After a flight through a strong 50-NM-long heavy downpour with clear Alaska rain waters our aircraft is cleaned again thoroughly. Then the weather clears up and frees the view on the beauty of Alaska. Past Mount McKinley (6193m – highest mount in North America) we approach RW07L of Steven Int’l Airport with light tail wind. On an area of just 10x10 NM there are four airfields living in peaceful coexistence: Stevens Anchorage Int'l, Lake Hood (water airport and gravel strip), Merril (national town airfield) and Elmendorf AFB (mil. air base). Stevens Int'l is connected by taxiway with Lake Hood airport. On that airport we have to carry out the now due 50-hrs inspection for our CESSNA at the company Seaplanes North. The approx. 6 km long taxiway leads over streets and barks to the hangar of the CESSNA service enterprise.

Already on the Friday evening our airplane is ready for operation again: up to now our CESSNA coped well with the tour. Jeff and Richard Walker run the wharf which is specialized among other things on the conversion of normal airplanes to floatplanes.

Richard has a surprise. He introduced us to Martin Hinshaw (UPS captain) and Steven Williams. The two pilots will offer guided flight safaris in the coming season.  Pilots from all countries will explore the surroundings of Anchorage by flying chartered airplane themselves – for most pilots certainly a unique experience.

Steven also runs a flight school (ACME Cub Training - www.ACMEcub.Blogspot.com) which is specialized on float ratings. In two days, so he tells us, flying of a floatplane is not a dream any more for a fairly talented pilot.
Spontaneously he invites us to a tour on his 180 HP PA18. With 3! people aboard we takeoff from the "home lake" Lake Hood and climb up to a mountain lake that is 3000 ft high. The base leg across the mountain crests with wind requires some practice. The landing on this small lake in the midst of untouched nature is simply unforgettable.
Then not less impressive is the flight back to Lake Hood. When we turn on final of Lake Hood water runway we almost can touch the runways of Steven Int’l. On this approach it becomes visible what an unbelievable large number of floatplanes have their home here. As a side note: Anchorage counts only approx. 250000 inhabitants as the capital of Alaska. Lake Hood is a real paradise for people who have found their passion in flying.

We would like to thank Steven for this excursion to this different world of the flying and wish him and Martin all the best for their plans in the coming season. 

In Alaska you would not wait for a weather forecast that promises sun to start your tour! The unique, untouched nature becomes conscious also at overcast sky. Whether the sea sceneries and river countries in the north of Anchorage or the Kenai Peninsula in the south - everywhere you would need weeks to really explore. To put it in Richard's words: “I already live my whole life in Alaska and have not seen yet everything“. In any case, we are lucky to attend a special play of a glacier ice bursting off into the sea. Thousands of years the ice-crystals have forged ahead to reach sea level, only to dive again into the everlasting circulation. The animal world fascinates us specially. Apart from bear and wolf we almost get to see everything. As we learn later moos is the most dangerous creature. Many accidents happen among other things because the tourists come too close. It doesn’t look as aggressive though.