Evan Reiter Share Posted July 14, 2012 Welcome to Alaska! We'll feature PANC, PAFA, PADQ, and PAVD until July 22 but there are a number of challenging, fascinating, and truly beautiful things that I think you should do before the Getaway is over. Most of them aren't at the featured airports but are still within the Anchorage ARTCC and controlled airspace. Checklist: what to do before the end of the Alaska Getaway... Fly the VFR Challenge. It will be one of the only times you get to talk to a Flight Service Station on BVA -- and one of the only times that talking to FSS is actually required while you're inside Class E airspace. July 21 at 7pm ET.Fly into or out of PAJN. The LDA X RWY 8 approach at Juneau ends with a "fly visual to airport 3.2nm" because of a large cliff on final approach. Of course, the other side of the runway with sharply rising terrain isn't a whole lot better. The flight to PAJN is about an hour and a half from Anchorage (and around the same distance from Seattle) but well worth the trip.Merrill Field Airport (PAMR). With a neat 90 degree runway configuration and right next to Anchorage International, Merrill Field Airport is a must-see for VFR traffic. Barrow Airport (PABR). The northernmost point in the United States, Barrow Alaska is another interesting airport to visit. If you've ever wanted to visit the far north, PABR is the place to go (I can't promise FSX's default scenery will live up to expectations, though).Fly a long haul into PANC. Anchorage International is the second busiest cargo airport in the United States as well as a frequency fuel stopover for long haul flights to and from the far east. Fly overnight, while ATC is offline, or better yet plan a long haul to arrive when ATC is signed up on the Timetable. For those a bit less ambitious, Sitka (PASI) and several other airports which are commercially served are several hours from Anchorage.Visit Lake Hood, the largest and busiest float plane area in the world, also conveniently located next to Anchorage airport. The default Beaver, Goose, or any other payware seaplane would be ideal. There is a LOT to do and see in a very short time so I encourage everyone to take advantage of the ATC and enjoy this unique airspace while we have it. Feel free to add your own "musts" to the list. And, as an optional bonus to those who are certified -- control Center, so I can actually fly in controlled airspace during the Getaway and don't have to spend the entire event behind a scope! Evan Reiter Community Director Administration Team Link to comment
Evan Reiter Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 ADD: Have fun with ZAN at 1:06am ET (only 9:06pm local time). ZAN_July13.mp3[/attachment:2yk6pnhx] ASA14 squawked 7500, and FDX291 used a jump to hyperspeed to make the trip from KPDX in about 30 minutes. Evan Reiter Community Director Administration Team Link to comment
