When John Gowey was a kid, he watched floatplanes from Kenmore Air fly over his house. Today, he’s the Chief Pilot. If you’ve ever thought about flying floats for a living, don’t miss this interview. You’ll learn about this unique oddball flying path, and how to get started.
Dave Wiewel has pretty much done it all: he flew a DC-3 around the world, worked for many different regional airlines, flew 737s for Continental, and now flies tourists around Denali National Park in a Navajo and a turbine Beaver. Recorded last summer, this interview features some great discussion about a changing industry, the impact of technology in the cockpit, and the pros and cons of flying jets for the majors.
Aidan takes a break from rock climbing in Oregon to let you know what we have planned for you in May on Oddball Pilot.
Aidan’s back where he started, flying a Cessna 207 out of Bethel, Alaska. Bethel isn’t for everyone … yet as a busy regional air taxi hub to dozens of bush villages, it’s where many Alaskan flying careers have begun. Get an overview of what it’s like to live and work there, in this latest Dispatch.
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.
