Since a while ago, having spotting pictures, here, of Valdez in winter, I've been also meaning to (virtually) fly PAVD (Valdez Pioneer Field Airport) in the dead of winter (in the past, I've flown around Valdez but in Spring season). For this post, I then wished to further enhance my experience by going back to the largest Ski-equipped a/c I've in my hangar (the Lockheed Hercules "LC-130" variant). Indeed, on record, the LC-130 is the largest aircraft to be ever fitted with retractable ski–wheels (see pictures below). The complete ski set of this Hercules weighs an astounding 2.8 tons, per the British/American measure, (or 2.5 tonnes, per the equivalent metric measure, also called the “metric ton”). Next, searching, in advance, for a suitable place to (virtually) land my (ski-equipped) LC-130, I came across "Bagley Icefield" in southeastern Alaska, truly an amazing place on earth...!

The Bagley Icefield (also called Bagley Ice Valley), a huge glacier itself, located ~90 miles northwest of Yakutat (see position on MAP, below, relative to PAVD (Valdez) and Yakutat (PAYA)) is the second largest nonpolar icefield in North America. At 127 miles long, 6 miles wide, and up to 3,000 ft thick, it covers most of the core of the adjoining Saint Elias Mountains and part of the Chugach Mountains and nourishes dozens of other valley glaciers. Bagley Icefield is where the snow accumulates, that feeds the majestic Bering Glacier which is the largest glacier in North America...!

For this flight, I've lifted off westward from PAVD (Valdez Pioneer) Rwy 24 (see screenshots, below), climbing to a height of (15,000 ft), and then making a wide 180-degrees turn (see superposed GTN MAP, below) now heading eastward en route to my destination Bagley Icefield, flying over and across the vast, desolate, uninhabited, and seemingly endless landscape dominated by snow, ice, glaciers and mountains...(I've included several screenshots, below, to convey the impression from my (virtual) journey)...! When I reached my destination ice field, I was amazed by its openness, in this otherwise dense region of mountainous wilderness, full 6 miles wide and 127 miles long (see also screenshots). The Bagley Icefield is at ~4,000 ft elevation, and I've shown several pictures of the landing sequence...with the ski-wheels of the Hercules finally touching down...safely and gently...at the control of yours truly...🙂...!

For livery, I've selected the (fictional) BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY (BAS) with its striking (Red) colour scheme, a favorite of mine. This (RW) polar research agency actually uses a/c all made by de Havilland Canada and comprise four Twin Otters and one Dash 7, but no C-130 Hercules.

Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures of the legendary Lockheed Hercules, on ski, and the account of my (fictional) journey to this amazing place on earth...!

Thanks for your interest...!! Good Flying...!

[Orbx (PAVD/SAK), CS (LC-130)]

Fine set of shot, like the Winter landscape 👍

cheers 😉

Grand set of shots !! . 

Very nice shots! 😉 

pmplayer, johnb, Alaska, and Ed: Thanks much and....cheers...!!

Research is a Slippery Slope!!😀 Excellent Series

Man I so wish we had a good C-130 in MSFS. Beautiful set of shots.

On 6/18/2022 at 7:12 AM, Phantom88 said:

Research is a Slippery Slope!!😀 Excellent Series

Thank you, Patrick. Like the expression...quite befitting here...🙂....

23 hours ago, Phantoms said:

Man I so wish we had a good C-130 in MSFS. Beautiful set of shots.

Thanks...!!

I know.... just an Exterior is not good enough for this legend... (BTW, I recall RW C-130 crew posting screenshots, here, from this CS C-130...hope CS gives you folks an interior too...)

Grandiose series of shots! 

Hi Adam: Thank you for the comment...!!

Fantastic flight, P_7878 !!