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Kotzebue
AFS
1952
to 1984* |
| Name of Ski
Area: |
Kotzebue
AFS (Air Force Station) |
| Location: |
Northwestern Alaska, 3 miles south of the village of Kotzebue,
28 miles north of the Arctic Circle, on the coast of Kotzebue
Sound and the Chukchi Sea. |
| Type of Area: |
Gradual hills for downhill runs and open tundra for cross
country skiing (all skiing done on military issue skis). |
| Dates of
Operation: |
1952-1984
(*in 1984 the minimally attended radar was installed) |
| Who Built It?: |
The
United States Air Force built this Long Range Radar Station. |
| Elevations: |
Sea level to about ~130'
|
| Lifts: |
None. There was no tram built at this Long Range Radar
Station. |
| Facilities: |
A
full-service remote Long Range Radar Station camp with airfield that would
support over 100 servicemen. |
|
History: |
Kotzebue AFS was one
of the ten original aircraft control and warning sites of the
Alaskan air defense system.
Minimally Attended Radar (MAR) became operational in 1984 and
from then on only a handful of contractors were needed to
maintain this radar site.
As with other ACC Radar
Stations around Alaska, Kotzebue AFS had ski equipment on hand
for the servicemen to use. This site probably can not be
considered a true lost skiing site like some of the other Radar
Stations because the Village of Kotzebue is nearby. And no
doubt over the years a few residents of this village have skied
to this site.
|
| Sources of
Information: |
Tim Peters; The
Online Air-Defense Radar Museum - www.radomes.org/museum/ |
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~
PHOTOS ~ (All
Courtesy of The Online Air-Defense Radar Museum, www.radomes.org/museum/
Go to this great web site for many more pictures and stories of
Kotzebue AFS) (click
on any image to expand it) |
 |
 |
 |
| A 1969 shot shows
some of the radar station and the White Alice communications
site in the distance. |
The
Kotzebue AFS patch. |
Mid 1970's aerial
view of Kotzebue AFS. The white expanse in the distance is
the frozen Kotzebue Sound. |
 |
 |
 |
| An excerpt from
the 1962 "Guide to AAC Remote Stations" about the Kotzebue AFS. |
A recent shot
(1998) of the Minimally Attended Radar facility at the site of
the former Kotzebue AFS radar station. |
2003 picture of
the Air Force Long Range Radar Facility in Kotzebue. |
|
|
~
MAPS ~ |
|
This large scale map shows where the Kotzebue AFS was located in
northwestern Alaska. (click
on this map to expand it) |
 |
|
A
zoomed in view of a topo map shows the location the Kotzebue AFS site -
on a small bluff a few miles south of the Village of Kotzebue.
(click
on this map to expand it) |
 |
| Research
Correspondence |
|
[Tim
Peters - 18 November 2005 email]
Hello,
I came across your web site mysteries. I was stationed at Kotzebue AFS
April 1971 - Apr 1972. There were skis and poles available for use
at the site but there was no designated ski area. We occasionally
tried skiing, but the frigid temps, lack of daylight, and usually
frozen surface did not make the experience enjoyable. I enjoyed
your website. Thanks, Tim Peters |
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Do
you have further information, stories or pictures that you would like to
contribute about this
ski area? |
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