Which half of the runway is closed???

Nome was “Half Ready” for us.

Jim and Chris took the leg from Petro to Nome- this day being by far the longest travel times of the entire trip. I was reading my book and noticed that the crew was getting quite busy- looking again and again at the approach plate which is displayed on the center screen of the panel. I went up to find out what was what and was told two interesting things:

1. That the runway was “half closed.” Not half lengthwise, but half widthwise! They were looking at the charts and trying to make sure that we would be able to make a safe arrival on the open half. We need to figure that out BEFORE we begin the descent to Fairbanks, as our alternate airport was a good distance away and we would want to shepherd our fuel reserves carefully. The best way to do that is to make your mind up while you are still at cruise altitude.
2. The second part of the challenge was that the last half of the runway was only going to be open for 30 minutes after we landed. The question then was; can we get fueled and through Customs in that time or would they allow us perhaps to clear Customs at the next stop in Anchorage?? Tower folks said that we would stay “sterile” and clear Customs in Anchorage, but as we rolled out on final- I could see the guy in the blue uniform with the gold badge over by the “fbo.” It was going to be a challenge we thought. I had thought as far back as Seoul, when we were once again dealt with by very courteous Customs people that my most unpleasant experience at the border would be- as it usually is- upon re-entry to the United States. I can still vividly recall an entry in 1981 coming back from Australia. One of the singularly most unpleasant experiences of my life was putting up with the jerk behind the badge in Honolulu that treated us as convicted killers when Kim and I came back from Australia. WELL, I worried about nothing, as we were met by a most delightful gentleman in Nome, the sole member of U.S. Customs in the city- meeting us at midnight his time no less, with a cheerful and professional manner that – when combined by a great quick turn performance by the native Alaskan lineman with the credit card machine in the truck cab-had us back on our way 26 minutes after touchdown! Thanks, Officer Bob! You and the line guy have proved to me that Nome needs another and better visit some day. Bob