Post by 2boys2danes on Jul 8, 2013 19:32:30 GMT -5
We just got back from Alaska last night and we flew in one of those 10 seater planes up to Prudhoe Bay/Arctic Ocean last week... ugh. That was such a dang sad story!
This is going to sound cavalier, but plane crashes are a common occurrence up here. Our Senator, Ted Stevens, was killed in a plane crash a couple years ago. He had survived a plane crash back in the late 70's that killed his first wife.
Small planes are a necessity for traveling to the Bush communities, as well as reaching remote hunting/fishing/tourist area because that's about the only way to get there (sometimes by boat or ferry). It's heartbreaking when it happens, but it's all a part of the Alaskan experience. This particular plane crash made national news because of the jet crash in San Francisco. Typically small plane crashes of this magnitude rarely make the news except here in Alaska. It's not part of a new trend.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
This is going to sound cavalier, but plane crashes are a common occurrence up here. Our Senator, Ted Stevens, was killed in a plane crash a couple years ago. He had survived a plane crash back in the late 70's that killed his first wife.
Small planes are a necessity for traveling to the Bush communities, as well as reaching remote hunting/fishing/tourist area because that's about the only way to get there (sometimes by boat or ferry). It's heartbreaking when it happens, but it's all a part of the Alaskan experience. This particular plane crash made national news because of the jet crash in San Francisco. Typically small plane crashes of this magnitude rarely make the news except here in Alaska. It's not part of a new trend.
I have a friend who works at an airline in alaska and she said it's such a common thing.
This is going to sound cavalier, but plane crashes are a common occurrence up here. Our Senator, Ted Stevens, was killed in a plane crash a couple years ago. He had survived a plane crash back in the late 70's that killed his first wife.
Small planes are a necessity for traveling to the Bush communities, as well as reaching remote hunting/fishing/tourist area because that's about the only way to get there (sometimes by boat or ferry). It's heartbreaking when it happens, but it's all a part of the Alaskan experience. This particular plane crash made national news because of the jet crash in San Francisco. Typically small plane crashes of this magnitude rarely make the news except here in Alaska. It's not part of a new trend.
Wow, I did not know this. Thanks for sharing. Do you ride on those planes?
I fly ALL THE TIME around the state. On a regular basis. I flew back from Kodiak on Saturday on a 37-seat DeHaviland. Took about an hour. The weather was cloudy but the flight wasn't bumpy. I used to be a really nervous flyer, but since I've been doing a lot of flying in the past 8 years, I rarely get rattled. Unless the wind's blowing 75 mph which happens periodically. Ack! It can be a not-fun trip if the weather's bad, but I've never had to fly through mountain passes. Just across open water which can be unnerving in its own right. lol
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
No, it's a part of my job. I represent people in towns and cities all over Southcentral Alaska (including Soldotna). I can't drive to some places, and the ferry takes way too long, so I have to fly in.
Truthfully I didn't know Soldotna even had an "airport". It's more like an airstrip than an airport. When I travel to Soldotna (when I don't want to drive--it takes 3 hours to drive from Anchorage) I fly into the Kenai Airport which is a small airport, then I rent a car to drive to Soldotna.
I live close to a large lake and there's ALWAYS float planes taking off or landing on that lake. Wakes me up some mornings really early. The thing about float planes if there's a strong enough wind blowing, it can flip those planes over in nothing flat. Flying's a tricky thing up here sometimes.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
Post by Stingyshark on Jul 8, 2013 20:13:59 GMT -5
mekiakoo , if you have netflix you can watch Flying Wild Alaska . It's about a family that runs an airline company in AK. I found it super interesting. I had no idea that it was so common to fly around AK.
If you want to get to the good fishing and hunting areas, you really have to fly in. The Kenai River is PACKED with fishermen during the summer: it's called "combat fishing", and it's elbow to elbow. The people who fish there are the ones who don't own airplanes or don't have access to one. It's much nicer and quieter to have a plane fly you in somewhere rather than get a fishhook snagged in your face.
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
flex, we have friends who live in Anchorage and we plan on visiting them some day soon hopefully. The guy is going to open up a law firm and the wife will work with her dad as an optometrist starting this winter. When we visit, I'd love to meet you too!
PM me the optometrist's name. Maybe I'm a client! lol
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
Post by ProfessorArtNerd on Jul 8, 2013 20:47:01 GMT -5
flex, friends of ours just moved to Alaska last year- the wife is working at the university in study abroad, I think? Our friends were acting like they were moving out to the bush (as were they, truth be told) but I was all, dudes, us a city! My friend lives there and she has the Internet and everything!
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny
Post by 2boys2danes on Jul 8, 2013 20:53:31 GMT -5
Flex, I was telling some folks at work today that H and I were talking about how common it was flying all over the remote places in AK and the newspapers there were all about forest fires (which we had no idea how common those were there -- we freaked out the first morning we woke up and smelled smoke and heard about the fire near Denali and pilot cars!), motorcyclists who died and small plane crashes. A great contrast to Memphis news which is all about killings, shootings and crooked politics! I'll take AK
Post by 2boys2danes on Jul 8, 2013 20:55:42 GMT -5
Also funny note about a moose... it was one of the first wild animals we saw on the road coming back from Prudhoe Bay and it was standing off the road in a little puddle/water and we got out to look at it closer and then it started peeing... and i mean peeing for about five minutes straight. So my family began saying "I gotta take a moose pee" when we needed a potty stop. Then DS2 says to the 80 year old guy traveling in our group (we didnt know him prior) while they were in the restroom "Mr Carl, dang, you sure are taking a long moose pee"
Flex, I was telling some folks at work today that H and I were talking about how common it was flying all over the remote places in AK and the newspapers there were all about forest fires (which we had no idea how common those were there -- we freaked out the first morning we woke up and smelled smoke and heard about the fire near Denali and pilot cars!), motorcyclists who died and small plane crashes. A great contrast to Memphis news which is all about killings, shootings and crooked politics! I'll take AK
LOL about the forest fires. My mom lives in Oregon and there they send smoke jumpers out to the forests to put out the fires. But our forests are just so vast that it's just not feasible unless it's close to a town or city (like Fairbanks who gets them ALL the time). She was horrified by the concept of allowing forest fires (typically caused by lightning strikes) to burn out, but she can't seem to grasp the size of those areas. lol
"Why would you ruin perfectly good peanuts by adding candy corn? That's like saying hey, I have these awesome nachos, guess I better add some dryer lint." - Nonny