FAA Overview: Planning A Flight To Alaska

Complete overview of steps from the FAA (link here)

Proposed FAA Alaska Charting Changes

To improve situational awareness and increase safety, the FAA recently adopted a new policy allowing the use of VFR waypoints and checkpoints to help pilots find mountain passes. The first passes to reflect these charting elements are found in the Brooks Range in northern Alaska—however, this convention may also be applied in other parts of the country.  Link here

Alaska DOT Information Site

Alaska maintains  an excellent site covering many of the unique aspects involved in flying within Alaska.  Link here

A few of the key sections they highlight:

  • Alaska Designated CTAF Areas: Excellent overview PDF link
  • Matanuska Susitna Valley designated CTAF areas & Frequencies link
  • Anchorage Area: Google Earth KMZ & KML (for import to ForeFlight if desired) CTAF.  Thank you Anson M!
  • Alaska DOT “Flying in Alaska–Special Considerations” link
  • Alaska Aviator’s Safety Handbook link
  • Transporting Firearms in Alaska: Alaska Dept of Fish & Game (link)
  • Suggested (req’d) emergency rations & equipment (regulation: link). Here’s a PDF of the Alaska DOT page covering this also link
  • A reminder that numerous (primarily native) communities prohibit bringing alcohol.  You can have your airplane confiscated if you bring alcohol to such communities.  Here is a site to review current community regs link.  Also covered here at bottom of page.
  • Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation link
  • Alaska Aviation Museum (at Lake Hood–highly recommended) link
  • Kenai Flight Service Station (lots of links) link
  • Juneau Flight Service Station (lots of links) link
  • FAA: Pilot Minute: Alaska Fatigue (short video)
  • Alaska Remote Communication Outlets (RCO) link
  • Lake Clark Pass RCO & reporting points link
  • Cook Inlet CTAF link
  • SE Alaska (Skagway, Haines, Gustavus, Hoonah, Juneau) CTAF (link)

General Information by AOPA

Multi-page overview and drill down info regarding flying to Alaska (link).  To the best of my knowledge, everything on the AOPA site is also available on the appropriate pages on this site.

Alaska Airmen Association–Alaska Aviation Resources

Alaska Airmen’s Association last published the excellent “Alaska Airmen’s Association Logbook For Alaska” by Don Bowers in 1992.  Though out of print, a PDF is available here (167 mb).  Good information but seriously out of date.

TFR & MOA

Special Use Airspace:  See the “Flying in Alaska” set of links here

Special Use Airspace Information Service (Alaska) link

TFR & SUA kneeboard for Civil Aviation.  Good summary in concise format link

TFR status link

Part 93 Chart Supplements (new every 56 days)

Alaska CHART SUPPLEMENT–latest version (Must have! @ high traffic airports) link to main page & link to CS AK pdf download page

Emergency Equipment & Supplies (to become a separate page)

AOPA produced a good overview PDF covering Alaska survival information for pilots  (link here).

Other relevant survival skills articles include:  water purification and assembling a survival kit.

Alaska Camping & Outdoors Information

Alaska Public Use Cabins (by area, by access, by feature, by setting, by capacity).  This site is maintained by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.  (link)

RAF Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest and his wife Kari created a new website covering 122 of these cabins.  At this link you’ll find the article on these facilities, and a comprehensive website of 122 of the cabins. Originally researched and created by Montana RAF supporter and pilot Tom Bass in his straight-float Cessna 180, pilot Bill Rusk called the directory “an incredible resource,” and was concerned about its future when Mr. Bass retired from flying. The online directory is now managed by the Seaplane Foundation, sponsored in part by the Seaplane Pilots Association (link to their website), and is administered by Mr. Bill Rusk. (Thank you to the RAF for highlighting this wonderful resource in their website update here.

Public Lake Cabins of Alaska.  Excellent resource put together by Tom Bass (Thank you!); Now updated by RAF Alaska Liaison Jeff DeFreest and his wife Kari and maintained by Bill Rusk.  Bill has many Alaska trips under his very experienced belt!: link to Alaska Public Use Cabins.  This cabin resource is part of the Seaplane Pilots Association resource site (link here).

Specific Airport Comments

Atlin; Now has WiFi & self-serve fuel.  See image here for camping & WiFi access tips.  Note from airport manager: “Self serve 24 hour fuel.  Wifi at the refuelling building.  Password is 123.2  Camping is best in the grassy area behind the trees on the south side of the first hangar as you go north along the taxiway (ie. to your left behind the trees as you move north along the taxiway away from the fuel).  You’ll notice a stationary pole crane.  You can park and camp anywhere there.   No potable water on site.”

Childs Glacier backcountry strip: RAF just had a very interesting article on this remote strip.  Experienced pilots only!  Link to article

Gustavus: PAGS.  No 100LL as far as I know.

Petersburg: PAPG.  Fuel is at Temsco Helicopters.  Here is an image of where they are located.  Advise calling them before taxiing over as they hot-fuel various helicopters and you would not want to be in their way while they are doing that (e.g. a helicopter scheduled in for fuel at x:xx Zulu).  Also, if you want to walk over from the aircraft tie-down area, you must exit the man-gate and walk thru the parking lots/along the road–you cannot walk across the ramp as that takes you thru the airline restricted area–and the TSA/airport security do not allow that!

Wrangell: PAWG.  No camping at airport.  Stikine Inn reported to be good hotel–they have an airport shuttle too.

Tongass Aircraft Pilots Association

Good information, (website link) especially in their Services / Links page.  Key relevant links below.

NOAA Ketchikan current & forecast weather (link) (note the forecast is out of Juneau)

Helicopter tours & charters out of Juneau (link)

NorthStar Helicopters, tours & charters out of Juneau (link)

Temsco Helicopters, tours & charters: Juneau, Skagway, Denali (link)

Tongass National Forest Resources

Tongass National Forest (General Information: Main page) link.

Tongass National Forest…Interactive Visitor Map link.  This site provides the public with an online view of Forest Service roads, trails, recreation sites, wilderness areas, and wild & scenic rivers.

Tongass National Forest Cabin Users (Facebook group): link.    The Forest Service actively monitors this group’s comments.  Please contribute!

Tongass National Forest (new as of 2020) Sustainable Cabin Strategy (PDF download).