April 18, 2023 - Alaska Airports
Wolf Lake, Palmer and Wasilla
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My daughter lives in between Palmer and Wasilla, sort of. While there are a ton of airfields in this part of Alaska, the Anchorage area and north of the Knit Arm, most are privately owned. I was surprised to learn that the only two public airports in the Anchorage area are Ted Stephens International Airport and Merrill Airport. The only two public airports north of Knit Arm in what is called theMatanuska-Susitna Valley.are Palmer and Wasilla. There is one called Birchwood (PABV) between the two areas.
Across the road from my daughter's neighborhood is a paved airport named Wolf Lake (4AK6). Unfortunately for me and future flights to Alaska in the RV-7, Wolf Lake Airport is a privately-owned airport community. Alaska’s Premier Private Airport, in fact.
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So I just drove around the airport grounds. Look like some nice home/hangars off the runway.
The runway is 08/26 3,800 feet and has lights. There is also a 2600 ft gravel runway 18/36, and 2800 ft water runway on Wolf Lake E/W. You don't have to live here to land and buy fuel.
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If I ever fly my RV-7 up to Alaska, this airport would be ideal the ideal base for me while staying with my daughter but it's probably not going to happen: transient tie-downs are only for 8 hours maximum. Still, I'll give them a call and see what happens. I told my daughter to make friends with someone who lives at Wolf Lake!
Looking east.
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Lot of taildraggers up here in Alaska.
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| A mighty Maule sits outside. |
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| Taxi-way access road to the main runway. A gravel airstrip crosses left to right just before the main runway begins. |
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I drove over to the Palmer Municipal Airport. It took me awhile to understand how the airport was laid out. Palmer has a north ramp and south ramp. Both lie alongside the main 6,000 ft runway which runs north-south. The ramps are separated by a second runway that runs east-west kind-of. I started out on the South Ramp.
I stopped in at the on-field Glacier Aircraft Parts store and chatted with the lady working there.
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Very nice view of the mountains at this airport. I am at the south end of the airport.
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There's a golf course at the south end of the airport so in the summer you can get your midnight golf in.
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I can't believe it. It's an RV-7 sitting on the south ramp.
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| Now I'm on the north ramp. This is where most of the planes are. There were very few on the south ramp. Palmer has a big training operation. |
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| North ramp. |
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| More north ramp planes. |
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Also on the north ramp is a Flight Service Center. I stopped in and talked with the guy working the FSS. He was very friendly and told me what the FSS did. There used to be Flight Service Stations all over the U.S., but the FAA outsourced the functionality to Lockheed, along with the advent of such things as the Internet and Foreflight, led to the demise of the FSSs. Except in Alaska where their Senator fought for them and 15 of them remain. I asked the FSS guy about ADS-B. He said it's not required as long as you stay out of Anchorage's Class C so many of the planes up here don't have it.
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| I get the impression there isn't much hangar space at the Alaska public airports, so planes have to sit outside. |
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Fuel pump at Palmer.
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| I then drove over to Wasilla Airport. |
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This Cessna 170 in transient parking had a little trouble recently. Notice the bent wingtips and bent prop tips.
The Cessna 170 is a four seat tail-dragger produced by the Cessna Aircraft Company between 1948 and 1956. 5,174 were built. It is the predecessor of the Cessna 172, the most produced aircraft in history, which replaced the 170 in production in 1956.
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| A better look at the tips. |
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| This was useful information for my future planning. $75/month tie-down, not too bad. Also the porta-potty there is nice to have. The building with the transient parking sign on it is a pilot shack. |
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So I went in and found more useful information.
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| This high traffic location chart is very useful to have. |
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| Another Cessna 170 with fancy tire covers on. |
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| Lots of planes on the ramp at Wasilla. |
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As I was driving out of the Wasilla Airport, I passed this -- the Museum of Alaska Transportation. It's closed for the season but I'm sure I'll check it out someday.
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