PIREP Angel: Food-5

Food-5

Well we sure had plenty of off-duty time in Anchorage when dispatch reached me as I was show Connie the watering holes that bush pilots frequent in Anchorage. Being that some of the villages do not allow alcohol and that no sane pilot will fly while under the effect of it there was plenty to choose from.

The dog food drops had begun. As usual the ground crew had been nice enough to keep the dog bags really frozen so they wouldn't smell. It was 40 of them and at 60 pounds each it was almost a ton of food destined for Rainy Pass. We sure were heavy this time but I was fresh from both RP and Rohn so it wouldn't be a problem. Connie on the other hand was happy that we would get another chance to enjoy the scenery from so close to the mountains and from RP itself.

Strangely we got taxxing while there was a lull in traffic so we got airborne and heading to RP pretty quickly. Soon ATC had us lined up for rwy 29 which is definitely a better approach than 11. I almost got under the power curve on final, but the PT6A roared enough to keep me from tasting the ground around RP. Landing was firm (crash-like)..I need some sort of braking device. I hear Snowboss is patenting one. Maybe I'll ask him to test fly it.

Connie asked me if we could stay a cpl of hours and since there was no other assignment from Anchorage we were expected to transfer to McGrath and that would be it. So I said shure, knock yourself out. And she almost did while trying to walk on puntilla Lake!! Meanwhile I made full use of my RP membership and enjoyed a discount meal at the Rainy Pass Lodge.

She interviewed almost everyone there (Not that there were many anyway). As the cpl of hours were ending I told her we should get going to McGrath

PANC-6AK : 50 minutes

(sorry no picture..but hey, you know what Rainy Pass is like!)