Iditarod 2007 Agenda

Iditarod 2007 is the 9th year that TCA Alaska has flown support for the Last Great Race on Earth. This also will most likely be my last Iditarod that I will be the boss, if this happens, Capt. Jim Cameron, will take over for Iditarod 2008. It has been a lot of work, lost a lot of sleep, but I enjoyed the fun.

With most pilots including myself, stated that the Iditarod support is just too long. This year we will be doing a different format, a format much like the real Iditarod Air Force. With the new format we will cut about a month off our support flights. Our main supply and stocking flights will be to haul food bags, straw and Heet. Heet is a fuel for firing the dog food cookers that the mushers carry in their sled bags.

TCA Alaska Cargo building at Anchorage Airport (PANC) will act as our Master Supply Base. We also will have Supply Bases at, McGrath and Unalakleet. These supply bases will be serviced from our Anchorage Master Supply Base. The Master Supply Base, will also stock the checkpoints of Skwentna, Finger Lake, and Rainy Pass. The Supply Base at McGrath, will stock the checkpoints of Rohn/Tatitna Airstrip, Nikolai, Takotna, Ophir, Iditarod, and Shageluk. Our Supply Base in Unalakleet, will stock the checkpoints of Anvik, Grayling, Eagle Island, Kaltag, Shaktoolik, Koyuk, Elim, and White Mountain.

The following checkpoints will not receive straw or food bags, Knik, Yentna, & Safety. If mushers drop dogs at Yentna & Safety, we will pick them up.

Where to get aircraft fuel along the trail: Anchorage Intl. & Merrill Field have both Avgas & Jet. Palmer has Avgas & Jet. Wasilla, Willow, and Skwentna have Avgas only. McGrath, Kaltag, Unalakleet, and Nome have Avgas & Jet.

The following Iditarod Flight Schedule is not set in stone, but will be close.

1) Friday, February 2 -- Supply Flights Start. These are for straw, dog food, Heet, Avgas & jet fuel, etc.
2) Friday, February 9 -- Straw Drop Flights Start.
3) Thursday, February 15 -- Food Drop Flights Start. NOTE: Do Not haul Heet on food drop flights.
4) Saturday, March 3 -- Ceremonial Iditarod Starts in downtown Anchorage.
5) Sunday, March 4 -- Re-Start the Iditarod, Wasilla or Willow. If Wasilla does not have enough snow, they will re-start in Willow.

Once the race starts, half the crew will be working ahead of the race, and the other half will be working behind the race. Once the race starts we should have all checkpoints stocked through the checkpoint of Shageluk.