April-June 2025
Clearing Customs Along the Alaska Highway
Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager For northbound aircraft entering Alaska from Canada, Northway has been a popular location to clear U.S. Customs before proceeding on to other destinations in the state. Inspection services by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for Northway Airport (PAOR) are managed out of the Alcan Highway station, located about 50 road miles…
Read More
About Sky Sisters of Alaska
Sky Sisters of Alaska (Sky Sisters) is a group of women active in and passionate about Alaska’s aviation industry who joined forces in 2024 to create the first (that we know of) women-based, crowd-funded scholarship for women and by women in our state! Our grassroots efforts in creating two $2,500 scholarships in 2024, one for…
Read More
Alaskan Women in Aviation: Deb Ylijoki
By Regan Tunstall “Deb’s passion for aviation started over 10 years ago when she worked as a tour guide for a helicopter company in Juneau, Alaska. Since then, Deb’s interest in aviation has grown exponentially. Currently, she is a flight follower with Pathfinder aviation while she’s also training to get her commercial fixed wing license.…
Read More
President’s Report – Transponder
Greetings Airmen’s Members, Happy beginning to summer in Alaska. First off, it was great to see Alaska Airmen’s members, friends, exhibitors, and aviation enthusiasts at the 2025 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. We greatly enjoyed the event and it’s nice to put another successful gathering in the books. I was very impressed with the Legend cub…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
Hello! My name is Lucy Hankins. I was born and raised in Seward, Alaska, in a commercial fishing family. I became fascinated with aviation at a young age and would daydream about flying while halibut and black cod fishing in the Gulf of Alaska on my family’s boat. I began flying at 16 years old,…
Read More
Flying Through Canada for Dummies
By: Larry Maile (4AK6) Last Updated: June 17, 2025 There are two aspects of a flight through Canada that have to be considered. The first is the legal/customs/landing rights issues (better known as bureaucracy), and the second is what the conditions really are in the few towns that you can land at. Bureaucracy: There are…
Read More
What Most Pilots Get Wrong About Eating on the Go (and How to Fix It)
by Kylie Viens As a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, private pilot, and spouse to an airline transport pilot (ATP), I understand the unique challenges aviation professionals face when it comes to staying healthy on the road. Whether you’re flying back-to-back legs, navigating layovers, or prepping for a stint in bush Alaska, the unpredictable nature…
Read More
WHY PEOPLE BECOME MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA AIRMEN’S ASSOCIATION
By John M. Dahlen Each of our approximately 2.000 Alaska Airmen’s Association members has one thing in common – an interest in knowing what is happening in general aviation in Alaska. Beyond that the reason(s) each member joins, and their expectations from their membership are quite varied. MEMBERS ONLY DISCOUNTS: The cost of your annual…
Read More
Executive Director’s Report Priscilla Ribic – Alaska Airmen’s Association
The 2025 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is in the books and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees who made this year’s event such a tremendous success. Your support continues to elevate the Gathering as one of the premier aviation events in the country. A special…
Read More
An Aircraft of Wood
By Bernie Willis Where is the wood in your airplane? You may say, “Modern airplanes are made of aluminum and 4130 chromoly steel, there’s no wood!” But are you sure? If yours is a Cessna, 1960 or newer you’re probably right. But many Piper, Beechcraft, American Champion, Taylorcraft, and Bellanca aircraft have wooden parts. The…
Read More
Advocacy With Adam
Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are just a few examples of how we work towards those goals. Anchorage Airspace Redesign The Anchorage…
Read More
Gathering brings national speakers to Alaska
Tom George, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Seminars are a thread that runs through the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. In addition to looking at the newest aviation equipment at the trade show, or admiring the aircraft in the static display, a series of seminars are scheduled that cover everything from Seaplane safety to an around-the-world…
Read More
President’s Report
By Board President, Stephen Ratcliff March 25, 2025 Greetings Airmen’s Members, I wanted to begin this article with a special welcome to Priscilla Ribic, our new Executive Director for the Alaska Airmen’s Association. After a national search with the support from Foraker Group, our board is very excited to launch the next chapter with Priscilla…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
By Regan Tunstall As another successful scholarship season comes to an end, we want to thank all of our donors and applicants who participated for the 2025 scholarship program! We have been very fortunate to continue growing our scholarship funding every year, with the help of our valued contributors. This year we had a total…
Read More
Landing Gear Works
Titanium Main Landing Gear, Titanium Tail Gear Springs, and all Landing Gear Works products now sold exclusively through McFarlane Aviation! The Landing Gear Works (TLGW) specializes in the manufacturing of titanium landing gear legs for Cessna 180 and 185 as well as tail gear springs, tailwheel assemblies and landing gear components for various Cessna aircraft.…
Read More
3 Critical Mistakes Pilots Make About Snacking
By Kylie Viens Snacking is more than just a way to curb hunger—it’s a key strategy for pilots to maintain focus, energy, and overall health while in the air. Whether you’re flying for fun on a weekend adventure or managing long haul flights as a commercial pilot, the right snacks can help keep your energy…
Read More
Executive Director Report
I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Alaska Airmen’s Association. Having officially stepped into this role in March, I want to begin by saying what an incredible honor it is to serve an organization that I’ve long admired—not just as a dedicated pilot, but as a longtime member who truly…
Read More
HOW OUR BRAIN IS WIRED TO FOOL US!
By John M. Dahlen It’s not uncommon for us to get caught fooling ourselves from time to time. But did you know our brain is wired to fool us virtually all of the time? It’s been said that our brain is bombarded with millions of bits of data input every second of every day. When…
Read More
Adventure and Catastrophe
By Bernie Willis Many of us are about to start flying a whole lot more than we did this past winter. Those upgrades are finished and the days are long and the temperature is quite nice. If your lake is still frozen or not you’re about ready to head out for adventure. Are you set…
Read More
Advocacy With Adam
Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs Advocacy With Adam Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are limited examples of how we work…
Read Moreapril - june 2024
Clearing Customs Along the Alaska Highway
Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager For northbound aircraft entering Alaska from Canada, Northway has been a popular location to clear U.S. Customs before proceeding on to other destinations in the state. Inspection services by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for Northway Airport (PAOR) are managed out of the Alcan Highway station, located about 50 road miles…
Read More
About Sky Sisters of Alaska
Sky Sisters of Alaska (Sky Sisters) is a group of women active in and passionate about Alaska’s aviation industry who joined forces in 2024 to create the first (that we know of) women-based, crowd-funded scholarship for women and by women in our state! Our grassroots efforts in creating two $2,500 scholarships in 2024, one for…
Read More
Alaskan Women in Aviation: Deb Ylijoki
By Regan Tunstall “Deb’s passion for aviation started over 10 years ago when she worked as a tour guide for a helicopter company in Juneau, Alaska. Since then, Deb’s interest in aviation has grown exponentially. Currently, she is a flight follower with Pathfinder aviation while she’s also training to get her commercial fixed wing license.…
Read More
President’s Report – Transponder
Greetings Airmen’s Members, Happy beginning to summer in Alaska. First off, it was great to see Alaska Airmen’s members, friends, exhibitors, and aviation enthusiasts at the 2025 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. We greatly enjoyed the event and it’s nice to put another successful gathering in the books. I was very impressed with the Legend cub…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
Hello! My name is Lucy Hankins. I was born and raised in Seward, Alaska, in a commercial fishing family. I became fascinated with aviation at a young age and would daydream about flying while halibut and black cod fishing in the Gulf of Alaska on my family’s boat. I began flying at 16 years old,…
Read More
Flying Through Canada for Dummies
By: Larry Maile (4AK6) Last Updated: June 17, 2025 There are two aspects of a flight through Canada that have to be considered. The first is the legal/customs/landing rights issues (better known as bureaucracy), and the second is what the conditions really are in the few towns that you can land at. Bureaucracy: There are…
Read More
What Most Pilots Get Wrong About Eating on the Go (and How to Fix It)
by Kylie Viens As a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, private pilot, and spouse to an airline transport pilot (ATP), I understand the unique challenges aviation professionals face when it comes to staying healthy on the road. Whether you’re flying back-to-back legs, navigating layovers, or prepping for a stint in bush Alaska, the unpredictable nature…
Read More
WHY PEOPLE BECOME MEMBERS OF THE ALASKA AIRMEN’S ASSOCIATION
By John M. Dahlen Each of our approximately 2.000 Alaska Airmen’s Association members has one thing in common – an interest in knowing what is happening in general aviation in Alaska. Beyond that the reason(s) each member joins, and their expectations from their membership are quite varied. MEMBERS ONLY DISCOUNTS: The cost of your annual…
Read More
Executive Director’s Report Priscilla Ribic – Alaska Airmen’s Association
The 2025 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering is in the books and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees who made this year’s event such a tremendous success. Your support continues to elevate the Gathering as one of the premier aviation events in the country. A special…
Read More
An Aircraft of Wood
By Bernie Willis Where is the wood in your airplane? You may say, “Modern airplanes are made of aluminum and 4130 chromoly steel, there’s no wood!” But are you sure? If yours is a Cessna, 1960 or newer you’re probably right. But many Piper, Beechcraft, American Champion, Taylorcraft, and Bellanca aircraft have wooden parts. The…
Read More
Advocacy With Adam
Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are just a few examples of how we work towards those goals. Anchorage Airspace Redesign The Anchorage…
Read More
Gathering brings national speakers to Alaska
Tom George, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Seminars are a thread that runs through the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. In addition to looking at the newest aviation equipment at the trade show, or admiring the aircraft in the static display, a series of seminars are scheduled that cover everything from Seaplane safety to an around-the-world…
Read More
President’s Report
By Board President, Stephen Ratcliff March 25, 2025 Greetings Airmen’s Members, I wanted to begin this article with a special welcome to Priscilla Ribic, our new Executive Director for the Alaska Airmen’s Association. After a national search with the support from Foraker Group, our board is very excited to launch the next chapter with Priscilla…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
By Regan Tunstall As another successful scholarship season comes to an end, we want to thank all of our donors and applicants who participated for the 2025 scholarship program! We have been very fortunate to continue growing our scholarship funding every year, with the help of our valued contributors. This year we had a total…
Read More
Landing Gear Works
Titanium Main Landing Gear, Titanium Tail Gear Springs, and all Landing Gear Works products now sold exclusively through McFarlane Aviation! The Landing Gear Works (TLGW) specializes in the manufacturing of titanium landing gear legs for Cessna 180 and 185 as well as tail gear springs, tailwheel assemblies and landing gear components for various Cessna aircraft.…
Read More
3 Critical Mistakes Pilots Make About Snacking
By Kylie Viens Snacking is more than just a way to curb hunger—it’s a key strategy for pilots to maintain focus, energy, and overall health while in the air. Whether you’re flying for fun on a weekend adventure or managing long haul flights as a commercial pilot, the right snacks can help keep your energy…
Read More
Executive Director Report
I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Alaska Airmen’s Association. Having officially stepped into this role in March, I want to begin by saying what an incredible honor it is to serve an organization that I’ve long admired—not just as a dedicated pilot, but as a longtime member who truly…
Read More
HOW OUR BRAIN IS WIRED TO FOOL US!
By John M. Dahlen It’s not uncommon for us to get caught fooling ourselves from time to time. But did you know our brain is wired to fool us virtually all of the time? It’s been said that our brain is bombarded with millions of bits of data input every second of every day. When…
Read More
Adventure and Catastrophe
By Bernie Willis Many of us are about to start flying a whole lot more than we did this past winter. Those upgrades are finished and the days are long and the temperature is quite nice. If your lake is still frozen or not you’re about ready to head out for adventure. Are you set…
Read More
Advocacy With Adam
Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs Advocacy With Adam Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are limited examples of how we work…
Read More