Denali glacier pilots celebrate new Talkeetna weather cam

The Federal Aviation Administration has installed Alaska's 150th weather webcam at the Talkeetna airport, and Talkeetna-based aviators -- gearing up for the 2011 Mount McKinley climbing season -- are celebrating today with a barbecue at the airport. Dave Lee of Sheldon Aviation told Alaska Dispatch the camera will give vital information to the pilots who fly climbers and tourists into the Alaska Range. "This camera is located in a position that shows the whole Alaska Range and (Mount McKinley) -- that will save us from having to take a run up to the mountain to check weather," he said. FAA officials will be attending the event, says Dispatch. Click here for a map with links to all FAA aviation webcams in Alaska.