Best airports in Alaska & Canada?

[TheBoeing738]

Hi all,

I quite enjoy a good flight between regional 'bush' airports in Alaska and Canada and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on some of the best airports for bush flying in that region. I still have a lot of the area to explore!

I only have the default airports and default scenery for that area, but I'm happy to get some free scenery/airport add-ons if anyone has some suggestions. Anywhere in Alaska or Canada is fine.

Thanks in advance

[ScatterbrainKid]

Have fun exploring for yourself like a true aerial pioneer, meanwhile here's a short list of interesting places that people have suggested in older posts-


LHD- Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Anchorage, Alaska. If you like floatplanes, the busiest seaplane base in the world is located right next to PANC Anchorage International. Watch out for the 747's taking off nearby when you are landing your Beaver! At the real airport, cars can share the roads with airplanes. Airplanes have the right-of-way. I had to stop at a stop sign in my car to let an Otter taxi by.
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Stevens Anchorage Int. (Sth central Alaska) (PANC) One of my favorite FSX flights is to grab my best bush plane and head North East up the Matanuaska River. Just follow that as far as you want. Along the way you'll run into a bunch of little gravel and grass strips that you can do some touch and goes on. The best two along that trip are Sheep Mountain (PASP) at 2270ft and at the end, Tazlina (Z14) at 900ft.
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Juneau, fly east to Snettisham 7AK2, climb to 5500 and descend through the mountains or fly west to Hoonah PAOH from there you can go to Skagway PAGY. I also like Girdwood AQY to Whittier PAWR. Birchwood to Bold is nice. Try Trail to Sullivan lake. These are all nice short flights, weather makes it way more fun.
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Trail, B.C. to O9S (Sullivan Lake)
Head up the valley towards O9S set your wind for either RWY 16 or 34 both are challenging approaches. If you take the valley route following the river you can climb to 5,500'. For 16 you can approach through the valley and get down to 500' AGL on right base to be at the right altitude for short final. If you set up for 34 you can descend when you are over the strip and then do a tight descending 180 degree turn to final. Or leave Trail and fly straight to Sullivan Lake climbing to 9000' to clear the peak, then throttle back (no problem on the turbo charged Twin Otter) and glide to the strip.
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Alaska:- AQY, Girdwood to PAWR Whittie Take off from AQY and head up the sound to PAWR you can set up for either RWY 21 or 03 both are challenging. If you are aiming for 03 you will not want to climb to more than 3500' slow down once you get over the small lake and then get ready for a quick descent on left base to short final. If you don't plan your speed you will have to go around. For 21 try maintaining 3500' over the aerodrome and then cut the engines and try for an emergency landing. Or leave AQY at dusk and find the strip with no RWY lights.
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PAJN, Juneau to 7AK2, Snettisham Take off from Juneau and head east following the Gastineau Channel. Climb to 5,500' and take in the view for a few minutes before you have to start planning your descent. If you are heading for RWY 33 I like to descend through the mountains just south of the strip, or you can follow the water right in and have a more leisurely descent. I have not tried to land on RWY 15. This is another nice one to depart at dusk or add 7/8 stratus from 0' to 1000' descend to minimums (500') and try to find the strip. PAOH, Hoonah is another nice destination from Juneau, nothing particularly challenging about it though.
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And you can buy books like this one for more ideas-

[mrzippy]

Some of my favorite Alaska flights are Juneau to Sitka- Nome to Unalakleet and probably Juneau to Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) and I have found great scenery and airport upgrades in the files on this site.

[ReggieF5421]

Skagway (PAGY) can be an amazingly difficult airport in a proper small aircraft, especially if visibility is not great. Flying head on into a box canyon with barely room to turn around if you go missed.

Always land from the water to the land - ignore winds and ATC.

[ScatterbrainKid]

Yeah I like Skagway, here's my Junkers over the town-

[mrzippy]

Here comes my PIC. Took of from Skagway heading to Sitka at about 5000 feet. Attachment 127072

[abrussell]

Kelowna Air Virtual has hundreds of flights in British Columbia and Alaska. Check out the following hubs:
Watson Lake
Anchorage Alaska
Air Kodiak Alaska
Also check out the subsidiary airlines:
Grizzly Air Cargo Domestic
Raven Airlines (I'm currently flying this schedule)
D&H Airlines
All the flights have a suggested aircraft.
Bruce

http://kelownaairvirtual.com/

[TheBoeing738]

Thanks a lot for all your replies, I'll keep a list of those airports and I'll have some adventures!!

Funny enough, I actually discovered Skagway yesterday but I'm sure I'll fly to/from there more often.

And thanks Scatterbrainkid for your numerous suggestions - I'll try some of those routes too!

Once again, thanks to all!

[TheBoeing738]

Some of my favorite Alaska flights are Juneau to Sitka- Nome to Unalakleet and probably Juneau to Unalaska (Dutch Harbor) and I have found great scenery and airport upgrades in the files on this site.

Thanks Mr Zippy, I have flown from Juneau and Unalaska, but not that particular route - I'll give it a shot! I'm also looking forward to flying from Nome and Unalakleet since they are featured often in the TV program "Flying Wild Alaska"

[Jack Armstrong]

Thanks for this thread and to all who contributed. These are terrific suggestions, with pictures, for my favorite kind of flying.