F: Flight From Fairbanks

Prior to our flight to the Artic Circle I had never flown in a small bush plane. I was fortunate enough to sit in the front seat so I could see all the pilot’s dashboards. It was fascinating to see him be constantly adjusting the knobs. I also loved that the pilot has to jump into his seat through his window from on the wing.

During the flight we were required to wear ear phones that meant that we could hear all the conversations the pilot had with the control tower and the other pilots flying in our group. They also helped shut out some of the noise. It was a perfect Spring day and we could see for miles. It was amazing.

The ice-capped mountains, Yukon River, isolated communities, remote wilderness, Dalton Highway and the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline looked spectacular from the air.


A: Artic Circle

To start this years A-Z Challenge I thought I would take you to the top of the world. Or at least that’s what it felt like to me when I visited the Artic Circle last year. I was so excited. I live in Newcastle, Australia which has a latitude of 32.9283 degrees South. The Artic Circle is 66.33 degrees North. To me that is hugely different.

We went in late September and to my surprise there was no snow or ice on the ground. I’m sure however it wasn’t far away. We flew from Fairbanks, Alaska and landed in Coldfoot above the Artic Circle for lunch.

It is a small community 34 people at the 2020 census. With lunch I enjoyed having a beer in the Farthest North Truck Stop in America.

We then boarded a bus to the Artic Circle sign. It felt so special and almost unbelievable.