Yesterday I was testflying a new revision in a completely different location and thought I could try and book/offer a sightseeing flight out of Valdez PAVD and make some cash while taking the Riley Heron through its paces; but...

by the time a teleported to Valdez the weather was pretty useless, so that ended as a very, very short hop. Took off from Valdez 06, turned around and flew towards the entry of Shoup Bay and Valdez Narrows and from there just flew back to PAVD.

No cash earned, no beautiful scenery to spot; but the plane is flyable 🙂

Picked up a last-minute run to Akhiok this morning. Island Air's Islander was grounded with a left alternator issue and the cargo — mail, medical supplies, some food — had already missed one day.

Departed Kodiak Rwy 08, turned southwest and climbed to 4,500. Three Saints Bay was visible about 20 nm out of Kodiak — clear enough to continue.

Alitak Bay opened up right on cue for the descent. Gravel strip was in good shape, cargo offloaded without issues!

About 60 minutes "gate to gate"

Today's flight took me out of Wales to Shishmaref but going past the Little Diomede island. This was as closest to Russia I've ever been. Two small islands with the International Date Line running in between, allowing us to look into tomorrow... or yesterday, depending where you are.

Little Diomede has about 80 people clinging to a granite rock in the middle of the Bering Strait. No airstrip, just a helicopter pad. Supplies come in by air or, in winter, across the sea ice from Wales. Big Diomede, two and a half miles to the west, is Russian territory and has been uninhabited since the Soviet Union relocated its population in 1948. The two islands are sometimes called Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Island. From the Tecnamwe could see both at once.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomede_Islands

Shishmaref is on Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, five miles off the mainland. A quarter-mile wide and three miles long, inhabited for over 4,000 years. The airstrip runs almost the length of the island. The old runway was perpendicular but it had to be abandoned in 2005 when the shoreline ate it. Houses were subsequently built on the former runway. The new one runs lengthways now, which means it sits almost permanently in a crosswind...

In past decades the village lost over 200 feet of land to storms, sea level rise, and melting permafrost. The community has voted to relocate three times but money never came. The island keeps shrinking.

Meanwhile somewhere ...

Wales (Kiŋigin in Iñupiaq) sits at Cape Prince of Wales, the westernmost point of the North American mainland. Where the Pacific and the Arctic Ocean meet, 111 miles northwest of Nome. On a clear day you can see the Diomede Islands from the runway and, beyond them, the faint outline of Cape Dezhnev on the Russian coast. Tomorrow is already happening over there.

(see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Date_Line)

The strip is gravel, 3,990 feet, running north-south. No tower, no services, no staff. Among Alaskan pilots, a flight to Wales is considered a mark of professionalism — the wind patterns and sudden sea fogs demand precision every time. I could attest to those winds today — a beautiful day outside while the Tecnam was being pushed almost left to right of the runway. The Tecnam didn't care about reputation, but the Bering Strait does!

Thirty-eight minutes out of Point Spencer. Two legs, two edges of the world — one abandoned, one still very much alive. Wales has 168 people and no road connecting it to anywhere. The airstrip is the lifeline — mail, groceries, medevac. You land here and you feel the weight of that.

Departed Cape Lisburne at 14:26 in the Kodiak 100 for Point Hope.

Empty return leg with a single passenger - a teacher from Tikigaq School returning after medical leave in Anchorage, who had coordinated transport through the military contract flight.

Weather conditions had improved dramatically from previous operations. Temperature -22°C, clear skies, visibility approximately 20 nautical miles. First genuinely good weather in five days of flying the North Slope.

Flight followed the coastline southwest in VFR mode. The entire Lisburne Peninsula was visible - the treeless tundra meeting the frozen Chukchi Sea. Could see Point Hope from 15 miles out, the distinctive finger of land extending into the sea exactly as its Iñupiaq name Tikiġaq suggests - "index finger".

Point Hope is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in North America. The protrusion of land into the sea has brought bowhead whales close to shore for over 2,500 years, sustaining the Tikiġaġmiut people and their whaling culture. The village sits at the end of the peninsula, whale bone markers visible along the cemetery even from pattern altitude.

Landing at Point Hope at 15:08. Airport is 2 miles southwest of the village and the teacher was met by family.

Now getting ready to depart to Kivalina!

At the start of the Race, the teams are fresh & usually excited getting out of the gate & their endurance is a lot more than towards the end of the race, so the plan was to drop off supplies @ these strategic locations in preparation for the race start on Sat. eg. WPT's 074 (Skwentna), 143 (Rainy Pass), 183 (Rohn) & 230 (Nikolai)

Loaded my Beaver up today with 1000lbs of supplies (16 hay bales, camping supplies, food supplies & First Aid Supplies) & made the drops at each location.

Taking off from PAUO, Willow, with almost a full load of fuel & almost a full load of supplies to drop off, the old Beaver surprised me as she handled it quite well, even though she handle like a lumber truck the first leg. Dropped off 4 bales of hay at each location along the way and the necessary supplies deemed for each. The flight became easier with each leg being set-up & equipment tagged & signs posted.

After making this fictitious virtual run, I was tired just flying on the simulator those 4 legs & 5 landings once returning to Willow. The hours these actual pilots must put in have got to be gruelling.

Tomorrow will be another day in making more drops at other strategic locations, as they will probably become more frequent as it's anticipated that the teams are having to fight the weather, the terrain & the strain of tackling a rugged course.

Have a couple of more runs to make tomorrow up as far as Ruby and then plan on flying empty onto Unalakleet depending on the weather. Had a large load faired into Unalakleet the other day, so will pick up from there and start setting up the rest of our trail camps.

By two o'clock I had the Pilatus PC-6 loaded and sitting on the ramp at PAOM, and the load was a good one. Since the Turbo Porter has the muscle for it, I decided to haul both loads in one run — the 800 lbs in drop bags and straw bound for Golovin, plus the 400 lbs of light supplies destined for Safety. All 1,200 lbs aboard.

I had one passenger for the leg, a volunteer checker from the Golovin area who'd hitched a ride down to Nome the day before and needed to get back before the race starts. He climbed in without ceremony, buckled up, and was asleep before I cleared the end of the runway...

Winds were marginal and the sky was clear from the ground up. Visibility was technically unlimited, though the glare off the frozen Sound was something else entirely. Sunglasses were not optional.

The route to Golovin is straightforward — follow the coast east, cross the Fish River delta, pick up the rocky peninsula on the far side of Golovnin Lagoon. I crossed the lagoon at 1,500 feet, the ice below unmarked and perfect, and put her down on Golovin's gravel strip without drama.

The off-load went smoothly. Mr. Nakamura actually helped stack the straw bales, which saved me twenty minutes. The Safety supplies were counted, tagged, and stacked separately for the return leg tomorrow — Nome-bound with a stop at Safety on the way.

The Ceremonial Start is Saturday. Five days. The trail's waiting! 😎

I had the 400 lbs of cargo to Safety set aside from yesterday's drop. Loading took ten minutes. No passengers this time.

The flight itself was unremarkable in the best possible sense. Lifted off, turned west, and followed the coastline low and easy. The Bering Sea never gets old... the ice pushed up in pressure ridges along the shore, nothing moving down there for miles in any direction.

Twenty minutes of that, then the Nome-Council Road appeared below like a pencil line drawn across the snow, and the Safety Roadhouse sat right there, alone at the end of its spit with the sound on one side and the sea on the other.

I put the Porter down close to the roadhouse and the local handler came out to help unload before I'd even shut down the engine. Quick signatures, quick handshake, done!

Testing out my Map enhancement color adjustments. Not sure if I have it the way I want yet. What do you think?

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Quite different visuals: this time I'm on my Linux install (trees look so much better) and with AutoOrtho instead of X-Map,

Also in real weather and was trying to do the whole pass by heart; to the right entrance but a wrong turn after the initial steep left - it just made the flight a bit longer. Not the kind of flight one would do in real life, I guess.. but it was super cool as always as the weather closes in on this spot.

Had to go around 2 times at Rohn as I had less vis to prepare the approach. Third time still came in a bit high but it worked ok - no damage to the aircraft or the pilot - just a scare as the end of the strip was approaching, until a spin solved it ;)

Spent a few hours at Willow today; took the various Super Cubs on my hangar for some pattern work,

Basically I worked takeoffs and landings, taming these taildraggers on X-Plane 12 - dealing with torque effects and unwanted spins on both ends of the flight!

Also I'm trying to decide which of the various flight model options I like the best - EFM could be it.

One thing is sure, these are fun aircraft to fly - and iconic bush flying machines on top of that (but I don't need to tell you this) 

While I was at it I recorded a video and here it is: not best and for sure not the worst of my attempts!

(Still trying to figure the best OBS Studio settings to capture the flight while keeping the video fluid)

If I only had a smidgeon of that man's talents, I would be happy.

This is a flight I put together from CYDA Dawson City YT to D66 Delta Junction AK.

I'm thinking of posting those 5 liveries but have not decided yet.

This can be achieved by altering the acf to (P acf/_ tailnum from N639BJ to C170B) & don't forget to save your change.

Departed Kivalina at 15:31 in the Kodiak 100 for Kotzebue with four returning passengers and supplies for the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center.

Weather conditions were stable but visibility limited by Arctic haze - temperature -23°C, unlimited ceiling, but horizontal visibility reduced to approximately 5-7 miles at times. Common conditions for this time of year when temperature inversions trap ice crystals in the air.

Route followed the coastline southeast through Cape Krusenstern National Monument. Passed over Kotlik Lagoon at 15 minutes, then Krusenstern Lagoon at 25 minutes - both (should be) frozen solid and barely distinguishable from the surrounding tundra in the flat light.

Navigation was straightforward following the coastline and GPS, though visual references were muted by the haze.

Kotzebue approach began around 7 miles out when runway lights became visible through the haze. Baldwin Peninsula and the convergence of Kotzebue Sound were barely discernible. Landing at Ralph Wien Memorial at 16:12 after 41 minutes flight time. Standard winter operations at the regional hub.

Six flights so far along the North Slope and Chukchi Sea coast: Barrow → Wainwright → Point Lay → Cape Lisburne → Point Hope → Kivalina → Kotzebue

Departed Point Hipe at 15:18 for Kivalina: Freight and three passengers - two teachers returning to the new school at Kisimigiugtuq School after holiday break, plus one health aide for the village clinic.

Weather conditions remained pretty favorable. Temperatude -20ºC, good visibility. Continued southeast along the Chukchi Sea coastline at 2000 feet.

Flight route followed the barrier islands and lagoons that characterize this section of the coast. Kivalina sits at the tip on an eight-mile barrier reef island - distinct from the air, narrow strip of land between the open ocean and Kivalina Lagoon. The rock revetment installed by the Army Corps in 2010 is clearly visible along the northwest shore, designed to slow the erosion that's been threatening the village for decades.

The new school at Kisimiguigtuq Hill, seven miles inland from the village, opened in 2022 after years of planning. The evacuation road connecting the hill to the village streches across the tundra. Long term relocation plans for the entire community continue, though the barrier island still holds approximately 500 Iñupiaq residents who've called this place home for generations.

Landing at Kivalina clocked at 15:47, 37 minutes flight time. Airport sits just off the northern end of the island. Passengers and cargo offloaded. Brief exchange with locals about ice conditions - subsistence hunting remains challenging with diminishing and unpredictable sea ice.

Going to stay here for the night and get me a nice cup of coffee ASAP.

Greetings, Eagles! Still time to file one last flight for 2025!

So, continuing with the North Slope coastal run, I departed Point Lay at 13:50 in the Kodiak 100 for Cape Lisburne LRR (Long Range Radar Station).

Flight was pre-coordinated under military contract - two USAF radar technicians returning from leave, plus critical replacement components for the LRRS communication system. Landing permit approved 30 days prior per 32 CFR 855 requirements, PPR confirmed 48 hours before departure - all by the book!

Weather was marginal VFR at departure but forecast to get worse... Temperature -24°C with broken clouds at 2,500 feet. Opted to depart while conditions permitted.

Route took us southwest along the coast. Ten minutes out, weather began closing.. I was hoping to enjoy the scenery a bit more but it was not to happen. Eyes on the instruments and skipped an intended low pass at Cape Sabine (the abandoned DEW Line station). Cape Sabine was part of the same radar chain, closed in '63 when they consolidated operations at Cape Lisburne.

Flight continued in solid IMC. Conditions began improving around 8 miles from Cape Lisburne, breaking out at about 900 feet AGL. Established radio contact with the facility on 122.3 RCO - they'd been monitoring our approach. Cleared to land runway 28.

Cape Lisburne sits on the absolute northwest point of Alaska, exposed to weather from both the Arctic Ocean and Chukchi Sea.

Landing at 14:38 after 48 minutes flight time. Security met the aircraft immediately - standard protocol for civilian operations at military facilities. Technicians and equipment offloaded, paperwork completed.

The radar installation remains active as part of Alaska NORAD Region operations under the 611th Air and Space Operations Center. Some things don't change - same mission as 1951, just updated equipment!

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Went looking for a are patch of sun... Started down in Ketchikan, which was. a no-no; almost totally socked in and that wasn't the worst one... moving up N-NW along the coast checking the weather until I reached Homer. Found me a quick job flying 6 pax and their luggage plus some 900 lbs of cargo for Homer - PAHO to Seldovia - PASO. At least with a bit of sun you can see what you are doing and enjoy the scenery 😉 Trip time start to stop just under 30 minutes; 10:15 > 10:43

Enjoy the holidays!

Take off and enroute

Departed Wainwright at 12:40 in the Kodiak 100 with three passengers and mixed cargo. Two maintenance technicians from the North Slope Borough heading to Point Lay to work on the water treatment facility, and a teacher returning from Utqiagvik after the holiday break. Cargo manifest included school supplies and textbooks for Kali School, parts for the village's satellite communications system, fifteen boxes of delayed Christmas mail and packages, and replacement propane valves for residential heating systems. Standard North Slope operations - every flight is a supply line when you're 300 miles from anywhere.

Weather had improved significantly overnight - first decent conditions in four days. The Arctic winter light this time of year produces a distinctive blue cast across the tundra and frozen coastline - not quite twilight, not quite daylight. At this latitude in late December, the sun barely clears the horizon, creating hours of this peculiar blue.

Thirty minutes into the flight, made a low pass over Icy Cape. The old Air Force station is clearly visible from the air - abandoned since 1963, but the gravel runway remains distinct. Part of the original DEW Line network, same as Wainwright and Point Lay. All three stations built in 1957, part of the Cold War radar chain that stretched across the Arctic. Strange to think these remote sites once represented the front line of continental defense.

Continued southwest along the coast with the Chukchi Sea ice visible to the west. The Kodiak was light and handled smoothly. Conditions remained VFR throughout with great visibility - now I could see Point Lay from 10 miles out.

Landing at Point Lay (Kali, in Inupiaq) at 13:42. The village sits where the community relocated from the barrier islands in the 1970s - visible just offshore to the west. Met with locals for the cargo transfer. Brief conversation about yesterday's weather - apparently the same system that caught us in whiteout had closed everything down for three days straight.

The blue light conditions persisted through the entire flight. When weather cooperates out here it is the real deal, the real Winter Wonder Land!

Flying by 2AK8 Icy Cape

No surprises this time!

Seen here making a test flight from 84K, Meyer Chuck to PAPG, Peterburg Johnson Airport AK.

December 27, 2025 - PABR (Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial) → PAWI (Wainwright) - Daher Kodiak 100 (K100)

Departed Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial at 14:00 in the Kodiak 100 with cargo for Wainwright clinic - medical supplies and a backup generator that had been delayed by weather earlier in the week. Two passengers in the back: a nurse returning from holiday leave and a maintenance technician. Temperature was -28°C on the ground with overcast conditions and light snow.

Preflight took approximately 8 minutes in the cold. Engine start was routine, systems checked normal. Takeoff at 14:09 with moderate snow reducing visibility to about 2 miles.

Climbed to 2000 feet and within minutes entered solid IMC. For the next 45 minutes, flight was entirely by reference to the G1000- complete whiteout. The Kodiak handled it well, stable in the cold dense air, systems performing without issue. Passengers were quiet in the back.

Visibility remained near zero on approach to Wainwright. Descended to minimums with nothing visible. At approximately 200 feet AGL, the runway lights suddenly appeared through the snow - brief moment of tension, heard a couple of sharp intakes of breath from the cabin. Landing was firm but safe at 14:59. Everyone walked away unscathed, which makes it a good landing by any standard!

Clinic staff met the aircraft immediately. The generator was needed for backup power while they monitored a patient. Someone mentioned it was the last delivery before New Year - Christmas packages finally making it to the village three days late. Standard December operations on the North Slope.

Total block time: 59 minutes. IMC for approximately 45 minutes. The Kodiak and the G1000 did their job. So did we!

The G1000 PFD and MFD running on my tablet ended up saving my day!

Seen here making deliveries between Z93, Copper center to Z55, Lake Louise AK.

Merry Xmas Everybody.