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Leg #2: Valdez Pioneer Field (PAVD) to Yakataga(PACY or CYT)
Flight Time: 1 Hour 24 Minutes
Distance: 127 NM
Total Time Flown: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Total Distance: 230 NM

On for round two, with many more to come. After my eventful first flight, and waiting on repairs, I finally set out for Yakataga. This is one of those airports that I picked because I thought it had a cool name, and it looked like a neat place to explore. I was especially interested in a small field called John's bar just to the north of it. It reminds me of when I first started my flight training last year. "In Alaska, the 8 rule is a litlle different. It's normally 8 hours before you fly since alcohol. But here, you can drink, you just have to be 8 feet from the controls" So I think I'm gonna head out to that strip next and take a couple passes over it on my way to Yakatak.

But anyways on to the flight. This flight was actually quite uneventful. It started out really nice, but as the hour wore on, the clouds started creepin out again, and some turbulence came up. I got tossed a little bit, but being my airplane is only rated for 11500 feet, I can't really do anything about it. Any lower, I contend with the mountains...no thank you. And I just can't go higher, so I stuck it out. My one passenger (I take one passenger in FSpax every flight, along with a full 250 load of bags i.e. survial gear, water filters, salmon rod, things of that nature) was quite scared. He complained that it shouldn't be that rough. I just told him to wait till we started gettin up north towards barrow and Nome. He didn't like that answer, but said he'd stick through the journey.

Well, we got to Yakataga in one piece, and found out something not mentioned in the charts. There are 2 HUGE trees at the approach end of Runway 7. I had to pull out my landing over a 50 foot obstacle checklist. But, it's a Pacer, a good bush plane, and it's a gravel strip. It was right at home, I made a great landing. We taxi to parking and go and ask about fuel, well, they're fresh out at the moment, (something tells me they dont' like tourists??) But I have 36 gallons in the tanks, so that will take me to John's Bar and on to Yakatak just fine.

Here's some shots form the flight:

Ready to go at Valdez


It's a good day to fly


These are some pretty high mountains, my poor plane almost can't go that high...


The clouds start setting in...


Someone really needs to have a look at those trees...that could be dangerous


Comin in on gravel, my favorite


Is that Wal-mart back there??


All set down, no gas to be got though, guess we'll have to wait till Yakatak


More coming soon, Next stop, John's Bar and Yakatak