Dan Johnson and Parker Johnston set off for Anchorage, Alaska in a BushCat Amphibious seaplane

Dan Johnson and Parker Johnston set off for Anchorage, Alaska in a BushCat Amphibious seaplane on a blustery morning April 22.

With wings of Trilam, a fabric designed for yacht racing, the airplane weighs just 845 pounds and allows for a maximum baggage weight of 51 pounds.

Johnson and Johnston loaded all of their gear into the floats of the airplane, leaving just enough room in the cabin for each of their brawny bodies.

Kissing their wives, Cheryl Loud Johnston and Nancy Johnson goodbye, the duo lifted off just after 8:30 a.m., with GoPro video cameras installed on the wing, recording their adventure. Johnson and Johnston plan to complete the 3,400-mile trip in six days, if the weather permits.

They did run into several weather snags, including the first day, when “low ceilings, rain, and decreasing visibility almost forced them to land at Poplar Grove airport,” just five minutes into the flight. However, they managed to work their way to Rapid City, S.D. where they spent the night.

The 100-horse-power engine allows the BushCat to cruise at 90 mph, for an estimated seven hours before refueling.

Day 2 took Johnson and Johnston over the site of Custer’s Last Stand and Devil’s Tower, stopping to refuel in Laurel, Mont. According to their Facebook posting, “the wind was pretty much on the nose and was so strong that when they flew through Judith Gap, Mont., there were only going about 30-35 mph.”

By nightfall, they landed for the night in Fort Benton, Mont., just a little short of where they hoped after their second day in the sky. With more weather delays, turbulence, and a cold front, they stopped at Fort Benton, Mont. before heading across the border and on to Letthbridge, Alberta, Canada on Day 3.

Rain, wind, and snow showers in Red Deer and water in the overhead panel, made Johnson and Johnston happy to have a willing, if remote, ground crew. Thanks to Nancy and Cheryl, a ride from the airport took them to warm motel rooms at the end of each day’s journey.

The duo’s cellular service proved less reliable in Canada than it had been when they flew to South America. Thanks to tracking on share.findmespot.com, the BushCat and its two-man crew could be tracked by family, friends, and interested parties.  Johnston and Johnson posted many aerial photos on the Facebook page, “AeroSport, LLC.”

The last entry into their log placed Johnson and Johnston at Fort Nelson, traveling along the Al-Canada highway.  They plan to get the BushCat to Anchorage for the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering on April 30, and then over to Valdez for the STOL show and competition, which is May 4 and 5.

— McHenry County aviators set sights on Alaska —