ALASKA- Fact or Fiction

[CatcherintheSky]

I have heard the stories about guys just showing up and going for it. Bugging chief pilots until they let them sit right seat or fly 206's.

Anybody done it?

I am a CFII with about 700TT and 80 me and would love to fly in Alaska, the thought of being on your own, flying through amazing wilderness...excitement, beauty, flying...Ding sold.

Any advice appreciated.

"Live the dream. It is your life....do whatever the hell you want."

 

[embdrvr]

I got my first "real" flying job by hanging out at an airport where the CP would layover and bugging him in nice sort of way.

 

[2000flyer]

If I were you, I'd try to get a job as a CFI at Merril, then work yourself around the other operators. Just going in cold and "bugging the CP" will become very expensive, especially during the summer tourist season.

It would be my opinion that unless you have mountain experience, preferrably Alaska experience, you'd be a LONG shot at getting hired. I'm not saying it can't be done, but Alaska flying while exciting can also be very unforgiving. I've flown with a friend up there into a strip that was about 75-80' wide and roughly 1500' long. Not being current SEL, there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD I'd attempt that landing on my own for the first time. Heaven forbid the lone moose and bear that should happen to wonder out during takeoff! (Just after landing we found a moose not 20 feet from the runway!).

Just watch the NTSB website that lists daily accidents and you'll see just about one a day in Alaska. Many of those are from very experienced pilots.

I certainly don't mean to sound so discouraging. I just feel you'd have better chances getting a CFI job then making the transition to Bush flying.

IMHO.

2000Flyer

 

[Alaskaairlines]

There are quite a few guys that just go for it, drive up and talk to about every flying company here - usually most get on, but AK experience is key!

EMB, what was your first job?

Well 1500 feet is just about as short as you would want an airstrip for a loded single. I have a friend who fly Conquests, and he gets them boys in about 1800 strips. The rules say he need about 2100 for talkoff, but there is ony 1800 there - but they do it each and everyday. Some of those strips can be only 40' wide and 500' short - but thats more like for Taildraggers.

 

[2000flyer]

We went into the strip in a C206 with those honken huge tundra tires. I don't know about you guys, but I do like the way the look on aircraft, especially a Cub or Husky!

I did get some time in the aircraft as we flew around north of PANC marking moose for an upcoming hunt.

2000Flyer

 

[Alaskaairlines]

Thats lots of fun! Them tires make that Cessna look awesome, and sure nice on rough terain - just flops right over those boulders!

 

[embdrvr]

EMB, what was your first job?

Well 1500 feet is just about as short as you would want an airstrip for a loded single. I have a friend who fly Conquests, and he gets them boys in about 1800 strips. The rules say he need about 2100 for talkoff, but there is ony 1800 there - but they do it each and everyday. Some of those strips can be only 40' wide and 500' short - but thats more like for Taildraggers.

Hey Alaska,
I can't really talk about that first job until the statute of limitations runs out.


Just kidding. It was a really crappy freight flying job but I learned a lot about wx, mx, and decision making. I've flown a Conquest and you can land them pretty short. The problem with any twin on a short runway is trying to abort the takeoff when you lose an engine. In the Pt 121 world we calculate V1 or takeoff safety speed for every departure. Anything bad that happens before we attain V1 we know that we can safely abort. Problem on a short runway is that V1 is a long way from Vr (rotation speed).
Bottom line is that the short runway is fine in any twin as long as you don't ever have to do an abort.

 

[Alaskaairlines]

Right on EMBDRVR!

 

[Rick1128]

Catcher,

I would also suggest that you go the Alaska CFI route. I don't knoe of any Alaska operator that does require Alaska experience. The area is just too unforgiving not to. These operators have learn by experience that they need to do this. And it has been expensive experience. More so for some than others.

I have seen way too many pilots, show up who just gotten the seaplane rating, thinking that their now a real 'bush' pilot. They're not even close to starting to become one.

 

[Alaskaairlines]

I'd also add, those guys out in the bush do most of the flying with specials, like 1 mile vis and watching the capstone (quite nice, actually).

They are basically flying VFR in IFR conditions, some call it Bush pilot VFR.