As linguist Deborah Fallows recently pointed out on TheAtlantic.com, even the most routine flying can be a bit oddball if you know where to look.
What does it take to start an airline? Aidan found out in 2011 while helping train the pilots of Goma Air, a new small air taxi operator in Western Nepal. Before he returned to the U.S., he interviewed Goma Air’s Managing Director, Manoj Karki. This is our first exploration into the business side of oddball flying.
The heyday of the Canadian bush pilot was already over by the time Norma Bailey and Bob Lower shot their documentary film “Bush Pilot: Reflections on a Canadian Myth” in 1978. Today, 35 years later, changes in aviation are coming even faster. And yet, we’d like to suggest that the spirit of these rugged aircraft and the pilots who flew them is still very much alive today … if you know where to look.
Stan Churches has arguably done it all in his flying career. He flew checks across the mountains of the southwest, hauled corporate executives around the world in jets, and helped save lives as an air ambulance pilot. These days he’s the Chief Pilot of Clearwater Air in Alaska, doing precision survey flying in a Commander 690 full of scientists. It’s interesting work, and you’ll hear all about it in this interview.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like flying for a military contractor in a war zone? In this transcription of an interview with an anonymous military contract pilot you’ll read about the hiring process, the living accommodations, the lifestyle, the work, and the risk. The opportunities are changing with the world’s political situation, and it’s definitely not a job for everyone. But if you know what you’re getting into, it’s interesting work that pays quite well.
It’s an old aviation joke. But the fact is, when the light bulb is a beacon at the top of a guyed tower 2,000 feet up, there aren’t many pilots–or other people–who would be willing to do the job. Would you?
Is it really almost Fall already? Here’s what we’ve got planned for you in September.
If you need to haul unwieldy loads to and from short rough strips, you can’t do much better than the Skyvan. It may look like a flying shoebox … but it gets the job done! Join Ryan Air pilot Mike Gray for a tour.
Does getting an unconventional flying job require having an unconventional past? Not necessarily. In fact, computer science professor Cal Newport says many non-conformist career opportunities are only available to those who leverage conformity first.
It’s easy to find information on how to become an airline pilot. But what if your ultimate goal is a less traditional flying job? Aidan recently posed this question to his F/O and the second shift crew from Era Alaska in Nome. The result? Some good perspectives and advice, especially if you’re just starting your career in aviation.
