Thursday, August 20, 2009

Carty's - Beluga - Falcon Lake / Cessna 152 (N708YL) / VFR

Breaking out of my recent rut in terms of route selection, I decided to do some flying in Alaska today, with a brand-new Cessna 152 that materialized at Carty's Airstrip, a private field nine nautical miles north of Kenai Municipal Airport in Alaska. (I hope the virtual version of the owner, Mr. Carty, didn't mind.)

The weather was cool (thank goodness) as I set out for Beluga Airport, a mere 29 nm to the north, almost all of it over the waters of the Gompertz Channel. The flight and landing went perfectly. I managed to hold course and altitude very precisely. I carried a virtual passenger with me across the water, as flying to Beluga saves having to drive all the way around the water (I don't think there is any kind of ferry service).

Encouraged by this, I shortly thereafter set out for Falcon Lake, near Anchorage. That went well too, until it came down to actually finding the airport. There are a couple of very small fields within a few miles of each other in the area, and I finally landed at what I thought was Falcon Lake. I think I was actually at the field next-door, on another farm. They are both scarcely more than flat strips, but Flyway is east-west and that's how I landed, so I think that's where I am. The airstrips are only about a mile apart.

Maybe I'm choosing airports that are too small. It's hard to tell sometimes on the chart. Still, I'm within a mile of where I expected to be, which is pretty good in an area the size of Alaska.

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