# Games...Alaska air transporters...more games



## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Lumberman said:


> You are not alone. One of the big transport brokers went belly up supposedly because of Covid. Which caused a giant wave through the entire industry. Alaska hunting sites are ripe with complaints from this year. There are a few real horror stories out there. Like showing up and the transporter just ghosts them. There a few guys who paid a couple years ago just to be told they no longer have transportation a week before the trip.


Heck news to me. Good year to stay out of there. Maybe hit it again someday.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

Taking off at max weight in a super cub is tough. Takes either alot of power or a big enough lake to gain speed. Hard to break plane weighed down.

If your sticking around SC, rent an RV in anc and drive til you see a valley or creek you like and hit it. No rules (atleast their used to not be) about camping. 

If you do want to fly in around SC, check out talon air or high air adventure out of soldotna.

They work together so if one can't pull you out, the other will at no extra charge. Plus they don't charge for extra animals.

We used to use talon to hit the mulchatna herd. One trip we had 19 caribou down. The pilot flying the otter had to call in for reinforcement. 2nd plane came and helped out.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

Joel/AK said:


> Taking off at max weight in a super cub is tough. Takes either alot of power or a big enough lake to gain speed. Hard to break plane weighed down.
> 
> If your sticking around SC, rent an RV in anc and drive til you see a valley or creek you like and hit it. No rules (atleast their used to not be) about camping.
> 
> ...


Thanks.

I don't know whether we were close to max weight but we were on wheels. It was a big enough field it wasn't like it was 50 feet.

I think the road idea is definitely a good for someone who wants to go to Alaska and see it. We did that our first time. It was a painful life until we found some good trails. I could hit those again but there is far (far, far, far) better road and trail access in the lower 48. 

If I did it again I'll just fly straight from Anchorage most likely perhaps to PWS. Heading out of Soldotna has it's advantages. But I was cutting amazingly little off my bush flight. Which is pretty amazing since it's 3 hours by road to get there or $240 round trip from grant air. Plus the hassles and potential delays in getting there. Renting a vehicle there costs several times as much as Anchorage ($100 a day with insurance).

I might start hitting the learning curve in Idaho/Oregon. I can use the same flight miles to get to Boise/Portland as Anchorage (so $0). $400 for a license and $300 for a rental car. Heck, I could do that trip all the time.


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## Luv2hunteup (Mar 22, 2003)

Joel/AK said:


> Taking off at max weight in a super cub is tough. Takes either alot of power or a big enough lake to gain speed. Hard to break plane weighed down.
> 
> If your sticking around SC, rent an RV in anc and drive til you see a valley or creek you like and hit it. No rules (atleast their used to not be) about camping.
> 
> ...


Im the skinny one of the two. We can’t fly much more than an hour because we need all the fuel it can handle with us aboard.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

This whole covid thing really threw a wrench in the entire system up there. I got to talk to my original pilot last night and have a better understanding now on what went down. Basically he's stuck with obligations from cancelled clients from last year when the entire state shutdown. Alot of his clients were waiting to rebook and it trickled down. I'm just glad I was able to find a pilot that was able to accommodate me. I was ****ting bullets there for awhile.


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## soggybtmboys (Feb 24, 2007)

brushbuster said:


> This whole covid thing really threw a wrench in the entire system up there. I got to talk to my original pilot last night and have a better understanding now on what went down. Basically he's stuck with obligations from cancelled clients from last year when the entire state shutdown. Alot of his clients were waiting to rebook and it trickled down. I'm just glad I was able to find a pilot that was able to accommodate me. I was ****ting bullets there for awhile.


Yep, it sure did. We had flights moved 6 times last year. When Ravn went under, they didn't notify any of the larger partner carriers. I found out thru a news article, contacted Expedia whim we booked Alaska Air, whom subbed the flight to Ravn. Didn't notify anyone and didn't contact us. Actually, Expedia thought I was trying to weasel out of a flight until they put me on hold and looked into it, came back and apologized and contacted Alaska Air and took care of us. 

Also, Kingfisher as well as BRA both indicated separately and nearly 10 months apart, that the tourist flights that wen down the year prior near Ketchikan has increased insurance rates on small plane operators significantly and has put a few smaller ones out of business. Judy at BRA disparaged that they saw a 65k increase. 

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

brushbuster said:


> This whole covid thing really threw a wrench in the entire system up there. I got to talk to my original pilot last night and have a better understanding now on what went down. Basically he's stuck with obligations from cancelled clients from last year when the entire state shutdown. Alot of his clients were waiting to rebook and it trickled down. I'm just glad I was able to find a pilot that was able to accommodate me. I was ****ting bullets there for awhile.



Just an excuse really. As far as I'm concerned it should have been first come first serve with the booking. The fact that they were covid cancelled last year doesn't give them the right to wait for the last moment in booking and still have priority over people like you who were on the ball for this year.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

My update is that yes the reason for some of the price increase is insurance. 

Number one rule of business I guess is not giving your current customers reason to look elsewhere. Cause once they do they might not come back! Heck I might be able to get the same price from the other guy if we talked about it. But one of the main reasons that kept me from switching was finding spots in other states or finding other transporters. Already done and done.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

shaffe48b said:


> Just an excuse really. As far as I'm concerned it should have been first come first serve with the booking. The fact that they were covid cancelled last year doesn't give them the right to wait for the last moment in booking and still have priority over people like you who were on the ball for this year.


I guess that would depend on if there were any money deposits. I definitely was pissed that I got sent to the back of the bus and covid cancelations were priority, but if deposits were secured then I totally get that. I do have a bad taste. Unless there is more to know about my pilots situation I won't be dealing with him again and depending on how how the new pilot works out, the new pilot will be getting my refferrels and future business.


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## shaffe48b (Oct 22, 2019)

brushbuster said:


> I guess that would depend on if there were any money deposits. I definitely was pissed that I got sent to the back of the bus and covid cancelations were priority, but if deposits were secured then I totally get that. I do have a bad taste. Unless there is more to know about my pilots situation I won't be dealing with him again and depending on how how the new pilot works out, the new pilot will be getting my refferrels and future business.


Yeah I guess that'd be my take. They probably submitted their deposit before you even if they didn't submit dates. Of course a lot of Canadian outfitters just pocketed the deposits and told them to get lost. Which is also BS. A more even handed approach would be 'hey this sucks for everyone. Going to bump you until next year. You have priority in dates until Jan 1 but after that first come first serve.'

Glad things worked out in the end.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

shaffe48b said:


> Yeah I guess that'd be my take. They probably submitted their deposit before you even if they didn't submit dates. Of course a lot of Canadian outfitters just pocketed the deposits and told them to get lost. Which is also BS. A more even handed approach would be 'hey this sucks for everyone. Going to bump you until next year. You have priority in dates until Jan 1 but after that first come first serve.'
> 
> Glad things worked out in the end.


Yeah it wasn't handled well. He just bought the business from a long time company in the area, and pretty much fumbled. He's been a guide for a few years and use to pilot from the company he just bought.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

If I was a young man this would be a fun hunt. Over the counter tags, road side hunt.Mat su glacier not far from Anchorage.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

I know that area well. Just crossing the mat river isn't bad but if you float it, be real careful. Alot of sweepers.

Hardly anybody cross the river.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

Alot of nice bears and moose in that area on both sides of the road.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Joel/AK said:


> I know that area well. Just crossing the mat river isn't bad but if you float it, be real careful. Alot of sweepers.
> 
> Hardly anybody cross the river.


When I was in the service we did a lot of weekend camping trips around the chickaloon area. Long lake was a favorite place to catch Grayling. Absolutely beautiful country over there.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

There is quite a few places roadside to do that. Get a packraft cross a creek or 2 and you'd be by yourself.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

Oh and if your planning a trip to go after the NW Arctic herd or hunt moose in that area. Better hurry up. Natives are crying to the feds and the new interior secretary will probably close 60 million acres unless your primary residence is in that area. No more sport hunting.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

Always wanted a pack raft.


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## Joel/AK (Jan 12, 2013)

Chickaloon is a nice area. I was working in ANC and wife wanted to move out that way. Would have loved it but way to far in winter conditions, I don't mind a commute but.... It would be great for retirement though


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Joel/AK said:


> Always wanted a pack raft.


Wish they came out with them back when I lived there. They are a must have tool now days. The pr49 that Larry Bartlet makes would be the cats ass for a resident caribou hunter and bear.


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