Tidal flow in Turnagain Arm, Alaska

AKflyer · Mar 25, 2017

Updated: minor improved video editing. Mavic Pro along Turnagain arm- temp was about 25F. I initially got significant compass interference from the high-tension powerlines on the other side of the highway - it was a bit of a surprise, since I thought I was far enough away. Anyone have any good rules of thumb for how far away you need to be to avoid interference?

Malavic · Mar 27, 2017

Cool video of the Ice. I know just where you were too

. I pulled off there just south of Girdwood last summer and took a bunch of pictures.

As far as the interference, were you near a vehicle? Also, if the gravel has a high iron content, it's possible that did it as well. Anything metal, anything ferrous can do it. I doubt it was the wires as they are a ways off.

AKflyer · Mar 27, 2017

Thanks! It's kinda hard to take a bad picture around there, isn't it?

Yeah, I was sort of surprised about the interference, as I thought I was far enough away from the power lines. I wasn't too far from my truck, but I've flown much closer to it before without any problems. But come to think of it there was a steel cable railing along the edge of the bluff I was standing on which I hadn't given a second thought to- maybe that affected it. And maybe it wasn't just coincidence after all that I got a "calibrate compass" message from my initial launch spot (which I did).

Guess I should download my log file and see what's in it to get a better idea of what was going on. My Mavic was out over the edge of the water maybe 30 feet up and just started kind of wandering randomly. No interference or GPS message on the controller. It responded to control inputs but it was additive to the "wandering", for lack of a better description, so I was able to bring it back gingerly but it was sort of like trying to help a drunk buddy walk back home, Lol. After that I moved to a different pull-out and didn't have any more problems.

Malavic · Mar 27, 2017

Yeah, I love Alaska! I could have spent a year in Denali rather than just a week. I want to spend a winter up there as well. Until recently, I heated my house entirely with firewood and dealt with cold and snow...I could adapt. 30 below, hot fire, northern lights, only the howling of the wind or wolves to listen to? Heaven.

As to the wandering...Did you have VPS off? Other pilots have had issues with it on while over water.

I think it should be part of the checklist...over water, VPS goes off, no exceptions.

AKflyer · Mar 27, 2017

Good point, I hadn't thought of that - I'll bet it was the VPS! I didn't think to turn it off, and it was over not only water but also swirling chunks of ice moving in the fast current. Thanks! I'm adding that to my checklist right now.

Wow, if you're used to heating off firewood, you're ahead of most Alaskans Lol. I sure love it up here- only complaint is being stuck too close to the big city, where the jobs are... but at least the wilderness is only a few minutes away.