Alaska back home to USA route?

Honest, reliable, iconic American fighter
User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Okie dokie, I'll try to make my first leg this coming week, not sure if I'm gonna use the P-40 yet though or another warbird.

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Looking forward to your adventure. I will get on my second leg hopefully next week after working off Thursday morning. Pesky work obligations always getting in the way! Lol. I was in my shop all day today trying to find my work benches and floor from all that accumulated over the last couple of months of not having the time to go work on my project cars, now I fear with my shop clean and the cars calling my name I will not have time to sim. Conundrum or catch-22? Oh well

Cheers, Chris
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Just a few taken on the route from Kodiak to Elmendorf AFB, just a few miles from Anchorage.
Enjoy, Chris

Before start
Image

Leaving Kodiak
Image
Image

Homer over to the left(dark area)
Image

Image

What your fuel pressure gauge looks like when the drop tank goes dry! Lol
Image

Approaching to land
Image

Anchorage in the background
Image

Little kitty is down safe, and prepared for a rest
Image

Just a few notes about the route and aircraft so far. Engine and airframe are performing well and showing normal readings at the end of each leg.

First leg PADU-PADK 2.7 Hours flight
124 Gals of petrol used
.6 Gals of glycol used
.9 Gals of oil used
17% ox used

2nd leg PADK-PAED 1.6 hour flight
63 Gals of petrol used
.3 Gals of glycol used
.5 Gals of oil used
0% ox used

Both legs used 0% Hyd fluid

Hope you are enjoying following along, and maybe inspire you to try a similar flight.

Cheers, Chris
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

r601020
Senior Airman
Posts: 170
Joined: 14 Jan 2015, 11:40
Location: KCRW

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by r601020 »

You'll be coming into some stunning scenery. Enjoy.
Richard

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

More great shots, I think I might have to use the P-40 too. Hopefully leaving for first leg soon, looks like some great scenery to be had too.

cheers,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

Okie Dokie so I started too in the P-40, going to take a lot shorter hops so my first one was PADU-PACS. Thanks for the plan, going to enjoy this immensely.

cheers,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Alrighty then! So I finally had a little time to continue my little adventure of flying from Dutch Harbor, Alaska back to the USA.

Today I began by preflighting the P-40 at Emendorf, AFB in Anchorage and flew to Whitehorse Int'l, Canada. Weather was still a little bumpy until getting above 12,000 ft but tolerable. The padding in the seat pack parachute really needs to be made thicker for a more comfortable flight on your bum, but I digress. Landed safely at Whitehorse but beware on the approach end of 13R are elevated runway lights that will snag you if you are not paying attention.
Image

So here I am about to take the runway at Elmendorf
Image

climbing out
Image
Image

My view at 16,000ft
Image

Spotted Whitehorse!
Image
Image

Base to final!
Image

Legs stretched out and ready....
Image

And the little girl is safely put to bed til the next flight!
Image

I hope you are enjoying this little adventure enough to try your own.

Cheers, Chris
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

User avatar
Skycat
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2191
Joined: 11 Nov 2006, 16:15
Location: Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Skycat »

I have scans of the route information used by WWII military pilots to navigate from Great Falls, Montana to Fairbanks Alaska. They are marked "Confidential" because of the war. Anyhow, the information consists of major waypoints, usually large cities, with midpoints between them described.

1. Great Falls, USA to Edmonton, Canada: 431 statute miles, 374 nautical miles. True course 343 degrees, magnetic course 323 degrees.
-- Midpoints: Lethbridge; Calgary; Penhold.
-- "All the major stops on this route are equipped with radio range stations and the route presents no major difficulties to flying..."

2. Edmonton to Fort St. John: 343 statute miles, 298 nautical miles. True course 302 degrees, magnetic course 274 degrees.
-- Midpoints: Grande Prairie (242 statute miles from Edmonton.)
-- "... Emergency landings over this area (midway to Grande Prairie) would be extremely difficult and rescue parties would have considerable difficulty in getting to the site of the landing."
-- "Within the immediate vicinity of Fort St. John, limited cultivation will be observed and a few small communities are situated in the area. On this leg of the route, because of the rolling, hilly and timbered terrain, emergency landings would be difficult to effect safely."
-- Intermediate Fields: "No Intermediate fields are available for the entire distance between Edmonton and Grande Prairie. The only intermediate field available between Grande Prairie and Fort St. John is a flight strip under construction at Dawson Creek."

3. Fort St. John to Whitehorse: 602 statute miles, 523 nautical miles. True course 301 degrees, magnetic course 269 degrees.
-- Midpoints: Fort Nelson; Watson Lake.
-- "From Fort St. John to Fort Nelson, the terrain is chiefly hills, heavily timbered, averaging about 3,500 feet in height, with deep ravines and numerous streams and rivers. The territory is uncultivated and uninhabited with the exception of a few trappers and Indians trading with the Hudson Bay Company at Sikanni. There are few landmarks... emergency landings over this area would be difficult."
-- "Immediately leaving Fort Nelson, the terrains rises rapidly, becoming mountainous with high ranges of the Rocky Mountains plainly visible to the west. The route parallels this range the entire distance to Watson Lake with the average elevation between 7,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level."
-- "For the first fifty miles northwest of Watson Lake, the terrain directly on course is rolling, heavily timbered plateau, averaging an elevation of about 2,500 feet above sea level. As the course proceeds west, the mountains to the south form a horseshoe over the route and rise rapidly to an average elevation of about 8,000 miles above sea level... Wolf Lake provides an excellent landmark for pilots as it is the largest lake in the area on the course."
-- Intermediate Fields: "No intermediate fields are available between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson. Several flight strips are under construction to the west of the route. No intermediate field are available between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake, but several flight strips are under construction along the route. No intermediate fields are available between Watson Lake and Whitehorse except for several flight strips which are under construction."

4. Whitehorse to Fairbanks, Alaska: 486 statute miles, 422 nautical miles. True course 306 degrees, magnetic course 275 degrees.
-- Midpoints: Northway; Big Delta; Tanacross.
-- "The terrain between Whitehorse and Northway, a distance of 265 miles, is generally mountainous with numerous streams and rivers lying across the route. Immediately upon leaving Whitehorse, the terrain rises rapidly to an average elevation of 7,000 feet, making contact flight during adverse weather hazardous. About 70 miles northwest of Whitehorse, the route passes over Aishihik Lake, a long narrow lake easily distinguished by its shape. At the northwest end of the lake it is joined by a small stream with Sekulman Lake, another long lake, lying north and south, also easily identified from the route. Emergency landings could be effected with consequent damage, however, to aircraft in this area, and during freeze-up, flights could be landed safely on the ice. From Aishihik, for the next 75 miles, the route is extremely mountainous with no valleys and the and the average elevation of these mountains is 7,000 feet above sea level. Beyond this, the route crosses Wellesley Lake, which lies in a wide valley, to rolling plateau country with numerous valleys, rolling hills and intermittent mountains averaging 4,000 feet in height. Along the entire route from Whitehorse to Northway, the course parallels the St. Elias Mountains which lie approximately 50 miles to the southwest. These mountains are extremely high and rugged with peaks extending from 10,000 feet to 18,000 feet above sea level. Just prior to reaching Northway, the plateau flattens out into another large bowl with fewer rolling hills but with numerous scattered lakes. Contact flight from this point to Northway can be accomplished safely at low altitudes. The plateau continues in a northwesterly direction beyond Northway for about 40 miles; however, it narrows down into a wide valley and has a few hills rising to an elevation of about 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea level. Upon reaching George Lake, the country again flattens out into a wide valley; however, the course follows within 20 miles of the Alaska mountain range. The range at this point averages about 8,000 feet in height, some peaks extending up to 9,000 and 10,000 feet above sea level."
-- "At Big Delta, the valley broadens out, although Mt. Hayes, 13,740 feet in height, is only 35 miles south at this point. The terrain in the immediate vicinity of Big Delta is flat and marshy and contact flights at 3,000 feet can safely be made. At Salacher Lake, the valley widens further, and the Alaska Range turns in a westerly direction leaving only a low range of hills to the west and northwest. For the entire distance from Northway to Fairbanks, the route follows closely the course of the Tanana River, which is an excellent landmark for pilots in contact flight. Caution is advised, however, in following the Tanana River with low visibility as frequent bends and turns are prevalent and the river at times approaches dangerously close to the higher mountains to the north."
-- Intermediate Fields: "Intermediate fields are available between Whitehorse and Fairbanks at Northway, Tanacross and Big Delta, and all of these fields are adequate for large aircraft."
Last edited by Skycat on 27 Nov 2016, 16:37, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Skycat
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2191
Joined: 11 Nov 2006, 16:15
Location: Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Skycat »

Jack Chenault, commander of the Aleutian Tigers during WWII, became the commander at Great Falls AAF (now Malmstrom AFB) shortly after the war. I'd have to check exactly what he was commanded at Great Falls -- either Air Transport Command's Alaskan Wing or the 1701st Air Transport Wing as I recall, or possibly both. Chenault reportedly also landed his P-40 at Great Falls AAF during the war sometime while assigned to Alaska; I don't recall the details like if it was when the original Aleutian Tigers were heading that way. Regardless, many P-40s were delivered to Alaska via Great Falls by ferry pilots.
Pax Orbis Per Arma Aeria

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Skycat, thanks for the info on the routes. That is what I was looking for early in my route planning, but unable to locate the detailed info you have. I used some ATC map images to build the routes. The scenery has been beautiful when you can see it through the clouds. The treacherous flying conditions for the area even today make you respect what they did over 70 years ago.

Cheers Chris
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

User avatar
Skycat
Senior Master Sergeant
Posts: 2191
Joined: 11 Nov 2006, 16:15
Location: Great Falls Army Air Base, Montana

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Skycat »

If you haven't checked out Bravo 369 Flight Foundation, look up their Facebook page. They flew the route in T6s last summer. Posts from their journey are still near the top of the page's feed.
Pax Orbis Per Arma Aeria

User avatar
Lewis - A2A
A2A Lieutenant Colonel
Posts: 33284
Joined: 06 Nov 2004, 23:22
Location: Norfolk UK
Contact:

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by Lewis - A2A »

I'm still only on the first leg as other aircraft have come first and I got distracted by GA again lol. I'll get leg 2 out the way for me this week, if not 3 and 4 too.

thanks,
Lewis
A2A Facebook for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Youtube because a video can say a thousand screenshots,..
A2A Simulations Twitter for news live to your social media newsfeed
A2A Simulations Community Discord for voice/text chat

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Made it back home to the USA finally!!

After a long flight, and a small landing accident(with rebuild) at Elmendorf AFB, and continuation from there to Whitehorse, Ft St John, and a layover in Medicine hat. I decided to finish my route to Great Falls MT.

Instead of Great Falls airport I elected to land at Malmstrom AFB. Makes sense, this is an army air force aircraft.

I have just signed her over to the accepting officer for her reassignment or disposal. The higher powers decide those things......

This was overall a very long flight, but worth it. Fun to recreate, with excitement and beautiful scenery along the way. I forgot to log the journey with all the pics and noticed my original are gone, So I will leave this story with my last few from this short hop from Medicine Hat to Great Falls,Mt.

Enjoy, Chris


Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

I found a few of the original pics. I just don't remember the order or locations.

Chris

Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

User avatar
bmbrzmn101
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 252
Joined: 19 Jun 2011, 14:40

Re: Alaska back home to USA route?

Post by bmbrzmn101 »

Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image Image
The voices in your head will quieten down when you begin listening to them!

Image

Image

new reply

Return to “P-40 Warhawk / Tomahawk”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests