02-14-2010, 12:00 PM
After all supply flights for this years Iditarod race are finished, I'm on standby at Merrill Field AK (PAMR), near Anchorage for touring flights.
Friday, a group of 8 tourists went to the TCAA terminal at Merrill Field and chartered the Quest Kodiak for the Extreme Tour-1, me being the lucky pilot to fly them around.
This is a 2-day adventure where we treat our passengers to an over fly of the North route of the Iditarod Trail, while landing at a few checkpoints.
So yesterday we went on for day one of this tour.
I arrived at Merrill Field pretty early to prepare the Kodiak and it was cold but with good visibility.
Once the tourists arrived, we left Merrill Field at first light for our first destination, Finger Lake where we would have breakfast at the lodge.
Enroute to Finger lake, enjoying the beautifull sunrise behind us while cruising at 6500 ft.
[attachment=1288]
[attachment=1289]
About 38 minutes later we arrived at Finger lake.
Not all of the lake frozen yet, but I managed to find a nice spot to settle the Kodiak down on a nearby shore... good thing since we went for the wheel version...
[attachment=1290]
We all enjoyed a good breakfast at the Winter Lake Lodge, and I couldn't resist having a taste of the hot chili simmering on the stove... a real treat!
Now off we went for the next leg taking us to Mc Grath (PAMC) while overflying Nikolai (PAFS).
The sun was already well up while climbing out of Finger Lake towards our cruising altitude of 8500 ft for this leg
[attachment=1291]
[attachment=1292]
When arriving at the plains near Farewell Lake (PAFW) enroute to Nikolai, lower clouds started to form, so we descended to fly the last part of this leg at 4500 ft.
[attachment=1293]
And after about 45 minutes of flying we arrived at Mc Grath where the passengers got the tour of our TCAA operations center.
[attachment=1294]
Time also for a quick bathroom stop and off we went on the leg to Kaltag (KAL) while overflying Takotna (TCT), Ophir (Z17), Cripple, Ruby (PARY), Galena (PAGA) and Nulato (PANU).
Climbing out of Mc Grath to an altitude of 4500 ft...
[attachment=1295]
and very soon we were overflying Takotna...
[attachment=1296]
Ruby...
[attachment=1297]
and later on final approach into Kaltag after about 1 hour and 15 minutes of flying...
[attachment=1298]
[attachment=1299]
This was merely a bathroom stop, so very soon we were off for the final leg towards our destination of day-1 being Nome (PAOM).
Along the way during this leg we would overfly Unalakleet (PAUN) and Shaktoolik (PFSH).
Climbing out of Kaltag to an altitude of 4500 ft.
[attachment=1300]
Overflying Unalakleet... we had a few online flights here during last years Iditarod...
[attachment=1301]
[attachment=1302]
And passing Shaktoolik...
[attachment=1303]
To finally arrive at Nome, with a good view at the airport and town.
[attachment=1304]
Due to the wind conditions, I made a turn over the water and went for a Final approach to RWY 03...
[attachment=1305]
And in no time we were enjoying some hot coffee in the TCAA building at the airport.
[attachment=1306]
That concludes day one of this 2-day trip.
We are staying at the Nome Nugget Inn and will have dinner at Fast Freddie's Restaurant.
After dinner a visit to the Board of Trade Saloon, built in 1900, is on our schedule.
To be continued ....
Credits:
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Hifisim's Active Sky Advanced and XGraphics
Ultimate Alaska X
Chico's FSX Iditarod scenery
Lionheart Quest Kodiak
Friday, a group of 8 tourists went to the TCAA terminal at Merrill Field and chartered the Quest Kodiak for the Extreme Tour-1, me being the lucky pilot to fly them around.
This is a 2-day adventure where we treat our passengers to an over fly of the North route of the Iditarod Trail, while landing at a few checkpoints.
So yesterday we went on for day one of this tour.
I arrived at Merrill Field pretty early to prepare the Kodiak and it was cold but with good visibility.
Once the tourists arrived, we left Merrill Field at first light for our first destination, Finger Lake where we would have breakfast at the lodge.
Enroute to Finger lake, enjoying the beautifull sunrise behind us while cruising at 6500 ft.
[attachment=1288]
[attachment=1289]
About 38 minutes later we arrived at Finger lake.
Not all of the lake frozen yet, but I managed to find a nice spot to settle the Kodiak down on a nearby shore... good thing since we went for the wheel version...
[attachment=1290]
We all enjoyed a good breakfast at the Winter Lake Lodge, and I couldn't resist having a taste of the hot chili simmering on the stove... a real treat!
Now off we went for the next leg taking us to Mc Grath (PAMC) while overflying Nikolai (PAFS).
The sun was already well up while climbing out of Finger Lake towards our cruising altitude of 8500 ft for this leg
[attachment=1291]
[attachment=1292]
When arriving at the plains near Farewell Lake (PAFW) enroute to Nikolai, lower clouds started to form, so we descended to fly the last part of this leg at 4500 ft.
[attachment=1293]
And after about 45 minutes of flying we arrived at Mc Grath where the passengers got the tour of our TCAA operations center.
[attachment=1294]
Time also for a quick bathroom stop and off we went on the leg to Kaltag (KAL) while overflying Takotna (TCT), Ophir (Z17), Cripple, Ruby (PARY), Galena (PAGA) and Nulato (PANU).
Climbing out of Mc Grath to an altitude of 4500 ft...
[attachment=1295]
and very soon we were overflying Takotna...
[attachment=1296]
Ruby...
[attachment=1297]
and later on final approach into Kaltag after about 1 hour and 15 minutes of flying...
[attachment=1298]
[attachment=1299]
This was merely a bathroom stop, so very soon we were off for the final leg towards our destination of day-1 being Nome (PAOM).
Along the way during this leg we would overfly Unalakleet (PAUN) and Shaktoolik (PFSH).
Climbing out of Kaltag to an altitude of 4500 ft.
[attachment=1300]
Overflying Unalakleet... we had a few online flights here during last years Iditarod...
[attachment=1301]
[attachment=1302]
And passing Shaktoolik...
[attachment=1303]
To finally arrive at Nome, with a good view at the airport and town.
[attachment=1304]
Due to the wind conditions, I made a turn over the water and went for a Final approach to RWY 03...
[attachment=1305]
And in no time we were enjoying some hot coffee in the TCAA building at the airport.
[attachment=1306]
That concludes day one of this 2-day trip.
We are staying at the Nome Nugget Inn and will have dinner at Fast Freddie's Restaurant.
After dinner a visit to the Board of Trade Saloon, built in 1900, is on our schedule.
To be continued ....
Credits:
Microsoft Flight Simulator X
Hifisim's Active Sky Advanced and XGraphics
Ultimate Alaska X
Chico's FSX Iditarod scenery
Lionheart Quest Kodiak
