Post by Joao Paz on Jan 8, 2006 19:57:37 GMT -5
Alaskan Winds invites You
The 5th Edition of the Virtual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, 2006!
Hello Pilots from all VAs!
Alaskan Winds will be hosting the Virtual Iditarod for the 5th time this year! On 2005 we already had some of our friends from Aurora Air Service and Timberwolf Aviation with us, but this time I'd like to extend a proper invitation to you all!
We are still 3 months ahead but, in spite of it, our pilots are already choosing their mushers and their aircraft. The Iditarod may very well be one of the greatest things we do at Alaskan Winds, so come and join us and you won't regret it.
...I'm not asking you to join Alaskan Winds ;D The invitation is for your participation as Pilots representing your own VAs - just like we do here.
You will have to join our Forum at
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi
and then start monitoring this sub-forum at our Special Events.
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2006
Here you may see what we did last year...
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2005
...or on the year before that ;D
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2004
So what is it?
Captain Don Hogue, flying online today with the VFG group, did a very acurate and even emotional explanation of what it is all about (well said, Eagle!
) But in case you missed it, here goes!
In very general terms Alaskan Winds Virtual Iditarod works like this: every pilot chooses a musher (a real musher racing the real Iditarod from Anchorage into Nome, 1049 nm ;D) and will fly in support for him/her.
We mix the virtual flying with reality of course, so we go ahead and check the trail conditions, we carry the dogs that are being dropped at checkpoints back to central airports from where they'll be transported back to their kennels, we do pre-race preparation transporting the myriad of goods required to the race (dog food, straw, personnel, equipment), etc etc!
Here's some of the most important sites about the real event:
www.iditarod.com/
www.cabelasiditarod.com/
www.iditarodairforce.com/
Picture this:
Some 80 Teams each year;
each with a Musher and some 12 to 16 dogs!
4 legs each dog and many changes of booties per dog!
Plus the straw for the dog's rest, the dog's food...
...then the press, the Iditarod Comiteee, the paying tourists, is really a flying circus for all of us
...1280 dogs!
Just imagine the show when they arrive at McGrath, one of the major race HUBs when everyone is pretty much into the race!
The iditarod normally takes some 9 days (the winner! ... the red lantern may arrive some 9 days later!) and so that translates into some 10+ flights of short distance, very doable for everyone. And you don't even have to fly everyday.... but when you fly, you must catch up with your musher! ;D
That's our Race, too! We are not racing against each other of course, we are all winners, and in the end it is always a bit hard to let it go!
Ah..... besides all the flying we are constantly checking their progress on the various official sites, through web-radio reports, webcams at checkpoints! Really, this is really cool.
Again, dear friends, nothing to do yet aside counting the days ;D
Having each of you flying alongside our Eagles would be an honor!
Joao Paz,
Alaskan Winds CEO
The 5th Edition of the Virtual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, 2006!
Hello Pilots from all VAs!
Alaskan Winds will be hosting the Virtual Iditarod for the 5th time this year! On 2005 we already had some of our friends from Aurora Air Service and Timberwolf Aviation with us, but this time I'd like to extend a proper invitation to you all!
We are still 3 months ahead but, in spite of it, our pilots are already choosing their mushers and their aircraft. The Iditarod may very well be one of the greatest things we do at Alaskan Winds, so come and join us and you won't regret it.
...I'm not asking you to join Alaskan Winds ;D The invitation is for your participation as Pilots representing your own VAs - just like we do here.
You will have to join our Forum at
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi
and then start monitoring this sub-forum at our Special Events.
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2006
Here you may see what we did last year...
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2005
...or on the year before that ;D
flightclub.proboards25.com/index.cgi?board=iditarod2004
So what is it?
Captain Don Hogue, flying online today with the VFG group, did a very acurate and even emotional explanation of what it is all about (well said, Eagle!
) But in case you missed it, here goes!In very general terms Alaskan Winds Virtual Iditarod works like this: every pilot chooses a musher (a real musher racing the real Iditarod from Anchorage into Nome, 1049 nm ;D) and will fly in support for him/her.
We mix the virtual flying with reality of course, so we go ahead and check the trail conditions, we carry the dogs that are being dropped at checkpoints back to central airports from where they'll be transported back to their kennels, we do pre-race preparation transporting the myriad of goods required to the race (dog food, straw, personnel, equipment), etc etc!
Here's some of the most important sites about the real event:
www.iditarod.com/
www.cabelasiditarod.com/
www.iditarodairforce.com/
Picture this:
Some 80 Teams each year;
each with a Musher and some 12 to 16 dogs!
4 legs each dog and many changes of booties per dog!
Plus the straw for the dog's rest, the dog's food...
...then the press, the Iditarod Comiteee, the paying tourists, is really a flying circus for all of us
...1280 dogs!
Just imagine the show when they arrive at McGrath, one of the major race HUBs when everyone is pretty much into the race!The iditarod normally takes some 9 days (the winner! ... the red lantern may arrive some 9 days later!) and so that translates into some 10+ flights of short distance, very doable for everyone. And you don't even have to fly everyday.... but when you fly, you must catch up with your musher! ;D
That's our Race, too!
We are not racing against each other of course, we are all winners, and in the end it is always a bit hard to let it go!Ah..... besides all the flying we are constantly checking their progress on the various official sites, through web-radio reports, webcams at checkpoints! Really, this is really cool.
Again, dear friends, nothing to do yet aside counting the days ;D
Having each of you flying alongside our Eagles would be an honor!
Joao Paz,
Alaskan Winds CEO
