iflysideways

Could please answer a question about ANC? My apologies if this offends, but why would anybody live there?

I have looked into relocating to ANC for big brown. All I found were huge negatives for QOL. Astronomical cost of living. Crime rates on par with Compton in LA. Highest rate of alcoholism in the country. Very, very poor national rankings for the public school system. Cold, snowy weather eight months a year. Dark half the year and sun the other half. 3,500 miles from family. I could go on and on, so......

I know at brown, you could upgrade to captain in half the time, but the extra 40% income, IMO, does not hardly offset the terrible QOL. For me personally, I could move to ANC and make captain and make an extra hundred grand a year, but even with the extra money, I could only afford a SMALLER house than I own now on FO pay, I'd have to put my kids in private school, and our family grocery budget would be much higher. Financially, I would have a lower QOL than I have now. Plus the whole dark and snowy winter would probably put a lot of tension on the wife and kids.

So if your're not really big into hunting and fishing, why would anybody want to live in ANC?

Thanks. And sorry again if you're an Alaska lover.

fr8rcaptain

Why do junior pilot bases go junior?

If you're concerned about QOL, and ANC doesn't fit the picture, then I'd suggest you not move there!

If you're a new-hire, and on reserve, you don't HAVE to sign the three year lock and accept the paid move both ways. Just find a crash pad and commute. Oh yeah, good luck with that! The company couldn't even BUY a ticket from SDF-ANC this weekend in first or coach thru CVG, MSP, SLC, or SEA. The jumpseats are now packed with priority 3s. I got resched to OPERATE a day later (cutting into my Club Paris time) instead of CML'ing!

PM me if you want some free advice. I've considered the move, and even though I would be a VERY senior captain up there, and I still would rather just visit.

I'll be at F Street this Monday early pm in the red hawaiian shirt....just visiting of course.

Twiceskunkeddog

Just replying to strut my new Avatar.... Makes you think doesn't it?

MD11Fr8Dog

Are 3 better than one?

USMCFDX

Not sure where you get your info. Schools in Anchorage and Eagle River, (just north of town) are very good. Yes housing can be expensive, but there are many reasonable areas also. Not dark half of the year, take a look at a sunrise/sunset table and compare it to any city in the midwest. I think you will find that the dark is really only late Nov to Early Feb. Yes winters are longer, but often colder in St Paul, MN.
We lived there for 3 years and liked it. The one good point you did make is that it is far from friends and family.
Not sure why you even mad your post other than to complain about something you would never do. Why did you even waste the bandwidth?

FIT59

As someone that has no choice but to move to ANC, I am glad he posted the question so someone like you, who has experience, can enlighten us.

fr8rcaptain

Oh yeah, don't forget you'll be eating fish heads and rice for quite a while...

fr8rcaptain

What do you mean be "had no choice?"

Of course you had a choice! UPS did not require you to move to ANC. But for an extra $1500/pay period you signed a three year deal and you HAD to move to ANC. Good luck taking advantage of your "free" move to a domicile in the lower 48 after your tour is done....a new hires seniority won't hold anything outside of the junior base of ANC. Maybe MIA would be available....

Jetjok

Sorry to butt in, but it sounds to me like you really aren't looking for an answer to your statement. But I've got to tell you, many of the guys who live up there love it. Pure and simple, they love the great outdoors, they love the daylight hours during their "summer season", and they of course love being able to get the hell out of dodge during the winter months. At least at FedEx, the most junior guy(s) always hold lines during fishing season. It's because reserve goes so damn senior. But you don't want to hear any of that, now do you?

Trouser

I, for one, love Anchorage. It's certainly not for everyone. I hope I can be so lucky as to be hired and forced to fly an MD-11 out of here for the rest of my life. Being in the military you get to see both types, people who have fought their entire careers to get here and those that were forced to move here. Most of the ones who wanted to be here, love it, and I'd say a third of the ones that it was forced on, end up loving it too. One thing seems for sure, you either love it, or you hate it. There doesn't seem to be too much in between.

You do have some valid points. Housing is fairly expensive. The cost of living as a whole is expensive, but it's no more than many other places in "the lower 48". I'd be willing to bet that your crime and alcoholism stats were "per capita". It's not hard to rank as the number one state when there's less than 3/4 million people in the entire state. This winter has been especially cold it seems. The people who hate the winters don't get out and do anything. My wife and I (and our 2 and 4 year old boys) took up cross-country skiing this winter. Last winter we enjoyed snowshoeing and ice skating (to play hockey of course!...not figure skating ). Imagine any winter fun that requires snow, and it's happening here. As for the summers, well there's no where in the world that will beat them. My family enjoys RVing all over the state. I am an avid hunter and fisherman, so many times the RVing does follow the salmon runs in the summer. But, you don't have to enjoy hunting and fishing to love Alaska. If you like to do anything outdoors, there is no where in the world that compares. Hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, rock climbing, ATVing...I could go on and on. It's all here.

One aspect that is essential to your happiness here is that your wife loves it too. I have seen many guys in my squadron who were miserable because their wife was miserable. Fortunately for me, my wife loves it too! She helped pick out the RV!

Hopefully this sheds some light on why people love Alaska. No offense takin', and hopefully I don't sound defensive, because I don't mean to be.

Trouser