What Makes A Bush Pilot

ragbagflyer · Post by **ragbagflyer** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:39 pm

. wrote:Hey Cat, You ever go into Bear River? This is what she looks like today, we did some more brush clearing last summer was cool landing next to burning piles of shrubs

Is that up north of mayo? I think i went there swamping for Big Salami air a few winters back. One sketchy company.

Over the Horn · Post by **Over the Horn** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:51 pm

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Hey ..!!

I see you have and Islander, I have one too.

here's some pic's at the Bunny Bar on the South Nahanni

sky's the limit · Post by **sky's the limit** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:35 am

Now that's what an Islander in GOOD shape looks like eh ..?

STL

bmc · Post by **bmc** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:43 am

Man, I miss northern Canada. God's country. It really is.

Elessar_44 · Post by **Elessar_44** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:19 am

Some gorgeous pics in this thread, thanks for sharing em guys!

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:15 pm

Hey Horn, I still havent figured out where to plug my Xbox into one of these screens in front of me.

That Islander doesn't have enough "Character" Yet, needs more bondo and mud on it.

Ragbag: ya thats north of Mayo (80nm) just follow the old wind river trail and take a right. Its called Bear River should be on you map with an X though it, so you where swamping for magdrop eh? I'll miss drinking with him this summer!

sky's the limit · Post by **sky's the limit** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:47 pm

How's Florida and the Platypus ..?

STL

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:24 pm

Yup, as long as Jim Bell figured you could fly the thing that was all you needed.

I remember as a wee lad growing up in sudbury watching Austins beavers and otters and the OMNR otters chugging by our lake. I remember Jim as well but I was a kid then and he was done flying but he used to pop over to my grandfathers house at 4 corners and chat. I wish I had been older cause I would have appreciated his stories more. If I remember correctly he died in '84 or so.

I guess one time he went into Cape Dorset in the PBY dropped the wheels and pulled up on the beach to spend the night with the HBC manager...got up in the morning to find the ice blown into the harbour....spent a month in Dorset he did waiting for the ice to clear so he could leave.

There's a great picture of that in the Austins History by Larry Milberry.

I think of those pilots as bush pilots. I think its almost blasphemous (sp) to present ourselves as such nowadays. We have it real easy now, and I apprciate it VERY much.

Cheers,

ETTW

PS....nice pics on this thread, thanks. I didn't realize the Islander was that sort of a perfomer. Looks like fun.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:39 pm

Yeh ettw, things were different in those days for sure and we had many exciting experiences.

I'll never forget my check ride for captain in the DC3 with Jim Bell.

He was doing two of us and I was the first one to do the flying and then I got out of the left seat and the other pilot got in.

On the first take off Jim whipped the right mixture control to ICO.....the only problem was he was a little to aggressive and he broke the fu.kin lever right off...

...Well the guy in the left seat camly started to go through the drill for engine failure and when he found there was no right mixture control on the pedestal but it was hanging from Jim's hand his eyes buldged out like a bull dogs nuts...

...but he did a real smooth job of feathering and flying around the circuit to a smooth landing...remember Jim failed the fuc.in thing at about ten feet in the air.

Anyhow that was the end of our captain ride and he signed both of us off.

I really got fu.ked on that one, I had to fly for over an hour and the other guy only had to do one circuit.

Yeh, those were the days.

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:06 pm

I really got fu.ked on that one, I had to fly for over an hour and the other guy only had to do one circuit.

Now THAT'S funny!

Now I have to go and do some studying for MY ride tommorow.

Cheers,

ETTW

just curious · Post by **just curious** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:39 pm

I'll let you know how bush pilot-like he was in using his astro compass, boiling coffee over the primus stove etc tomorrow.

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:50 pm

mmmmm.....boiled coffee.......

Cheers,

ETTW

Air Ivanhoe · Post by **Air Ivanhoe** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:13 am

I remember when I was a kid (53 now), when we would send a Beech 18 on Floats to the arctic and not hear from the aircraft for a week. until it came back. We never even knew if it made its destination, until it came back. We tried HF radios, and they worked about once a month. Now with sat phones/GPS's its a little easier. Read the book "Trespassing in Gods Country" if you want to listen to a bush pilot.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:37 am

Is your dad still flying?

north son · Post by **north son** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:03 pm

I remember a few definitions from an old bush pilot's dictionary.
Torque...a warm woolen cap.
Stall...a place to keep horses.
Cowling...a young coward.
R.P.M...real poor motor.
Range...distance to the next party.
Endurance...the ability to last till the next party.
Safety belt...rum and coke.
Climb...pull back.
Descend...pull back some more.

ettw · Post by **ettw** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:42 am

Torque...a warm woolen cap.
Stall...a place to keep horses.
Cowling...a young coward.
R.P.M...real poor motor.
Range...distance to the next party.
Endurance...the ability to last till the next party.
Safety belt...rum and coke.
Climb...pull back.
Descend...pull back some more.

That was for the most part really funny...but im really really drunk and im really really hoping I can find JC to sign off my PPC card BEFORE I leave eastbound.

Cheers,

ETTW

swede · Post by **swede** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:50 pm

ragbagflyer wrote:
. wrote:Hey Cat, You ever go into Bear River? This is what she looks like today, we did some more brush clearing last summer was cool landing next to burning piles of shrubs

Is that up north of mayo? I think i went there swamping for Big Salami air a few winters back. One sketchy company.

Big salami, was that anywhere close to broke back mtn.

ScudRunner · Post by **ScudRunner** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:52 pm

Ya it was right behind it!

What Makes A Bush Pilot

Bush Flying