I spent a good part of Saturday night watching Barrington make his way from Asahikawa, Japan (RJEC) across the Pacific to Shemya, Alaska (PASY) on our Virtual Earth-based Flight Tracker.

As Barrington explains on his blog:

"I finally made it safely to Shemya, Alaska after crossing the North Pacific. What an experience it was, with shifting winds, different layers and types of clouds, and the possibility of icing on the wings. It was critical to avoid the visible precipitation that can cause icing, which forms rapidly at near-freezing temperatures and high aircraft speed. There is no real way to describe the experience of that flight; I'm simply grateful to be on U.S. soil again."

The reported weather at Eareckson Air Force Base was:

SPECI PASY 100722Z 19008KT 10SM OVC030 06/03 A2993 RMK.

Not too shabby. I kept refreshing the weather report with an eye on the ceiling since the Aleutians are known for nasty weather. At one point, I saw Barrington climb to about 20,000 feet.

During the crossing, Barrington was in touch with his team at Universal Weather, friends, and family via satellite phone. His videographer Juan Rivera (who's already in Seattle) told me that Barrington was also in radio contact with airline pilots making the crossing at higher altitudes. Times have certainly changed since the first around-the-world flights!

In case you missed it, below are some screenshots from the Flight Tracker. Note that the aircraft symbol does not reflect the aircraft's heading.

 
Almost there....

 
Land ho!

 
Descending toward the Aleutians.

 
Approaching Agattu Island.

Maneuvering for the approach.

 
On final for runway 28.

 
Safely on the ground!

 
The "Arrival" report.

Next up: weather permitting, Barrington plans to depart Shemya on Wednesday and fly to Cold Bay, then Anchorage. From there it's on to Juneau, Seattle, Denver, Houston, Mobile, and back finally home to Miami for the big gala!