Route Notes:

• Minimum altitude: 1200 feet
• Direct Routing: If the weather is favorable, you may fly a heading from Mountain Point of 032 for 29 miles.
• Landing zone: water, does not freeze in winter
• Eddystone Rock addon scenery recommended from Misty Moorings
• Click [here] for printer-friendly TripTic

The New Eddystone Rock

The island called "New Eddystone Rock" is a pillar of basalt. Sometime during the last 5 million years, the basalt came from fractures in the floor of Behm Canal. The broken, haphazard texture of these basalts indicates that New Eddystone Rock was part of a volcanic vent where magma rose repeatedly to the surface of the earth. When in its molten state, the basalt was very liquid, so that it spread out over a large area, like pancake batter on a griddle. These flows cooled from both the top and the bottom forming the hexagonal columns which are visible on several of the islands surrounding New Eddystone rock. After the basalt flows covered the floor of Behm Canal, another glacial advance scoured away much of the flow, leaving behind New Eddystone Rock and some of the islands to the northeast, the New Eddystone Islands.

TreeTop VFR Plan

From: Ketchikan International
To: The New Eddystone Rock

1. Fly a heading of 100 down the Tongass Narrows toward Pennock Island
-Fly over the center of Pennock Island
-watch for the cruise ships on left and the Clione vessel plying the narrows.
-You'll pass Ketchikan on your left and see Saxman coming up on your left as you fly over Pennock Island.
-Coming up on your right is Gravina Point.

2. Over Pennock Island, set a heading of 095 shooting the gap between Mountain point on your left and Race Point on your right.
-You are now heading directly for Bold Island
-As we fly, you will be passing the entrance to the the Carol Inlet on your left, it winds up behind Ketchikan, but is eventually a dead end.
-Small Spire Island comes up to starboard
-Just past Spire Island the point of land is Reef Point. You should be heading for the center of Bold Island, just ahead.

3. Over Bold Island, maintain a course of 095, you are heading for Alava Point about 8 miles ahead.
-look closely and you will see the small Antellope Trail Ranch down to your left there in Coho Cove.
-To our left is the inlet to the Thorne Arm.
-You are flying down the Revillagigedo Channel ( the gateway to Alaska from the south). Wach for cruise ships in this area.
-Continue to Alava Point, we will be rounding it to the left starting to fly up the Behm Canal.

4. Once you have just cleared the point, make a left turn to 010 setting a visual heading for the left shore far in the distance
-We are getting ready to fly over Alava Bay, look closely at the large island and you may see the Alava Bay Cabin
-The first point you encounter after Alava Bay is Ape Point
-The next point justting into the Behm Canal from the left shore is Fox Point - head to fly over Fox Point.
-continuing on this heading (095) you will see Rudyerd Island coming up, visually head to fly over it.
-just beyond Rudyerd Island is Smeaton Island. Head for the center of Smeaton Island, maintain minimum of 1200 feet.
-off to the right of Smeaton Island you'll see Smeaton Bay on the starboard side of the canal.
- the leading edge of Smeaton Island is called Harris point ... recheck your altitude for minimum 1200.

5. As you reach the far shore of Smeaton Island, make a heading correction, turn left to 335.
-the northern point of Smeaton Island should come under your port wing, that is Harding Point.
-off to starboard (your right) you will see little Candle Island, then just beyond it the beautiful Winstanley Island
-there are two cabins on Winstanley Island.

6. Drop your altitude to 200 feet to make a flyby of Eddystone Rock.
-New Eddystone Rock should come up directly in front of you
-notice the shipping and marine traffic in the area, it is a busy place
-You may land near the rock if you like ... many flightsee tourists love to climb the rock.

To return to Ketchikan, reverse the route ...

Hope you enjoyed the trip ...
Doug Linn
Charter Manager
Misty Moorings, Inc
contact@mistymoorings.com