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Alaskan Bush Pilots “Braving The Last Frontier”

Alaskan Bush Pilots – canvas poster.

Bush flying is aircraft operations carried out in remote, inhospitable regions of the world. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally large tires, floats or skis. This term bush has been used since the 19th century to describe remote wilderness area beyond clearings and settlements hence “bush flying” denotes flight operations carried out in such remote regions. Alaska’s first bush pilot was Carl Ben Eielson (see image gallery), a North Dakota farm boy of Scandinavian descent who flew during World War I. After the war, he moved to Alaska as a mathematics and science teacher in Fairbanks. However, he soon persuaded several citizens to help him acquire a Curtiss JN-4, flying passengers to nearby settlements. He then asked the postal operator for an airmail contract. The post office accepted the proposal and in 1924, Eielson received a de Havilland 4 that would be used to make eight mail runs to McGrath, 280 miles (450 km) away.