A good article on some of the native flight programs in bush Alaska.

Some of the best sticks I've ever flown with are the Native kids from the Arctic or the Y-K Delta. I think because of the thousands of hours they spend as passengers while little, and their knowledge of the terrain and wx conditions.

Now, the social issues... Some have problems, but those who figure it all out. Great guys and gals to work with.

http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business ... -Aviators/

Gump

Great article. The opportunities are limitless for those members of the Alaska Native population who make good use of those that are offered. Nice to see some quality young pilots getting cranked out too.

Those folks have been at the Anchorage trade show in the past. I sold my old BC-12D to an instructor of theirs who claimed to be the only Alaska Native CFII. He credited Ted Stevens with funding the creation of the school. Nice article.

Really nice article.

I got a kick out of the comment about knowing your passengers. When I was doing SE charter, the first time I flew a passenger who knew me was my next door neighbor--and he was really surprised that I was to be his pilot. He knew that I flew, just not that I flew commercially. I was just as surprised, because until I arrived at the airport, I didn't know who my passengers were to be, only that I was taking 3 University of Wyoming people to Cody.

That flight was memorable for several other reasons:

• It was a rare flight where UW chartered rather than using one of its own airplanes.
  It was the first time I did a charter in the company Archer, although I'd flown it privately a few times.
  It was the first time I had flown to Cody.
  At Cody, after starting the engine to return, I realized that I'd forgotten to pull the chock from the nose wheel, so I had to shut down, ask the lady in the right seat to get out, so that I could pull the chock--embarrassing.
  Midway back, we flew through a light snow and the pitot froze--and that's when I discovered that the airplane was not equipped with pitot heat.
  It was the first time I landed any airplane with a non-working airspeed indicator, although I'd landed with it covered in training.
  And this capped it: After we landed, the lady I'd had to ask to get out so I could pull the chock had enjoyed the flight so much that she asked about taking flight lessons to learn to fly!

But back to the article: I think it's great when local people can be absorbed into the employ of local companies, and it certainly levels the playing field for folks who might be otherwise disadvantaged by both their ethnicity and their location. Kudos to Era and Yute for hiring these kids, but special kudos to schools such as Yuut Yaqungviat and Village for having the flight programs tailored to the Alaska bush which prepare these kids to fly in their home areas.

Cary

Gump u must be talking about Stinky and the Fosters from Nome. the Bakers and Esmilkeas from Kotz and Galena, Magnasons from McGrath. Bunch of others which escape me now.....

DonC wrote:Gump u must be talking about Stinky and the Fosters from Nome. the Bakers and Esmilkeas from Kotz and Galena, Magnasons from McGrath. Bunch of others which escape me now.....

And the Staheli girls from Kiana, and a shitload of Bethel and Aniak kids.

The list is long and distinguished, just like my..................

Gump