Monday, January 23, 2006

Flying in Nome

A view from the cockpit.
Eric delivering bales of straw to the Iditarod mushers.
The 1900 in Nome, Alaska
Passengers boarding the plane in Savoonga, Alaska.
Passenger waiting for the plane in Savoonga. This is what 50 below zero looks like. Eric works in Nome, Alaska every 16-31st of the month. He has been traveling up there since October. He lives in a pilot house with other Hageland guys for 2 weeks. I must admit, I'm having a hard time being alone all the time. It is our first winter in Alaska, and it's brutal. The temperatures dip to 50 below with the wind chill, and the sun is out for only 4-5 hours. I try to stay busy at night running on the treadmill, but I'm pretty limited to what is available here.
Eric has taken some great pictures of the Norton Sound area. The villages here are more spread out than they are in Bethel, so they must fly the 1900. The weather there is crazy, since these villages are in the Bering Sea. Eric tells me how cold it is with the wind. Luckily, the plane is heated so he keeps pretty warm. He also said that he can see Russia from one of the villages. I guess he is only 40 or so miles from Russia. They have to be careful not to cross into international air space.