| FLORIDA to ALASKA and
RETURN by GLASTAR in 17 EASY DAYS Actually the trip took 28 days but seven days were spent fishing on the Talachulitna River in Alaska (tough duty), and four full days were lost due to weather. The longest day’s flight was 11.4 hours from Aberdeen, South Dakota to Hartselle, Alabama on the way home. However there were 12 days in which I spent less than 4 hours aloft due to bad weather ahead. The jet stream was not cooperating either going or returning. Tach hours on the 0-320 Lycoming totalled 66 and I burned 680 gallons of 100LL. In Canada high price paid for fuel was $3.27 (US$) in Regina, Saskatchewan, and the lowest was $2.44 outside Edmonton, Alberta. Oil consumption was 1 qt. per 10 hrs. Midwest and prairie flatlands finally gave way to mountain views outside Whitecourt, Alberta, and from there I followed the Alaska Highway to Tok, Alaska. Then I flew over the Glenn Highway to Palmer outside Anchorage where I tied down the Glastar. I was able to hitch a ride in a DeHavilland Beaver on floats to the Skwentna River, then traveled by flat-bottomed jet boat to a lodge and fish camp on the Talachulitna River. The salmon and trout fishing were great, especially fly fishing for rainbow trout which were plentiful as they were gorging themselves on eggs being laid by King Salmon. The Glastar performed just as I had hoped, not being overladen by the 156 lbs. of food, suppplies and emergency gear. An auxiliary 12-gallon gas tank in the baggage compartment gave extra range and options not to mention peace of mind. My range, however, was not limited as much by fuel supply as it was by discomfort even though the seats are space-age foam. Four hours is about as long as I want to sit in one poisiton although the fuselage cage offers opportunities for pull-ups. The Glastar does not have an autopilot, but I did not find it difficult to maintain course and altitude. The Garmin 295 GPS worked flawlessly, and I never had to use the Pilot III backup. One frequently asked question has been, “Would I do it again?” Probably not, because I’d rather spend more time fishing than grinding out miles across the prairies and waiting out bad weather. However, I’m glad I had the opportunity to fly a 9000-mile trip to Alaska and back in an aircraft I built myself. (My grandchildren are tired of hearing my bragging already.) If anyone is considering such a trip I’d be glad to show you the videos and information from various agencies I collected before embarking on the journey. Bill McAuliffe “The Solo Septuagenarian” September 17, 2003 |
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| Departure - July 14, 2003 |