Chris W wrote:

What I am talking about is starting from Wales, which is about
100 miles NNW or Nome. That water crossing never puts you more
than 15 miles from land. However, from what I have read about
Little Diomede Island, if you have to make a forced landing
there, you are almost certain to destroy the plane. While the
weather there is just as bad, you need less than an one hour
window to make it from Wales Alaska, to a runway in Russia. In
the plane I want to do it in, you only need about 25 minute.

Think about how you are going to get to Wales in the first place
though, because quite frankly there isn't really much special
about flying from Wales to Siberia other than the administrative
hassle. You're going to experience a lot more "risk", as far as
terrain goes, getting to Nome than you will from Nome north and
then west. Going north from Nome you can follow the road to
Teller, and then you fly right over Brevig Mission on the way to
Tin City and over to Wales. There's only a 45 mile or so stretch
there with no place to land.

But to get to Nome you'll have to go to Kaltag and from there
to either Unalakleet or Shaktoolik, both over 60 miles.

And the only way to get there is probably flying down the
Yukon River... for example between Tanana and Ruby.

Another thing you'll need to plan very carefully is where you
can and cannot buy av gas. For example, I'm sure you can buy it
in Nome, Unalakleet and Galena, maybe in Ruby, but I doubt
you'll find any at Shaktoolik, Teller, Brevig Mission or Wales.
Hard to say about Tanana or Kaltag.

One thing you need to know as far as gas goes too, do *not*
look it up in some reference guide and then depend on what
it said. Get somebody on the phone in each place and verify
they have gasoline and will sell it to you on the day and at
the time you need it.

--
FloydL. Davidson http://web.newsguy.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)