Alaska Summer 2005

Guest Discussion
1

COPA members recently received an email describing a variety of exciting events for 2005, including the second annual COPA trip to Alaska.

Go to the Calendar of Events to express your interest or to register for the Alaska trip, and visit http://www.cirruspilots.org/public/alaskahttp://www.cirruspilots.org/public/alaska for detailed information on how to get there and back, as well as a comprehensive listing of places to see and activities to do while there. There is no limit on the number of participants (although more than one would be nice), nor is there a deadline (in fact, you can do this trip on your own at any time). But it will be helpful for the planning process to see indications from anyone who thinks they might go, as well as comments on a preferred departure date and the length of time people plan to spend in Alaska (6-9 days is probably ideal).

Like other COPA journeys, volunteers will lead the flights, provide pre-flight briefing and route guidance, provide itinerary advice on activities in Alaska, and organize group events. So far, some of the group events being planed are a flightseeing trip to Mt. McKinley either before or after a group lunch in Talkeetna; a flightseeing trip around the Kenai Peninnsula and Prince William Sound followed by dinner in Seward; and a flight over the Bering Straits to Russia as part of the Alaska Airmen’s Association’s annual trip in early August.

Like other COPA journeys, each pilot pays his/her expenses, although every effort will be made to obtain group discounts for lodging, rental cars, fuel, etc. We will also try to arrange for spare parts to be stored at an FBO in Alaska, in case anyone encounters trouble during the trip. If anyone is interested in assisting in the volunteer efforts, including being a flight leader of the group which departs from a different coast than the one I’ll be at, please let me know.

Unlike other COPA journeys, this one is quite distant and so flexibility is required on the route of flight. The weather during the summer favors VFR flight, and the highest MEA is 10,000 feet, so oxygen is not required (nonetheless, IFR skills and an O2 tank are certainly good to have). Again, the Alaska Flying Guide at http://www.cirruspilots.org/public/alaskahttp://www.cirruspilots.org/public/alaska provides a wealth of information: in fact, it was written to enable Cirrus pilots to make the journey on their own (preferably with a buddy airplane) if they wished, as well as to give guidance for the group trip in 2005.

As more people register for this event and we get closer to the June and July departure dates, I will email potential participants with further details. If you prefer to receive email through your regular email address rather than as a COPA message, please let me know.

2

With girlfriend and young son gone to Spain in June, I hope to be doing some serious flying, including visiting Alaska. It would be a bonus to meet up with fellow plastic plane owners. In fact if I can be of any help, volunteer for anything needed, I’d be pleased. I’d like to receive further information by e-mail if possible (and if you’ll have a Lancair driver at one of your dinners!).

Steve
k4h5f7s9n3-reg1@yahoo.ca

3

Since you’re apparently not a COPA member, I can’t send you emails or attachments, nor can I access your email address. The Alaska trip is scheduled for July 9-23. If you’re serious about joining, please send me your email address and I’ll forward to you a whole raft of information and attachments.

You can also access the Alaska Flying Guide for Cirrus Pilots for further information.

4

In reply to:

Since you’re apparently not a COPA member, I can’t send you emails or attachments, nor can I access your email address. The Alaska trip is scheduled for July 9-23. If you’re serious about joining, please send me your email address and I’ll forward to you a whole raft of information and attachments.
You can also access the Alaska Flying Guide for Cirrus Pilots for further information.

Ilan,

While Steve isn’t a member, he is a respected contributor to these boards. I hope things work out such that he can join the fun; and, if he does, that will add one more regret to the growing list of regrets I have because I can’t attend this year.

  • Mike.
5

Serious yes, but July doesn’t work for a long trip away from home. If I can get special permission, I’ll drop by for one or two nights’ stay. In that case I’ll advise so I can find your group.

Thanks for pointer to the wealth of information. One tip - perhaps you can add a reference for both IFR and VFR pilots to Nav Canada’s document CANADA FLIGHT SUPPLEMENT. It’s a one-book directory of every airport in the country, including facilities in the local community. With that in hand, and using NOTAM services as always, you can be comfortable using the services of the smaller towns. While there are far fewer airports in Canada, there are some suprisingly big airports in small places. For example, Hay River has two runways totalling 10,000 feet (one with ILS) to serve the population of 4,000. Accommodation needs to be verified in advance, because industry and tourists pack the action into the summer months. But the experience of staying in more remote places is worthwhile.

And the CANADA AIR PILOT is the document for instrument approach procedures. All of Nav Canada’s publications can be found here.

Good luck with all the arrangements. It looks like a big job!

6

In reply to:

perhaps you can add a reference for both IFR and VFR pilots to Nav Canada’s document CANADA FLIGHT SUPPLEMENT.

Good point. Also, you need the paper approaches as there is no downloadable version of the Canadian approaches.

One more detail is that 866-WXBRIEF does not work from the US but there are other toll free and direct numbers available that work from the US.

This helps in getting weather and NOTAMS prior to departure into Canadian airspace and also for filing flight plans.

Note that flight plans have to be ICAO format, not US. Jepp FlightStar helps a lot with this.