No one can survive without fuel in Bush Alaska. It's a basic necessity like air, water, and food.
For towns off the road system, like Port Alsworth, fuel must be flown in.
Our liquid gold arrives on big DC-4's!
They announce their arrival on the CB-radio, then we hear their deep thunderous engines as they do a fly by to inspect the runway. After a large u-turn down the lake, the roaring plane swoops in for landing on Lake and Pen Air's beautiful 4400' gravel runway. Dave Wilder keeps his runway in tip top shape!
In the summer Lake and Pen Air is very busy flying tourists and locals around Alaska and selling fuel to private pilots, so we sometimes see the big Evret planes and their friendly crew several times a week.
They pull up as close as possible to our above ground tanks, connect their full fuel bladders to our empty tanks with a bright green hose, and turn on the flow. It only takes a few minutes and they're done.
A few of the regulars are: The Dumbo...
Hot Stuff...
The Alaska...
The Salmon Ella...
and The Douglas...
Then in a noisy rumbling cloud of dust they're off! See you in a few days boys!
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