Backcountry Pilot

[Zzz]

Erin and I don't have cable or satellite TV, but we were lucky enough to be at her folks' house last night when this came on the History Channel. I'm not sure how long the full program is, but I popped in just in time to catch a brief history of bush flying in Alaska. They had some really cool footage of Bob Reeve and Don Sheldon doing mudflat takeoffs and glacier landings. Later in the program they got into the Japanese attacks in the Aleutians, and how the US built some creative runways for staging fighter interceptors. I had a hard time eating, maintaining conversation with the future in-laws, and watching this great show simultaneously.

Next Airing: Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:00 AM

For generations, Alaska has exerted a powerful pull as the place to head for a job like no other; work that promises the adventure of a lifetime, the chance to strike it rich, and the very real prospect of never making it back alive. Plying their trades on America's last frontier, soldiers, Coast Guard crewmen, bush pilots, and truckers all work for the same boss from hell: a dangerous territory full of the most inhospitable weather and extreme terrain on earth. Even today, Alaska boasts four of the country's top 10 most dangerous jobs. We'll feature dramatic stories of four killer jobs from the last 150 years of Alaskan history and experience what it takes to survive and thrive in this intense and harsh climate by riding along with today's workers and hearing from old-timers who forged the way. And we'll weave in the traditions, technology, and tools that can mean the difference between life and death in Alaska's killer jobs.

[retired user offline]

Zane,

Thanks for the heads up !

Mark

[dav3469 offline]

It was a good show. I also caught one the night or two before while on lay-over that had some bush pilot footage in the last 10 minutes or so. It Had some great footage of Paul Claus and the Turbine-Otter his outfit fly's. Ultima Thule Outfitters isn't it?

[Zzz]

Found this on YouTube today...I think this might be the aformentioned program:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaqhTn7xB8E

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[Zzz]

Split to "Alaska vs Lower 48"...afterall this was just a PSA for a tv show....