One of the great things about oddball flying jobs is that you frequently see oddball things. In his latest Dispatch, Aidan discovers that a rusty hunk of metal next to a taxiway in Talkeetna is a portal into an oddball airplane (and an oddball flying job) from long ago: the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
Look, up in the sky! It’s a Cherokee! It’s a Thrush! No wait … it’s a Pacific Aerospace P-750 XSTOL! Air Kasthamandap pilot Daniel Burgess gives you a tour of his Nepal-based company’s Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing aircraft.
Birds of a feather flock together they say, and it’s true. While flying in Nepal, Aidan met two other oddball pilots from abroad. One morning they had an interesting chat about international flying jobs. Listen in, and learn about oddball jobs in New Zealand, Alaska, and elsewhere–and how to get them.
After arriving in Kathmandu, Aidan sat down with Alex Haynes to bring you the inside scoop on becoming a ferry pilot. In this audio interview you’ll learn what the job is like, what the business is like, and the secret to getting started.
Ferrying small airplanes around the planet is boring at times, nerve-wracking at others, but always a fun way to see the world. Come along as Aidan ferries a Cessna Caravan from Seattle to Kathmandu via Bangor, the Azores, Malta, Luxor, and Oman.
Hauling fuel around rural Alaska is hard work … yet the job definitely has its benefits. If you like blue collar flying jobs and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, you’ll love this video walkthrough of an Everts Air Fuel C-46.
Aidan is currently in Western Nepal for a month, helping some experienced Twin Otter drivers get experience flying the Cessna Caravan. Short and rough strips at 9,000 feet MSL make for some interesting flying. But the real hazards seem to be on the ground!
This past summer Aidan stopped by Hageland Aviation Services’ office in Anchorage, and sat down with Assistant Chief Pilot Jason Wilson to bring you the latest scoop on how to go about getting hired. Hageland is one of the companies that now makes up Era Alaska, the airline featured in Flying Wild Alaska.
Take a look at the cockpit, systems, and unique gear inside a NOAA de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter. Learn about the internal 1250 lb. auxiliary fuel tank, the bubble windows, and the extensive avionics NOAA pilots have at their fingertips.
Ever wonder what it’s like to fly for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (the folks who fly into hurricanes and do some really interesting research projects), and what it takes to get the job? Then you’ll love this audio interview with two NOAA Twin Otter pilots Aidan met in Barrow over the summer.
