In article <47c370b0$0$36410$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net>,
Patty Winter wrote:
>>>>North Pole
>>>That's a cute town. :-)
>>North Pole tends to make the news once a year.
>>It is open other times (like when I was there in August, saw the only
>>moose the entire trip last time coming back).
>
>Well, um, of course it's "open." It's a town!
Well, there's the city and there's Santa's village.
>>>What year was this, Eugene? I'm curious to know whether it was near
>>>the top of the solar cycle.
>>December.
>
>Er, okay....
Like I said: Different. It comes with the experience.
>>>>Transiting to get to Fairbanks in winter is also problematic.
>>>Are flights often delayed because of weather problems?
>>I've never had problems there with weather (IFR or VFR).
>
>Then why did you have trouble getting there? Or were you using
>"problematic" in its traditional meaning of "uncertain" rather
>than the common newer meaning of "difficult"?
Well, you need to understand Alaska time a bit. You are most likely to
fly Alaska Air which is like no other airline quite like it. They fly
cargo in specially modified 737s (1/2 cargo / 1/2pax) in state whereas
those using AK Air S of that only see passenger 737s.
AK has so few highways, their planes are their life lines.
Routes to the N slope have changed radically as cost saving measures.
Fairbanks Intl. has 1 long jet run way and a shorter 1/2 runway for
wheeled planes and the other have in the winter is a ski way. Not all
pilots fly these planes. Their pilots commonly commute by their own planes
(which can have delays), shuffling planes and pilots
(plus Ted Steven Intl. closes for a couple of hours in
the very early morning). But this does not mean that weather won't be
a factor. AK Air has their own (non-lower 48) style of scheduling.
United has 1 flt a day and it comes and goes around midnight. It no
longer flies to Fairbanks. A number of other airlines fly to both
cities, but one otherwise has to deal with AK Air. The serious weather
cities all tend to be on the coast. Alaskans don't appreciate comments
like "bridges to no where." I've now seen the Sitka bridge and can see
why Ketchikan wants a bridge to their airport.
Also plan 30% higher expenses than in the lower 48.
When you go, you need flexibility.
>>Oh, you did the summer AKRR?
>Late summer. I left Anchorage on Sept. 1st.
So daily trains.
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