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Graham, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska in a 90 hp Super Cub.

Steve Pierce

Steve Pierce

BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
Tal Erickson bought his 90 hp Super Cub in Nebraska last Fall. He has spent the Winter with us here in Texas helping me in the shop and playing on the Brazos River bars but it is getting warm here and it is time to head home to Anchorage. We are planning on leaving mid to late next week to try and make Anchorage by the Airmen Show going across the border at Lethbridge and up the highway. Have gotten several phone calls from folks who are also going and have gained some much needed information on making this trip. Neither of us has ever made this trip via small airplane so it will be an education to say the least. We are seeking insight and hoping to hook up with anyone else who might be heading up as well. Hope to see everyone in Anchorage and hope to make Valdez again before I have to come home on a burner. :) We will post our Spot address in case anyone wants to follow.
 
Have a safe trip Steve. What is your route? Are you heading west then north or north then west??
Iam in S. W. Ks. if you need anything.

Steve Edwards
MEJ
 
winds in north central ND 300 degrees at 24 knots, Billings MT 070 at 4 knots 3.30 pm 4/12/11
 
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Steve,

just don't get to set on one route...

I have seen guys wait a week to fly the highway when the coast was CAVU. Have a couple of Bushwheel fuel bags in the bird, and if you need to fly the trench with a headwind, it might be the difference. Remember that the fight service stations there (like Burwash Landing) close early, so you can fly for many hours with no local weather, but the local guys are really nice about giving you ideas.

If you need a couple of bags, I can send mine down. I won't need them until after the Airman's show, and can get them from you there.

Call if you need more information.

George
 
Big E,

You just want their cool plane!

Why don't you follow along and join the real party? we can find a place for you to sleep/fish and shoot!
 
Looks like we will avoid OK and head towards the Texas panhandle, east of Denver, Billings or Laurel MT and then to Great Falls and across to Lethbridge.

Didn't I see where there is no gas at Northway, AK?
 
No fuel at Northway!!!!!!!

For emergency or planning, 40 mile air can bring it to you in the 206, but you have to call ahead to find their schedule, and meet them with fuel bags. Tok is only another 60 miles, and the Ellis brothers are about 40 to the south.

40 mile air will also bring it to you at Chishana, and then you are only a hop to Paul's place.

If you have good weather, you can come out to Juneau and fly with me, lots of fuel on the coast. If the weather is bad, I plan on coming inside and I could meet you somewhere between Atlin and Haines Jct., and can carry fuel for both of us.

There is also a guy at Beaver Creek that has a plane and will sell you some fuel, old guy, very nice. If you want, I can track him down, and let him know you might need fuel.
 
OK, we will see what we need to do. Have 36 gallon capacity with a C90 and two of the 5 gallon Bushwheel fuel bags we are bringing along.
 
Good Luck, Steve. See you up there! That is lots of fuel for a 90 horse - great! Can make the trench with that too if weather pushes you that way. There are also a couple of places with fuel in the trench the gal can tell you about in MacKenzie. Whitehorse to Tok a long run too, car gas in town if you need it. Carb heat working good?
 
At Tok and some others if the pumps are closed they will come out but it's a service $25 fee. at least you should be ahead of the bugs.
 
If you need a stop in Fort St John BC(Alaska Highway route) you are more than welcome here have spare rooms,fuel at Grand Haven strip. I am hoping to go to Airmans and Valdez but am waiting to get the 180 back from being painted, could take the cub but not sure of plans yet.We got a dump of wet snow today so that means I will keep working on smith cub project. Contact us at 250 785 3207 or 250 261 1883. Dieter and Karen
 
Thanks for all the comments so far. Looking at going Lethbridge, Red Deer, Fort St. John, Ft. Nelson, Watson Lake, White Horse, Northway, Duffy's Tavern, Gulkana and into Anchorage. Any thoughts?

Dieter, We will be in touch.
 
Steve.
I believe Duffy's is closed. We was in that area 2 years ago and it looked like the building had started to sink into the ground. The strip was still ok.
Sounds like a great trip.

Peter
 
Duffy's is closed.

Sportsman's Paradise is not. You can often get Auto fuel at Sportsman's Paradise, (1200 foot strip at 3,000 feet with a bit of obstruction and a slope...), which is about as close as TOK and more direct. Follow up the big river just west of the Northway airport into the mountains, Turn right when the river makes the big left (Kirk and Cole's place will be in front of you as you turn), and follow the road to the big lake (Jack's lake).

Again, if the weather is good, it is shorter between fuel now going up the coast to Yakutat and Cordova. But that is a weather call at the time. I may be trying to follow you...
 
Steve Pierce said:
Thanks for all the comments so far. Looking at going Lethbridge, Red Deer, Fort St. John, Ft. Nelson, Watson Lake, White Horse, Northway, Duffy's Tavern, Gulkana and into Anchorage. Any thoughts?

Dieter, We will be in touch.
Click to expand...

Steve,
Usually fuel is a good bit less at Three Hills than Red Deer. There is a flight school and some very friendly folks around.
 
Steve, Have a safe and fun flight. Was good to meet Tal. at Sun & fun. He will be a great person to make the flight with.
 
Steve, If your brave and the weather is good when you leave Ft.St. John go north 30-40 miles along the hiway. Where it turns NE a bit you can continue NW in a big wide valley that will by-pass FT. Nelson, cut over 100 miles off and hit the Alcan right before it goes into the mountains. Its a easy low valley with nothing in the way of high country to cross but there was NOTHING out there if you have trouble. If your 90 cub has 36 gal. fuel you should have no trouble making Watson Lake if your headwinds are reasonable. I always come back through there and have flown it NW several times. The last time we couldn't follow the hiway back into the mountains west of Ft. Nelson so we went north west to the Fort Nelson River then took it west to Watson Lake...

Have Fun and stop in if your close to MLS for gas, or a place to stay.

Dave
 
Steve.
Sportmen's is great. Doug and Judy will take of you and yes they usually have gas. They also have lodging.
That's the only place we go to when we go to Alaska, for at least 10 years in a row.

"Doug Frederick" <sportsmensparadiseak@gmail.com>,

Peter
 
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If they did leave and went through Montana i hope the weather was better than NDs. Since monday wind up the yazu and now today snowin with no visibility. Always thought ive wanted to make this trip but i can see now after paying a little more attention to the weather the first thing to do is get out of ND, its got to be better somewhere else.
 
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