Russ Marvin's Return Trip to Adak... Almost.

Hi Bob,
Keep up the good work with your Adak Blog. I was stationed on Adak in 1966/67 at the USCG Loran Station. That station was shut down in 1979.

I made an attempt to get back to Adak in 2004, by signing up with a birding tour operator. Our flight on Alaska Airlines got all the way out to Adak, and was unable to land due to a low ceiling. They made two or three missed approaches, finally gave up, and returned to Anchorage. The airline did refund the fare, but unfortunately, the tour operator would not refund the balance of the trip cost, as he claimed that the housing reservations on Adak were non-refundable. Ouch ! Anyway, I just saw in the news that Alaska Airlines has just started using RNP (Required Navigation Performance) technology for landings on Adak, which will help to reduce flight cancellations due to weather conditions. The use of RNP at Juneau has allowed the minimum ceiling to be reduced from 1260 feet to 337 feet. For anyone thinking of revisiting Adak, this is very good news.

Speaking of Loran, the Coast Guard is finally getting ready to shut down the entire Loran C system. Most stations will cease operation on Feb. 8, 2010, but a few will remain in in operation until October, as they are subject to international agreements. Attu is one of those stations that will remain open awhile longer. I had the pleasure of visiting Attu in June 2000 for one week. It was an amazing experience. We had three straight days of clear weather. Attu is a very beautiful place on those rare days when the sun shines It was hard to believe that it was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of WWII.

Best Wishes, Russ Marvin - Canaan, CT