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Some Alaskan villages have no over-land roads so they rely heavily on air transportation. The small aircraft that fly people and supplies in and out of Alaska communities and wilderness are commonly known as bush planes. We’ll talk with Native bush pilots about their passion for flying, what it takes to become a pilot, and hear their stories of memorable flights in Alaska’s renowned and sometimes unforgiving landscape.
Guests:
Anna Hoover (Unangax) – Filmmaker and pilot
Eddie Clarke – bush pilot
Earl Samuelson (Yupik) – Calista Corporation board of directors member; former Alaska State Trooper
Holger “Jorgy” Jorgensen (Inupiaq) – longtime Alaska bush pilot
Break 1 Music: Tundra Chant (Original) (song) Pamyua (artist) Flying Wild Alaska: The Soundtrack (Original) (album)
Break 2 Music: Evolution Revolution (song) Indigenous (artist) Circle (album)
I had the honor of writing a book about the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II. One of the many woman pilots who trained with them was Pearl Laska Chamberlain, who was one of Holger Jorgensen’s flight instructors. I had the privilege of writing a bit about both of them.
So you can imagine my excitement when I heard him on the show!