I just finished reading "Flying the Alaska Wild" by Mort Mason. I would be interested to know if anyone else flying in Alaska has read Mason's book. His flying stories seem a little over the top to me, but I have never flown in Alaska. I mean this guy talks about flying blind through narrow mountain passes in a blizzards at night with the airframe completely encased in ice and makes it sound like that's what all "real" Alaska pilots must be able to do. Is flying in the Alaska backcountry really always a life and death situation and is it always -40 degress and snowing with zero visibility?

Joe in MT.

After scaring myself several times over the years, if conditions get bad my plane stays on the ground.

Anyone flying blind, at night, in ice, in canyons ain't too smart and ain't gonna live long.

Flying Alaska isn't any different than flying anywhere else, it is just far less forgiving when things go wrong. A few minutes in the air can put you far enough away from help that it could take a week to walk out.

Shane Horton

I think we talked about this at one point, and many of us came to the consensus that Mason's book was pretty exaggerated and glamorized. It's a fun read for sure though. We already have a good book thread around here somewhere that lists off a bunch more, possibly more "accurate" collections of anecdotes.

mtbowhunter wrote:I just finished reading "Flying the Alaska Wild" by Mort Mason. I would be interested to know if anyone else flying in Alaska has read Mason's book. His flying stories seem a little over the top to me, but I have never flown in Alaska. I mean this guy talks about flying blind through narrow mountain passes in a blizzards at night with the airframe completely encased in ice and makes it sound like that's what all "real" Alaska pilots must be able to do. Is flying in the Alaska backcountry really always a life and death situation and is it always -40 degress and snowing with zero visibility?

Joe in MT.

Late reply, but I just joined the forum and found this.

A good friend of mine knows Mort Mason pretty well. I won't say exactly what he said of him, but it wasn't complimentary. Take what he says in the book with a grain of salt.

I spend the summers in AK and the weather is much like Seattle during the summer. AK is a beautiful place that has a special draw for folks who like to fly, especially in the mountains. If you plan to fly up there, get "The Logbook" from the Alaska Airmens Association. It's a terrific reference for flying to/from and within AK.

Joe,

I flew commercially for nearly 30 years in Alaska. The "feats of derring-do" recounted in that book are a great way to get killed anywhere, including Alaska.

There have been, and will continue to be, pilots in Alaska who push too hard, and wind up paying the ultimate price. A very few of those folks get to retirement age, and many wise up before they're killed.

Alaska is a demanding place to fly, no doubt. Infrastructure and navaids are few and far between. Weather conditions can be demanding, and opportunities to screw up are everywhere.

That said, there are a LOT of really good, cautious pilots in Alaska who never bent an airplane, never hurt a soul after many years of successful Alaska flying.

Consider Don Sheldon vs Cliff Hudson, for example... Sheldon was undoubtedly a very skilled aviator. His judgement, on the other hand, might have been lacking just a bit at times. He wrecked a lot of airplanes in his time, but never hurt anyone, fortunately. He died of cancer in his 40s. Cliff Hudson, on the other hand, got no notoriety, yet he flew as much as Sheldon did, in precisely the same environment, and never bent an airplane doing it.

All the news and books talk about Sheldon.

Please don't take this to suggest that I think Sheldon was a nut case, or a bad pilot. My point was that he and his adventures were "news-worthy" and got all the attention.

There are a LOT of really good, conciencious pilots out there, working airplanes every day in Alaska, doing so safely, and quietly.

Books that portray Alaska flying as just one death defying thrill ride after another don't do Alaska flying any service, and frankly, reflect poorly on us all.

MTV

Welcome, Manny
I wondered when you would show up here. I recognized you from CPA.

I've flown to Alaska twice. Dam near killed myself both times. My favorite daughter is stationed at Elmendorf AFB. Can't wait to go back.
Dave

mtv wrote:Joe,

I flew commercially for nearly 30 years in Alaska. The "feats of derring-do" recounted in that book are a great way to get killed anywhere, including Alaska.

There have been, and will continue to be, pilots in Alaska who push too hard, and wind up paying the ultimate price. A very few of those folks get to retirement age, and many wise up before they're killed.

There are a LOT of really good, conciencious pilots out there, working airplanes every day in Alaska, doing so safely, and quietly.

Books that portray Alaska flying as just one death defying thrill ride after
another don't do Alaska flying any service, and frankly, reflect poorly on us all.

MTV

More dangerous than flying elsewhere??? Not really, I don't think. Just a huge learning curve for new guys up there, and very different flying conditions for each part of the state. If I had used the techniques and minimums I lived by up in Kotzebue down in Sitka, I'd have been dead before the end of my first day's flying down there. One area not harder than the other per se, but certainly a different set of rules to fly by.

The book that I used as my flying bible and "how-to-do" guide up there was Bud Helmericks' "The Last of the Bush Pilots." In fact, it was reading that book as a kid that fired up my desire to fly the far North. I still re-read it every few years, and it's as enjoyable now as it was the first time. As an added bonus, I came to know many of the characters from the book, and their families, which made my experiences all the richer.

Gump

I read this book at moose camp this year, and thought it was a load of b.s.. If he was really that lucky, I want to hire him to buy me a few lottery tickets.

Gump,

Bud Helmericks is an old friend. I have a copy of his book that's signed, with a totally undeserved compliment from the guy...

He is one who's been there and done that, and his son is still at it, day in and day out. Tough crowd there.

You are spot on with your comments regarding different parts of AK. I flew out of CDB for three years. Serious learning curve, but as long as you don't mind wind and low ceilings, a great place to learn. Then Kodiak. Whole different scenario. Don't cross a bay till you can see across the bay--crap vis, low clg, AND wind, but also some just drop dead gorgeous days and the best scenery in the world.

Then Fairbanks. Got there, and wouldn't fly in s%% weather. My customers said "Hey, you flew in Kodiak for 8 years, I thought the weather there was REALLY tough". My response was precisely as you've outlined it: "It's just different, not harder, not easier, but different"

MTV

mtv wrote:Gump,
Bud Helmericks is an old friend. I have a copy of his book that's signed, with a totally undeserved compliment from the guy...
He is one who's been there and done that, and his son is still at it, day in and day out. Tough crowd there.
MTV

I had been up there only a very short time when I made the trip across from Barrow to introduce myself to Bud and Martha, and tell them "Thank You" for being the inspiration for my being in Alaska. I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect for that family. My signed copy of his book sits with my other few treasures on the mantle, and the handshake and being called friend is something I'm very proud of even though thirty years have passed since that day.

Gump

mtbowhunter wrote: Is flying in the Alaska backcountry really always a life and death situation and is it always -40 degress and snowing with zero visibility?

Not always, but somedays it's like that, and like it or not, you find yourself flying in that shit. A very important survival skill to develop while flying in the Arctic is learning how to function while absolutely terrified.

And... Flying conditions that would have me ready to pee my pants and cry for Mommy my first season up there, wouldn't even register as something to think about my twentieth. Whole lot of stuff to learn and experiences to have under the belt, prior to becoming a journeyman Part 135 pilot or skilled Part 91 driver up there. Doesn't happen overnight, and a good chief or lead pilot will keep close reign on a new guy until the basics have been mastered.

Gump

Superdave wrote:Welcome, Manny
I wondered when you would show up here. I recognized you from CPA.

I've flown to Alaska twice. Dam near killed myself both times. My favorite daughter is stationed at Elmendorf AFB. Can't wait to go back.
Dave

Am I that obvious? I've lurked as a non-member for awhile and finally joined.

Don't be killing yourself. It's supposed to be an enjoyable and scenic trip, provided one has time to accomodate the enroute weather. The key is to have time, so you don't have to push it.

mtbowhunter wrote:I just finished reading "Flying the Alaska Wild" by Mort Mason. I would be interested to know if anyone else flying in Alaska has read Mason's book. His flying stories seem a little over the top to me, but I have never flown in Alaska. I mean this guy talks about flying blind through narrow mountain passes in a blizzards at night with the airframe completely encased in ice and makes it sound like that's what all "real" Alaska pilots must be able to do. Is flying in the Alaska backcountry really always a life and death situation and is it always -40 degress and snowing with zero visibility?

Joe in MT.

That book is something else. The answer is no. But winter flying does have its challenges, not insurmountable even by a newby.

once&futr_alaskaflyer wrote:But winter flying does have its challenges, not insurmountable even by a newby.

I don't want to sound anything like Mason's book.

Winter flying in Alaska, in my opinion, is the best time of year to fly up there. I loved living in the Arctic in Winter, and I loved flying the Arctic in the Winter. Of course Southeast is a whole different world, and a whole different story. I would not want to to count on an airplane to make my living every day down that part of the state. I'll take blowing snow over blowing rain any day of the week if I have to fly in the stuff.

Best weather, best scenery, best light, with Alpenglows that just make your heart skip beats it's so beautiful, and Northern Lights to fly home with every evening. The ice pack is in so you can venture out looking for polar bears and seals, and all the other wildlife is out to enjoy.

And most of all, the performance you get out of your airplane at sea level at 25 below is amazing. Thick air to create lift like you'll never see anywhere down here in the mountains, and horsepower by the fistful.

It does take extra work though. From dressing for a week's waiting to get rescued, to the extra hour it takes each night to plug in heaters and cover everything, Winter makes you slow down and really think about what you're doing. But the rewards are certainly worth it.

Gump

Don't be killing yourself

I should have put the wink emoticon on my post. We had a wonderful time. Sat out the weather in Dease Lake one day and had lunch with the Hoverbug and Joanne. Flew around Mckinley with my daughter and her boy friend with about 500 mi vis. Against everybody's advise we flew the inside passage from Kechican to Bellingham missing Canada altogether. Glacier Bay is neat-o. Good trip.

Apparently, the reason insurance here is double the rate outside (read: in the lower 48 ) is not the inherent danger, but the fact that when problems occur, they don't occur on some nice airport or highway median, but way the heck off in the middle of nowhere, greatly increasing the retrieval costs. For instance, Jay Hudson (son of Cliff, mentioned above), is one of the in-state specialists for slinging planes to be pulled out of crevasses by helicopters. Then there's my former mechanic, who was regularly flying broken birds out of the bush with the tail attached by 2x6's and carriage bolts, or kissing off planes below the high-tide line on beaches socked in by IMC. Not your typical suburban recovery scenarios. So you prepare accordingly, and hopefully err on the side of caution, always.

The tradeoff? Well besides the obvious, all that class G airspace (stands for great, gorgeous, go anywhere...)

Thanks for saving me the purchase price of a lousy-sounding book