Soldiers are taught to expect the unexpected, mass strategically while spreading out tactically, continue the mission as people go down, communicate, patrol vigorously, and cooperate among other things. Wars are confusing as are natural disasters. Aviation has greatly contributed to command, control, medevac, and logistics in both. As we have poor testing intelligence with our present pandemic, we should prepare ourselves and our aircraft resources to meet potential medical and supply chain challenges. Knowledge of the enemy location is intelligence. Knowing where the enemy is not located also is intelligence. If we cooperate we can meet whatever challenges come. Aviation in Alaska and Canada have been doing so for a century.

Hopefully civilian help will not be necessary. Civil Air Patrol got started in WWII patrolling for German U-boats off our east coast where many tankers were sunk. Big Inch and Little Inch, later bought by Texas Eastern Patrolium Products Pipeline and even later flown by me were emergency government war projects to mitigate the unacceptable tanker losses. "May you live in interesting times," an old Chinese curse.

Thanks for the post Jim. Yes we do live in interesting times. I feel blessed to have flown in Alaska since the A-10 days at Eielson AFB in the mid eighties. Now have been back for 10 years and have had my 172C for 5 years. I’m a newbie in GA terms but am always studying and learning. Your book has changed the way I fly and greatly increased my safe operating in this challenging environment. Thanks for making it available.

Good to hear. I met an A-10 at Ft. Erwin, California. On a medevac run for Gallant Eagle 1982, I met him head on while going over a hill at 25 feet AGL in a Huey. He was at fifty feet in the bottom of a run. We were actual medevac and had surface to fifty feet. We hauled 56 the morning of the drop and five fatalities.

My uncle, Carl Logan, did two tours at Eielson AFB, retired and stayed at Fairbanks. He gave up his chance to make the new super sergeant to do back to back tours.

Not an A-10, but the 172 does a good job.