For the first time since I've joined TCAA, the weather was good at Anchorage as I climbed out from Runway 6, made a left downwind departure, and joined the 290 radial off of ANC VOR for the trip up to Finger Lake at 6000 feet. Nice smooth flight, clear weather, but as luck would have it the visibility dropped drastically as I
approached the higher terrain. I'm glad I took those familiarization flights; I had previously jotted down the GPS coordinates for Finger Lake lodge and after tracking to that area, and descending to 4000 and circling a bit I saw the lake and the lodge and cabins off to the left of the aircraft. I landed on the ice, and taxied to the lodge where the straw was offloaded.
Photo: Approach to Finger Lake
Photo: The Cessna 206 Stationair parked at the frozen lodge's pier.
There was a pretty good crowd in the lodge and I wanted to meet some folks and try a mooseburger - but I was worried about possible deterioration in the weather so I decided to hightail it back home. Visibility remained poor during the climbout from the lake but I kept the speed down and my eyes peeled and things cleared up at about 5000 feet. Back at Anchorage I was originally assigned a straight in to 6L but there was an Asiana 747 cargo on final that I would have trailed and I didn't particularly want to argue with wake turbulence. So I asked ATC if I could get 6R, they kept me high, the jet crossed below me, and I landed long on 6R , past the jet's touchdown point. A long taxi back to our base and I shut down and headed home.
Photo: High approach to rwy 06R to avoid chance of hitting that Asiana 747's wake turbulence.
I'll fly to McGrath this evening, after the Bears win the Super Bowl!
Flight : Straw-3
Date : 2/3/2007
Name : Vic Alesi
TCA# 2613
# Aboard: 6 bales of straw
VFR/IFR : VFR
Aircraft: Cessna 206
Depart. : Anchorage PANC
Destin. : Finger Lake Lodge, then return to PANC
Dep.time: 10:17 local.
Enroute : 00:58 outbound, 01:42 total
Fuel : 116#s
Route : VFR
Speed : 140 knots
Altitude: 6000 outbound, 7000 return
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