Walk into the race logistics room on any given day of the race and you’ll see a white board filled with destinations – YTN, SKW, FL, RP, McG, etc. as well as tail numbers and the names of hopeful volunteers awaiting distribution along the trail. In the midst of the room with her finger on everything that’s going on or isn’t going on is Logistics Coordinator, Brittany Hanson. Brittany, the daughter of Chief Iditarod Air Force Pilot, Bert Hanson, has been around planes and aviation all her life. She’s an organizer, a critical attribute for the job she holds.

Being told that I should be ready to fly this morning at 0900, I was ready and waiting 5 minutes early. Folks coming out of the pilot’s room didn’t have happy faces and I could guess why, they weren’t flying. Seems there was weather between Anchorage and Puntilla Lake. Snow to be exact, snow that’s accumulated to six inches in Skwentna and further along the trail.

I left Race Headquarters with Pilot Glen Hanson to head over to Merrill field where his Cessna 182 is parked. Hoping the weather would lift, he did some organizing and loaded the plane. No the weather hadn’t lifted so we waited some more. It’s the phenomenon known as hurry up and wait. It’s occurs almost as often as Murphy’s Law pops up in everyday life.

Glen Hanson has had his pilot’s license since the age of eighteen. The plane he learned on was a Piper. As Hanson recalled his early days of flying he said that if he could fly that plane, he could fly anything. Glen’s been flying for the IAF since 1984. He’s taken a couple of years off from flying over the trail to breaking the trail. Glen’s brother Bert is the IAF Chief Pilot. With Brittany, Bert and Glen all working with the IAF, it would be safe to say it’s a family affair.

Led by Bert Hanson, the pilots have a couple of mantras they fly (live) by. 1) If it’s not fun, it’s probably not safe and 2) It’s only a dog race, don’t take chances.

There are currently twenty-four pilots who donate their time, talents and airplanes to fly people, supplies and dogs along the trails. Collectively the pilots bring over 700 years of flying experience to the trail. While working above the trail, the IAF moves approximately 200 trail volunteers – judges, the marshal, veterinarians, dog handlers, communications, logistics, photographers, cooks and insider personnel. They haul and distribute 3,200-drop bags, almost 400 bales of straw and 1,100 boxes of heet, They also transport dropped and scratched dogs from checkpoints to transportation hubs.

The weather between Anchorage and Rainy Pass remained “socked in” for the entire day so I remain in Anchorage. Hopefully I’ll move back out on the trail tomorrow. Be sure to read the colorful reports posted by Joe Runyan and Sebastian Schnuelle as they interview mushers at checkpoints along the trail.