Mr. Denalipilot,

If you don't mind answering questions from a "hang around" "wannabe"....

Where did you takeoff and land that beautiful day? What was reason for flight?

Thank you.

8GCBC wrote:Mr. Denalipilot,

If you don't mind answering questions from a "hang around" "wannabe"....

Where did you takeoff and land that beautiful day? What was reason for flight?

Thank you.

Hi 8GCBC,

This is just my neck of the woods on the north side of the Alaska Range. There are a handful of strips under an hour from here, and countless off-airport sites. Only close one with fuel and FBOs would be Talkeetna. Just out flying because it was the finest day we've had in a while, sunlight is streaming back at a rate of seven minutes per day, and the ski flying is only going to last another month or so for me.

Cheers,

-DP (aka kind of a hang around wannabe myself most days)

mountainmatt wrote:You were just south of Buena Vista (you can see the runway in the center).

Thanks Mountain Matt! I can identify the mounts in that picture now. Good work.

Also, Denalipilot, those photos are amazing. So jealous.

denalipilot wrote:

8GCBC wrote:Mr. Denalipilot,

If you don't mind answering questions from a "hang around" "wannabe"....

Where did you takeoff and land that beautiful day? What was reason for flight?

Thank you.

Hi 8GCBC,

This is just my neck of the woods on the north side of the Alaska Range. There are a handful of strips under an hour from here, and countless off-airport sites. Only close one with fuel and FBOs would be Talkeetna. Just out flying because it was the finest day we've had in a while, sunlight is streaming back at a rate of seven minutes per day, and the ski flying is only going to last another month or so for me.

Cheers,

-DP (aka kind of a hang around wannabe myself most days)

Cool photos, you have the greatest area known to aviation!

denalipilot wrote:Pretty nice weekend here. One Navajo pilot up on freq asked another if it was smooth on the mountain. Answer: "As smooth as the velour lapels on your baby blue leisure suit."

Man that's remote!
Be prepared or be prepared to die!

Terry wrote:Man that's remote!
Be prepared or be prepared to die!

It is and it isn't at the same time. Most summer days the mountain gets several planeloads of sightseers per hour, you can talk to people on 122.9 that are hundreds of miles in all directions, during May and June there are over 1,000 climbers in the range, most of this is in a national park with radio repeaters hidden in Wilderness areas, and there's even an overflight advisory council to address noise abatement. But if the weather really goes to crap, then you might as well be on the moon.

Took my youngest for his first flight. He loved it.

Kitfox5 wrote:Took my youngest for his first flight. He loved it.

FANTASTIC!!!!!! Love the pics!!!!! The red hair is gonna give you a run for your money when he gets alittle older

LIKE!

Kitfox5 wrote:Took my youngest for his first flight. He loved it.

Fantastic! What a grin

EB

Great stuff guys--some epic terrain up north, and an epic experience for a little superman. Thanks for sharing.

I love aviation.

Yesterday I finally used my ppl by flying Z41 to TKA by my lonesome.



Kinda tough to see, but Denali is in the background. Had a 30 kt headwind going north and a little light turbulence but otherwise it was a perfect day for flying. And I will say that that 152 climbs a lot better without my instructor in it.

So last week was spring break for the Anchorage school district and the weather was clear and calm going into the weekend. That meant we had to do something epic before school resumed, preferably involving the airplane. Friday afternoon found us up over the Chugach Glaciers looking at the nordic training center on the Eagle Glacier and Rosie's Roost on the Eklutina Traverse. We dropped into Lake George to check out the ice bergs and found one worthy of climbing. Back we went on Saturday with appropriate gear and spent a great afternoon on the vertical ice. Sunday a niece arrived from competing in the junior national nordic ski races in Fairbanks and of course she needed a scenic ride in the airplane so we did a lap around Mt. Susitna and landed in a bog for a sunny Sunday snowshoe. It is hard to top Alaska's awesome spring ski flying three days in a row!

Looking southeast over Lake George at Colony Glacier with climbers in front of berg and 170B behind berg


Ice climbing on the sunny side


Sunny Sunday snowshoe in a bog north of Mt. Susitna

It was finally a beautiful day, after many days of low clouds and low visibility, in the pacific northwest. I made a trip out to the Olympic Peninsula with a stop in Port Townsend for Lunch and then out to Sekiu (Clallam Bay) because I've never been there. I of course forgot my camera, but had my Spot. Not super remote, but is 2 more hours in the log book than I had yesterday

Took a gal out to Nehalem yesterday:


Saw a couple of whales on the way.


She was sweet saying I fulfilled a bucket list item she didn't even know she had.

Pro tip: Always give your gal the good ANR headset. My wife gets the Zulus, I have to run the 3G's. Of course if you never give her the good ANR's, she won't know what's she missing.

Zzz wrote:Pro tip: Always give your gal the good ANR headset. My wife gets the Zulus, I have to run the 3G's. Of course if you never give her the good ANR's, she won't know what's she missing.

Good one Zane. I shouldn't have let my mrs know what she was missing either. Ended up buying her Zulu 2s for her birthday, then an engagement ring, then a wedding...
Been an expensive year, so not many upgrades to tye ol citab for a couple years.

iceman wrote:

175 magnum wrote:"That's just about clubbing size isn't it??"

Too big and too dark for the fir to be valuable.But when he grows up he sure as hell will eat ALL your fish and crap on your seaweed. Tough decisions.

no shit,, went lobster fishing with a buddy last week... damn seal broke open all our bait boxes while the hoop nets were on the bottom and ate all the bait.. turned out to be a boat ride.. no lobster...cute little seals.. tried slamming one with a boat hook a couple times.. theyre too fast..and you can't outrun em either... had one swimming alongside at 20 knots...

Hey ice,
Up here in the north side of Kali,we use chicken for bait.
Good for crab,and lobster and the seals don't like it.
If you use salmon or any other fish,they will pic it apart.
Chuck

OK we'll try it but season is closed until October now... went last week again with stronger bait boxes... it worked but seals grabbed the nets on the way up and grabbed the lobsters out.. didn't get one.. a couple other guys had the same problem... pull the nets and about halfway up they get so heavy you almost can't pull them.. that's when the damn seal is on and in the net..

A local flight, my first back on the Airstreaks/no skis. At the 9K level right behind my place, two backcountry bad asses get unskinned after hiking up to the top of the Portnuef Range and get ready to make a few runs down the "the backside". The ski area is on "the front side", going out of bounds gets you to the really good stuff, but involves a little work. We had 15" of fresh powder in the last couple days, some of the best conditions of the year!