Beach Landing
September 24, 2004

Dennis flew with a friend across Cook Inlet and south to a beach where we've successfully clammed, fished, and explored in the past. The first pass at the beach was just to look it over for rocks, logs, or any other obstacles. There were nine grizzlies fishing just off the beach, but a ways from where the guys planned to fish themselves. Dennis touched down a little farther down the beach than he planned the first time and realized he couldn't get the plane to stop far enough away from the bears, so he went around and tried again. Our friend Lee had the presence of mind to videotape the whole process. This is just the final landing.

Be aware that he wants to land on the dark sand, which is more solid and less likely to be soft. He also wants to drag it in as slowly as possible, which is why you hear the stall warning quite awhile before he touches down. He's flying by the "seat of his pants". If he feels the plane start to drop, he will add power. Because of the frames per second, it looks like the propeller is going fast, slow, and even backwards. That's just an illusion.

If you've never been in a small plane landing on a beach, this might be the closest you'll ever come (or perhaps want to come). The beauty of it is that bush flying is the key to the incredible wilderness of Alaska. This place is just an hour or so away from Anchorage, yet is virtually inaccessible except by plane.

• Beach Landing (880 KB)