White-Knuckle Flight into PAKT

Planned flight from CYPR to PAKT, but not good enough. Didn't pay enough attention to weather at PAKT (Light rain with 1.0 mile visibility). Planned RNAV approach to Rwy 29, but had to make missed approach when not able to find runway at minimums. Upon reaching hold point, I turned around for an ILS Rwy 11 approach that offered lower minimums. Less than a mile from the runway I finally managed to see the ground, and fortunately it was still a safe distance below me. Still, the runway was elevated above sea-level, and I had to be watchful to maintain the glideslope. Unfortunately I took a small fuel penalty due to the go-around, but it was preferable to a crash or hard landing penalty I think.

Here I've safely parked my Kodiak at the gate to deplane my seven grateful passengers and cargo.

<a href="stpaulairlines.com/modules/gallery3/var/...-01.jpg?m=1542598650" target="_blank">stpaulairlines.com/modules/gallery3/var/...-01.jpg?m=1542598650" alt="Safely Parked at PAKT" width="600" height="335">

I've done a few of these in those sloppy Alaskan panhandle winters. Somehow these nail biters are so much more rewarding than an uneventful approach in clear weather.

Yes, and pilots who choose to fly the Econ flights should consider flying with real-world weather in keeping with maintaining the additional realism available.

My first Group-2 flight was another example. What should have been a milk-run became about an hour-long white-knuckle flight due to fog. In order to maintain VFR, I had to fly a couple hundred feet off the water. Fortunately I was flying a float plane.

<img src="modules/gallery3/var/albums/John-Rogers-Pics/e21c.jpg?m=1543850022" alt="" width="700" height="432">

Also fortunately, the visibility improved near the destination - allowing for me to easily find the correct inlet and make a safe approach and landing.

<img src="modules/gallery3/var/albums/John-Rogers-Pics/e21d.jpg?m=1543850022" alt="" width="700" height="366">

Also - an interesting note for other Econ2018 pilots; I was taxiing at the Juneau Sea Base and somehow scared my passengers. This was perhaps a fluke, because I wasn't doing any type of maneuver that should have caused this reaction. I restarted the flight again to avoid this unreasonable penalty - something that wouldn't be as easy to do upon landing at the destination. Anyway - I used great care upon landing and decelerated to under 30 Kts. to ensure the pirep was sent before taxiing to the dock and risking another panicky passenger from screaming without reason and giving me a penalty. I didn't experience any additional problem though - even with a considerable taxi to the dock.