Juneau Specific Comments From Experienced Local Pilot

A special “Thank you!” to Rebecca C. & Dorothy out of PAJN for the below detailed Juneau International information.

Most importantly, Get the right local VFR charts from the Juneau FSS website (link here) and have them handy. (Same with KTN, SIT – both available from the same JNU FSS website).

Runway at PAJN is 08-26.

Juneau Visual Check Points & Flight Advisory Frequencies (link here)

Juneau High Density Traffic Area chart (link here)

Juneau En Route CTAF (link here)

Also, check the Notices on Foreflight’s Juneau page for visual operational awareness of the helicopters, harbor seaplane operations and other important info. There are 4 visualized Notices. We have never found the VFR inset charts on Foreflight, but download them from the JNU FSS website linked above. They are critical. For me it works best to see the big picture from the FSS charts, then go to the Notices to see how the helicopters, Harbor seaplane ops etc. fit into that flow.

Key Issues:

Gastineau Channel – Personally, we generally have avoided the congested Gastineau Channel on departure because we are typically heading towards Admiralty Island or further down the coast. Taking off to the West (runway 26), we turn left over the water within the Class D airspace toward South Tip (flag on the chart denotes this as a reporting point)  and Outer Point (also flagged) then proceed from there. Alternately, you could turn left leaving runway 28 toward Fish Creek then fly down the valley near Eagle Crest Ski Area on Douglass Island, or you can make a left downwind and fly out the (busy, high traffic density) Gastineau Channel on the right side of the channel. Departing to the East off of runway 08, we typically fly out the channel to Marmion Island (flag–visual check point on the chart) and continue onward.

To keep it simple, here are a few tips I would advise: If using the Gastineau Channel, learn at least a few checkpoints and find them on your chart/ForeFlight/Google Earth. As a minimum, know where Salmon Creek, Douglas Bridge, Rock Dump and Sheep Creek are. Helicopters are non-stop on the NE side too. It is hard to understand the pilots’ abbreviated lingo and its not a good place to be heads down. Secondly, be aware there will be steady waves of airplanes and helicopters coming over that entire NE ridge from the Mendenhall all the way down to Point Bishop from the Mendenhall Glacier and the Taku Inlet.  NOTE: Do NOT expect ADSB to help. The seaplanes base out of the Harbor Seaplane Base during the day, serving the cruise ships, and all that traffic is on 123.05 but it helps to know the Harbor seaplane base is right outside the Juneau Class D. Inbound traffic needs to be respecting the Class D with a call approaching the airspace, but then still be actively communicating on 123.05. Getting well ahead of the radio management inbound to Juneau is a must.

Jets – Alaska has around 10 flights a day into JNU. At certain times, they nearly overlap and any schedule disruptions can cause one or the other to have to hold off for spacing. There is a flight schedule attached at the end of this section. If you are arriving near these convergent times, be aware there may be delays for you too. Alaska (Carrier Code is AS) is supposed to report on and monitor the local frequency (122.9 or 123.05), but they are getting weather, talking to operations, getting the hand-off from ATC to tower and often have lost radar coverage, and are busy setting up the approaches that let them fly low over the hill at the west end of the runway on arrival to 8, or inside the channel on arrival to 26. It is much better to view the FSS chart that depicts the jet arrival/departure routes. From the NW, they often come in over Barlow Cove, Cohglan Island and Pedersen Hill.  If they are VFR on that arrival landing 26, they will fly a close left downwind over Douglas Island at 1500’. If they are inbound through Gastineau Channel they will be in the center of the channel.   (Note: I’ve been on short final in marginal VFR, turned off the runway and looked back to see an Alaska airlines jet flaring for landing–that closely spaced.  Be on your toes!  Ted)

Float pond Operations – The transient docks are at the northwest end of the pond. The pond is controlled by tower. Taxi is no wake clockwise around the edge of the pond. The seaplane fleet departs en-masse for the Harbor seaplane base in the morning, and returns at day’s end, often in flights of two or three that land adjacent and staggered and park all along the north side. It can feel harrowing if you are taxiing, but fun to watch otherwise. Fuel will come to your floatplane.

Juneau is not a Part 93 Airport, though KTN is one. The best advice is to get the FSS charts linked at the top of this, and be eyes outside with a few reporting points in your tool box. Look at the big picture of the frequency use. 122.9 is on the back side of Douglas Island and around the general vicinity. The busy glacier flight seeing areas are split to the northwest end and southeast end of the Mendenhall and Taku glaciers and all that southeast traffic pouring over and round the southeast end of Gastineau Channel and the Harbor Seaplane Base traffic is on 123.05. The northern ice fields have their own frequency and the helicopters seem to head out there all day long on short flights. It calms down in the long evenings, which is a beautiful time to sightsee without the busy traffic. The air traffic can get crazy busy in waves, but settles down in between.

I don’t recommend IFR in that area for GA at all. The approaches I’m familiar with are all tight “Required Navigation Performance” (RNP), close to terrain with highly trained airline crews and there are no get out of jail cards if you aren’t holding the parameters as required. I have no idea what kind of approach is available to the GA pilot, so I’ll leave that to GA IFR experts. Marginal VFR is something a pilot has to determine for themselves, but there are great FAA cameras to check out that can help a pilot figure out the surrounding conditions. A lot of low cloud can linger around the area shifting back and forth.

Stuck in Juneau? FBO has hourly/daily tie-down & hangar fees.  Perhaps the FBO door is open 24/7 from the ramp side? Fuel is expensive of course.  (Note: I found Canadian fuel in Atlin less expensive than Juneau in 2025).  They will send a fuel truck to your plane. They have a small pilot room, water, chairs. If you need maintenance, Scott Harris at Harris Air is just west of the FBO in an end hangar. Transient parking is at the western end of the airport ramps. There are walking trails around the west side of the airport that are really lovely and a great way to spend some time stretching your legs. The flight service station is just outside the airport terminal on the left at the first street corner you come to. If you passed Donna’s restaurant, you went too far. They are great and will buzz you in.

The nearest hotel, right outside the passenger terminal parking lot can get in the $300/night range in peak season. Taxi drivers are great and the ones in Juneau do drive tours if you ask!

Alaska Airlines Flights arriving: https://www.flight.info/JNU/arrivals

ForeFlight chart tips: Tap on airport on the map, open the airport and go to Notices and there are 4 charts: Juneau Harbor Seaplane Base Floatplane procedures (downtown), Super Bear Arrival, Helicopter Activity in vicinity, Lighting system.

VFR charts: Go to Juneau FSS website. (links above)