Video: By Cessna 172 over Alaska IV.

Video: By Cessna 172 over  Alaska IV.    Today´s Alaska 2017 Expedition flight video follows the flight from Bering Strait to Yakutat. 

Alaska 2017, Part 4 - Bering Strait, Nome, Unalakleet, Homer, Seward, Valdez, Yakutat

Departure from Wales was demanding as well. The wind pushed the plane into a skid as it was gaining speed. I only relaxed when I was flying over the pieces of ice floating in the sea. Then I headed along the coast to Nome. There I refuelled and had the engine oil changed. From there I departed for the last leg of the journey that day -  back to Unalakleet.

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The weather was getting quite bad - rain, low clouds, temperature around zero. In my effort to shorten the trip. I decided to fly straight across Norton Bay – about an hour over a lot of cold sea and floating ice. The cloud base gradually lowered but I did not want to fly so close to the cold water. I climbed hoping to get above the clouds. I did not manage … I was glad to have my 3D map and artificial horizon. When over the other side of Norton bay I had to find the airport of Unalakleet in the rain and mist. Luckily, it lies on the coast, so it was not that difficult.

 In detail, about the Alaska 2017 expedition, read this on-line special.  

The next day I flew down to Homer and then along the beautiful Kenai peninsula. I had to stay two nights at rainy and misty Valdez. From Valdez I continued alongside the coast back to Copper River valley up to the copper mines of Kennecott. The weather was promising at that time so I turned to the southwest and decided to fly over the 2500 m high coastal mountains and get over the coast.  

Beyond the mountain ridge, however, the weather looked completely different - heavy clouds covered completely the western part of the mountains. I had to climb up to 11,000 feet to fly over the clouds. There I lost my outside camera that was attached by a suction cup which lost its grip. That's why there are videos from this part of the flight. Once I realised I was over the sea I descended and flew just below the cloud base at some 200 m over the coast  to Yakutat Airport. 

Jiri Prusa