Alaskan bush pilots are amazing. Valdez has an annual fly-in airshow every May. I had the pleasure of attending the airshow in 2008. Usually, I am out fishing.
Here are a couple of videos I found so you can watch too!
STOL, Fly-in and Airshow, Valdez Alaska 2008
This first one is professionally done but the footage is awesome. You get to see what Valdez looks like from the air. Valdez is just a small town nestled against the mountains. You also get to see parts of Prince William Sound. What a beautiful place to live!
This second video is a little bit rougher. It highlights the Short Take Off and Landing Competition. Some of these guys could literally land and take off in your yard!
Valdez airshow Bush class STOL competition 2008 Alaska
Bush pilots do play an important role in Alaska. Most parts of Alaska are unreachable by road. This leaves planes, or if by the coast, boats to reach your destination. I have also had to rely on bush pilots to reach remote areas a couple of times over the years. It can be a little eerie when the pilot tells you that part of your groceries have to stay behind to make sure he is light enough to take off.
I recently read a stat that says 1 in 62 Alaskans has a pilot’s license. I hope to add myself to that list over the next few years. Alaska has a lot of small planes!
If you fly into Anchorage International Airport, look across the highway as you are leaving the airport. There you will see Lake Hood Seaport. This is the busiest small plane seaport in the world. Right next to downtown you will find Merrill Field. This is also one of the busiest small plane airports in the world.
One of the most fascinating things I ever saw a bush pilot do was when I was crewing on a fish tender in Prince William Sound years ago. Our skipper missed getting his daily paper. He also knew several of the local pilots. One day he bet one they couldn’t drop a paper on our deck. Our deck was less than 30 feet wide. When he approached we stood ready with boathooks to fish the paper out of the water. We watched him approach low and slow. As he got close, the side door opened and a paper came flying out. That paper landed right in the middle of our deck!
If you’re planning on being in Alaska in May you might want to come to Valdez for the Annual Fly-In. Usually happens on weekend around 12th. You’ll have a great time and get to meet lots of great people. You may even run into me if I’m not out fishing.
Tags: Alaska, Alaskan bush pilots, bush pilots, fly-in, Valdez, Valdez air show, Valdez fly-in
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