This assignment started out simply enough, just load 50 bales of straw into the three and take'm to Skwentna. The weather in ANC is pretty good, spotty clouds and near 50 mi vsby. We're cleared for rwy 6L and as we trundle down the rwy I can see the sun beginning to peek over the mountains. Capt Tim, my copilot, is at the helm for this segment. He is quite accomplished and will soon be an AC in his own right.
Turning to the right, we head for ANC which we cross at 1800ft. Leveling off at 4500 feet, we trim back and close cowl flaps and slow the prop to 2000. Like being in a rocking chair. About halfway there the weather changes...I can see the cloud bank ahead as I start my descent into Skwentna. Pretty soon we're in the clouds and neither Capt Tim nor I can see the ground....I thought this was supposed to be VFR? Tuning the Skwentna traffic freq, I find there's 3 clowns doing touch and goes here in wretched vsby conditions! By the time I get a visual on the rwy 27 I have to cut in front of a Cherokee 180. Well, we are bigger and he shouldn't be up here in this weather! After touchdown I hear him giving the go around.
It takes a while to get all 50 bales offloaded and we are on our way again in a reversal of the trip.
Available Flight Data:
Flight : straw2
Date : 2007/2/3
Name : Bookie Westbrook
Callsign: BookieW
TCA# : 2609
# Aboard: 2
VFR/IFR : VFR
Aircraft: Douglas DC-3
Depart. : Anchorage
Destin. : Anchorage
Dep.time: 09:30
Enroute : 02:00 including off loading
Route1 : PANC-ANC-PASW
Route2 : PASW-ANC-PANC
Speed : 145
Altitude: 4500/5500
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