Moving to Alaska

Catalo

Catalo

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Catalo
Well I accepted my first adult job out of college today. I'll be flying smoke jumpers and dropping equipment out of a casa 212.
I'll be based out of Fairbanks and dispatched around the state to wild fires.

So anyone have any advice for a 22 year old from Illinois moving to Alaska?

Should have clarified, I'll only be there from may through September or October depending on when my contract ends. Unless I love it enough to never move back which seems to have happened to a few people on this board

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Enjoy man!

Sounds like a hell of a first "adult job".

Might I ask what a smoke jumper dumper job asks for as far as experience goes??
 
James331 said:
Enjoy man!

Sounds like a hell of a first "adult job".

Might I ask what a smoke jumper dumper job asks for as far as experience goes??
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I'm looking forward to it. Currently im at 500tt with 100 multi. So not too much. It's an sic gig but it's looking like a fun one.

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Well, to be fair, I also hear it takes several months before you realize the women are beautiful. If you’re lucky you will come to that realization before the grizzlies start looking good....
 
Half Fast said:
Well, to be fair, I also hear it takes several months before you realize the women are beautiful. If you’re lucky you will come to that realization before the grizzlies start looking good....
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Several months or drinks?

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I lived in North Pole just outside of Fairbanks for 4 years. Get ready for some beautiful scenery but frigid and I mean frigid temps, ice fog, and long nights. Stay away from the moose lodge but be sure to visit the refinery lounge. I'm sure alot has changed since I left in 2002 though but yeah the women...hmm. enjoy it and see the state. Truly a remarkable place!
 
May through September are easy. It'll get hot but not humid. Your IFR days will be more from smoke than clouds. Lots of military spending up there so it's a little more hopping than it would be otherwise. School's out in summer (UAF) so not so many college girls there. Lotsa touristas. Make some time to make some memories.
 
Catalo said:
Well I accepted my first adult job out of college today. I'll be flying smoke jumpers and dropping equipment out of a casa 212.
I'll be based out of Fairbanks and dispatched around the state to wild fires.

So anyone have any advice for a 22 year old from Illinois moving to Alaska?

Should have clarified, I'll only be there from may through September or October depending on when my contract ends. Unless I love it enough to never move back which seems to have happened to a few people on this board

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
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A good friend of mine works up there as a weather observer for PAFA. He seems to like it there!
 
I flew smoke jumpers for 4 seasons. It's either really boring or really busy. Not much in between.

Hope you don't mind the bugs!
 
Anymouse said:
I flew smoke jumpers for 4 seasons. It's either really boring or really busy. Not much in between.

Hope you don't mind the bugs!
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Good to know. as for bugs, i'll get used to them hopefully
 
Yep the mosquito is the state bird! Biggest ice ever seen. I always like when people in Mississippi say I'm glad for this cold weather it will kill the bugs. Yeah they never lived in Alaska or they wouldn't say that.
 
Probably the hardest thing is to learn how to sleep when it light out. After all, it’s the Land of the Midnight Sun.
 
Half Fast said:
For pilots, months. :) ... Makes the mile high club very difficult.
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Yeah, I gotta believe it is very difficult to get a live grizzly into the plane...

Advice - if offered muktuk, take a small piece and try it. Don't be rude.

Have fun. Hope your summer is slow and boring.

Wish I were 22 again. No, wait, I was dead broke at 22.
 
Jumpmaster said:
Probably the hardest thing is to learn how to sleep when it light out. After all, it’s the Land of the Midnight Sun.
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Yeah no joke! Went out fishing one time and lost track of time. 2 am and I had to go to work the next morning! Summer is awesome but usually Smokey.

Make sure to visit Valdez and talkeetna. Beautiful places in summer and especially winter.
 
Don't poke a sleeping grizzly with a short stick....

Wild bears do poo in the woods. Watch where you step, especially if the bears are eating fish.....

Buy all your bug juice before you go. I remember 12 ounce bottles selling for 20 bucks in the interior, and this was 18 years ago...

If offered native food, try it once but in small portions. And remember, non eskimo people have died from eating native food....

Otherwise... have fun..!!!
 
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Was there once , women beautiful? Maybe one, and not very many women in the whole state.
 
Suck it up and stay through the winter. See what you think after a real year in Alaska!

I've done 50. I still love parts of it but NOT all of it!
 
Half Fast said:
Congrats! Enjoy Alaska. I’ve never been there but I hear all the women are beautiful.
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That's a myth that is hard to disprove. But once you get the parka off, you can make a better guess.
 
Took my wife to Alaska once. Pretty sure she was the prettiest woman in the state. Can make a man real nervous though. Would be like carrying a 20 lb salmon through a pack of hungry Grizzlies ;-) Different kind of flying there though. VFR has a different meaning up there. Sure nice to have TCAS for all those pilots flying "VFR" in what we would call clouds down here.
 
Excited for ya, I went up there bout the same age, 19. Spent a summer in Fairbanks with a beautiful gal, she had lots of pretty friends too. Maybe all these other guys look like Halibut, cause it wasn't that bad, and I'm from TX where beauties abound. Have fun and be safe

Edit- just realized these other pilots must have flown trikes haha, no wonder they were surrounded by suckerfish


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Good news for me I have a girlfriend. Don't plan on changing that so the woman aren't a huge concern.

My biggest thing is moving 3500 miles away by myself but I'm looking forward to it. Never been to alaska so it will be an experience

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Catalo said:
Good news for me I have a girlfriend. Don't plan on changing that so the woman aren't a huge concern
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There are only two types of women in Alaska. Those who love it and those who hate it. Nothing in between.

Fairbanks is not so bad, but as a smoke jumper pilot you probably won't spend much time there if it is a busy fire season. Spend the winter in Fairbanks. If winter comes back next year then you will find out how much you can really stand. I saw temps in the -60s for about 6 days in Fairbanks, and had -50s for a couple weeks and -40s for most of January, before warming up to the -20s for a few days. Rather balmy at -25 after the previous few weeks.....

With your flight time, after the smoke jumper job then other companies will look at you for left seat 207 or possibly the G8 Airvan. After a year then you might be able to move up into the Caravan.

Good luck too ya, bud. I had great times and adventures in Alaska, some I'll never forget and some I wish I could forget.
 
Zeldman said:
There are only two types of women in Alaska. Those who love it and those who hate it. Nothing in between.

Fairbanks is not so bad, but as a smoke jumper pilot you probably won't spend much time there if it is a busy fire season. Spend the winter in Fairbanks. If winter comes back next year then you will find out how much you can really stand. I saw temps in the -60s for about 6 days in Fairbanks, and had -50s for a couple weeks and -40s for most of January, before warming up to the -20s for a few days. Rather balmy at -25 after the previous few weeks.....

With your flight time, after the smoke jumper job then other companies will look at you for left seat 207 or possibly the G8 Airvan. After a year then you might be able to move up into the Caravan.

Good luck too ya, bud. I had great times and adventures in Alaska, some I'll never forget and some I wish I could forget.
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-60 sounds terrible. I've done -40 with windchill. Can't imagine -60. As for staying I'll have to see what's available job wise after my contract is up since it's only through September with a possibility of extension into October depending on wildfires
 
Two places in Fairbanks:

Hot Licks Ice Cream - No indoor seating, yet you'll see locals lined up waiting to get some in -40 temps. Been there, done that.

Paco's Tacos - Last I was up there, they had two shacks. Again, no indoor seating. Their pulled beef burritos are awesome!
 
My sister and brother in law live in Soldotna. I visited couple years ago and didn't want to leave. Safe journey to you, it's truly the last frontier!
 
What part of Illinois are you from? I graduated from U of I Chicago back in the mid 80's. I have lived in SE AK for the past 25+ years. Mild climate compared to the interior.

Have fun and enjoy the splendor of the Alaska country side.
 
Northern Illinois. I live 3 miles northeast of O'hare. 27R approach path goes right over my house.

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Catalo said:
Northern Illinois. I live 3 miles northeast of O'hare. 27R approach path goes right over my house.

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I lived in Palatine and Round Lake when the only thing around was farming. Down town Chicago going thru collage. Worked at NAS Glenview on P-3 Orion's for 10 years..
 
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