Some great airplane pictures from Alaska

The Anchorage Daily News has published over 100 photographs (contributed by its readers) of Alaskan aircraft, from big to small, on the ground, in the water, on skis or in the air. It's a wonderful resource for those who haven't had the good fortune to visit that State, and see for themselves how general aviation is a way of life up there.

There are literally thousands of private planes in Alaska. Anchorage, the largest city, has seven or eight airfields and airstrips to accommodate them. I think the busiest is Merrill Field, with well over nine hundred small aircraft based there.




(Miss D. is currently rebuilding her plane there.) Anchorage also has Lake Hood. In summer it's the world's largest floatplane base;




and it becomes the world's largest ski-plane base in winter when it freezes over!




Here are a few of the aircraft of Alaska, as depicted in the ADN's collection. (Click the aircraft name below each picture for more information about it.)

Beechcraft Model 18

Cessna 206. This aircraft couldn't land at Aniak, its destination, due to bad weather:
so the pilot landed five miles away on the frozen Kuskokwim River, and taxied
the plane along the ice until he reached the town! Just another flying day in Alaska . . .

Cessna 208 Caravan near Ketchikan

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

Douglas DC-6B

Grumman Goose on Goodnews Bay

Piper Super Cub, showing why tundra tires are so vital on the soft Alaskan terrain

Short Skyvan

Beautifully restored and painted Taylorcraft on skis in the Alaskan mountains

Zenith STOL CH 701 landing on skis on the frozen Big Lake

There are many more pictures at the link. Highly recommended viewing for all aviation enthusiasts. A tip o' the hat to Rev. Paul for linking to the ADN article.

Peter