The first video Aidan ever shot for Oddball Pilot was this look at Era Alaska’s operations in Barrow. Take a look around, climb inside a Cessna 208 Caravan, and see what an Alaskan air taxi base is really like.
Towing banners is a really fun job for low time pilots. Last Fall, Aidan sat down with an Era Alaska pilot to hear about his days towing banners along the New Jersey Shore … and how he got from there to flying for Era.
Rumor has it Era Alaska is looking to hire 25-30 pilots over the next couple of months. Learn more …
Laurie Harden didn’t start flying gliders until she was 50. With her license in hand, she promptly opened a new glider operation in Minden, Nevada. Here’s her story, and advice for getting started as a tow pilot, a tour pilot, or a glider instructor.
Most Alaskan flying jobs these days don’t quite live up to the romantic “bush pilot” fantasy. But as you’ll hear in this interview, there’s still plenty of classic outdoor adventure to be found when you fly for a hunting and fishing lodge.
A National Guard C-130 blocking the ramp at the tiny coastal Alaskan village of Wales isn’t something you see every day. What’s even more unusual is when you see a figure looking suspiciously like Santa Claus climbing on board!
When Tyler Westhoff decided he wanted to become a glacier pilot in the summer of 2004, he had no idea that his path to Talkeetna Air Taxi would include flying gliders and ultralights … in Hawaii. Today, he splits his time between both places. In this interview, you’ll hear Tyler’s story and his advice for low-time pilots.
How does a kid from Nepal with a dream of one day becoming a pilot turn that dream into reality? Listen in as Goma Air Captain and Director of Operations A.D. Sherpa tells his story … and explains why he left an airline job flying the ATR 72 in India to start a new airline with two Cessna Caravans in Western Nepal.
With a 2,000-foot paved runway at only 7,815 feet MSL, Jumla is regarded by pilots as one of the best airports in Western Nepal. When Goma Air’s new Caravans touched down there for the first time last February, the pilots were met by a huge crowd, a band, and reporters. Not quite as big a reception as Lindbergh’s arrival in Paris in 1927 … but close!
There are few aircraft as suited for hauling heavy cargo in and out of the world’s toughest strips as the C-130 Hercules, and there are only a few non-military operators around. Rick Zerkel is the Vice President of Operations at Lynden Air Cargo, one of these specialized companies. In this interview, you’ll hear his story, learn about the L-382, and get his best career advice.
