[eyelleye]

Weather was decent yesterday, so I took my cameras to work and snapped some shots of the turbo Otters coming in for landing. They belong to Wings of Alaska and ferry tourists to Taku Glacier Lodge all day long. Pictured here is the 75% reduced version with a link to the full size one if you want it. If you look at the full size version on some of them, you'll be able to make out the people inside taking pictures/video as they come in for landing. I didn't notice that until after I got home. Video of N337AK landing is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTBfBHG-Ek.


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_1.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_2.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_3.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_4.jpg

[eyelleye]

http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_5.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_6.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_7.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_8.jpg

[eyelleye]

http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_9.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_10.jpg


http://mistyair.net/files/N338AK_11.jpg

[Swann]

We did the inside passage (Vancouver to Skagway) this reminds me of our stopover in Juneau.

FlightSim never looks this good Maybe next version.

Great shots !!

Swann
Misty 121

[eyelleye]

I still remember when I was a kid playing with Flight Sim (still have the floppies somewhere) and dreaming about being able to fly bush flights in it. I always thought that having a good bush sim would be sweet & would sell well. Needless to say, FS9/X with Tongass (and GBv2/Misty) gets closer than I ever dreamed. Is it there yet, no... Visually I'm pleased with how it looks... but the weather and feel of flight in a small plane just isn't there yet. No, it never looks this good, but it comes a lot closer than it used to.

I'm sure the inside passage trip was a blast. Never done it on a cruise ship, mind you, but I've been around in small boats and on the ferry system. Beautiful country. One thing I don't like is how commercialized downtown Juneau has gotten in recent years. The cruise industry has bought up a lot of the shops (ie, downtown pretty much closes up in the winter) and it's just a bunch of touristy crap for the most part. I hope most folks at least are able to get on a tour and see something other than our local tourist trap downtown... taking a trip up to taku glacier lodge or a heli-tour or even up tracy arm. I don't think some of the smaller communities in SE AK have gotten as bad with the tourist shops (Skagway maybe... it's heavily dependent on tourism I believe)... but we sure have here. Anyway, hope your trip in my corner of the world was a good one.

[apa864]

Excellent pictures! I'm more and more envious!

[eyelleye]

Originally Posted by apa864

Excellent pictures! I'm more and more envious!

Perhaps not if I pointed my camera out there today. It's a nasty, misty day... we had a really sweet spring, but the summer overall has been rather rainy. On a sunny day, you forget all that... but to live here, you've got to be used to the amount of rainfall we get (it is a temperate rain forest after all). I know those Seattle folks think they know a thing or two about rain (average 36.2 inches per year), but they don't. For comparison, we average 58 inches per year (with average number of precipitation days at: 225.9) and Ketchikan averages 152 inches per year. We're definitely a cool place to visit though.

[Swann]

Nick you are right on with your comments about commercialization but without the cruise ships Rednecks like me wouldnt stand a chance to see the beautiful country God created in Alaska.

We got to take a few sidetrips but all in all Vancouver to Skagway was outstanding ! Not that expensive, I just didnt get to buy that new John Deere tractor but what the heck the old one still has some life in it they built them tough in 1957.

Looking forward to flying in about 2 weeks, Peach season is ending and so are the long days.

Sure am enjoying the forums

Swann
Misty 121

[eyelleye]

Well, I don't mind the cruise industry necessarily... its just here it's become particularily bad with all the little trinket shops that are just hawking crap. When I was a kid, most of the shops were local owned and had more quality goods in em... now, while there are some, it seems the majority aren't. It's just a shame is all... esp if a that's all a visitor ends up seeing. I'm generally in favor of the industry tho... we need more non-government jobs in this state & town in particular (I say that as a govt employee, no less, LOL).

I watch American Pickers on History all the time... some of that John Deere stuff is really collectible. My dad had a Caterpillar grader made in 1912 I think... he used to use that to level the bus yard every year until he eventually donated it to a museum or something. Surprising how much life it had in it... but it sure was a pain to crank start. Most of the time we pulled it with a rope and got it started that way.

Hope you're having a good summer down there. My new iphone4 just showed up today that will take better pictures/video than the old 3g I had, so I'm hoping to get more shots of the Wings boys. Easier to have cell phone than pack my DSLR to work... but if the weather is nice again, I'll prob try to do that.