June 5 - Back to Alaska

 

June 5 – Back to Alaska

I left my hotel in Denver at about 5am (3am AK).  Flew out of Denver at 8am to Seattle. 

Arriving in Seattle.  Beautiful sunny day, about 70 degrees at 9:30am.  Mt Hood, Mt Adams, St Helens, and Rainer were beautiful. 

 

Met Diane in Seattle and we were off to Ketchikan at 10:30 am (9:30 AK); arriving about 11am Alaska time.  Flight started loading about 20 minutes after my Denver flight landed in Seattle. 

 

Once in Ketchikan the rush was on.  Took the ferry into town, then by cab to drop our luggage at the Misty Fjords (Float Plane) Office.  Then by cab back into town to get the groceries that the boys had requested.  We loaded purchases into three boxes and called Misty Fjords for a pickup.  Back at the airpark we shared a sandwich while Diane did business via phone and internet to get another house sale – in the works in Tacoma.  She listed the house on Friday, had an associate do an open house Sunday (today) and by the time she was in AK (1pm Seattle) there were a number of offers.   The housing market in Tacoma is screaming this summer (a seller’s market for sure).  One offer was $50 over asking price right out of the gate.  This delayed out departure a bit. The guys had decided to charter us a float plane flight instead of bringing one of the smaller boats back to pick us up.     

 

Diane ready for takeoff.

 

 

 

 

 

Liz ready for takeoff.  Photo to follow when able to get it out of Diane’s phone.  Technology problems.

 

Flight – OMG it was awesome!    Dave Sr was our pilot, our plane a Cessna 185.  Dave moved to Alaska in the early 70’s and went into the fishing and hunting business, learned to fly, and over time had his own fishing/hunting lodges etc…. but he always liked flying the best.  So now he owns the Misty Fjords Aviation which has 6 planes of various sizes, taking people for pleasure or work all over the area.  He also runs a large dock for mooring ‘large’ yachts visiting Ketchikan.  While in the office I was looking at the yacht reservations on the calendar for this summer and the smallest is 100 ft. and the largest (on the calendar) was 230 feet.  Athena, A2, and Felix were among those expected this summer.  The calendar looked to be booked for the entire summer.  So in a nut shell Dave has done well for himself in paradise.

Our flight to Hessa Island took approx. 45 minutes.  He gave us information on the area and pointed out things along the way.  For most of the flight we flew at about 500 feet off the water, but changed altitudes as needed or desired.   Early in the flight he saw a boat anchored in a bay and he said ‘Oh that’s my brother, let’s say hello’, and we went low and buzzed his boat.  A bit later he pointed out something and Diane, in the back seat, said I’m too short I can’t see it.  He said something like ‘ok’ and then put the plane nose down into a dive so she could see out the front window.  No warning, just a dive.  OMG!    It was a beautiful flight, and conversation about Alaska, places to go, not go etc….

 

 

 

Later he said I see an Armada, and way out in the distance a white blob could be seen in a bay, yep that was our group.  He said something like ‘Look out guys, momma’s com’in home’.

Our boats in sight, the light/white spot just to the right of the little dark island (dot) in the middle of this photo close to the shoreline.  The water beyond the land is the Pacific Ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He spoke to Willard on the radio to arrange let them know we were on our way.  Then he started our approach, but instead of landing out front, he did a very low flyby approaching from the front and side and turning very sharp and curved around the stern of our boats (I swear you could see every little detail on the decks) and then back up and out front for a very smooth landing. 

 

 

 

Willard and Glen came out in two dinghies to pick us and the groceries up – Willard had the girls and Glen had the rest.  We said our goodbyes to Dave and sat out there to watch him take off.  He took off heading out thru the cut toward the ocean and as he left the water and turned past the point we saw that he immediately was in a hard turn, pretty awesome takeoff.   More to that story later.   We started heading back to the boats and all of a sudden we saw the plane coming over the trees back in our direction.  He was just over the tree tops and then came in low and buzzed us in the dinghy.  We all ducked as it seemed like he was just feet above us.  He turned started up and just before he went over the next set of trees he gave us a wing wave.   While there were many camera’s taking shots and video of us coming in for our landing, unfortunately no one got the amazing buzz the yachts or the buzz the dinghy action.   Willard brought us back to the boats and everyone was cheering our return and the way in which we arrived.  Dave is one amazing pilot.  Diane and I were happy to see our guys, the group, and be back aboard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diane and I both said that we’d fly with Dave again anytime.  Amazing day.

 

 

 

Nicole had settled in nicely and had already caught her first fish; a 30+ lb Halibut.

 

A little later Tom who had been out fishing around the corner came back in.   Someone asked if he saw a crazy plane.  His reply was, you mean the one that came around the corner and about right at me.   He was fast enough to take a photo with his phone as the plane was taking off coming right at and over him.     

 

On takeoff apparently he took off directly over Tom.   Tom took the above photo as he hit the deck.   He claims the plane was just 10 feet over him.

 

It had been a very long day.   I was exhausted and fell asleep I think before the opening/intro to the evenings movie.   Nicole woke me up and made me go to bed sometime after the movie was over.