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Aleutian Campaign. Phase One - planning.

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I have flown in that area also. I concur with the above poster. It's just not a RV friendly place. Alaska itself has many great places to fly that would be much more scenic flying. Another consideration not mentioned is if something does go wrong rescuers are going to have to put their lives on the line trying to assist. It's not a friendly place for them either. I really admire Vlad and his adventures in his RV. This one might be a bit to much of a adventure.

George
 
Hi Vlad, sure PM me. There are indeed many other great places to see in Alaska. But the Aleutians are nasty and ugly too. There are no trees, just grass covered rock islands. Theres a reason there are no trees there. Also there are years I've seen where Dutch harbor didn't see the sun 357 days of the year. If you want some adventure fly the coastal route from BLI to ANC. Even thats not easy, but you do get some decent days and its incredibly beautiful. Stop in Ketchikan, Sitka, and even Yakutat is neat. Land in Seward and walk the RR track into town. Lots to see there. Homer is a must see too. Go visit the big villages up the west coast of Bethel, Unalakleet, Nome, and Kotzebue. If you hit Kotz at the right time of year, when the lake is emptying of ice, it is a once in a lifetime event if its sunny too. Bright, shiny ice sliding down the beach at 10 knots with the sound of a million crystals hitting each other. I seen it once and it's something I'll never forget. Hit one of the tiny isolated villages like Savoonga. People will come out to greet you. Give you a ride on their ATV into town for some microwave food at the town store. There is so much to see. Why go to the Aleutians? The only thing I can think of is a WW2 base that people want to turn into a museum. It is off-limits now, but I know surveyors who went there and said it was a time warp of 1945 when it was abandoned with everything in place. That I'd like to see. But can't do it yet.
 
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Been there

I've been out there and while it sounds like a grand adventure, I would advise against it, especially in a small aircraft like the RV. Find another part of Alaska. There are many other beautiful places to fly and experience without the risks that the Aleutians present.
 
Vlad said:
No, not at all. I am very cautious by nature ...
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Vlad,

You say that you are very cautious, yet you persist in this dream despite strong recommendations to the contrary from many experienced Alaska pilots. If you truly are cautious, you should follow their advice.

Fly safe, have fun,
 
Kevin Horton said:
Vlad,

You say that you are very cautious, yet you persist in this dream despite strong recommendations to the contrary from many experienced Alaska pilots. If you truly are cautious, you should follow their advice.

Fly safe, have fun,
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It would be interesting to run a poll sometimes late June. I would love to get at least 5% GO-VOTES from those who were there :)
 
Alaska

Vlad, I would also encourage you to listen to the recent advice. Alaska can be very beautiful, but also very unforgiving. We had 3 people die last year on our trip because they were pushing the weather. Weather stations are few and far bewteen, and even less so where you are planning to go. And the weather out there is not predictable, and the scenery isn't exactly breathtaking. But the rest of ALaska is so breathtaking that sometimes you can be in sensory overload and not even know which way to look. Take a look at the HD video that we put together from our trip, and I assure you that you will want to go elsewhere.

I'm sure I probably speak for everyone on this list in that it would be a very terrible thing and a loss to all of us if your planned trip gets the best of you. :(

Vic
 
From one of my favorite movies, Heaven can Wait - The odds of someone being right are in direct proportion to the number of those trying to prove him wrong.
 
Here is a most valuable site for Alaska weather. I spend a lot of time looking here. Cameras are updated every 10 minutes. There are cams at Dutch too. Its cool to look at even if you don't plan to go. There are over 200 cameras in Alaska now, and they add more every year. Its a beautiful day today in Dutch and Cold Bay. All my experience starts in May so I can't tell you about weather this time of year. Someone said July/August but I disagree. That's the best months for mainland AK but I've found May best for the Aleutians.

http://akweathercams.faa.gov/index.php
 
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You may as well go out to Amchitka if you do it and cross the date line. I still enjoy looking back at my log book where I take off one day and land the day before :)
 
Still going to try?

I will be in Dutch Harbor until the 6th of June. Weather has been really good for the past 3 weeks, by Dutch Harbor standards anyway.
 
Elwell81 said:
I will be in Dutch Harbor until the 6th of June. Weather has been really good for the past 3 weeks, by Dutch Harbor standards anyway.
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Watching FAA cams pretty much every day it was showing great weather at DH last week. Andy I am planning mid July if you are still there PM me.
 
I would feel quite happy carrying my Taurus "Judge", with .45 cal and 410 shotgun shells, lots of loads to choose from too.
 
DonFromTX said:
I would feel quite happy carrying my Taurus "Judge", with .45 cal and 410 shotgun shells, lots of loads to choose from too.
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Get your AF1 in the air ASAP and join me Don. I may need a well armed escort. I've heard there is a lot of caribou on some islands :D
 
Of course, and neither is my pilots license without a medical! I was on the assumption we were going to mail our firearms to Alaska.
 
Thanks, I would love nothing more! Canada won't allow me to fly without a medical, so I would have a long overwater portion to avoid Canada.
Vlad said:
Get your AF1 in the air ASAP and join me Don. I may need a well armed escort. I've heard there is a lot of caribou on some islands :D
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Guns in Canada

N941WR said:
You can't take a hand gun because you go through Canada, and they are not allowed.
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Look at the Rossi Ranch Hand, available in .44 Mag. It is considered a handgun in the US but not so in Canada. It's smaller than a rifle or shotgun and should fit on your gun rack in the back window of the RV.
 
DonFromTX said:
Of course, and neither is my pilots license without a medical! I was on the assumption we were going to mail our firearms to Alaska.
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You can't ship a firearm through the postal service; UPS, FedX, etc. are OK. Of course, you have to have someone to sign for it when it arrives. Even then, those shippers don't want to handle them any more. (I tired to send a hand gun and ammo to a friend who moved and left me some "toys" for safe keeping and it was such a pain I wound up holding on them until I drove two days to visit.)
 
Long guns need to be a certain length barrel to qualify in Canada.

Vlad, we've arrived at the Atlin cabin and just today got the internet set up here (for better or worse). We're only running it occasionally since we're off-grid and don't really want to spend all day on a computer so we turn it off most of the time. Looking forward to your visit.

Cheers,
Greg
 
i just did a current wx brief for vlads route and found decent wx. some 500 ft ceilings, good surface winds. :)
Loc Time
(AKDT) Cat Vis Wx Sky
Cover Wind
(Magnetic) Temp Dew
Point Altim Hum Dens
Alt Remarks
PADQ 3:53 AM VFR 10 sm Scattered 8000', Broken 20000' 250? at 6 kt 36.0?F 33.1?F 29.84" 89% -1267' Sea level pressure 29.84" Hg; Smoke; Scattered 8000'; 6-hr high: 48.9 F; 6-hr low: 36.0 F; 3-hr pressure trend rapidly decreased 0.01" Hg
PAPH 3:56 AM IFR 10 sm Overcast 500' 210? at 5 kt 41.0?F 35.6?F 29.95" 81% -1017' 6-hr high: 42.8 F; 6-hr low: 41.0 F; 3-hr pressure trend steadily decreased 0.01" Hg
PAJC 3:56 AM VFR 10 sm Overcast 9500' Calm 42.8?F 37.4?F 29.90" 81% -925' 0.01" of precip in last 24 hours; 6-hr high: 44.6 F; 6-hr low: 42.8 F; 3-hr pressure trend steadily decreased 0.01" Hg
PAOU 3:56 AM VFR 6 sm Haze Scattered 700' Calm 41.0?F 29.94" Thunderstorm info not available; 3-hr pressure trend increased, then decreased 0.0" Hg; 6-hr high: 41.0 F; 6-hr low: 39.9 F; Sea level pressure 29.94" Hg
PASD 3:56 AM VFR 10 sm Few 2000', Broken 7000', Overcast 9500' 360? at 7 kt 44.6?F 41.0?F 29.91" 87% -795' 6-hr high: 44.6 F; 6-hr low: 44.6 F; 3-hr pressure trend steadily increased 0.01" Hg; Precip amount not available
PAVC 3:56 AM VFR 10 sm Broken 6000', Broken 8500' 240? at 13 kt 43.0?F 36.9?F 29.91" 79% -756' Thunderstorm info not available; 3-hr pressure trend decreased, then increased 0.0" Hg; Trace of precip in last 6 hours; 6-hr high: 45.0 F; 6-hr low: 41.0 F; Broken Variable; Ovc; Sea level pressure 29.92" Hg
PACD 3:53 AM IFR 8 sm Overcast 700' 340? at 6 kt 43.0?F 39.9?F 29.94" 89% -844' Sea level pressure 29.94" Hg; 0.01" of precip in last 6 hours; 0.02" of precip in last 24 hours; 6-hr high: 44.1 F; 6-hr low: 42.1 F; 3-hr pressure trend rapidly decreased 0.01" Hg
PAKF 3:26 AM VFR 7 sm Light Rain Scattered 1500', Broken 3400', Overcast 4100' 270? at 17 gusting to 24 kt 42.8?F 37.4?F 29.95" 81% -983' Peak wind 270 (W) at 26 kt at 3:13 AM; Trace of precip since last report
PAUT 3:55 AM IFR 7 sm Broken 900', Overcast 1400' 300? at 22 gusting to 26 kt 39.7?F 37.6?F 30.01" 92% -1123' 6-hr high: 41.0 F; 6-hr low: 39.6 F
PADU 3:56 AM MVFR 10 sm Overcast 1700' 340? at 13 gusting to 20 kt 41.0?F 35.1?F 30.08" 79% -1260' Rain ended at 3:28 AM; Sea level pressure 30.09" Hg; Trace of precip since last report; Trace of precip in last 6 hours; 6-hr high: 42.1 F; 6-hr low: 39.9 F; 3-hr pressure trend rapidly decreased 0.01" Hg
PAAK 3:56 AM MVFR 10 sm Overcast 1500' 270? at 5 kt 37.4?F 33.8?F 30.20" 87% -1608' 6-hr high: 44.6 F; 6-hr low: 35.6 F; 3-hr pressure trend steadily decreased 0.01" Hg
PADK 3:56 AM IFR 10 sm Overcast 600' 040? at 7 kt 39.2?F 35.6?F 30.29" 87% -1627' 6-hr high: 42.8 F; 6-hr low: 39.2 F; 3-hr pressure trend steadily decreased 0.01" Hg
Pilot Reports within 50 nm of the route PADQ-PADU-PADK (past 6 hours)
None Reported
 
Very interesting find

I guess with that 70 yr old "how to" document you have all you need for your adventure ;) hope to see you before your trip. Let me know if there is anything in my hangar that would be of use to you.
 
US mail is OK to send weapons

N941WR said:
You can't ship a firearm through the postal service; UPS, FedX, etc. are OK. Of course, you have to have someone to sign for it when it arrives. Even then, those shippers don't want to handle them any more. (I tired to send a hand gun and ammo to a friend who moved and left me some "toys" for safe keeping and it was such a pain I wound up holding on them until I drove two days to visit.)
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Bill,
I was up in Idaho hunting and left one of my rifles at my sons house. UPS and FEDEX both said they would not ship them other than to a FFL. The post office accepted my rifle - as long as it was well packed and you could not tell what it was from the outside. The rule if I remember was it was being shipped by me to use at my destination or returning. I signed saying I needed to pick it up at the post office, but found it on the top of the group mailboxes in the development I live in. It sat there overnight because I was waiting to pick it up at the post office and I had no idea it was delivered to my box!

There are pretty good instructions of how to mail a weapon on the USPS website. That was last year, so who knows what the rules are now.
 
N941WR said:
You are correct, you can send firearms via the USPS, if you ship to an FFL. However, you can't mail to a friend or family member, which was my assumption.

https://www.atf.gov/content/firearms-frequently-asked-questions-unlicensed-persons
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Look a bit farther down the list. A person may mail a rifle to himself in care of another person for hunting or other lawful activity. That is just in the same state, so it doesn't help. People travel to hunt all over the states and world, they have to get their guns there somehow!
 
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I read that about the same state and discarded it because it is useless.

It makes me wonder if all these dumb laws regarding the USPS and shipping firearms came about as a resault of postal workers shooting people or because someone shipped a loaded weapon.
 
rockwoodrv9 said:
Look a bit farther down the list. A person may mail a rifle to himself in care of another person for hunting or other lawful activity. That is just in the same state, so it doesn't help. People travel to hunt all over the states and world, they have to get their guns there somehow!
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I have a cousin that loves to go big-game hunting, he spends some serious coin a couple times a year to go overseas and hunt in some pretty remote areas. He gave up long ago trying to get his weapons in/out of those countries. At first he found it relatively easy to get a favorite rifle INTO some of the countries and use it, but nearly impossible to get it back out and ship it home. Now he just goes to the location and buys a rifle there and sets it up the way he wants it, then sells it again before he leaves, usually to one of his hunting guides. He says he typically takes about a $1500 hit on the gun exchange but it gives him the ability to have whatever gun he wants set up however he wants it without having to jack around with the import/export stuff. For him the $1500 gun exchange hickey is only a couple percent of his typical trip budget, he can absorb that for the convenience. I can't.

And now that we've gone TOTALLY off the reservation on this thread drift - BACK TO VLAD AND HIS TRIP! Tell us more!
 
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GLPalinkas said:
Last post here was almost a month ago.

Vlad, any updates? Tentative dates?
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Everything as planned Gary. Wheels up on 4th of July. All CONUS stops are finalized. I will have plenty of time and Plan B if I don't like weather down the chain. I am thinking of taking a speed penalty and leave wheel fairings at home.
 
Vlad said:
Everything as planned Gary. Wheels up on 4th of July. All CONUS stops are finalized. I will have plenty of time and Plan B if I don't like weather down the chain. I am thinking of taking a speed penalty and leave wheel fairings at home.
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Awesome. Wish I could join you. Can you take the wheel pants and secure them in the passenger footwell when you need to or is that area packed with gas and food?

It should be exciting for all of us following you on your tracker. Kind of like having a "Houston" to monitor your every step. :D
 
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GLPalinkas said:
Awesome. Wish I could join you. Can you take the wheel pants and secure them in the passenger footwell when you need to or is that area packed with gas and food? :D
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Packed with gas and food Gary. Passenger seat will be removed :D
 
Wheel Pants

Vlad said:
Packed with gas and food Gary. Passenger seat will be removed :D
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How about removing them leaving them at an intermediate location on the way up (Canada or Alaska) and then picking them up and reinstalling on the return trip?

Skylor
RV-8
 
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