The small Alaskan village of Takotna
The tiny town of Takotna, with a population of 46 to 61 people, is getting a $18.7-million airstrip funded by the federal government to replace this short, dangerous runway atop a bluff near town. Several planes have crashed trying to land there in recent years. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
Dick Newton of Takotna has led the fight for a safer airstrip for more than a decade.
The proposed landing strip has been dubbed the latest airport to nowhere, although residents who have had to wait hours or even days for medical evacuations or supplies disagree. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
Small aircraft like this four-seater Piper fly in from the town of McGrath, 18 miles away, because no road connects the two communities. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
Takotna, 300 miles west of Fairbanks, is deep in the Alaska interior. It has a dozen or so houses, a shop, a tiny post office and a school.
In an era of dwindling public revenues, even Alaskans increasingly wonder how much they can afford to support those who choose to live miles from civilization. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
Terry Huffman is the village administrator of Takotna.
If theres a medical emergency, you basically just have to wait for daylight, Huffman said. The state has refused to put lights on [the old] runway. They say its just too dangerous. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
The existing dirt strip is bordered by tall trees and steep drops on a wind-swept hilltop, and it turns into an icy slide in the winter. (Kim Murphy / Los Angeles Times)
