Flying Alaska

Taxiing out from the dock for a flight.

When we scheduled this flight instruction/time with the company in Moose Pass, it was because a dream of flying in Alaska needed to be fulfilled.  Daryl has always wanted to fly floatplanes in Alaska, but the environment is SO different than the flying he is used to that it seemed wisest to fly with someone who knew the terrain.  We struck pay-dirt with the flight instructors he is working with.

 Darlene and Evan have offered different views on flying the mountains, lakes and glaciers of the Kenai Peninsula.  Darlene is an experienced pilot having flown high performance aircraft, including Lear jets.  Evan is a relatively new pilot with just a couple of thousand of hours.  He has commercial license and instructor certificate.  Both love to fly, and love to fly Alaska in particular.

There are experienced "dock hands," as well.  They both fly, and are loving working in Alaska helping in any way they can.  Docking a plane can be tricky, and it's always good to have someone on hand who is experienced and willing to help.  It also helps that these younger players are well versed in technology, including the GoPro equipment, so Daryl could get the shots he wanted as he flew.

The flight school and lodge are located in such an idyllic location, on Trail Lake.  A nice long lake, there is lots of room for training, and learning how to read the water.  It also has a wonderful porch to sit on, as I worked on my writing, or reading, or just sat and watched the airplanes and enjoyed the beautiful summer breezes.  The temperatures have been primarily in the 60's, though the evenings have dipped considerably below that.  A few times the furnace in the camper even came on!

Daryl headed back to the dock following a flight.

You can see the difference in the water surface from one flight to the next.

View of the base from a near-by Alaska Railroad trestle.