Part memoir, part local orientation, this post traces decades of hard-earned experience in the Denali country—from an early Basecamp crash scene to the complex geography, weather, and mountain passes that guide flying in the Central Alaska Range. ...
My first landing on a rocky hummock field caused severe jackhammering of the landing gear – more than I expected. It was a relief not to find any damage, but I was still concerned about taking off. Sometimes that can be more worrisome than the...
The north country is home to thousands of glaciers and icefields that provide airplane access to some of the wildest places on earth. These landscapes are dominated by rugged terrain where ice may offer the only landing option. While glacier ops typically involve ski landings,...