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A century of aviation in Alaska

24th June 2013 Print
Anchorage Museum

This year Alaska celebrates 100 years of powered flight. Anchorage Museum’s exhibition “Arctic Flight; A Century of Alaska Aviation” takes a journey through the state’s remarkable aviation history and is a great starting point for any journey through Alaska; a state where flying is a way of life and a means of survival for many remote Alaskan communities.

In 1913, a group of Fairbanks merchants shipped an airplane from Seattle to Fairbanks via steamboat. Tickets were sold for the show and the craft was flown at 45 miles per hour over Weeks Field, later Fairbanks’ first airport.

These early Alaskans had no concept of how air technology would alter life in Alaska - 100 years on and Alaskans fly 30 times more per capita than other U.S citizens, partially because less than 30% of Alaska is accessible by road.  In remote parts of Alaska, communities still rely heavily on small planes for deliveries of food, mail and medical supplies and a staggering one in every 85 residents in Alaska is a pilot.

The exhibition runs until 11th August and tells compelling stories of survival, adventure and ingenuity with a special focus on the pioneer bush pilot era. Alaska’s first pilots faced some of the planet’s most inhospitable weather and challenging terrain well before the days of sophisticated maps and weather information.  These airplanes broke the isolation of communities that were previously accessible only by boat in the summer months or by a dog sled team during the winter.

Co-curated by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition features objects from the Smithsonian and several Alaska museums including the Alaska Aviation Museum and Pioneer Air Museum. The centrepiece is a Stearman C2B biplane brought to Alaska in 1928 and flown by several legendary Alaska bush pilots, including Joe Crosson, the first pilot to land on Mount McKinley. Film footage includes a 1927 clip from the first plane to fly over the North Pole, as well as newsreels from the World War II campaign in the Aleutian Islands.

Tickets are included with general admission and are priced at $12 for adults and $7 for children. For more information, visit anchoragemuseum.org.

Flightseeing in Alaska

100 years on from Alaska’s first flight and flightseeing is one of the most popular ways to enjoy Alaska’s spectacular scenery. From journeying to Mount McKinley in Denali National Park, landing on a glacier or enjoying a bear viewing experience, flightseeing is top of the bucket list for both Alaskans and visitors.

Family owned company Rust’s Flying Service (flyrusts.com) offers some of the best flightseeing tours over Alaska and celebrates its 50 year anniversary this year. Based in Anchorage, the company offers a variety of tours such as bear viewing at Katmai National Park or Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, viewing Mount McKinley’s towering 20,320ft summit or remote fishing trips to the best trout and salmon fishing spots in Alaska’s backcountry.

Alpine Air Alaska (AlpineAirAlaska.com) was established in 1991 and offers exceptional flightseeing tours in the Prince William Sound area and beyond. With several flightseeing experiences and arctic adventures to North America's most heavily glaciated mountain range, the Chugach Mountains, Alpine Air Alaska offer unforgettable glacier helicopter excursions. Visitors can enjoy a glacier dog sledding experience some 3,200 metres above sea level or choose a glacier wedding, saying “I do” in a truly one-of-a-kind setting.

More Photos - Click to Enlarge

Anchorage Museum