of the busiest and most complex around. Remember, you've got literally a dozen or so VERY busy airports, some of them uncontrolled, all with overlapping approach/departure paths, and everything from Boeing 747s (a lot of them) and military C-5s to Super Cubs stooging around there. Oh, yeah, now Elmendorf AFB hosts a squadron of F-22s.

It's not that difficult to get around this airspace, but you MUST use proper altitudes and routes OR request a deviation from Part 93 airspace. That's the get out of jail free card.....if they'll let you.

MTV

F-22's....sweet...I didnt see them when I drove up not so long ago for my costco run! Although I enjoy the A-10's better when I hit Fairbanks...now those are the money and would take them any day to save my ass!!

Thank you for the heads up, do you know if they have the chart for sale in either Tok or Fairbanks or Talkeetna? CHeers, BCT

Vickie at Tamarack Air in Fairbanks will have both the chart and the supplement, Alaska. She's located at the far south end of the east Ramp of FAI. Great place, and I'll bet you'll buy a couple other things while there. The Anchorage Terminal Area chart has the FAI terminal chart on the flip side, by the way. FAI isn't near as complex or busy, but lots of military airspace around there. Again, the FAI controllers are GREAT to work with, very helpful.

A-10s are long gone from Alaska. The only fighters left at Eielson, I believe, are F-16 Aggressors, painted up as Eastern Block colors. Coming through the Eastern Alaska MOA Complex - and you will be, call Eielson Range Control on 125.3 (officially known as SUAIS= Special Use Airspace Information Service. They will flight follow you, and advise of any fast movers in your area. Great service, and the controllers are VERY GA friendly. Give em a call as you enter the airspace from the east, and they'll tell you where the fighters are. Also, cut the corner through the restricted areas south and east of FAI if need be by calling those folks=they are the using agency, so can clear you through, and they will if there are no fighters or artillery in the airspace.

By the way, you can look at all this airspace and see the Supplement/Alaska (called an A/FD down here-go figure) on line at http://www.skyvector.com

THAT is a great resource.

MTV

WHAT...A-10's are gone... ah man... flew to FAI quite a bit in the late 90's/early 00's and was never a problem. thanks for all the info, I'll make sure to get all of that in FAI.

I hope the boys and Gal at JC's are having a blast! L8ter, BCT

Tamarack Air sells charts at FAI, they are at the south end of the east ramp.

If you have a Garmin in your plane the special rules airspace is depicted which is helpful. Basically each airport such as Lake Hood has an irregular shaped class D Boundary abutting the other class D's and the class C, with special VFR approach and departure procedures for each depending on the direction from which you are arriving.

I'll echo MTV that you should avail yourself of class C approach services. They'll help you get where you are going and keep en eye on you in that beehive (esp. on the weekend when all the Anchorites are out playing in their floatplanes.)

Don't be afraid to ask for a part 93 altitude deviation. They'll give it to you if they can. Approaching from the north or west you have the choice of dive bombing the pattern or staring down at cold water for longer than you ought to, if you don't.

Here is one 3d depiction. I have another somewhere that I'll post later.

Richard
Boy that map sure makes it look complicated!!!

Tundra, After we pick up the 170 we will just come in over Point Mackenzie and go to Lake Hood, We'll contact approach and have them hold are hand until they hand us off to the tower, If I remember right it's below 1200 or above 2200 unless they let you fly through it with a deviation.Tell them we are a flight of 2. You can slow that thing down so I'll be able to keep up with you won't you??

Richard if I can and the weather is good, I'll swing up that way on the way back to Nulato. Would be nice to take a picture of the twins sitting there!!

VFR procedures online: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/hea ... o/locproc/

M6RV6 wrote:Richard
Boy that map sure makes it look complicated!!!

Tundra, After we pick up the 170 we will just come in over Point Mackenzie and go to Lake Hood, We'll contact approach and have them hold are hand until they hand us off to the tower, If I remember right it's below 1200 or above 2200 unless they let you fly through it with a deviation.Tell them we are a flight of 2.

Oh come on! We like to make it sound complicated so folks think we actually have to work at it up here

Richard if I can and the weather is good, I'll swing up that way on the way back to Nulato. Would be nice to take a picture of the twins sitting there!!

When are you going? We'll be traveling in SE Alaska during next weekend through Wednesday. But if I miss you I thought a flight out there this summer would be fun.

I *think* there are still war games going on here in Anchorage, just saw another AWACS fly over... but I was thinking... what day are you coming into Anchorage? I am going to try and give you a call tomorrow, but if you want to meet up in Birchwood I would be happy to fly with you into Lake Hood if you want? If not there, Willow or Talkeetna is ok with me too.

George knows the plan better than I do... after FAI I will head straight to Nulato and we'll go from there... I think the plan is to stop by Denalipilot's to say hello if he can free himself otherwise we'll check out McKinley and off to Talkeetna to check out the toys on the tarmac ...yes I'm an airport rat...oh well...better than a bank robber! From there I think it will be direct Lake Hood...but M6RV6 has the last word... will keep updating though..

Cheers, J-M