The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering

Last week my quest for Million Miler took me to Anchorage where I just happened to stumble upon perhaps the greatest #avgeek event of the year, The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering. I had no idea it was going on, making it two weeks in a row where I encountered something cool and unexpected while on a mileage run. In a state where 1 out of every 9 people has a pilots license, you can bet they’re crazy about airplanes and everything was on display from Piper Super Cubs to Boeing 777s.

My family dropped me off at the FedEx Maintenance Hangar at Anchorage’s Ted Steven’s airport and while they went to church I was free to roam the tarmac for a couple of hours, getting my fix of all things airplane. I even met a few new #avgeek friends too! Seeing as how we were in Alaska, there were plenty of Otters, Beavers, Caravans and other float planes, some of which I’d never even seen before, but naturally I headed straight for the heavy metal. As a kid, I always wanted to fly a DC-10 (like we used to ride on to Hawaii), so I was pretty excited to sit at the controls of its newer cousin, the MD-11…or at least right up until I climbed into the captain’s chair on the 777. That was awesome! In related news, I think I may have found my new dream job.

Anchorage is a major cargo hub midway between Asia and the Lower 48, so not surprisingly, UPS and FedEx have a huge presence there. Both companies were a big part of the gathering, and I spent most of my time checking out their planes. Before I even knew it, a few hours had passed and my family came to retrieve me. I only wish I had more time, but to be honest I’m not sure a whole day would have been enough. I guess we all know that that means…I might just have to (plan to) go back next year!

If you ever find yourself in Anchorage around the first week in May, I highly recommend checking out this event. Even if you’re not a total #avgeek like me, there’s still plenty to see and do and I think you’ll be impressed. For more information (or in case you want to start planning your trip now), be sure to visit greatalaskaaviationgathering.org