Next in Arcadia Publishing’s Images of Aviation series is “Alaska’s Bush Pilots” from author Rob Stapleton with the Alaska Aviation Museum. The book showcases more than 200 vintage images of bush pilots and their role in Alaska’s history.
Bush pilots are known as rough, tough, resourceful people who fly their aircraft into tight spots in the worst of weather. This new pictorial history shows how Alaska’s bush pilots are all of that and more, according to the publisher.
Images throughout the book show the history of aviation in Alaska and the progression of avionics.
The first flight in Alaska was made over a three-day exhibition at Fairbanks in July of 1913, according to the book. Readers will learn how James Martin first flew that aircraft, owned by him and his wife, Lilly, and investors Arthur Williams and R.S. McDonald.
The book examines the pioneer aviators and the aircraft types such as the Stearman, Stinson and Lockheed, many of which were tested and crashed in the far north regions of Alaska.
Alaska’s Bush Pilots hopes to honor the aviators of “The Last Frontier,” Stapleton says.
“It is a subject that appeals both to folks in Anchorage, who are proud of their local history, and perhaps even more so to the wider community of aviation enthusiasts,” he adds.
The book is available at bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, such as Amazon, or through Arcadia Publishing.
This sounds like a must read for me. I recently re-read “Wager With The Wind” the Don Sheldon story by James Greiner, published in 1975.