AK Wing Conference

Tom had a busy year flying the 172.  He took one of the observers on an orientation flight this summer. I spent the day in the hangar completing some of my training. I was monitoring the radio when I heard a plane radio that their engine had failed. I also heard his next calls as he predicted that he would not make the closest runway in a nearby village.  Then I heard Tom’s voice saying that he was within 5 miles of the site. He flew over and found the airplane hanging in the willows. Everyone was waiting to hear how the pilot was. Tom was able to radio in that there were two people walking out of the airplane. He landed and let them use his radio. There were several planes that radioed in and volunteered to transport the crew.

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The Bethel squadron also assisted in the delivery of tons of food to villages this winter. As heating oil prices rose, many villages had to choose between food and fuel. CAP planes transported much of this to the remote villages.

All of these accomplishments were recognized at the Annual Conference in Anchorage. It was an adventure to get our id’s at Elmendorf Air Force Base, but then we were treated to very nice officer quarters.

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I also helped out with a cadet program. We did an engineering challenge and the kids did a great job and enjoyed themselves. IMG_5605

IMG_5586I had the good fortune of attending the Alaska Science Consortium this fall. The group sponsors a Math/Science conference every other year. This year the meeting was held in Juneau. This was my second trip to Juneau. I flew in on a beautiful day. Miles and miles of glaciers and mountains. I forgot and checked my camera. I could have gotten some great Earth Science pictures. 5 hours of mechanical delays in Anchorage cut in to my glacier hiking time, but the sunset was beautiful.

The conference sessions were great. I went to a lot of sessions on science notebooks. One of the best was on the effects of climate change on seabirds. It was good to meet with other professionals. I have lots of new ideas for my classes.

Fall Duck Hunt

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Originally uploaded by Andrea Pokrzywinski

Tom and Nolan followed the ducks south. They are hunting in North Dakota and staying at the shack in Crosby. A whole gang is there. Tom drove out with Keenan. Glenn and Mike are in from Wi. Tom’s father and 3 buddies are there and soon Colin, Ed and his wife will join them.

These are some photos from 2006 but a couldn’t resist visiting them again and living out the trip virtually.