What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Alaska the perfect trip

texdog

Well Known Member
We had the perfect trip from Lethbridge to Anchorage up the Alcan Highway. At least a 5 kt. tailwind and sometimes 25, the lowest ceiling was 6500 and that was on the prairie. Not much turbulence over the mountains and we flew mostly st 8,500 ft. The airplane ran great, added one qt. of oil from Texas to Anchorage. Three days from Sheridan, Wyoming and one day from Fredericksbug for a total of four flying days, two of which were over 6 hours. We never saw or heard any other airplanes except local trainers or airliners until we got to Whitehorse and there was a C-185 and a C-206 headed to Anchorage, we left them in the dust!
It was nice to have my wife, Judie, to fly some of the legs.

What i learned, it?s an easy trip if you plan and check ahead. You can depart from any airport in the USA, but eAPIS won?t take just any airport, so just put in the nearest approved departure airport from their list. Check the airports your landing at ahead, the day before. Ft. Nelson was Victoria Day weekend for three days, $50.00 call out fee. Watson Lake, no fuel for three days to replace fuel pumps. Yes, Whitehorse does have self fuel 100LL even though the chart doesn?t show it. You can get customs at Northway, but it?s limited. I could only get clearance at 0900 and I didn?t find out until 0730 and it?s 1.6 from Whitehorse, by the way the customs number is good 24 hours. Their website is confusing and leaves the impression that they don?t open until 8. Depart Whitehorse, land Tok, runway is paved, get fuel and go to Fairbanks or Anchorage and clear. Be sure you call from Whitehorse. Anchorage customs, passport, pilots license, good to go. ATC, be firm, they tried to run me out into the gulf, I refused the clearance and told them I wanted to go direct. I said I don?t think I can catch the Boeing 747 I?m following, but if you don?t like 20 mile finals over water, tell them so. The 74 was at the gate, shut down before I landed. Customs is at gate November 2, west of the tower.
More later.
 
Glad to hear about trip success. Looking forward for another installment. Pictures please :)
 
Glad someone is getting somewhere. We've been sitting in CO for almost a week waiting for decent enough weather to head north. Tried today and got to the Wasatch in UT and had to turn around and come home. Seems the weather is just stalled, no big stuff but enough to keep us from getting out of the US. Canada looks perfect, but just can't get there from here.

Frustrated.
 
Alaska

A bit more practical information. Landing Lethbridge customs is on the right, South end of the terminal, no agent for me. Go in the door, turn right, there is a yellow phone on the wall that customs will eventually answer in English. Have passport numbers and Canpass number if they ask for it. The fuel truck will fill you up, pay at the FBO and you are on your way.

Ft. Nelson, DO NOT TAXI TO THE BIG TIRES, stop short and push or pull down the hump, it is very rough and you could break your wheel pants. Have your own ropes. Best hotel is the Woodford, they will shuttle you both ways. There is a open door on the north end of the hangar past the double decker hangar east of the tower.

Watson Lake, do not stay here, 20 miles to town and the natives don?t like us. No one there, but the FSS man. New fuel pumps last week, I haven?t used them.
No flight service, you have to close with Whitehorse, check for frequency. This is good for camping only.

Whitehorse, fuel on west end, good self service. Check for code to get back into airport. I think it?s 1 and 5 together, then 2, but check. Best to park just east of the terminal. West Mark hotel has a shuttle. I don?t think you can camp at Whitehorse.

If you can?t clear at Northway. File eAPIS night before and call CBP early in the morning to see if you can get a time. If not they will ask when you can get to Fairbanks or Anchorage. Call back tell them you need to land at Tok for fuel and go on your way.
 
I copied the following from another post of mine 'cause it's appropriate on this thread, too.

Just returned after another foray to Juneau, and this particularly sticks in my mind:

You absolutely must have cell coverage for border crossing operations. Make double-d***-sure your phone will work throughout your trip in Canada as well as the USA. The coverage maps may look good, but pitfalls exist in network usage. The principle need is reporting your arrival to CBPA (having previously arranged arrival - by phone) and establishing an appointment with CBP - by phone - to reenter the US. Canada simply doesn't have the critical aviation mass to fund staffed airports and FBOs at every podunk field - even larger ones. Finding a landline can be next to impossible especially on Sundays. This is all on top of web access for filing e-PIS* notices.

Related, refueling isn't as easy as the US. Make sure fuel can actually be purchased when you arrive. Self-serve is not nearly as widespread as the 48 and fueling from the only FBO might bump into bankers' hours. Again, a working cell is very important for nosing around. Don't let the four-spokes symbol make you complacent. My wanderings tend to be in BC and YK; maybe it's better in the eastward provinces.

What's really nice is Canada and Alaska FSS services. Alaska did not adopt the Lockheed FSS model. You can walk into an FSS, though they are not numerous, for a personal briefing and, most delightfully, when you ring them on the radio you get immediate "how can I help you" responses, not a reading of the FARs, 20 questions, and VFR not recommended. Canada (at least Pacific and Edmonton Radios) are the same. How nice to receive service instead of a lecture.

John Siebold
 
Leaving Alaska

Anyone leaving the Anchorage area Saturday or Sunday? Judie and I are headed down the Alcan, weather permitting.
 
I knew I would pay

We had a great 10 days in Alaska, Kennicott, Danali and visits with friends and just watching takeoffs and landings in Anchorage and Talkeetna. Now it?s time to go back to Texas. Wait two days for the Chickaloon pass to open so we can get to Tok. Wait for thunderstorms to pass to get to Whitehorse, file eAPIS late for weather, but Canadian customs is ok. Delayed a day in Whitehorse for weather, can?t get to Watson Lake. Depart early the next day, can?t make the pass and return to Teslin, gravel, mud, but it works ok. Full aft stick, don?t slow down all the way to parking. No prop, flap or dings anywhere. Unfriendly Nav Canada airport operator, no food, no hotel, two hour wait and a helicopter pilot says I can make Watson Lake, we do. No one has been east of Watson Lake, we made it to Ft. Nelson, 300 AGL at times and 12,500 ft. For a while. OAT was minus 8 and carb heat could barely keep carb heat above 93 degrees, normally 127. We got to Grande Prairie last night after 12 hours of weather decisions and a perfect running airplane. Sat all day today at the FBO, Happy Gas, a very good operation, waiting for VFR. No IFR because of icing and thunderstorms. The takeaway is be patient, we will try again tomorrow. I?m so happy to have Judie, the other pilot on this trip to help in every way. More later.
 
Good job Fred. They don't give Master Pilot Award for nothing. Your next three trips to Alaska will be less challenging.
 
Thanks Vlad

We are still in Grand Prairie, low ceilings in Calgary and icing in the clouds above 4,000.
 
Alaska

I will file the final report which will include logistics, cost. Judie is working on the spread sheet for fuel, hotels, food, entertainment, rent cars and all the other expenses. We had a wonderful trip and would encourage anyone to do it. Some of it is potluck, we had weather delays, but now it?s fire season and smoke to contend with.
 
Alaska, the rest of the story and cost.

After two nights in Grande Prairie at Judies favorite FBO, Happy Gas, we had a window to depart at 2 PM. Grande Praire was good VFR but a lot of showers around Calgary. We couldn?t get past the rain and had to return to Edson, 50 extra miles, refuel and try again. The weather lifted west of Calgary and we made it to Lethbridge. We got one of the last motel rooms because of a soccer tournament. The motel owner said, ?don?t expect much and you won?t be disappointed?. He was right but it was a bed not a hangar floor.

Early departure the next morning for Cutbank, Mt., good old USA. Customs had been very easy and accomadating. I filed an e-APIS three days before and never had to file again because of weather delays. I did call every day. 1.5 hrs. to clear customs because they were training someone. We helped a couple that were ferrying a C-172 to Alaska and told them the weather was good enough to get to Lethbridge, 700 overcast and 10 miles. Departed Cutbank with hopes of Billings, Mt. or Buffalo, Wy. didn?t happen, snow and 2 miles visibility on June 7. We did make it to Miles City, Mt. for fuel and off again, couldn?t go direct anywhere low ceilings with rain. I had a FBO in Wyoming for 10 years and knew the country well so we headed for Crazy Woman VOR, my favorite place. We made it around Pumpkin Buttes and headed for Torrington, Wy. good fuel stop and a dog named Fred, who I?ve know for 10 years. Holiday Inn has a shuttle and it?s next to a truck stop with a restaurant and a bar. Left Trrington early Sunday stopped in Denver to visit a sick friend over night. Front Range is the place in Denver, $5.00 overnight and rent car right away and I never talked to approach.

Left early Monday to get home. Stopped in Borger, Tx. for fuel and lunch. Free crew car and a great hamburger. Taxi out and start runup and Judie says smoke in the cockpit, she was right there was smoke in the cockpit. Taxi back, take the cowling off, 90 degrees outside, can?t see anything. I do a test flight and can?t replicate the problem, so I land pickup Judie and we are on our last 2 hour leg home to Fredericksburg, Tx. I make a great landing, but the airplane won?t roll, flat tire on right main. I see a friends hangar open and call him, they bring a dolly and tow bar and 15 minutes later we are in the hangar. No damage and the smoke probably came from me checking the oil and dribbling a little oil on the exhaust stack.

The bottom line how much did it cost? We stayed with friends in Anchorage, no hotel cost, however we ate out a lot so the food cost were higher. We didn't camp at all. The hotel at Kennicott was expense, $300.00 a night, but worth it for two nights. Here is the breakdown, Judie kept very good receipts and records. All numbers have been calculated for good ole American dollars.

Fuel $1,762,00
Oil 8.00
Fees Nav Canada 17.64
Hangar and tie downs 267.00
Lodging 1,276.00
Rent cars and taxi 749.00
Food 1,773.00

Grand total $5,852.64

We didn't include our survival vest or contents, they can be reused. Would we do it again, absolutely !
 
....Here is the breakdown, Judie kept very good receipts and records. All numbers have been calculated for good ole American dollars.

Fuel $1,762,00
Oil 8.00
Fees Nav Canada 17.64
Hangar and tie downs 267.00
Lodging 1,276.00
Rent cars and taxi 749.00
Food 1,773.00

Grand total $5,852.64

We didn't include our survival vest or contents, they can be reused. Would we do it again, absolutely !


Interesting statistics thanks for breakdown Fred. First time I see the cost of food exceeds the price of mega trip fuel. How many flying hours was total?
 
Food and fuel

Vlad,
We did include booze! The important thing was lodging we stayed with friends in Anchorage for several nights for free and thought it was fair to buy their food, so we ate breakfast and dinner out a lot and we didn?t go cheap. They were very nice host and also gave us a free hangar.

Fuel, we flew 44 hours round trip. If you average 9 gallons an hour for 44 hours, that?s 396 gallons at $4.50 a gallon average, that?s $1,782.00. Fuel in the US was usually under four dollars and closer to 5 bucks in Canada. I did fly up at 8,500 to 10,500, lean of peak, about 8.2 GPH. On return I have no idea, a lot at 3 or 400 ft. indicating 120 knots, some at 12,500, minus 8 degrees. Most of the way going up and back I had a tail wind and I didn?t stray from the Alcan. I did deviate some in Montana and Wyoming, which added miles, but the tailwind helped.
 
I knew I saw an RV taking off from Miles City!!! Co-worker said I was crazy. Next time if you need a place to stay let me know id be happy to accommodate!
 
Back
Top