Alaska
flying guide for cirrus pilots
Table of Contents
Introduction and
Plans for Summer 2005 (Updated
January 15, 2005)
A brief discussion of the challenges and rewards of flying
to Alaska; and an outline of plans for trips in the Summer of 2005.
A discussion of how the Canadian air traffic environment
differs from the US; what to expect on a VFR or IFR flight; links to Canadian
customs, weather and flight planning resources.
How long it
will take; a choice of cities where planes from the east coast and west coast
can rendezvous for the journey. Also,
five different routes to Alaska, with detailed VFR and IFR waypoints.
Section Three: Things to Do in Alaska
An overview of fifteen towns to visit with information on
numerous activities and lodging options.
Almost every one of these locations can be the base for a 4-7 day
visit. Plus a detailed overview of the
big four Alaska activities: bear
watching, fishing, flightseeing and glacier/wildlife cruises.
Section Four:
Getting Back to the US from Alaska
Don’t you dare fly home along the same route you flew on the trip up
to Alaska, when there are three routes to consider for the return trip.
Emergency equipment, satellite vs. cell phones vs. personal locator
beacons, plus the documents and practical items you’ll need to bring.
Section Six: Charts and Aeronautical Information
Where to find charts, plus airport directory information and
instrument approach procedures for the airports in Canada mentioned in this
website.
Photo Gallery:
How to Use this Guide
Like a newly-calved iceberg in the Prince William Sound, the visible text of this website represents just a fraction of the information that is available for a prospective Alaska traveler. In fact, scattered throughout this website are are more than one hundred hyperlinks (e.g., words in blue) to third party information (e.g., tourist information in a given city; FAA information). So click liberally to get the full picture of what’s available. Incidentally, hyperlinks for a city name that are followed by a four-letter airport identifier invariably open a new window with airport directory information and, if available, selected instrument approach procedures (typically 100K to 400K in size), so expect slow downloads when clicking on these links.
Compatibility
This website works best with Windows XP, Internet Explorer version 6.0 or higher, Microsoft Word 2000 or higher, and Adobe Acrobat Reader.
A high-speed broadband connection is useful in order to avoid lengthy download times for large documents such as approach plates and charts.
Contact Information
Please direct any comments or suggestions on this Alaska Flying Guide to Ilan Reich, via email or through the COPA website at username “ireich”.
Future versions of this Alaska Flying Guide will include photos and pireps from COPA members who’ve flown to Alaska, so please don’t be shy about sending submissions.
Copyright 2004 by Ilan Reich. All rights reserved. Copyrights and trademarks from third parties are the respective property of those owners.