In one of my recent posts, I'd flown the heaviest skip-eqippped aircraft in my hangar (in fact, also, the heaviest (RW) a/c ever to be equipped with a ski set, the LC-130 Hercules variant). I'd flown from PAVD (Valdez) airport to the vast icefield of Bagley Field, in the dead of winter. So, a peer member, here, ...had asked me (rightly so) if I wanted to punish myself...🙂...? Actually, the reason for my exploring Valdez region in the middle of winter (for the first time, virtually) was because I'd come across a few beautiful (MSFS) pictures, here, of Valdez in winter...and it had occurred to me that I've always visited Valdez only in Spring, but never in Winter...! Anyway, in this post I've set my season (back) to Spring in Valdez (so, now, less white and more green, around)...And I've also explored Valdez and vicinity, so to speak, up close, with the help of one of the smallest float planes this time, that I recalled and love, the L-4/J-3 (Cub) Grasshopper...(btw, look back, if you wish, at another member's post titled "Grasshopper" to view a set of lovely pictures of this same plane, but from the MSFS world). 

The L-4, essentially a J-3 Cub, distinguishable by the use of Plexiglas windows and skylight for improved visibility (see shots, below), was produced (copiously) for the army in the early 1940s, and, to this day, is still immensely prized by the (private) owners. ("All we had to do," Bill Jr. is quoted as saying, "was paint the Cub olive drab to produce a military airplane"). Along with similar (tandem) a/c, Taylorcraft L-2 and Aeronca L-3, these 3 planes L-(2/3/4) were collectively nicknamed "Grasshoppers". For this post, my aerial images are taken from such an L-4 (floatplane). This particular (RW) L-4A "Grasshopper OY-ECV, Serial No. 42-15272", nicknamed "Mistress," is owned and flown by an airline Captain in Denmark.

Valdez marks the southern terminus of the (great) Trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline. Here, I am lifting off with my Grasshopper (L-4/J-3) Cub (Float), off the waters of Valdez Narrows inlet, in Prince William Sound (Alaska), btw, just within miles of the infamous site of the Exxon Valdez Spill, which occurred on March 24, 1989. Exxon Valdez tanker, with over 53 million U.S gallons of crude oil, had departed the Valdez Port Pipeline Terminal (see one aerial picture, below, 3rd from last, of this Terminal along with the crude oil storage tanks) on the night of March 23, at 9:12pm, proceeded (west/southwest) along the Southbound shipping lane of the narrow channel (see also the top-down screenshot (last but one), below, of the channel, where the Pipeline terminal can be spotted towards bottom RHS of my a/c location marked by the Red crosswire, at center of MAP). As the tanker travelled, on autopilot, further south past the narrowest part of the channel, in order to avoid the icebergs dislodged from the nearby glaciers, it would, by intention, made to deviate off the main shipping line (not an uncommon occurrence), but then, before entering the wide expanse of Prince William Sound, just past midnight, at 12:04am, it would strike the submerged rocks of Bligh Reef, and run aground. Bligh Reef, actually an island itself, is a hidden (and isolated) undersea formation (elevation stated to be 0 feet above MSL), off the coast of (main) Bligh island. The island is situated just south of the bottom edge of my top-down image, below.

So, whether one's on a ship or on a plane, Valdez is one of the most dangerous places in the world, for navigation. It is also one of the extraordinary places with a most remarkable and one-of-a-kind geography. Nestled in awe-inspiring and towering mountains (see pictures), there are 5 major glaciers around Valdez. The spectacular Valdez Glacier, just minutes north of the airport, is so vast that its outflow creates a lake during summertime (I've shown a couple of pictures of closely overflying this glacier flow, and you can spot the lake at top RHS corner of my shot #5). In my set, I've also included pictures from a walking tour on and around the grounds of the Valdez airport...e.g., note the dogwalker with his Doberman near the perimeter fence (I better stay far and safe from this dog...🙂...), the lady pacing near the Era Aviation Dash 8, likely waiting for her flight or a sightseeing trip, the outdated Presidential Voting Poster on the wood cabin, and the Valdez Marine Line Depot, which is the transportation company providing barge service to and from Alaska, Hawaii, and the Yukon Territory (Canada).

Hope you enjoy this collection of pictures.... of Valdez and my Grasshopper (Mistress)...🙂...! Thanks for your interest and good flying...!!

[FR (J-3/L-4), Orbx (PAVD/SAK)]

Edited June 24, 20223 yr by P_7878

Very nice set of shots! 😉 

Savage shots!!!!

 

Fine shots !

cheers 😉

Thank you, folks, for the comments...!!

Great story and very nice screenies, P_7878 !! ORBX really brought Valdez to life in FSX.