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!

The Last Great Race on Earth!

(Capt. Weyermann wrapping up the support flights stage 1 with a cargo from Nulato to Nome)

...that's how the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is know around the four corners of the world. And from about those same places, every year, a great number of veteran and rookie mushers sign up for the "one thousand fourty nine" - as the song goes! - miles from Anchorage into Nome.


(Capt. Weyermann arriving to Willow for the Race start)

And for the 7th year since 2001 Alaskan Winds is doing its Virtual Iditarod, one of the greatest times of the year for our pilots, when everyone leaves everything behind and it is just about flying! For some 10 days or more, Alaskan Winds Pilots root for their favorite mushers and follow them as close as possible, in the stunning Alaskan skies and through its majestic mountain ranges, flats, river beds, and into the great open spaces of the Norton Sound, where the Bering Sea winds blow fiercely, even when there's only clear blue skies above.


(Capt. Paz flying over the Skwentna checkpoint into PASW)

The race is on and, at the time of this writing, Team Norway's Kjetil Backen was the first Musher into Nikolai, at 10:39 Alaska Time.


(Capt. Fender enroute to Finger Lake)

Like if often happens, aircraft fall behind the mushers in the race - and I'm writing this note and not flying because, with the weather closing in as I was reaching AK6 Pass this evening, my plans to fly through Rainy Pass into Rohn had to be "revised"!


(Capt. Johnson also flying to Finger Lake)

So I leave you with some of the early images of the trail. They may not look much, but yes, that's the way it goes. You have to live it....


(Capt. Chambers parking at Winter Lake Lodge)

Flights for the "Big Guys"!

(Captain Samuel Weyermann's 727 being loaded)

We may be a bit off schedule, but our pilots are having a great time delivering the big hauls from PANC Ted Stevens Anchorage Intl to PAMC McGrath, NUL Nulato and PAOM Nome. These are Alaskan Winds OPS Pre Race Flights for the "Big Guys"!
Honoring the pilots and operators who assure the most intrepid cargo flights all around the state, Alaskan Winds has been flying the Northern Air Cargo aircraft - who, by the way, are the Official Cargo Airline of the Iditarod. So our tools have been the 727 and the DC-6. About the latest, here's what NAC has to say!
"These extraordinarily specialized aircraft remain unmatched for rugged durability and workmanship. All our DC-6's can land on paved, gravel, and ice strips in support of remote project and construction sites. They are capable of carrying payloads up to 28,000 lbs and require a minimum 3,500 foot runway for safe operation."
The Iditarod is just around the corner... 3 days for the Start Ceremony at Anchorage 4th Avenue!

Alaskan Winds wishes a great Race to all Mushers and Teams, Race Officials, Vets, Handlers, Volunteers!, to the pilots of the real Iditarod Air Force and to all the Virtual Pilots to whom this is one of the most exciting moments of the year!


(AW001 Joao Paz, flying the DC-6B over McGrath)