Flying to Alaska

[88_MALIBU]

Looking at flying a Maule on Wips to Alaska this July, does anyone have any route suggestions? Coming from MN and would like to start through Washington and up.

 

[A Squared]

Straight Floats or amphibs?

 

[88_MALIBU]

phibs-takes the fun out I know. Ideally would like to find a seaplane route, but realize those types might be rare on here.

 

[A Squared]

If you're on amphibs, it makes things easier.

"Ideally would like to find a seaplane route"

That is entirely possible, but it's a lot of work. All my trips have been in wheel planes, I've never done it in a floatplane, although I know people who have. While most of the larger towns along the way have some water around them, it seems to me that it's usually a river. I'm not a real big fan of leaving a floatplane in a river overnight, especially when I would have the option of leaving it on dry ground.

Here's a link to a thread on flying to Alaska from a while back: http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11415

You may find some useful information there.

For your trip you'll want Canadian Charts (obviously) and the Canadian Flight Supplement which is like our Airport and Facilities Directory, except that it includes all of Canada in one book. There is also a Canadian Water Aerodrome Supplement. these are all available from Sporty's, probably the best place in the US to get Canadian publications. Nav Canada publishes a special VFR Chart for the Alaska Highway. It is at Sectional Scale and covers the Alaska Highway from Fort Nelson to Alaska. This is also available from Sporty's.

If you don't already have it, the SPA Water Landing Directory has much useful information. In Alaska, you'll want VFR charts and the Alaska Chart Supplement. It's a NACO publication very similar the A/F D for the lower 48, but it has a wealth of other information about flying in Alaska. Sporty's carries Alaska WACs and Sectionals and the Alaska Supplement.

Routes:

Personally, if it was me and I wanted to get from MN to Alaska, I'd follow the Alaska highway, but that's just me. I'd probably go Edmonton, Ft. St. John, Ft Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Northway, then on to wherever you're headed in Alaska. The Alaska Highway has the most options as far as fuel, services, lodging, and landing alternates.

If you're set on coming up from Washington, you could come up the coast, or fly the "trench".

The trench route takes you from the Vancouver area along the Fraser River valley to Prince George, then along Williston lake and through a long valley to Whitehorse, then along hte highway into Alaska The leg from Prince George is a long stretch (440 NM) with no weather reporting, no fuel and only a few seasonal landing strips. With an Amphib, you'll have more options to land and wait out weather, but there's still no fuel, and if the weather is low, you're locked into following the valley. Even if the weather is clear, diverting from that route once you've begun is a long detour over many very large mountains. If you have the means to carry extra fuel, I would recommend it highly. Take camping gear, check the weather carefully.

Coastal Route:

This route has probably the worst weather, plan on waiting for weather quite a bit. If you're on a schedule, it might be best to avoid the coastal route. If you look at the charts, you'll see many Seaplane Bases depicted. Be aware that virtually all of these are salt water. Very few will have fuel available. Through Alaska, Fuel will only be available at Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Juneau, and Haines, and that's at You might find fuel at some other places, but it's unlikely. Think carefully about flying along the coast in a single engine airplane. Southeast Alaska is rather airplane hostile. In most areas, your emergency landing options are limited to very cold ocean, or steep mountans with lots of very big trees. Yeah, you're in a floatplane, and that does give you more options, but an open water landing is going to be about as bad as crashing into the rocks, unless the water is unusually calm, or you happen to be over protected water if the engine fails.

I'm not saying not to chose any particular route, I'm just saying do your homework and make your decisions based on a realistic picture of the hazards involved, and the options available.

Be cognizant that this is not like flying in the lower 48, even northern Minnesota. It seems every year, folks come up from the lower 48 and kill themselves. Last year I think there were 4 fatal accidents of planes from down south. If I recall correctly, Wx was a factor in each one, and htey all happened in Southeast Alaska. Not trying to scare you off, just trying to emphasize that things can and do go badly. Do you homework, respect the environment and always have an "out" available. If you approach it with the right attitude, it will ba a fun, safe trip of a lifetime. Feel free to ask more questions.

 

[88_MALIBU]

Thanks a million for the wealth of information. I am still in the planning stages and it is nice to talk to someone with firsthand experience. I am printing off your post so I can start putting names to a map, thanks again, I am sure I will have more questions via PM in the next few months.
Blake

 

[Launchpad]

I fly from SEA to Hakai pass/rivers inlet everyday. About 2 hours beyond that is Ketchikan. Let me know if you need any route planning advice to that point. Just for reference, SEA to Port McNeil or Port Hardy is about 3 hours or so. You could get some juice there and then Ketchikan would be about 3 hours past that. If you go between now and the end of July, you could follow us up there if you want. Depending on the day, it can get a little ugly going through the interior of BC.


Later.