Under the clouds but still not over the mountains

Jeff had the great opportunity to fly around Valdez in a float plane with Randy Maag, Manager of Petro Star Refinery. His plane is a Cessna 172. They took off from Robe Lake, flew over the refinery, Shoup & Columbia Glaciers, Valdez, & Alyesca Pipeline. The only unhappy entity was a mother duck when they landed - she was very loudly not amused as they got close to the dock. PS - There are movies.

Pilot and co-pilot

Pilot Randy Maag

To start - push the plane away from the dock & jump on the pontoon

then climb in

before the plane gets too far from shore

I took a video from the ground - unfortunately my camera is not meant to take videos - Jeff took some great movies from the cockpit 

from the ground - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLSbDNnWq24

from the cockpit - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NElmjbqZ61I

This mother duck was NOT happy with a plane landing in her lake - I didn't know a duck could be that loud.

The "Lakemower" - once upon a time Robe Lake was a fertile spawning ground for salmon. "Man" made some changes and the water stagnated and became grassy. The state stepped in and is working to rehabilitate the lake. Thus the "lakemower", manned by Matthew Jefferson - a very nice man with a mission. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFGnhr6xDdg

what the Lakemower mows