Top Cub Yukon Winter Transit - Part 1

[Pete]

Hey Everyone,
Yes, I made it back from AK...left ANC Feb 6th 2010 at 0130, in the morn on Alaskan Airlines headed for SEA then back in DEN by 1130. Flew the Top Cub from Yakima to Palmer Lake, AK.
It was an interesting trip in the Top Cub equipped with skis...mostly bad weather...low ceilings and visibilities. I could not get out of Yakima till around 1300 on Jan 31st and only after I had a discussion with the tower about what "Special VFR" meant. They wanted me to have a 900 foot ceiling...however, the requirement for a "Special" is 1 statute mile. They let me go after a short phone call to the tower. The weather improved quite a bit as I headed North to Kelowna, BC to clear customs.

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(N377LL fueled and ready to go in Yakima.)

377LL is equipped with a G420 and basic instruments, and skis. The terrain mapping feature of the 420 proved most useful over the next few days.

Proceeding North was not to difficult as the weather began to break up making the trip pretty easy. It was starting to get dark as I crossed over Pentictin, BC before finally making it into Kelowna for the night. Found a hangar, got a room, and holed up.
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Next day started with more dismal weather in the valleys but good weather on top.
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I got a late start out of Kelowna due to the low ceilings and visibilities so was only able to make it to MacKenzie...just a few miles short of the Trench. The weather was not good towards MacKenzie and had to set up for a "special vfr" approach. Anyway, it was absolutely white when catching sight of the airfield...as I taxied up to the pumps, I was greeted by Vicki Podgorenko.
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Vicki was a real trooper. She set me up with an engine heater, took me out to eat, and ferried me to and from the hotel! She made me breakfast at the FBO shack the next morning...damn nice place and highly recommended stop before the Trench. I asked her if she was married but she didn't seem interested...
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(This is what too much alcohol the night before will do to a fella...good thing this is not a close up)

Vickie was extremely helpful in getting the aircraft squared away. She even had an engine heater which I used for the evening. Mackenzie is a great place to stop before the Trench as you can take on a full bag of gas before heading North. The Trench is 400 miles long and gets desolate at the North end. If one winds up having to turn around for weather, fuel becomes an issue as making it back down the Trench can be difficult. Fortunately, the Top Cub has big tanks so that definitely gave me some flexibility. In spite of this, I carried 15 gallons of fuel in the back.

While at Mackenzie, I met an outfitter named Jordy McAuley. He stated that he had a couple of camps along the way with fuel and cabins if one were to get turned around. This was a huge plus as it relieved some of the worries concerning fuel if I had to abort the Trench run at the North end. Jordy runs an outfitter service and has a good thing going...if any of you want to get hold of him, his number is: 250-483-3030. He is an outstanding resource for running the Trench!
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(getting unstrapped and ready to rock on the morning of the 1st)

...continued in Part 2

Pete

[Clay Hammond]

I've had the same discussion as you regarding Special VFR with the YKM tower on a multitude of occassions. They never really seem to get it.

[Pete]

Clay,
I think they like to impose their own set of rules. From their standpoint, being more conservative costs them nothing. However, the rules are the rules. In Naval Aviation, after acquiring certain skills and experience, a Commanding Officer of a squadron could issue a particular card to selected pilots. It was called a "Special Instrument Card". With this qualification, you were allowed to take off in zero zero weather (zero vis and zero ceiling). We used to joke that all a special instrument card meant was that you were smart enough to not use it. I suppose the real reason was that if the bubble went up and attack imminent, weather was not going to be one of the considerations that kept you from your mission...

Pete

I've had the same discussion as you regarding Special VFR with the YKM tower on a multitude of occassions. They never really seem to get it.

[Norm]

Ditto the same discussion w a tower in Olathe, KS. However, the FSS at Nome, AK, didn't have a problem w it ... they understood SVFR very well.

Pete, thanks for posting. You're a brave man to fly the Trench in February. Would love to see the other pix that didn't print out ~ probably too many pixels for a single post. ?

I'll bet parts of that trip was almost as much fun as flying onto a carrier. ?

Norm Lunt

www.shaunlunt.typepad.com

[Pete]

Norm,
I don't think the bulletin could handle all the pics according to Randy...I will paot another message...True..there were parts of the trip that were just a little exciting...

Pete

Ditto the same discussion w a tower in Olathe, KS. Nome, AK, however didn't have a problem w it ... they understood SVFR very well.

Pete, thanks for posting. You're a brave man to fly the Trench in February. Would love to see the other pix that didn't print out ~ probably too many pixels for a single post. ?

I'll bet parts of that trip was almost as much fun as flying onto a carrier. ?

Norm Lunt


www.shaunlunt.typepad.com

[mspenc45]

Hey Pete, I am a fairly new owner of CC18-180A, and I am already thinking of having my 420 upgraded with terrain and obsticle option. I assume this is what yo are refering to in your thread?

[Pete]

You would be correct....the terrain feature was particularly useful of the AK trip due to some of the weather etc

Pete

Hey Pete, I am a fairly new owner of CC18-180A, and I am already thinking of having my 420 upgraded with terrain and obsticle option. I assume this is what yo are refering to in your thread?