Mountain Air MAIL ROUTE 4A and 4B

(Juneau Cargo Hub flight numbers 9907 and 9908)

All the cool people are flying the Mail Routes!  Trendy executives from Beverly Hills and the posh suburbs of NYC have been calling wanting to fly our Mail Routes.  They want to fit in during their summer vacations in the Hamptons...they want to be the envy of all their friends.  Too bad they can't...only Mountain Air Pilots can have the prestige!  Along with prestige comes rules and here are mine:

• Remember...VFR ONLY!  Do NOT fly in the clouds.  If you do, we will lose our contracts and be fined.

• Check minimum weather requirements for each leg.  Do not take off into below minimum weather!

• We suggest using Eddie Denney's Alaska Mesh available at flightsim.com FS2000 and FS2002 versions!!

• You may fly any aircraft you wish.  For this route, I suggest the Pilatus Porter (PC-6), Piper Supercub,  or other suitable bushplane.  Please check runway lengths and conditions when selecting your aircraft. 

• Fly the same plane for the route - we cannot afford to leave spare planes sitting around for you to fly.

• Don't forget to unload the mail when you get there!!

• Try to be on time!  We get bonus money for on time flying plus it gets DARK early certain times of the year.  Be sure to check the route time table below for scheduled times.

• Be aware of the extensive RESTRICTED airspace on this route!  The military owns most of this part of Alaska.

MAPS and Resources

• Real World Alaska WAC chart for the flight area suitable for printing.  (655kb)

• Company preferred routing for this mail route flight (73kb)

• Flight plan for the route in text form.

• Route 4A and Route 4B timetables.

• FEELING BRAVE? :  Minimum Weather didn't go over too well, guess you are all afraid of a challenge.  Try the Experts Only Scenery!

• Addon scenery by Don Cote (MTN520) which adds hangars and towers to Mail Routes 1-6! 

  EXPERTS ONLY SCENERY!! (1MB)   Sure some of these strips are as short as 700ft, but that is still easy.  This scenery adds trees and some interesting wildlife to most of the mail route strips.  You can avoid the bad weather, but you can't avoid the trees!  The scenery was designed for FS2002, but should work in FS2000 as well.  Just unzip the file using winzip (or other zip program) to your main FS2002 directory - MAKE SURE directory structure is preserved.  This will place a folder in your fs2002/scenery folder called /mail route addon.  Go to FS and add it to scenery library and enjoy.  Eva Creek before (28kb) - Eva Creek after! (29kb)

ROUTING - Route 4A (for route 4B, route is reversed)

Leg 1: NENANA, AK (PANN) to CLEAR SKY LODGE (PACL)

CLEAR SKY LODGE (PACL)  Airport Elevation: 650' / Runway length - 2500ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine start time - 1:00 PM / Arrival Time in Clear Sky Lodge: 1:15 PM

Helpful Hints:

• Head south out of Nenana.  Heading 180 or so to start

• Stay to the east side of the highway leading south to stay clear of restricted airpsace.  There is high power early warning military radar here, so STAY OUT!!  Screenshot of restricted airspace (31kb) 

• There is a Clear, AK airport...don't go there!  It is long and paved and bordering restricted airspace. Screenshot (24kb) RED = RESTRICTED

• The Lodge airport is south of the Clear Apt...flat, long, easy.  Screenshot (22kb)

• Watch for trees on final! They are there in the FS2002 default so no getting around em.  Screenshot (25kb)

• Real World Official sketch of Clear Sky Lodge Airport (PDF format - see adobe.com for free acrobat reader)

LEG 2:  CLEAR SKY LODGE  (PACL)  to EVA CREEK  (2Z3)

EVA CREEK  (2Z3)  Airport Elevation: 2817'' / Runway length - 900ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 1:20 PM / Arrival Time in Eva Creek: 1:30 PM

Helpful Hints:

• This airport is the pinnacle airport of this route...enjoy it!  Woohoo!

• Head East / Southeast out of Clear Sky Lodge...heading 120ish.  Look!  Mountains!  High country time.

• Airport is on a mesa near a big valley.  Screenshot (31kb) / Screenshot with EXPERT trees installed (27kb)

• As you get on final, you will notice that the runway has a nice dogleg!  Screenshots: Normal (28kb) / EXPERT (29kb)

• Short Final with the Experts only Trees (30kb)

• EXPERTS ONLY:  Here is what happens if you don't respect the trees!  Compliments of my #1 beta Tester, MTN286, Willie Jones!  Screenshot (32kb)

• Virtual Airport picture from the ground (28kb)

• Real Official Sketch of Eva Creek!  So backwoods, no pictures of the place! (PDF FILE)

LEG 3: EVA CREEK (2Z3)  to TOTATLANIKA RIVER (9AK)

TOTATLANIKA RIVER (9AK)  Airport Elevation: 2717'' / Runway length - 900ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 1:35PM / Arrival Time in Totatlanika River: 1:45PM

Helpful Hints:

• Navigating couldn't be easier.  If you takeoff eastbound from Eva Creek, you are on course!

• Follow the road in the valley, it leads right to the Airport which is on the side of a mountain. 

• Nice view on final.  Screenshots:  Normal scenery (27kb) / Experts only scenery (25kb)

• Real World Sketch of Totalanika River - man, we are in the backwoods! (PDF FILE)

LEG 4:  TOTATLANIKA RIVER (9AK)   to McKINLEY NATIONAL PARK (PAIN)

McKINLEY NATIONAL PARK (PAIN)  Airport Elevation: 1720'' / Runway length - 3000ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 1:50 PM / Arrival Time in McKinley : 2:05 PM

Helpful Hints:

• Now we are talking, Mount McKinley!  Can't really see it from this airport unfortunately, but know it is close!

• Nice Mountains on this leg...once you clear the last ridge of 3, you will see the airport in the valley. Screenshot (36kb)

• This is a long, flat runway.  Easy! Screenshot (21kb) / No experts only trees here, it would be a waste.

• Real World Pictures of McKinley Airport. Picture 1 / Picture 2 / Picture 3

• LIVE Real World Weathercam from McKinley Airport!!  This is for real.

LEG 5:  McKINLEY  (PAIN) to ROAD COMM #1 (0Z2)

ROAD COMM #1 (0Z2)  Airport Elevation: 2525'' / Runway length - 1000ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 2:10 PM / Arrival Time in Road Comm : 2:45 PM

Helpful Hints:

• If you head south of out McKinley for 8 miles or so, you will find a wide river valley to the left...follow it.

• Eventually, you will come to a large river.  The airport is on the west side (right side) of the river.

• The runway is a bit short, but not bad.  Watch for auto traffic at the end.  Screenshot (26kb)

• EXPERTS ONLY: With the trees put in, this airport is more of a challenge! Screenshot (25kb)

• There is no picture of this airport available.  You want to talk backwoods?  They don't even have a sketch available here!  We are in the sticks!

LEG 6:  ROAD COMM  (0Z2) to CLEARWATER  (Z86)

Airport Elevation: 2900'' / Runway length - 700ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 2:50 PM / Arrival Time in Clearwater : 3:00 PM

Helpful Hints:

• Just a quick hop across the river and you are at Clearwater...the shortest strip on this route.  Screenshot (26kb)

• EXPERTS ONLY:  Things get wild this far out into the wilderness!  Screenshot (26kb)

• EXPERTS ONLY:  Beware of wildlife on or near the runway!  Holy Cow!!  Screenshot (26kb)

• Here is the official sketch of Clearwater Airport (PDF FILE)

LEG 7:  CLEARWATER  (Z86) to BLACK RAPIDS  (5BK)

BLACK RAPIDS  (5BK)  Airport Elevation: 2125'' / Runway length - 2200ft / Surface: Gravel

Engine Start Time - 3:05 PM / Arrival Time in Black Rapids : 3:40 PM

Helpful Hints:

• Enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery on the way to Black Rapids! Screenshot (30kb)

• The airport is along the east side of another large river.  Screenshots: Normal Scenery (25kb) / Expert Scenery (27kb)

• Enjoy the cliffs as you come down on final approach.  Screenshots:  Normal Scenery (24kb) / Expert Scenery (32kb)

• Who wants to see the official sketch of Black Rapids Airport?  (PDF FILE)

LEG 8:  BLACK RAPIDS   (5BK) to DELTA JUNCTION - ALLEN AAF  (PABI)

DELTA JUNCTION - ALLEN AAF  (PABI)  Airport Elevation: 1277'' / Runway length - 7500ft / Surface: Asphalt

Engine Start Time - 3:45 PM / Arrival Time in Delta Junction : 4:20 PM

Helpful Hints:

• Easy last leg:  Just follow the river north - look for the giant paved runways. 

• Warning:  Stay EAST of river or you will be in restricted airspace and in big trouble!

• See Jet Feeder Route 1 for screenshots of Delta Junction.  Yes, Delta Junction has jet service!

• Real World Picture of Allen AAF - Delta Juction

• Enjoy your layover at Kelly's Country Inn.  Return trip departure is early!

FINAL STATISTICS

ROUTE 4A:

• TOTAL FLIGHT TIME:  2 hours 45 minutes

• TOTAL TIME ENROUTE: 3 hours 20 minutes

ROUTE 4B:

• TOTAL FLIGHT TIME:  2 hours 45 minutes

• TOTAL TIME ENROUTE: 3 hours 20 minutes

OTHER RESOURCES

Photos of Nenana, AK - Looks like a fun place! (Thanks Larry Jones - MTN553 for the link)

Plane break down at McKinley National Park airport?  Here is some stuff to do while you wait.

News on Delta Junction - Enjoy your 18 hour layover!

Too boonie here....nothing to do I guess except camp, fish, and hut the mutant giant cows!

The End

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Use the expert scenery if you dare!

last modified 3/1/08