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Posted: 12/17/2010 2:34:20 PM EDT
[#1]
I saw the promo last week and laughed like hell when the native woman at the end, says "ice road truckers are pussies". She's right, compared to a bush pilot they are.
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Posted: 12/17/2010 5:54:57 PM EDT
[#2]
I really, really, really miss flying in Alaska. I don't know if I'll be able to stomach watching simply because I've got the fever.
If y'all haven't ever been up there, much less flown, set yourself a date. Someday never shows up on the calender. |
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Posted: 12/17/2010 8:54:11 PM EDT
[#3]
Some of this was filmed in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The secenery will not be as "beautiful" as you imagine. The airline filmed in this series is the competetor to my airline. You might see my coworkers and our airplanes in the background. We are right next to each other on the ramp in Bethel. I know, like all docu-dramas, it will be wildly over blown.
Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. We are a lot smaller company. Discovery channel approached my company about doing something like this. The owners of my company told them to FOAD. The discovery channel is going to play it up as the Tweto family against the world. Era is the second biggest airline in Alaska, second to Alaska Airlines. The Twetos own less than than 50%. They were sole owners of one of the 3 airlines that merged to form Era Alaska. |
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Posted: 12/18/2010 6:10:06 AM EDT
[#4]
The scenery was only part of it for me, albeit a large one. Some of my best friends in the world are up there.
I agree that allowing a film crew into the cockpit of an Alaska pilot is probably a bad idea. Too often I was faced with getting it done and knowing that it would probably work out ok. |
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Posted: 12/18/2010 6:10:22 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
... Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. .... I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure a lot of FSDO employees are going watching the show. And nothing good can come from that. |
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Posted: 12/19/2010 4:56:02 AM EDT
[#6]
Quoted:
Quoted:
... Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. .... I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure a lot of FSDO employees are going watching the show. And nothing good can come from that. Don't invite the man into your life. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 12/19/2010 7:36:48 AM EDT
[#7]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
... Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. .... I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure a lot of FSDO employees are going watching the show. And nothing good can come from that. Don't invite the man into your life. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Words to live by. |
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Posted: 12/19/2010 8:41:51 AM EDT
[#8]
Cool show. I agree with the above. Why invite the man into your life? Alaska operates by its own set of rules.
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Posted: 12/19/2010 8:58:56 AM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
... Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. .... I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure a lot of FSDO employees are going watching the show. And nothing good can come from that. Don't invite the man into your life. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Words to live by. Especially when they believe that you are only legal when the gross weight of the paperwork equals that of the airplane. That reminded me of one of my favorite aviation jokes: Bubba and Jake chartered a plane with a pilot to drop them off in the wilds of Alaska for a week of elk hunting, just the same as they did the year before. When the pilot returned with the plane Bubba exclaimed joyfully to the pilot, "We had a great hunting trip! We bagged four elk!" The pilot regretfully explained, "Unfortunately, our plane can only fly with the weight of two elk. You'll have to leave the other two behind." Bubba and Jake were both infuriated and insistent. "We won't allow you to fly this plane out without all four elk," Jake demanded. The eager to please pilot relented and the seaplane took off with the three of them and their four elk. After using the entire length of the lake and barely lifting off the airplane crashed into the trees. Wearily arising from the wreckage, Bubba looked at Jake and wheezed, "Do you have any idea where we are?" Jake, quite pleased with himself, replied, "Yes! We're about a mile from where we crashed last year." |
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Posted: 12/19/2010 12:02:49 PM EDT
[#10]
I just read here from the local paper Mr. Tweto had it in writing he was to review every episode after it was finalized... Smart man because he knows his pilots may or may not have bent the rules...
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Posted: 12/20/2010 6:23:07 AM EDT
[#11]
Nice to know I can watch the 'show' then come to arfcom for the 'real' in 'reality tv'.
7mm |
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Posted: 12/21/2010 7:32:54 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
... Personally i think it is a trerrible idea to invite cameras in to flying in Alaska. There is a lot that happens in Alaska that is safe when done by the profesional aviators who know Alaska, but not exactly legal. .... I was thinking the same thing. I'm sure a lot of FSDO employees are going watching the show. And nothing good can come from that. Don't invite the man into your life. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Words to live by. The FAA is to certificate holders as dogs are to fire hydrants. |
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Posted: 12/21/2010 12:53:21 PM EDT
[#13]
Tweto lost his brother a few yrs ago in a Beech 1900 crash in Arkansas i think.
But the runways up here have been expanded in the last 10yrs to be longer and wider. Way better than it was 20yrs ago. But the weather still gets an awfull amount of pilots. 
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Posted: 12/22/2010 8:15:05 AM EDT
[#14]
Even in the five years since i have been in AK most of the really sporty runways have gone away. Akiachak is the worst one around my AOA. http://www.airnav.com/airport/Z13
I suspect a lot of this will be from around Norton Sound and Unalakleet. I really dont know what the flying is like up there. Thats the Twetos home base IIRC. |
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Posted: 12/22/2010 6:04:27 PM EDT
[#15]
I suspect a lot of the film bits will involve C-206 drop offs at sporty mining strips, homestead strips and gravel bars. I doubt the thrice daily milk runs to Kipnuk and Hooper Bay etc. are going to get much press even though that is the bulk of the flying going on.
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Posted: 1/14/2011 5:33:47 PM EDT
[#16]
Awesome. Yes, they are inviting "the man".
My only fear of going up there is I would stick. Hunting, fishing, oil. |
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Posted: 1/14/2011 6:19:00 PM EDT
[#17]
Yikes that wasn't anything but a dog and pony show...
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Posted: 1/14/2011 7:30:28 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted: Yikes that wasn't anything but a dog and pony show... Well, it was interesting when he lost rudder on takeoff. Or did the rudder break on landing??? |
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Posted: 1/14/2011 7:52:16 PM EDT
[#19]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Yikes that wasn't anything but a dog and pony show... Well, it was interesting when he lost rudder on takeoff. Or did the rudder break on landing??? It was interesting until the "harrowing" inflight switch to the right seat. Losing the left rudder on TO is a lot less of a deal than losing the right. Been there, done that. Did anyone else notice that they ran the footage backwards? In my 2000 hours in Cessnas I've never seen a parking brake on the right side or any placards written in reverse. |
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Posted: 1/15/2011 4:45:50 PM EDT
[#20]
The National Geographic Explorer version is a bit better. But they also show the sad side with a crash investigation. It is one thing to see a bent bird. But when they were handling the mangled head set, you knew it was bad. Yes, fatal.
There is an airport in the area that has had 3 crashes recently. One was a triple fatality, not really associated with the airport, just damn close. Plane was enroute with flight into violent storm front. |
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Posted: 1/15/2011 5:51:35 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
The National Geographic Explorer version is a bit better. But they also show the sad side with a crash investigation. It is one thing to see a bent bird. But when they were handling the mangled head set, you knew it was bad. Yes, fatal. There is an airport in the area that has had 3 crashes recently. One was a triple fatality, not really associated with the airport, just damn close. Plane was enroute with flight into violent storm front. I jut got done watching that and that headset was toast |
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Posted: 1/15/2011 6:10:10 PM EDT
[#22]
I thought it was pretty cool, Neat to finally see all of the people my best friend has been talking about, since I have known him. The people on the show, are my Buddies Moms brothers family. I have seen pictures of Ayla before and she is pretty cute in video too. I am really looking forward to going up there to see them one of these days. From some of the stories I have heard, I think the footage has been seriously edited. Sounds like the wild west up there, the way I keep hearing about it.
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Posted: 1/15/2011 7:31:42 PM EDT
[#23]
I saw the first episode and thought it was pretty good. Ariel is really cute, always smiling, and has a ton of energy. I like it.
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Posted: 1/16/2011 4:36:18 AM EDT
[#24]
I really enjoyed the show, especially the aerial photography - both the air to air and the aircraft mounted footage.
I just hope Discovery sticks to the flying and the business of running such an operation (and the challenges that come with it) and it doesn't degenerate in a season or two into a "Flying Wild Alaska - Jim Tweto v. Ayla/Ariel Tweto" American Chopper-esque drama, and Ariel isn't turned into a high-energy/cuter version of Chumley on "Pawn Stars"...  |
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Posted: 1/16/2011 10:54:32 AM EDT
[#25]
I thought it was funny when the hunter asked if the pilot would be able to get the overloaded plane off the ground. Then the pilot said the plane is NOT overloaded.
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Posted: 1/16/2011 12:08:26 PM EDT
[#26]
Quoted: I really enjoyed the show, especially the aerial photography - both the air to air and the aircraft mounted footage. I just hope Discovery sticks to the flying and the business of running such an operation (and the challenges that come with it) and it doesn't degenerate in a season or two into a "Flying Wild Alaska - Jim Tweto v. Ayla/Ariel Tweto" American Chopper-esque drama, and Ariel isn't turned into a high-energy/cuter version of Chumley on "Pawn Stars"...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cslbz3X2mQENot even close. The Tweto's provide a needed service, not pandering to a hobby of anachronistic motorcycles festooned with chrome, art and dangerous looking baubles. And violating all EPA regulations on noise, HC, PM and NOx emissions. On a chassis with dynamics of a Flexible Flyer crossed with a Big Wheel. Everything additional on the planes, minus the cameras carries an STC for the application.Comparing American Chopper to Flying Wild Alaska is just  |
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Posted: 1/16/2011 12:11:51 PM EDT
[#27]
Quoted: I thought it was funny when the hunter asked if the pilot would be able to get the overloaded plane off the ground. Then the pilot said the plane is NOT overloaded. You talking about Kavik? Looked heavy but hopefully Susan has a scale for all the baggage. You know they won't be gaining weight out there...all their food, minus the blueberries, was transported on the leg out. It is the coolers that need weighing most. |
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Posted: 1/16/2011 6:22:25 PM EDT
[#28]
I hate the fact that they brought out the dumb fuck daughter just for this show, cause she is the only un-ugly one around, to add the needed drama. She is a fucking idiot that everyone can see that she started there yesterday.
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Posted: 1/16/2011 8:29:06 PM EDT
[#29]
So how much TD time to become one of these pilots? Say, I had 300 hours td/gf time? Any chance? |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 4:37:40 AM EDT
[#30]
Quoted:
So how much TD time to become one of these pilots?
Say, I had 300 hours td/gf time? Any chance?
AK time is far more important than TW time. Most places advertise for a minimum of 500hrs AK time before they will even call you back. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 10:03:46 AM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: Quoted: So how much TD time to become one of these pilots? Say, I had 300 hours td/gf time? Any chance?AK time is far more important than TW time. Most places advertise for a minimum of 500hrs AK time before they will even call you back. What about float time? Always wanted to be a bush pilot, but I wouldn't want to have to move to AK just to get enough flying time. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 10:58:20 AM EDT
[#32]
Quoted: When I moved to AK I was stoked to fly Beavers in the SE. That is until one day it was less than a 1/4 mile vis and I hear the Beavs flying by my house. I cant even see the water which is less than 100 yards from my place and these guys are out flying. Quoted: Quoted: So how much TD time to become one of these pilots? Say, I had 300 hours td/gf time? Any chance?AK time is far more important than TW time. Most places advertise for a minimum of 500hrs AK time before they will even call you back. What about float time? Always wanted to be a bush pilot, but I wouldn't want to have to move to AK just to get enough flying time. The prevailing mind set up there is get the job done no matter what. In the past three years 3 Beavers have crashed in Ketchikan alone, killing a whole bunch of people. Seeing what I saw up there and hearing the stories is enough for me! |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 11:24:49 AM EDT
[#33]
You're still going to need at least 200 hours on floats and some AK time to get a job.
I got lucky in getting my job but I was just a wheel-pilot. I have a buddy with 3k AK time and still never got put into floats because he didn't have enough time to qualify for insurance. And yes, you "get the job done" up there. If you're not willing to let it all hang out and even bend the rules when the time comes flying in Alaska is not for you. My initial ground school included 8 days of "Don't do this, it will kill you. Don't do that, it will kill you..." That place is no joke and there are no shortcuts to getting there. I can't tell you enough how much different it is flying up there. I found it to be heaven but know several people who considered it to be hell. You'll scare the hell out of yourself on a regular basis but you'll be living one hell of a life. Since I left I have felt as if something was missing in my life. I close on a new house this week, live minutes from my parents, and have a job making 6 figures. By all accounts life is good, and it is, but it's not Alaska. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 11:57:41 AM EDT
[#34]
Both this show and the Nat Geo Alaska Wing Men are taking the usual massive artistic license and not showing the true deal in many respects. One example is Tweto's flight in the "crippled" C-180 from Unalakleet to Anc for Maintenance thru Rainy Pass. The video shown of the flight is thru Merrill Pass not Rainy. Merrill is more rugged with more dramatic terrain. Merrill also has the wrecks that are visible at the top of the pass that they take great pains to show on this flight. Rainy on the other hand is not quite so dramatic terrain wise and has no wrecks visble that I have ever seen and I go through Rainy about 8 times per year. On the Alaska Wing Men show, they show a man and son who charter a turbine Otter from Anc to Aniak for a fishing trip. Uhhh... who is going to charter a turbine Otter at about $1000 an hour for a 2.5 hour one way trip to Aniak (about 280 nm) when there are 2 or 3 scheduled flights per day with Penair in a Saab 340 for about $300 per seat?
Only a "Reality TV show" that's who.
There is some good scenery shots to be had in each show but take it all with a Big Grain of Salt. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 12:16:12 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted: Both this show and the Nat Geo Alaska Wing Men are taking the usual massive artistic license and not showing the true deal in many respects. One example is Tweto's flight in the "crippled" C-180 from Unalakleet to Anc for Maintenance thru Rainy Pass. The video shown of the flight is thru Merrill Pass not Rainy. Merrill is more rugged with more dramatic terrain. Merrill also has the wrecks that are visible at the top of the pass that they take great pains to show on this flight. Rainy on the other hand is not quite so dramatic terrain wise and has no wrecks visble that I have ever seen and I go through Rainy about 8 times per year. On the Alaska Wing Men show, they show a man and son who charter a turbine Otter from Anc to Aniak for a fishing trip. Uhhh... who is going to charter a turbine Otter at about $1000 an hour for a 2.5 hour one way trip to Aniak (about 280 nm) when there are 2 or 3 scheduled flights per day with Penair in a Saab 340 for about $300 per seat? Only a "Reality TV show" that's who. There is some good scenery shots to be had in each show but take it all with a Big Grain of Salt. Done all the time for TV. It was really bad on Palin's Alaska where they show them taking off in a radial DHC-3, then land in a turbine DHC-3...same operator and paint scheme...guess the producers couldn't get the shots of landing in the radial so they got stock of a turbine. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 12:56:31 PM EDT
[#36]
Quoted: You're still going to need at least 200 hours on floats and some AK time to get a job. I got lucky in getting my job but I was just a wheel-pilot. I have a buddy with 3k AK time and still never got put into floats because he didn't have enough time to qualify for insurance. And yes, you "get the job done" up there. If you're not willing to let it all hang out and even bend the rules when the time comes flying in Alaska is not for you. My initial ground school included 8 days of "Don't do this, it will kill you. Don't do that, it will kill you..." That place is no joke and there are no shortcuts to getting there. I can't tell you enough how much different it is flying up there. I found it to be heaven but know several people who considered it to be hell. You'll scare the hell out of yourself on a regular basis but you'll be living one hell of a life. Since I left I have felt as if something was missing in my life. I close on a new house this week, live minutes from my parents, and have a job making 6 figures. By all accounts life is good, and it is, but it's not Alaska. How prevalent are skii's up there rather then floats? Does that time count for anything? I'm curious, I have a set of federal a1500's for the 140. but have yet to use them. My instructor's going to take me up in his f-19 for a while soon to get me acclimated to them. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 2:00:11 PM EDT
[#37]
Floats - wheels - skis in that order.
Learn to fly the wheels first, then worry about the other stuff. |
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Posted: 1/17/2011 9:20:04 PM EDT
[#38]
We fly wheels all year round. All our planes are tricycle gear. 90% of the commercial flying in Alaska in Part 91 or "scheduled" 135. There is very little work off airport.
As usual the TV show is going to show the wild stuff. Most of what really happens is pretty boring. Three times a day hauling soda chips and diapers to a 3000x75 gravel strip isn't going to make the cut for TV, but that's most of what ERA (and the other operators like mine) does. If you want to fly in Alaska because it is on your "bucket list" don't waste our time. We want pilots who will make a career out of it. Companies up here make just as big as in investment training pilots as anywhere else. Maybe more. Everybody, myself included, makes stupid expensive mistakes in their first year. You don't start really making money for an operator till your second or third year. Things have been changing in The Bush. All the crazy cowboy stuff is gone. Its all by the book as much as possible. Seems like there are more FAA inspectors here per pilot than anywhere else in the US. Some of them understand Alaska, some are from outside and looking to make name for themselves. |
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Posted: 1/20/2011 3:55:25 AM EDT
[#39]
Quoted:
I thought it was funny when the hunter asked if the pilot would be able to get the overloaded plane off the ground. Then the pilot said the plane is NOT overloaded. Did you see that thing? Tires squished flat, nose up in the air, no room for pax. And it's not overloaded? I call BS on that one. |
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Posted: 1/20/2011 6:12:02 AM EDT
[#40]
Quoted:
Quoted:
I thought it was funny when the hunter asked if the pilot would be able to get the overloaded plane off the ground. Then the pilot said the plane is NOT overloaded. Did you see that thing? Tires squished flat, nose up in the air, no room for pax. And it's not overloaded? I call BS on that one. That's pretty normal for a C207. They will haul 1000lbs payload with a 200lb pilot and 3.5 hours fuel. More with less fuel obviously. With bulky coolers and the usual big bulky bags of hunter gear they fill up fast. A 207 or "sled" will carry a big load, but you have to work to make it fit. Also it is normal for a 207 fully loaded to fall on the tail skid until the pilot gets in and still be within the weight and balance limit. Being loaded near the aft limit makes a 207 fly shitty, but easy to turn around at the end of a narrow runway. Just stand on one brake, give it some throttle and lift the nose wheel of the ground, it will pivot right around on one wheel. Not for beginners, and hard on tires, but sometimes you need to do it. |
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Posted: 1/20/2011 7:22:03 AM EDT
[#41]
Quoted:
Quoted:
I thought it was funny when the hunter asked if the pilot would be able to get the overloaded plane off the ground. Then the pilot said the plane is NOT overloaded. Did you see that thing? Tires squished flat, nose up in the air, no room for pax. And it's not overloaded? I call BS on that one. The 207 is my favorite Cessna to fly. I only weigh 150 and with her I can carry nearly 1300 pounds. It wasn't any where close to over loaded because he wasn't concerned with the plane falling on it's tail as they were loading. When she tips, she's out but will still fly. |
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Posted: 1/21/2011 8:19:27 PM EDT
[#42]
Not a bad program. The photography is great and it isn't helping my urge to vacation up there soon. I've got around 750 hours in a turbo 207 flying people around the ditch (the Grand Canyon). It was a neat airplane to cut your teeth on flying part 135. Nothing like 7 Koreans throwing up from motion sickness at the same time ridding in the back of the 207. Now a days I'm flying a jet airliner all over the country but I sure miss my roots in GA flying.
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Posted: 1/21/2011 9:34:22 PM EDT
[#43]
What complete bull shit.
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Posted: 1/22/2011 10:47:41 AM EDT
[#44]
Quoted: What complete bull shit. Whats that? |
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Posted: 1/23/2011 6:13:10 AM EDT
[#45]
I tried to watch it, but they ruined the show by using the standard Nat Geo formula of adding 30 minutes of fake tension and drama to 10 minutes worth of show .
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Posted: 1/24/2011 8:44:22 AM EDT
[#46]
Quoted:
I tried to watch it, but they ruined the show by using the standard Nat Geo formula of adding 30 minutes of fake tension and drama to 10 minutes worth of show . Like when he was "flying blind" on an IFR clearance... My God, he could have been killed 
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Posted: 1/24/2011 7:32:56 PM EDT
[#47]
Or attributing a rudder failure (rare) to flying CFIT into a "mountain" that's about 3500 - 4000 MSL when it could have been avoided by just flying higher or around it.
Quoted:
Quoted:
I tried to watch it, but they ruined the show by using the standard Nat Geo formula of adding 30 minutes of fake tension and drama to 10 minutes worth of show . Like when he was "flying blind" on an IFR clearance... My God, he could have been killed |
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Posted: 1/28/2011 6:14:02 PM EDT
[#48]
Damn, the young FO on the 1900 has died of cancer since the episode was filmed.
They had a tribute at the end. |
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Posted: 1/28/2011 8:07:37 PM EDT
[#49]
Quoted: Damn, the young FO on the 1900 has died of cancer since the episode was filmed. They had a tribute at the end. Eric Rose, of San Diego. |
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Posted: 1/31/2011 3:38:43 PM EDT
[#50]
Anybody know if I can watch the show online or on Comcast's OnDemand? I can't find anyplace to watch it. And damned if I'm planning my days to watch a TV show.
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