Alaska's Bush Pilots

Alaska's Bush Pilots
Author: Rob Stapleton with the Alaska Aviation Museum
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2014
Genre: History
ISBN: 1467131830

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A thrilling ride alongside the daredevil aviators who first braved the unknown of Alaska's wilderness. Bush pilots are known as rough, tough, resourceful people who fly their aircraft into tight spots in the worst of weather. Alaska's bush pilots are all of that and more. Acting as pioneers in a land with 43,000 miles of coastline and North America's largest mountains, Alaska's bush pilots were and are visionaries of a lifestyle of freedom. Flying came late to Alaska but caught on quickly. The first flight was made over a three-day exhibition at Fairbanks, July 3-5, 1913. James Martin first flew that aircraft, owned by him and his wife, Lilly, and investors Arthur Williams and R.S. McDonald. Ever since, Alaskan bush pilots have found that they were calculators of their own fate, flying in fragile aircraft over vast stretches of tundra or through towering mountain passes. This book examines the pioneer aviators and the aircraft types such as the Stearman, Stinson, and Lockheed, many of which were tested and crashed in the far north regions of Alaska.

Bush Pilots of Alaska

Bush Pilots of Alaska
Author: Kim Heacox
Publisher: Graphic Arts Books
Total Pages: 144
Release: 1989
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 9781558680128

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Take a deep breath, buckle your seat belt, and turn the pages of "Bush Pilots of Alaska". Each page is a vicarious thrill, each photo a window into the way Alaskans get around to live, work, and play.

Flying the Alaska Wild

Flying the Alaska Wild
Author: Mort D. Mason
Publisher: Voyageur Press (MN)
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2002
Genre: Alaska
ISBN: 9780896585898

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Imagine flying through wildly unpredictable weather conditions and over the unforgiving terrain of the Big Empty, with only yourself to rely on in life and death situations. This type of true grit adventure was a common occurrence for Alaska bush pilot Mort Mason, who encountered numerous white-knuckle situations while honing his skill--and his luck--in a profession that only a handful of pilots have had the stamina to endure. Flying the Alaska Wild is a heart-pounding, edge-of-the-chair collection of fascinating stories about the rough-and-tumble life of an Alaska bush pilot--straight from the pilot’s seat. Recounting thirty years of adventures, skilled storyteller Mason presents tales of his own experiences, and also tells the legendary stories of other old-time bush pilots.

Bush Pilot Way

Bush Pilot Way
Author: Bill Quirk
Publisher: Publication Consultants
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2014-01-04
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1594333823

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Color-illustrated, Bush Pilot Way, focuses on flying small taildragger aircraft and landing them in remote and challenging terrain in wild Alaska. It presents the author's explanation of his aviation journey in Alaska. The journey displays the inspiration of flying in Alaska, defining who are Alaska's modern-day bush pilots, and showing the training necessary to become the best pilot you can be. It also presents the causes for the elevated aircraft accident rate in Alaska and how to avoid such incidences. Bush Pilot Way serves as a primer for training the Alaska bush pilot way. Once a pilot learns how to train according to the book, additional or new training can be carried out, without difficulty, because the pilot has already learned the foundation for training. Bush Pilot Way is a classical training manual because it is written in a contemporary style that is always current. As time goes forward, the strategy for training will remain the same. Fifty-two distinctive narratives comprising the appendix, show general aviation topics and authenticated experiences of a skilled pilot flying Alaska's uninhabited backcountry. The narratives include the inspiration of flying Alaska's coastal mountains, glaciers, and fjords; flying and landing in Alaska's backcountry in winter on skis and in summer on Bushwheels; flying wildlife surveys and observing rare wildlife encounters.

The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles

The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles
Author: Mort Mason
Publisher: Voyageur Press
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2010-11-10
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1616731419

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Readers of Flying the Alaska Wild marveled at Mort Mason’s true tales of braving the elements at the extremes in a Piper Super Cub. But the bush pilot, adventurer, and raconteur was just beginning, and in this book he revisits his most memorable moments of flying by the seat of his pants through blizzards and white-outs, on assignments at times hazardous and sometimes simply whacky, always with a sense of humor and due respect for the limitless wilds of Alaska beneath his wings. The world of a bush pilot really is the final frontier, and for thirty years Mort Mason was there, clocking enough heart-stopping miles to make most life-stories utterly incredible. In The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles Mason recounts more of his unlikely adventures in the face of Alaska’s unforgiving weather and terrain. His stories gives readers the rare chance to experience the disappearing thrills and challenges of meeting the American frontier on its own unyielding terms.

Arctic Bush Pilot

Arctic Bush Pilot
Author: James Anderson
Publisher: Epicenter Press
Total Pages: 260
Release: 2000
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780945397830

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Backed by Wien Airlines, former Navy combat pilot "Andy" Anderson pioneered post-World War II bush service to Alaska's vast Koyokuk River region serving miners, Natives, sportsmen, geologists, adventurers, and assorted bush rats. He flew mining equipment, gold, live wolves and sled dogs, you name it -- anything needed for life in the bush. He sweated out dozens of dangerous medical-emergency flights, "always at night and in terrible storms." Illustrated with 50 historical photos and co-authored by one of Alaska's most popular writers, ARCTIC BUSH PILOT is an exciting and sometimes nostalgic account of a pioneer pilot and his special place in Alaska aviation history.

Cowboys of the Sky

Cowboys of the Sky
Author: Steve Levi
Publisher: Publication Consultants
Total Pages: 136
Release: 2008-04-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 159433286X

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For more than 80 years, bush pilots have carried supplies, delivered mail, and transported emergency personnel over Alaska's rugged terrain. They've flown with felons handcuffed to the seat, with corpses strapped to the wing, and with drugged polar bears sleeping in the cargo compartment. Ever since aviation came to Alaska planes have been far more important than cars or truck to the residents of the far-flung bush communities. In Cowboys of the Sky: The Story of Alaska's Bush Pilots, humorist and historian Steven C. Levi takes you on a wild ride through the heyday of aviation in Alaska, from the golden years, before federal regulations curbed the more dangerous and outlandish flying practices, all the way to the present. Through photographs and anecdotes, you'll meet brave and colorful pilots, the true cowboys of the sky who carved the face of America's Last Frontier.

The Last Bush Pilots

The Last Bush Pilots
Author: Eric Auxier
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2012-11-17
Genre: Bush flying
ISBN: 9781480279889

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TOP 100 FINALIST-AMAZON BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL AWARDS!"You won't want to put down THE LAST BUSH PILOTS while the midnight sun still shines."-Airways MagazineKINDLE EDITION: http://goo.gl/fRv9t--------"MAYDAY, MADAY! I'M GOING DOWN, I'M GOING D-"So begins the literary thrill ride that is "The Last Bush Pilots."Author, airline Captain and popular blogger Eric Auxier brings his former bush flying to life in his second novel, "The Last Bush Pilots."Two young pilots, Daniel "DC" Alva and Allen David Foley, take on the world's most dangerous flying: the Alaska bush. But Mother Nature-and a sexy Native Alaskan-stand in their way.Southeast Alaska Seaplanes, Juneau. Retired airline Captain Dusty Tucker pilots a renegade band of flying misfits. Meet legendary bush pilot Jake "Crash" Whitakker, equally adept at landing planes and ladies-and "crashin' 'em" as well; prankster pilot Ralph Olaphsen, who once set an extinct volcano ablaze on April Fool's Day; and no-nonsense Check Airman Holly Innes, trying to cut a respectable niche in the notoriously macho bush pilot world-while escaping a dangerous past.Amid Alaska's volatile skies, DC and Allen face escalating challenges in and out of the cockpit. As the two "cheechackos," or greenhorns, learn the ropes, they are also roped into Crash and Ralph's hare-brained scheme, "Operation Dirty Harry." Under the suspicious nose of Draconian FAA Inspector Frederick Bruner, the pilots hatch a plot to hijack and rescue a planeload of orphaned bear cubs. Moreover, mischievous Tlingit Indian Tonya Hunter, as wild and unpredictable as the land in which she lives, plays the two lovestruck cheechackos against each other.But the true villain of the story is Mother Nature herself. Alaska's notoriously fickle weather and rugged terrain take on a life of its own. Can the two cheechackos survive Her relentless onslaught and launch their fledgeling airline careers? "Eric Auxier is the next Tom Clancy of Aviation." -Tawni Waters, Author, "Beauty of the Broken," "Siren Song," Grand Prize Recipient - "Best Travel Writers of 2010.""With over 12,000 hours of Alaskan bush flying, reading 'The Last Bush Pilots' was like looking in a mirror. Nice work, Eric." -CloudDancer, Author, "CloudDancer's Alaskan Chronicles" "Eric paints a picture of flying with words that are every bit as beautiful and moving as anything ever drawn or photographed. " -Aviationguy.com"I flew through The Last Bush Pilots in one sitting, keeping my seatbelt securely fastened. A fast-paced tale, thoroughly enjoyed."-John Wegg, Editor Airways Magazine Visit www.lastbushpilots.com to view the 30-second trailer!

Wings of Her Dreams

Wings of Her Dreams
Author: Kitty Banner-Seeman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2018-01-11
Genre: Aeronautics
ISBN: 9781880654514

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Kitty Banner was born into a loving, adventurous, Irish-American family in Chicago, Illinois, joining three older brothers and welcoming a second younger sister. The siblings enjoyed excellent guidance from their parents, who encouraged them to contribute to the work of the family business, to live life fully, to be considerate of others, and to strive for excellence. All generously shared their variety of interests, which ranged from hiking, fishing, climbing, target shooting, sailing and watersports, to snow skiing, horseback riding: and, in the case of her brothers, a passion for flying. Kitty was captivated by aviation and tried sky-diving before taking her first flying lesson from a unique and accomplished aerobatic pilot, a professor of geomorphology, and flight instructor, David Rahm. Once licensed as a pilot, Kitty went on to obtain an Instrument rating, her Commercial License, and her Glider and Flight Instructor Ratings. Inspired at the age of 14 by the motivation exhortations of Wilferd Peterson, author of "The Art of Living", Kitty, in turn, became a motivation and inspiration to all who came into contact with her. Having visited Alaska at age 19, hiking and exploring with a firend, Kitty could scarcely wait to return and, by age 22 with her pilot license in hand, she revisited Alaska, where she excelled. Kitty flew as a bush pilot and as a glacier pilot, mastering a variety of aircraft including heavy load transport with tundra tires on off-airport remote sites; seaplane and float operations, landings and takeoffs on the ice and snow of high altitude glaciers; and flying with exterior loads as well as exterior- mounted cameras for aerial filming and action photography. Kitty's evacuation flights included, among others, a newborn baby and his mother, survivors of two separate aircraft crashes, many mountain climbers from a world-wide number of countries, countless hunters and fisherman, and even sled dogs.

Bush Pilot

Bush Pilot
Author: Arnold Griese
Publisher: Publication Consultants
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1594331359

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Harold Gillam Sr's story is presented with new clarity and balance. Bush Pilot describes a private, introspective man torn between family responsibilities and his unrelenting drive to pursue his goals in aviation. Early Alaska aviation did not rely on the actions of one single pilot but succeeded through the shared strength and will of many. Yet Gillam made significant contributions. The facts and details surrounding Gillam's adventures and some times "edge of the seat" flights keep readers involved from the first page through the controversy overshadowing his final tragic flight. Bush Pilot is an Alaska aviation adventure. Bush Pilot offers thought-provoking insights into Alaska's aviation history, and introduced me to its courageous and colorful pilots and other interesting characters -- many of whom had once been only names in the news during my growing up years here in the Interior. Val Scullion: Alaska grown. Bush Pilot is a well-researched account of an Alaska Pioneer aviator whose natural instincts and high degree of self-confidence help explain his success in off-airport operation and weather and instrument flying. Tom Hetherington: lifelong Alaskan, private pilot, and Alaska aviation history aficionado. In a book appealing to novice and experienced aviation buffs alike, Arnold Griese has brought new light to the life and legend of Harold Gillam. Full of new details about the famed Alaska bush pilot, Bush Pilot serves to demystify the events in Gillam's life while providing an excellent account of the early days in Alaska aviation history. Kenny Williams: a 20,000 hour airline pilot uses his Cessna 172 to reach prime hunting and fishing spots.