After having my Cherokee Warrior II plugged in all night, and after shoveling snow for an hour, I was ready to take off the wing covers, do a thorough preflight inspection, and climb into the cockpit. I was airborne by 9:30 a.m. on the winter morning of Friday, March 12.

The morning I decided to fly to Ekwok the weather was clear but cold. It was 17 below zero Fahrenheit, not including the chill factor. The wind was blowing at least 10 knots. One of my rules is not to fly if the temperature is colder than 20 degrees below zero (not counting the chill factor).

While doing my engine run-up before lifting off, my GPS said that Ekwok (airport identifier KEK) was about 37 miles Northeast from Dillingham (airport identifier PADL).
Winter flying is both rewarding and costly. It is rewarding because cold temperatures make the air great on climb-outs. In no time at all I was up to 1,000 feet. In warmer weather it takes forever to reach 1,000. It is costly because in subzero temperatures things tend to break, or put another way, I tend to break things.

This particular morning I broke my sunglasses, which I had cherished for over 20 years. Like an old friend, these sunglasses were a part of me. When I opened them up to put them on, they just snapped. Bummer for me. In extreme cold temperatures I have cracked my fuselage by trying to tap off the ice, accidentally nudged my compass with my elbow and shattered the mount, broke the Plexiglas over my fuel gauges, and basically pushed the plug-in for my engine through the mounting bracket. Breaking things out in the bush does not come cheap, either.

Click here to see more photos of Ekwok from the air.

Father Scott Garrett is the Pastor of the Holy Rosary Mission in Dillingham. His unique mode of transportation is a 160 Cherokee Warrior which he uses to fly to the many remote areas within his parish. With the unpredictable weather of southwest Alaska, Father Scott's schedule is always written lightly in pencil.