Mike Hageland started his company back in 1980 with a single Cessna 180 based in Mountain Village, Alaska. At the time, he had no idea that Hageland Aviation would one day be part of Era Alaska–the largest air carrier in the state. Back in 2010 Aidan sat down with Mike to talk about his journey. Enjoy this chat with one of the pioneers of modern Alaskan aviation!
There aren’t many around, but the Cessna F406 Caravan II is a great twin to fly in and out of short bush strips. Learn why in this video walkthrough filmed in Unalakleet, Alaska.
Last September Aidan ferried an airplane to Tanzania, and sat down with Tanzanair Chief Pilot K.H. Kondo in Dar es Salaam to discuss his career, his country, and his company. With more than 23,000 hours of flight time, Captain Kondo had a lot of experience to share.
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.
A quick update from Fairbanks, Alaska, about what’s coming up on Oddballpilot.com over the next month or so.
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.
