King of the Wilderness

Emily smiled and lifted her glass of juice from the table, "Then, let us look forward to that day together."

"To our future captain!" Aliya also raised her glass with a smile.

"To our kingdom!" Lin Yu’an gently clinked his glass with theirs.

Outside the window, the sunlight after the polar night was becoming increasingly brighter.

And their future, like this awakening land, was full of infinite possibilities and hope.

The bubbles of the champagne were not yet fully dissipated, and the grand blueprint for the future kingdom still remained on the tablet.

But a new, more pressing responsibility had silently descended, crossing hundreds of kilometers of icy wilderness.

The next morning.

As the dawn just broke, Lin Yu’an bid farewell to his still dreaming family.

Emily only vaguely felt him imprint a gentle kiss on her lips, then heard the sound of the front door opening and softly closing downstairs.

Lin Yu’an drove the familiar Ford F-150 pickup, heading onto the icy Dalton Highway.

Destination — Fairbanks.

That quiet, sunbird-like Turbo Beaver awaited its master.

This was his first true independent flight since getting his license. No Hank by his side, no instructor overseeing.

This was not training, but a mission flight with a clear purpose. Only him and that vast, familiar yet unfamiliar Alaskan sky.

Racing along the way, when Lin Yu’an arrived at the private FBO (Fixed-Base Operator) at Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA), daylight was already bright.

After presenting his identification and brand-new pilot’s license, a well-dressed ground service manager named Catherine led him to the top-tier temperature-controlled hangar exclusively for "N777LA".

"Good morning, Mr. Lin." Catherine handed him a document.

"Your aircraft was refueled with Jet A fuel as per your request last night, and the ground crew has completed the routine pre-flight check. Here is the inspection report."

This DHC-2 Beaver of Lin Yu’an’s was not the original factory model but a meticulously modified turbine version.

It used a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine, replacing the original Pratt & Whitney R-985 piston engine.

The performance improvement brought by this change was revolutionary.

The original Beaver, with its 450-horsepower piston engine, usually cruised at a speed of about 120 knots (approximately 220 km/h).

Now, this 680-shaft-horsepower PT6A turbine engine was not only lighter but also more powerful.

It easily boosted the Beaver’s cruising speed to over 150 knots (approximately 278 km/h).

This meant that the 265 nautical mile journey from Fairbanks to Anchorage could save him nearly half an hour compared to flying the original aircraft.

But it’s not just about speed; the climb rate of the turbine engine far exceeded that of the piston, giving him a higher safety margin when traversing Alaska’s rugged mountains.

Its takeoff roll distance was shorter, allowing for takeoffs and landings on harsher and shorter improvised runways.

More importantly, the reliability of a turbine engine far surpassed that of complex radial piston engines, and when flying over uninhabited areas, this reliability was invaluable.

For this reason, the fuel used was switched from traditional aviation gasoline (Avgas) to Jet A aviation fuel.

The technical specifications of this fuel were extremely stringent, with a freezing point controlled at -40 degrees Celsius and a flash point above 38 degrees Celsius, ensuring the aircraft’s absolute safety in any harsh environment.

Unlike the tens of thousands of pounds of fuel tanks on large jets, even with an auxiliary long-range tank installed, this Beaver’s total fuel capacity was around 140 gallons.

At the recent market price of over 6 US Dollars per gallon, filling up the tank last night cost nearly 1000 US Dollars.

Lin Yu’an took the report, glanced over the signatures, and asked casually, "How’s the route and weather today? Estimate on how long to Anchorage?"

"Weather is clear, and tailwind conditions are very favorable." Catherine replied immediately, clearly having all the information prepared in advance.

"The route distance from Fairbanks to Anchorage is 265 nautical miles. With your aircraft’s cruising speed of 150 knots, our estimated flight time is one hour and forty-five minutes."

"Including ground taxiing and takeoff and landing procedures, the total time from our current departure to landing in Anchorage will not exceed two hours."

"Great." He closed the report, his voice steady and decisive, "I’ll make the final preparations and depart in half an hour."

The huge electric hangar door slowly rose, revealing the giant inside, bathed in soft light and brilliantly colored.

Lin Yu’an walked up and gently caressed its cold and smooth fuselage. It was no longer a video on the screen, but his partner, the wings that would conquer the skies over this land!

He did not rush to board but placed his backpack and documents aside and began a thorough pre-flight inspection.

Like an experienced mechanician, he inspected each rivet, every control surface, the tire pressure of the amphibious floats, and the precise turbine blades of the turbine engine.

He even took a fuel sample and meticulously checked it under the sunlight to ensure the fuel was pure and free of impurities. The entire process took nearly half an hour.

Even though the inspection results were perfect, he knew well that his life was best assured by himself.

Only then did he board the luxurious cockpit filled with the scent of Alcantara and leather, securely fixing himself in the Poltrona Frau hand-stitched seat.

Skillfully starting the avionics system, the large Garmin G1000 NXi displays lit up in sequence, showing complex flight data.

The next ten minutes were for his route planning and pre-flight preparations.

His destination was Anchorage’s Merrill Field (PAMR), an airport closer to the city center, mainly for general aviation aircraft takeoffs and landings.

Through the avionics system, he connected to the FAA’s weather data service. On the screen, real-time radar images, satellite imagery, and "Aviation Routine Weather Reports" and "Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts" from various airports along the route were clearly displayed.

"Weather looks good, visual meteorological conditions throughout, with some high-altitude turbulence warnings near the passes of the Alaska Range." He murmured, with confidence in his mind.

Then, he began setting his flight plan on the GPS map.

He did not choose the most direct straight-line route, as that would require him to fly over large parts of the Denali National Park’s no-fly zones and restricted areas.

Instead, he plotted a safer and more scenic visual flight corridor, following visual references along the George Parks Highway, turning above Takotna Town, and finally entering Anchorage’s controlled airspace from the west side.

He set the cruising altitude at 9,500 feet to achieve better fuel efficiency and a broader view. The system automatically calculated the estimated flight time, fuel consumption, and alternate airport information.

Finally, through a professional flight app named ForeFlight, he electronically submitted this complete VFR flight plan to the FAA.

It was not mandatory, but it demonstrated a professional pilot’s good flying habits, allowing air traffic controllers to know his intentions in advance and provide tracking services if necessary.

Having accomplished all of this, he put on his Bose A20 aviation headset with active noise cancellation and pressed the start button.

The Pratt & Whitney PT6A turbine engine emitted a unique hiss like a jet.

The five-blade propeller started to rotate slowly, then gradually accelerated, eventually turning into a visually indistinguishable blur, generating a powerful airflow that made the wind cone at the hangar door flutter fiercely.

He put on his sunglasses and began communicating with the ground control in clear, standard aviation English.

"Fairbanks Ground, Turbo Beaver N777LA at Signature FBO ramp, requesting taxi, VFR flight to Anchorage."

"N777LA, Fairbanks Ground, roger. Taxi to Runway 20L, use Taxiway A, climb southbound after takeoff."

"N777LA roger, taxi to Runway 20L, use Taxiway A, climb southbound after takeoff."

After the practiced ground-air communication, Lin Yu’an piloted the giant smoothly towards the runway.

His destination on this journey was Anchorage.

Because just last night, after receiving an email, he also received a phone call that left him sleepless, a call for help about another family member.

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(Hehe, guess what the help request is~ Also, seeking a few more votes!)