With the review of Gold Rush Alaska in the other thread, I CAN'T WAIT to hear the reviews on this show...especially since we have so many on here that either live up in AK or have worked flying up there. For those of you that haven't heard of it, the makers of Ice Road Truckers and I think even Gold Rush are doing this one too. Forgive me if this has been mentioned here before, but I didn't remember seeing it. My DVR is set and anxouisly awaiting to see how it is and what the critics say.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/

Crap, I gota land IN the river!!

Yeah, some of the previews already have me bracing for an over dramatized reality TV as such seems to be the trend, but I'm still looking forward to hopefully seeing some good flying footage.

58 Skylane, Yes you have to land in the river....

I was under the impression that engine manufactures like Cont & Lyc consider that to be a prop strike.

Grass Strip, here is a thread Mongo started about the show viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6528

then another by Once&Futr viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6585&p=84287&hilit=wild#p84287

patrol guy wrote:58 Skylane, Yes you have to land in the river....

Ok, I'm sorry for being sarcastic!!

I parked next to this C180 for years at Kotzebue when Hageland's was still Hageland's. The list of colorful characters who flew her is, as they say in Top Gun, long but distinguished. Suffice to say everyone on that list was squared away and a hell of a pilot. It'll be good to see her having fun.

Gump

yah that 180 was what started Hageland...when it was Hageland and they were based out of Mt. Village...lol

I've flown in that 180 with Jim Tweeto on several occasions

Have'nt seen the previews or the show and most likely will not get the chance until the DVD's come out. Don't know what they will do to "dramatize" the Tweeto's and their life, but i flew with Jim and his crew for several years when i lived in Unalakleet and i can tell you they are superb folks! Jim is one of the very best pilots i have had the pleasure of flying with. Several times we got into some hairy Alaskan weather when he was flying me to take care of a critical patient in one of the other villages i was responcable for, he always made it look easy . And not in a "look at what a shit-hot pilot i am" way, but always ina quiet "let's get it done" way. I'm hopeful that somewhere in all the "reality" they will how important the dedication of people like the Tweeto's are to life in the bush. Jim was a big inspiration in my finally learning to fly.

I have been told about a clip from the show of Ferno (Jim's wife) calling the ice-road truckers "a bunch of pu**ys". If true, i can tell you that that is Ferno, not put on for TV. She is an absolute LIVE-WIRE, and an excellent lady . Top-notch family.

I was in Unalakleet covering the clinic for a couple weeks this summer when they were out filming. I went out to load my plane to head home to White Mountain to find several cameras pointed at the cowling of my plane. My first thought was "shit, the FAA must be here" . Turned out to be time-lapse cameras discovery was using for part of the filming. So, my old-girl might get immortalized though i'll probably be the person that will recognize her.

So far so good. Gawddamn this makes me homesick.

Gump

Yeah a good show finally and followed by the dumb shits in Porcupine creek...They found 20 bucks worth of flakes in this episode and their shaker and generator broke down again...

I thought throwing those guys shit out of the airplane before they landed on that big ol' ridge was a bit much...makes for good drama, though. Nice to see that SE isn't the only place with ratty 135 aircraft.

gb

I figured u would be watching this

GumpAir wrote:So far so good. Gawddamn this makes me homesick.

Gump

Glad to hear it is getting some good reviews. I'm bummed that I'm on the road in Rochester and won't get to see it until I'm home next week.

I'd give it just an "okay". They tried a little too hard to insert drama. Camera work was okay, but not IMO as good as on "Alaska Wing Men". I thought AWM also had better story lines (if you want to call them that).

Would have been a lot better if they'd of included a clip of CU doing his "I can land there . . . " bit!

gbflyer wrote:I thought throwing those guys shit out of the airplane before they landed on that big ol' ridge was a bit much...makes for good drama, though. Nice to see that SE isn't the only place with ratty 135 aircraft.

gb

Yea but what a aim -2 bags land within yards of each other . Overall I'd give the program a pass with 7-8 grade. It's better than game shows or Opera . I liked the 180 with ratty interior and faded paint.The broken rudder bar was a plus .Lots of 207's .

This is turning out to be a fun show.

The white C207 N7384U (used to be barn door brown) was my Sled in Kotzebue from June 1999 to October 2001. Brought her up to Kotz from Bethel. Ugly as sin, but a nice flying airplane.

When I took days off in Oct 2001, my buddy, my replacement pilot, took a load of stuff up to Kobuk, and on the way home smacked the top of a tree with the right wing. Put a hole in it clear back to the spar.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_ ... 006&akey=1

Of course he lied about what happened and got canned for it. We ferried her back to ANC, fixed the wing, and she went back to Bethel. Then, June 2002, one of our Bethel guys was letting his student pilot wife fly into Chevak and they landed short and sheared the gear off the bottom of the airplane.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?ev_ ... 066&akey=1

Someone musta fixed it, because Hageland's bought it, and now she's in Unalakleet smacking birds on TV. This is a well used airplane. When I had her she had 25,000+ hours on the airframe. Who knows how many now.

Gump

I like the women. I was thinking they should "hook up" that cute daughter with one of the "Our Five Son's" sons at Rainy Pass. That way the girl gets more $ and I can watch her more often!

Well, my inlaws sent us a copy of the 1st episode and it was fun to see Jim and his family. Must be paying Jim by the word because thats the most i have ever seen him talk

For a guy who took a bird through the windshield coming off of Shaktoolik and flew back to Unalakleet like it was another day at the office then muttered something when we landed like "that was kind of unfortunate", i found all the drama with the rudder bar humorous. Oh well, looked good for the camera.

And yes, my old girl is a TV star . Sure enough there she was, spliced in-between shots of the red, white and blue 207 N7383J. Why Discovery thought they needed to splice in a shot of a tailwheel converted 172 into a segment on a 207 flying a route from Deadhorse to Kavic i have no idea, but there she was! Autographs will be available

Chris

And there she is!



Chris