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30 Dec Welcome to Tundra Pilot

Posted at 15:22h in General Interest, New Map Users

There has always been a close connection between airplanes and wilderness in Alaska since the first bold pilots ventured north not knowing what lay ahead. Even today, airplanes are vital...

05 Sep Flying the Alaska Range

Posted at 14:25h in Exploration, General Interest, Technique

Part memoir, part local orientation, this post traces decades of hard-earned experience in the Denali country—from an early Basecamp crash scene to the complex geography, weather, and mountain passes that...

10 Dec Water-Assisted Landings

Posted at 14:00h in Technique

Water-assisted landings may be considered one of the more treacherous off-airport maneuvers that aviators rely on. Essentially, it’s waterskiing a wheel plane to shore to achieve the shortest possible landing. ...

11 Mar Keeping it Wild

Posted at 11:57h in General Interest, Trip Report

The idea of wilderness could never be described by any symbol, any line or label placed on a map. It is the home of the untamed, the unruly, and the...

29 Dec Botany for Bush Pilots

Posted at 11:57h in Exploration, General Interest, Technique

My first landing on a rocky hummock field caused severe jackhammering of the landing gear – more than I expected. It was a relief not to find any damage, but...

Flying to Whistler, an established ice strip on the Ruth Glacier.

31 Oct Wheel Landings on Glaciers

Posted at 11:57h in Exploration, General Interest, Technique

The north country is home to thousands of glaciers and icefields that provide airplane access to some of the wildest places on earth. These landscapes are dominated by rugged terrain...

11 Feb Airstrip Evaluation

Posted at 12:39h in General Interest, Technique

I was eager to explore new places after installing a brand new set of 31” Bushwheels. My first off-airport destination was an alpine 4100' high alpine hilltop located in the...