Ask Clearwater Air Chief Pilot Stan Churches what he thinks of the Commander 690 and he’ll tell you it’s “a pilot’s airplane” that’s uniquely qualified for certain missions. See why in this 37-minute video walkthrough, shot as Stan prepared to depart Nome for a seal survey over the Bering Sea.
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.
The Superior National Forest Seaplane Base is the only U.S. Forest Service seaplane base in the U.S., and as you’d expect, the pilots who work there love what they do. Back in 2010 Dave Quam and Jim McManus from the Seaplane Pilots Association visited the base in Ely, Minnesota, interviewed a few pilots, and captured it all on video.
You had questions, Aidan and the crew at the Era pilot house in Nome have answers. Pull up a chair and enjoy this wide-ranging discussion covering aerobatic training, wildlife survey flying, aerial firefighting, working abroad, and lots more!
