Backcountry Pilot

A while back I started following Ultima Thule Lodge on Facebook after I noticed some incredible photos of some brightly colored eye-catching Super Cubs they'd shared, which happened to be taken by one of the pilots on their staff, a fellow by the name of Arturo Polo-Ena. I dug a little deeper and found his website, Chasing Alaska, which instantly blew my mind. This guy was taking all the photographs we wanted to see, and he was good! Brilliant framing, incredible color saturation, and artistic use of the man-made against the abstract backdrop of nature... all put his work into a realm beyond most aviation photographers.

I reached out to Arturo, and in addition to making him our latest featured photographer, I invited him to do a short interview for BackcountryPilot.org in an effort to learn more about the man behind the lens.

Six Questions

BPWhere are you from originally, and how did you end up in Alaska?

AP-EI come from Spain where I live at a small aerodrome called Torremocha de Jiloca in Teruel. It's quite an unpopulated area but very beautiful. Located at an elevation of 3,500 feet in a valley between mountains, you can find red soil and rocks (similar to Colorado), canyons, old castles, etc. There I started a flying school 15 years ago, and nowadays I keep teaching, but only taildragger endorsements and bush flying training courses during the months of October to March.

I always wanted to visit Alaska and see how the real bush flying was there, so when I met Loni Habertsezer in Germany five years ago in a theorical bush training course, I decided to accept his invitation to help him with his training courses and the following summer I was spending 2 months in Wrangell St Elias National Park. This has now evolved into owning my own photography company, Chasing Alaska, and offering photography services for the guests of Ultima Thule Lodge.

Chitina River, Wrangell St Elias National Park, Alaska

BPHow did you begin flying? Were you always interesting in backcountry/bush flying? Or was that something that was new to you when you arrived in Alaska?

AP-EI started flying hang gliders at the age of 16, but I had became familiar with aviation at a very young age, as my grandfather was a pilot during the civil war in Spain (1936-1939) and he never stopped flying. He is in his nineties, so lately he flies only flight simulator.

When I was 22 years old, I started flying ultralights (LSA category) and soon became a flight instructor and opened a flying school. I had always flown small airplanes and very quickly I was interested in mountain flying and the backcountry. In Spain this kind of flight is quite uncommon; the first set of Alaskan Bushwheels were on my Savage plane and people used to looked at me quite strangely.

When I first went to Alaska I did a few training courses with different instructors, like Don Lee and Vern Kingsford, but I learned the most by flying my own airplane with Loni, Paul and all the pilots working at Ultima Thule Lodge.

BPHow do you feel about being out there in the real backcountry, with no people around?

AP-EIn Spain if you have a problem you can always call someone, and in a short while a friend can arrive with an all terrain car, but in Alaska this is quite different. The feeling of being miles away from the civilization or from the nearest help, the wild animals around... makes this type of flight very special, makes me feel close to nature, back in time.

Bagley Icefield, Wrangell St Elias National Park, Alaska

BPWhat is it like working with the legendary Paul Claus? Was he difficult to impress for your job interview?

AP-EFlying with Paul is always a good moment to learn new things. He never takes you on maximum-limit situations, because landing in a difficult spot is always going to be your own decision. If you don't feel like landing in the same spot safely, just choose a different one. This is the way to progress, and step by step, you are landing in more complicated spots without compromising safety.

BPWere there any moments in your first season that were close calls or learning experiences?

AP-EEvery year there are new things to learn; it's the best of flying, always learning. This has been my forth season in Alaska and I have been flying many more hours than the previous ones, and landing in places that I couldn't have imagined first year.

On final to land Ultima Thule Lodge, Wrangell St Elias National Park

BPYour photography is stunning. What are you looking for when you shoot? What makes you pull out the camera when you're out flying? Which have you been doing longer: Flying or shooting photos?

AP-EPhotography has always fascinated me. I studied photography for 3 years in Madrid and for 13 years I had a studio where I worked on different photography areas. After that, I decided to combine it with my other passion, flying, and I focused on aerial photography and the flying school for a long time. So, from the very beginning, I have always been flying with my camera by my side. To me, flying and photography is one thing. I really enjoy looking for the abstraction in the landscape and to play with the composition, always looking through the lens looking for an artistic point of view.

BPDo you ever think: "This shot is different or innovative"? Or do you just fire away and sort it out later?

AP-EYes, in the moment I'm shooting I already know if the image is good or special; I dont like to manipulate them afterwards, only small adjustments to transmit what I see and feel when I´m flying.

Near Yakataga airport, Alaska

BPWhat's your favorite piece of kit/gear? What's your go-to lens/filter configuration?

AP-EI work with Canon. I have two 5D Mark III, and a 7D with different lenses, but what I like the most is the 24-70mm f/2.8

BPAre your chasingalaska.com photos for sale? What if I wanted a poster of one of your shots for my hangar?

AP-EAbsolutely! All images on the website are available in different sizes and for different uses. Just send me an email with the chosen picture and I will reply with different options and prices. I'm presently working on the website to create a new gallery to buy the pictures directly from the website, this will be coming soon.

Wrangell St Elias National Park

BPWould you live in Alaska year-round if money as not a consideration?

AP-EI live in Alaska 6 months and the rest of the time in Spain, and if I'm able to pay for the planes I own and make a living combining my two passions, money doesn't matter. I have been flying every day in Alaska, and also since I arrived to Spain, with the training courses, so what else could I ask for? I'm flying to make a living, and when I'm not working I'm able to pay for fuel to keep flying, with my camera by my side of course.

BPThanks for talking with me, Arturo. This was actually 10 questions. :)

AP-EThank you very much, Zane!!!

Copper River Delta, Alaska

Complete gallery