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DANGEROUS LANDING AREAS
YENTNA RIVER Twenty miles upstream from
Susitna Station and thirty-five miles below Skwentna.
The landing area is approximately 2000 to 3000 feet long. Usually the
only problem encountered here is drifting, hard packed snow. A high
concentration of aircraft is usually present along with snowmachines. Many of
the airplanes encountered are “race watchers”
and not other aircraft watchers. Be alert. FINGER LAKE This is a lake with two fingers pointing to the East, 27 statute miles (245 degrees) from Skwentna Airport. It is 1/2 mile north of the Skwentna River. If the wind is blowing more than 20 knots, pilots are advised to make a pass over the landing area at 200 feet. If serious down drafts are encountered, do not attempt to land. Watch for overflow conditions and land staying on the strip as much as possible. Hard snow drifts are often encountered on Finger Lake. If the flagged area has drifts on it, search out a protected area or do not land. PUNTILLA LAKE Puntilla Lake lies 50 miles (255 degrees) from the Skwentna Airport and one mile west of the Happy River. Sometimes the flagged airstrip near the lodge is drifted. The west shore near the tree line is sometimes protected and smooth enough for landing. If the wind is blowing from the west, climb out should be to the left of the hill by the lodge. Down drafts can be very unexpected and severe. Be extremely cautious on departure. Watch for overflow conditions. ROHN Rohn is located in the mountain
83 miles (097 degrees) from the McGrath Airport.
Rohn lies at the junction of the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River and
the mouth of Tatitna
River (South of the Tatitna and East of the South Fork).
A strong crosswind is usually blowing here.
Before landing in a strong wind, it is wise to make a pass or two over
the strip to check for down drafts. If the wind is blowing from the
north, it is usually possible to
land to the east (Heading upstream on the Tatitna).
Pilots should land to the east whenever possible because the landing will
then be uphill. Getting stopped can
be a problem. Whenever possible, take off
to the west (downhill). If
the wind is blowing hard, it is advisable for the pilot to walk the entire
length of the runway before attempting to take off because the wind sometimes
blows from one direction on the east end and from the opposite direction on the
runway's west end. If the wind and/or turbulence
is too severe to land on the airstrip, it may be possible to find a clear
stretch on the Tatitna River a short distance
upstream from its confluence with the South Fork of the Kuskokwim River.
Check this area carefully; conditions
change from year to year. There may
be too much open water, or ice may be too rough for a safe landing. When flying from McGrath to
Rohn when the wind is blowing hard from the North (upstream on the South Fork), it is best to follow the South Fork at
relatively low altitudes from the foothills near Farewell the remainder of the
trip to Rohn. Remember the runway is narrow with trees on either side. Due to the
popularity of Rohn, there are often snowmachines, airplanes and people on the runway. Be sure you have
enough room to land. Buzzing the strip is often beneficial. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t land. OPHIR Do not land on the river at the
Ophir Checkpoint. The Chief Pilot
will designate who should land here. Two mining airstrips are located near the
checkpoint, one of which will be packed out by snowmachines.
A snowmachine will transport supplies and Iditarod personnel to and from the checkpoint. CRIPPLE
(Wolf Kill Slough) (Northern Route) The Cripple landing area is located in a lake strip and will be marked with boughs or ribbon. The strip can be extremely rough due to deep snow (or no snow) and pilots should be aware of possible overflow conditions here. The approaches from either direction is fair, however you should be aware of the wind directions prior to landing or takeoff. The winds tend to be out of the NE. IDITAROD (Southern Route) The landing area is on the
river and is marked with flags or spruce boughs.
Landing is “usually” toward the checkpoint. The
landing area can be extremely rough due to wind drifts and frozen overflow.
When taxing, stay away from the east bank and the old tractor as that
area is frequently covered with overflow. Use
122.9. EAGLE ISLAND (Southern Route) The landing area is normally on
the river bank. Caution should be
used. Hazards include ice heaves
from the Yukon River, buried driftwood and logs, and a steep slope of riverbank.
Approaches are excellent both directions.
Over-fly the area and check for hazard flags or markers.
Use 122.9. CHECKPOINTS
FROM UNALAKLEET TO NOME The wind blows almost
constantly. White-out conditions can arise suddenly. Check the weather. Landing strips at the villages are usually blown
clear of snow. Planes with straight
skis may have to find landing areas on the rivers if the village is situated
near one. At coastal villages, sometimes
a clear stretch of the sea ice can be found for landing purposes.
Pilots should check these sea ice areas out carefully before attempting
to land. Sometimes there just isn't
an area to land on at all if you are on straight skis.
The Chief Pilot will try to check these areas out before the beginning of
the race and will report conditions so you will know what to expect. Obstacles can't be seen in flat light conditions at off-airport landing areas. Don't land at strange off-airport areas when this condition exists. Familiarize yourself with ice landings conditions since you are dealing with both fresh ice and salt ice. WEATHER At Shaktoolik you can get a
weather update by calling the radio frequency 122.8. Obtain weather briefings from
the FAA whenever possible. Call 800-992-7433. Village contact for weather
reports prior to flying. We will receive weather reports
from the checkpoints first thing in
the mornings. These reports come from observations by the communications
personnel and are not FAA weather
reports. |
