ALASKAFLIGHT

Years ago, when I was a mere child, my father used to sit in the evenings, a map on his lap, and a finger on the map, "cruising" the map with his finger, as he always said.

Well, maybe I am doing some of the same thing, when "flying" around, at home, at my computer. Well, you see, ever since the invention of flight simulators I have been fascinated by them, so when they came up as a computer game for anyone to use, it did not take me a long time to get my hands on Microsofts Flight Simulator 5.0. That was in the mid 90ies, many other versions followed, now it is called FSX [i.e. #10]. I don't have that one, because it would need a very powerful machine, but the last one before, FS2004.

Nevertheless it is a dream come true! For those who never read or heard about it before: everything moves! No only the propellers are moving, no, all the navigational instruments are truely working. You are in full control of the weather, let it rain or even snow, if you want, or make it a hot and dry summer day. Need I say, that you can actually fly through clouds?

You also hear people talk on the radio, you will of course ask permission at the tower before landing. As real as it gets was always Microsoft's motto, and it is abolutely true.

But it is a lot more than just a computer game! There is a world wide community of flight-simmers, people who design and make new, often historical, aircraft, or new sceneries to go with your flight. All of these are free to download, and they make the Flight Simulator what it is - a global dream of those, who want to see the world without borders.

Well, that isn't all! Of course we need information about the places we are going to fly to. So let me show you an example.
Years ago my (then) beloved wife gave me a little book for Christmas: ALASKAN PROPS, by Karl-Heinz Morawietz & Jörg Weier. A beautiful book about cargo air routes in the state of Alaska.

Inside we find an article about a flight to a tiny little airstrip called Manokotak. A company called Stebbins & Ambler has got a cargo flight out there (#2 on my map) in their old Fairchild C-119.

Now I want to do that same flight on my computer. Even if it is nothing more than a little brown dirt strip, the runway exists in FS2004! But not the airplane! So we get it from the flight sim community, as some guy, whom we will never get to know, has carefully designed this lovely cargo aircraft.

No we can set everything we want, but - we first have to look at Wikipedia and Google Earth, to learn a little more about Alaska. Only then we are ready.

Now let's get in the air!

1. Anchorage Airport

Crossing the Chigmit Mountains, west of Anchorage

Here we have a picture from the book; please compare it to the next one from my flight!

2. Manokotak in sight!!

The weather deteriorates!

It is getting dark; still raining, but we have a long night flight in front of us,
going all the way down to Cold Bay on the Alaskan Peninsula.

It is dark and we are high up in the air, above the clouds now - what is this gloomy thing in front of us??

There it is again, much stronger now!! Aurora borealis!! WOW!!!

Almost 4 years ago my flight ended here in Cold Bay (#3). After this I turned my interest towards other things, flew elsewhere in the world, discovered new places. Then, in January 2008, I got a bad virus on my machine; I had to format my harddisk and reinstall windows. Alas, I had lost all my additional Flight Simulator data, all new aircraft, all new sceneries were lost. And until recently I simply did not feel like starting all over again.

Right until I felt this urge for a new flight. Or better, to take up the old one from 2005 and go on into the west, along the many islands of the Alëutian Archipelago. It took me some time to restore MY flight simulator. Even worse, I had completely forgotten how to handle it!

Thanks to the different forums I was able to find a lot of the lost aircraft and scenery again! You may notice our Fairchild has been slighty altered; it no longer carries this extra jet booster on its roof, so we must fly without.

3. Cold Bay, ready to go out into the Alëutians!

A nice morning, snow is on the mountains

It starts snowing!

The cargo doors are open, waiting for new freight.

Do compare it to this picture!

Inside the cockpit. All these instruments really work!

Mt. Vsevidof on our starboard side!

Of course, the real Mt. Vsevidof on Umnak Island looks a lot better! The picture is taken from Google Earth!

4. The runway of Dutch Harbor is in sight! Please fasten your seatbelts!

Let's have a look at the real Dutch Harbor!

We must go on to Atka, but the visibility is extremely bad!

Let's hope, it'll be better at Atka!

5. Atka. Thank God we have electronic landing equipment on board (the instrument on the left, showing the exact glide path!)

Here we come!

All further flying cancelled for today! Routine in the Alëutians!

The next morning promises fine weather!

Still dark outside, with the rotating beam on top of the tower building.

No time to waste! Waiting for new cargo with the cargo doors open!

Okay, engine 1 is running!

Off we go! Landing gear is retracting.

7. Next to last stop on the Alëutian chain: Earekson Air Force Station

From here it is just a little hop to Attu, last island in the Alëutians!

Please compare the next two pictures! Here, at the bottom of the picture, we see Cape Wrangell, the westernmost point of the United States!

Of course I got the machine down on the airstrip at Massacre Bay, otherwise I would not live to tell you.
'Massacre Bay'?? I know, this sounds horrible, and horrible it was indeed. Here, believe it or not, one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. took place, when U.S. forces in May 1943 recaptured the island from Japanese occupation forces. Those did not surrender, they prefered to sacrifice their lives to their emperor. If this was wise or not, I don't know, maybe it was very brave, maybe it was very stupid, but as long as no-one can convince me of the nescessity of wars, I prefer to say it was stupid and against everything, I think is good for the human race.

Please read more about this 'forgotten war' at Wikipedia
and why 580 Americans and 2035 Japanese ended their days on this remote island.

Well, this would be all for now. Here you can see me at the controls of the Fairchild. It was a bit chilly in there, that's why I'm wearing my old fur cap. But, the next flight has been planned already, and it will be to warmer places. Nevertheless I think, Alaska must be a wonderful place, and maybe one day I will swap the old Fairchild C-119 with the comfort of a modern jetliner!

Please don't think, my life is just computer all the time! I know that the stimulation of real life is a lot better than the simulation of air-travel, but sometimes in life stimulation fails and all there is left is simulation.

As you can see from my little flag parade, I have already been to quite a few countries; I hope you know your flags!

Happy landings!!

E.H. 06.30.2006