In 1925, the small town of Nome, Alaska experienced an outbreak of diphtheria. During the harshness of the Alaskan winter, Nome was mostly cut off from the rest of civilization. The town’s only doctor sent a telegram to other towns in Alaska and to the US Public Health Service in Washington, DC requesting urgent delivery of enough units of the diphtheria antitoxin to treat 10,000 people. Officials quickly determined that the only way to quickly deliver the desperately-needed medication to Nome was by teams of sled dogs; 20 mushers and approximately 150 dogs covered a distance of over 1,000 km in relay stages, often in very challenging weather conditions. The story of the dogs who saved the town became popular in the media of the time and captured the imagination of the American people. Statues were erected across Alaska and as far away as Central Park in New York to memorialize the brave mushers and their dogs. The publicity generated by this event also spurred a significant increase in the inoculation rate against diphtheria across the United States, dramatically reducing the spread of the disease.
The annual Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race commemorates this event. On March 27, we will be re-creating the journey in MSFS, flying from Anchorage (PANC) to Nome (PAOM) with several touch-and-go landings en route.
(Image from Race Map – Iditarod)
This event is open to MSFS pilots of all skill levels and experience. I will be leading the group formation and providing live commentary about the history, culture, and geography of Alaska on my Twitch channel, https://twitch.tv/SeedyL starting at 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Saturday, March 27 (0000Z on March 28). We should see some very beautiful northern scenery as we fly across Alaska. For those wishing to fly along, you can download the .pln file below: