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Flightseeing over Alaska's bush
What to look for and ask about before the trip into remote Alaska
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Cargo capacity in bush planes is finite; what you bring will be based on necessity, weight and bulk. Find out before you start packing what type of plane you will be taking. Ask about the payload and compute by the size of your party the weight and bulk of your gear and the total number of days you expect to be out. This will determine, in part, whether you bring a cooler of fresh food or pack a week's worth of freeze-dried dinners. Again, if you have the money, a plane can always be chartered for more than one trip.
Equipment and food should be stored in compact, preferably waterproof, packages. Rubberized "dry bags" are popular, but traditional canvas duffel bags also work -- just line them with double-strength trash bags, or seal clothing and other dry items in large ziplock bags.
Pains should be taken to see that pick-up times and locations are understood by both your party and the pilot. It's not a bad idea to leave your plans with a third party back home. If for some reason you are late, that party can contact your air service to see what the problem might be. If you're weathered in for a day or two, the third party can spare unnecessary concern by calling friends or family members.
Alaska's weather is a whimsical phenomenon, a corollary of nature beyond the pilot's control. Which is to say there are no clocks in wilderness Alaska. You fly when you can. Frustrating as waiting for hours, or even days, in a flight service office lobby can be, no amount of complaining or wishful thinking can make conditions improve. Better to come expecting delays in departures and pickups. If the weather is good, most pilots are timely. If not, a good book, a deck of cards or a portable fly-tying kit can make down time more tolerable.
Alaska is a big, beautiful, wild place. When you hop into a plane or a chopper for an hour or for half a day, you're going to see things you've never seen before. And, perhaps more than anything else, you're going to land with a new perspective regarding how incredibly huge this last, great wilderness is.
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