• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
General Aviation News

General Aviation News

Because flying is cool

  • Pictures of the Day
    • Submit Picture of the Day
  • Stories
    • News
    • Features
    • Opinion
    • Products
    • NTSB Accidents
    • ASRS Reports
  • Comments
  • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
  • Events
  • Digital Archives
  • Subscribe
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Book review: ‘Hearts of Courage’

By Dave Sclair · July 7, 2010 ·

In January 1943, an Electra piloted by Alaskan bush Pilot Harold Gillam crashed in foul weather on its way from Seattle to Anchorage. Gillam died trying to find help for the survivors. One other passenger also died after a couple days. Miraculously, four others survived nearly a month in the wilderness with little to eat, only the clothes on their backs and minimal survival gear.

John M. Tippets’ father, Joe Tippets, was one of those on the aircraft. Much of the survival story in Tippets’ new book, “Hearts of Courage,” is related as father told it to his son. In addition to the survival aspect and courage shown, the author has done considerable research into the crash and the harrowing survival and rescue experiences with the end result a fascinating, larger than life experience.

Tippets was a member of the Mormon Church and he credits his faith for surviving the crash and the ensuing days and weeks in sub-freezing weather, hiking down the side of a mountain and making his way, with one of the three other survivors, to the beach and ultimately having sailors on a ship spot them.

Hearts of Courage also includes numerous photos of the crash scene and additional information about Gillam, as well as flying operations in Alaska during the war years.

Copies of Hearts of Courage are available from Amazon and most aviation bookstores. Retail price is $19.95. You can also contact Tippets by email: [email protected]

Share this story

  • Share on Twitter Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook Share on Facebook
  • Share on LinkedIn Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit Share on Reddit
  • Share via Email Share via Email

Become better informed pilot.

Join 110,000 readers each month and get the latest news and entertainment from the world of general aviation direct to your inbox, daily.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Curious to know what fellow pilots think on random stories on the General Aviation News website? Click on our Recent Comments page to find out. Read our Comment Policy here.

© 2025 Flyer Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Photographer’s Guidelines