Back to Bloggin' Business!

Well!
It looks like the Blogger/FTP/Yahoo Webhosting "buggy" combination is solved. Whatever those problems where, they stood in the way of our wish to use the blog as a journal of Alaskan Winds regular activity.
I've been returning every month or so since early May to check check current status, and this time it looks like things are back into shape! So if you see this message and image below, there's a good chance problems are gone (hopefully for good).

That would be nice, to celebrate the new Alaskan Winds Season, that makes its entry ever September 1st, after the Summer Holidays. This past year was wonderful and special: full of activities and yet a relaxed one; covering lots of fronts and yet a focused one: Alaska Bush Flying, that's our game.

So I gladly say "Expect more of the same!"
A Big Thank You to all our Eagles who ARE the real Alaskan Winds.



See you soon!

Alaskan Winds Multiplayer Manager

It is my great pleasure to announce that AW487 David "Chief" Cardosa has accepted my invitation to assume the Multiplayer Manager position!



It is a somewhat new trend at Alaskan Winds, and a healthy one, I'd say...! just like with the previous Staff Members' announcements, in David's case it is also a matter of making official something that was already a reality in practical members. Staff Members have been building their positions naturally, like an extension of what they really enjoy to do.

I just had to send the invitation and say "don't change a thing!" ;D

It has been some months now since Chief started arranging the Wednesday night MP sessions, sending invitations out, coming up with the plans, ideas, and above all making it so that we can have a ball when flying online together.

So, Thank You Chief! Keep up the good work Sir - if Alaskan Winds is a great place it certainly owes a lot to the ones that push it forward for pure pleasure.

FTP back online?

It has been a long time since this blog was updated for the last time!
This is not related to any lack of activity at Alaskan Winds but rather with what seems to be a serious bug with Blogger's FTP feature when the blogs' pages and images are being hosted at the blogger's website (our case) and not at blogspot.com.
The problem seems even more acute when the the third party host is Yahoo...
This has been addressed at the Blogger Helper Group for a couple of months now, but to little avail.

But I'll keep trying until it gets to 100%

In any case I hope you do pay us a visit at the Alaskan Winds Forum! The number of members and pilots is growing by the day, and this has been a great and fun year at Alaskan Winds!
This is the time of our lives :)

Alaskan Winds Training Center

Alaskan Winds newest and completely hands-on-approach department is up!

The Training Center will be under Alaskan Winds Chief Pilot AW403 Samuel Weryermann's direction.


You can check it out already at the Forum's main page, between "The Coffeeshop" and "Operations".

What will you find there? Flights, basically, each flight introducing a new skill or concept; just one at a time so everyone can participate, in a light and fun way, while still improving skills and knowledge.

Flights will focus on two main subjects in a (somehwat) progressive order: bush pilots' flying skills and navigation.

How does it work?
Just like any other Alaskan Winds flight:
* Read the briefing and print any in-flight reference material.
* Head to the Training Center's Hangar and go fly.
* Post a new entry in the current month's Logbook.

Extra
* Use each flight briefing thread for questions, or related technical chat.
* If you want to share a video recording (either using FS built-in feature or something like Fraps/YouTube) that will be great!, but not mandatory.

I know the care Samuel is putting in its perparation; the lenghts he is going to document himself and acquire the best material, so we all can have the best. Thank you, Samuel!

Personally, I'm signing up right away ;D

Alaskan Winds Scenery Manager

It is my great pleasure to announce that AW525 Richard Johnson has accepted my invitation to assume the Alaskan Winds Scenery Manager position!



I'll say that Richard has been doing the part for a long time. From scenery design to website/uploads/downloads management he has been doing it all - so it is only fair that his work may be recognized as such.
Furthermore - and this is important to me as you will understand - Richard has this thing of being on the right place at the right time saving a lot of effort. And so it was because of it that, for instance, the Yukon Quest scenery package was possible - when I was ready to go all default! (And those frozen rivers! ...I know, I know they're Holger's, RJ ;D)



I will write what I wrote for our Chief Pilot a few days ago, as it still holds true:

Alaskan Winds has set its goal to be among the very best - and therefore we must provide the same to our pilots. I firmly believe that Richard Johnson qualifies. I will turn to him for help and support on future Alaskan Winds projects, and there will be many.
And I'm sure that if you ask him something within the realm of a virtual company Scenery Manager competences he will be glad to assist you.

Just remember, at Alaskan Winds we Fly! So I'm by no means asking RJ to sit behind a desk and spend his time with paper work :) In other words, time is precious, we're all grown men (and women) with our share of real life responsibilities and we all want to enjoy this great hobby of ours!

Thanks, Richard, my honor in having you as Alaskan Winds Scenery Manager!

The Loose Goose!

The N579AW "Loose Goose" is the first FSX original repaint for the Alaskan Winds fleet, coming out of the paint shop of the skilled couple, Ida & Steen "Stones" Jaszczak, Alpha-Whikey-Five-Seven-Niner.
It was produced in record time and yet to great standards! And these two promise not to stop here, so stay tuned. Better yet, come along and hop to controls of the "Loose Goose" for some fun flying!
A Big Thank You to both, from the Alaskan Winds Main Office!

Alaskan Winds Chief Pilot

It is my great pleasure to announce that AW403 Samuel Weyermann has accepted my invitation to assume the Alaskan Winds Chief Pilot position!



Several factors influenced my choice:

* Samuel's attention to other pilots' activity, cheerfully commenting each entry in the monthly logbooks. I guess you'd call it good human relations' skills!
* The fact that he is both confident and happy at the controls of a wide range of aircraft, be it a Pilatus PC-6, a Boeing 727, or a Jayhawk helicopter, also displaying knowledge of the various aircraft systems.
* And last but not least, the fact that he is a (real world) pilot - with experience in gliders and several single piston engine aircraft.

Now, you may wonder if anything is going to change, given the fact that Alaskan Winds has no mandatory requisitions of any kind:
No, nothing is going to change in Alaskan Winds current policy. All that is expected from Alaskan Winds pilots remains exactly as outlined on this page.

But Alaskan Winds has set its goal to be among the very best - and therefore we must provide the same to our pilots. I firmly believe that Samuel Weyermann qualifies. I will turn to him for help and support on future Alaskan Winds projects, and there will be many.
And I'm sure that if you ask him something within the realm of a virtual company Chief Pilot competences he will be glad to assist you.

Just remember, at Alaskan Winds we Fly! So I'm by no means asking Samuel to sit behind a desk and spend his time with paper work :) In other words, time is precious, we're all grown men (and women) with our share of real life responsibilities and we all want to enjoy this great hobby of ours!

Thanks, Samuel, my honor in having you as Alaskan Winds Chief Pilot!