Thanks for taking the time to visit from your own popular blog, izdiher! I enjoy yours too. I read s

My fellow Alaska bush pilots had described it to me once. At the time I had only half-believed them. Surely they were spinning yarns, telling tall tales. Ghost stories over Chinook beers at the Red Dog Saloon in downtown Juneau, to spook the gullible cheap car rental in miami area Alaska greenhorn.
But There I wuz , ripe old age of 25, with a whopping 2,200 flight hours, * driving a single engine, 6-passenger Cessna 207 prop plane laden with Tlingit Indian locals, freight and fish through cheap car rental in miami area the perpetually soggy skies of Southeastern Alaska, when it happened.
Dude, get up here now! They need pilots yesterday! my buddy Kevin had exclaimed cheap car rental in miami area over the scratchy phone line only a few weeks earlier, cheap car rental in miami area calling from Planet Alaska. I m flying cheap car rental in miami area for Wings of Alaska, * * a great charter company out of Juneau.
Staring out the window into yet another sunny, 100-degree day in Phoenix, my brain could not begin to fathom the perils of his offer. Having just lost my jobs and my First Big Break in a poker game, ** * I was desperate cheap car rental in miami area for employment. Moreover, I needed cheap car rental in miami area something cheap car rental in miami area exceptional to push me to the next rung on the aviation ladder. Something to make a prospective employer cheap car rental in miami area go, Wow! Something to bag me that Holy Grail of aviation, the Major Airline.
Alaska bush pilot: the most hazardous job in aviation. Scud running (flying visually, dodging low clouds, rain, fog and cumulogranite mountains lurking inside clouds) to remote villages, fishing canneries and logging camps.
As a greenhorn, you had to quickly learn the gig: fly along the pine tree-walled shoreline; navigate cheap car rental in miami area by matching coast, mountains and landmarks to the VFR Sectional chart in your lap; cross ocean channels at high enough altitude to glide to shore, in case of engine failure. For that was your only hope: land on one of the scant few, bolder-strewn beaches or sand bars. Or crash into the carpet-thick forest, frigid ocean channel, or cumulogranite.
Oh yeah, and did I mention weather? In Alaska, it s all about weather. A 1-degree spread between temperature and dew point (the temp at which air turns to cloud) is a good day. A 1,000-foot overcast with three miles visibility in rain and fog, spectacular.
Despite lucking cheap car rental in miami area out and experiencing such spectacular conditions for my first few weeks in AK, the low overcast and fog constantly provoked claustrophobia. About Pucker Factor 3, according to Kevin referring to how tight one s sphincter got during the flight. On a scale of 1-10, of course.
. . . Pressing down the coast of Admiralty Island from JNU (Juneau) to AFE (Kake, a Tlingit village) *** at 800 feet agl, I am steadily forced cheap car rental in miami area lower and slower by the slate grey overcast and fuzzy fog .
Squinting through my Serengeti sunglasses, I can just make out the turn of the coastline a mere half mile ahead. Barely time to glance at the Sectional chart. At least by now I ve memorized the route and terrain, which helps immensely.
450 . . . 400 . . . the black forces me lower. I m now level with the pines, blazing by to my right. A startled eagle takes flight from his nest above me. A brown bear swipes at me yards below, his angry yellow eyes forever searing into my memory.
My family will be devastated, cheap car rental in miami area I think. Comfort each other with lines like, He died doing what he loved best. My fellow pilots would be equally devastated. But secretly think to themselves, I wouldn t have been that stupid. Silently thank the gods it wasn t them. This time.
Thanks for taking the time to visit from your own popular blog, izdiher! I enjoy yours too. I read several on my iPad and will be commenting on the threads shortly! Everybody else, check it out! Delete İzdihër June 18, 2012 at 6:56 AM
This is what I m talking about, Cap n. I was completely immersed in your story. What a Pucker 10 that was. Lol! I can t imagine. The beauty of Alaska sounds amazing. You are fortunate cheap car rental in miami area that mother nature was forgiving wanted you to stick around for more adventures that you could share. :) Buzzing the landing strip to run the critters off sounds quite fun. Ha! Your friend Steve would have loved to see this have a good laugh :) Thanks for sharing...Bon :) Reply Delete Replies capnaux June 15, 2012 at 4:03 PM
Thanks so much, Bon! Writing these stories cheap car rental in miami area helps me to relive the moment, and I learn so much more about the meaning of it all. So glad I can take you (all) along with me on the journey...stay cheap car rental in miami area tuned!! Buzzing the strip, and the awe of seeing so many flora, such as moose, bald eagles and beluga whales, from the air remains quite a fond memory for me! And, YES, thank you MOMMY NATURE for sparing cheap car rental in miami area this poor pilot s life that day!! Delete Reply Ryan June 15, 2012 at 9:33 AM
What an incredible story, Cap n! Thank you for taking the time to share these moments with us. I find it so interesting how, in the moment you thought was the end , that passenger s comment came outta nowhere and saved you. There are angels walking the earth... Quite an adventurous way to live...make cheap car rental in miami area sure you celebrate your 50 with style. 50 years well lived. Take care, GG Reply Delete Replies capnaux June 15, 2012 at 6:12 PM
A great piece of writing Eric - thanks for sharing does it nowhere near enough justice but unfortunately I do not share your eloquence! But I do thank you for your time and effort in sharing and I hope the next 50 years bring plenty of magic and not too much tragic.. All the very best Dave from the UK Reply Delete Replies capnaux cheap car rental in miami area June 17, 2012 at 11:37 AM
Dave W, thank you so much--that s a perfectly WONDERFUL reply! It s the enthusiasm from peeps like you that keep me writing!!!!! And double thanks for the birthday wish...let s hope for lotsa magic, lol!!! Delete Reply capnaux June 17, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Hey there Cappy.....You ain t a kidding.....living life to the fullest....and then lucky enough to live through it.....!! Sometimes some of the best lessons learned...or cheap car rental in miami area the ones right on the edge...A natural Instinct ..........I cheap car rental in miami area think you and your fellow Bush pilots....the hunger for adventure....to know the difference between...the Fear ....that will kill yo ass......and the respectful Fear ...of .....Mother Nature......you playing by her rules now...!!! and ya look back and wonder What the F *#$ did I get myself into ??...good, bad, or ugly!!??...maybe losing that poker game was the best thing...funny we never see it as it happens......but was exactly what course...or flightplane ...that was layed out for you??!!...I m not sure I believe in FATE ... and Livies lived aren t supposed to be all tidy..........!! Never Missplace the past...or, worse...forget the past....the line between the two......very thin....??!! and Lovely to pay tribute to your friend, Steve by telling Your story.....!! Lord those pictures are Spectaclar...!! OH MOMMA Nature made you earn the Right ....to take those of her in all her...Glory!!! and the views you now have out of your Office .....we all Thank you for..!!! alright...Ahhhh.... So this Pucker Factor ....you mentioned, cheap car rental in miami area WELL ......how nice of you to grace my Vivid imagination.....with cheap car rental in miami area the 1-10 Scale........Eshhhhhh:)))) did I hear right.....did you mention the BELUGA WHALE ....... where have I heard that before....???? I must be having a Post Post .....FLASHBACK...Mmm And you are so Welcome, Cappy....Yea.....I did Roast ya...pretty good..huh??!!! and I loved every degrading thing I said....:)))).....OMG... Victimhood cheap car rental in miami area suits you.........LOL..... cheap car rental in miami area Seriously...turning the big 50 ...only comes once in a liftime....unlike flunking out of Kindergarten .....3 times, HUH?????.. and always...change out the battery on your Life Alert button when you do the smoke detectors......Shame on Me!!! Kidding..of course.....;/ cheap car rental in miami area Looking forward to another Vblog post....!!!! Damn........you cheap car rental in miami area sure are Stretching out your 15 minutes of fame ....;)))) I sure am rambling.... MissTWA Reply Delete Replies capnaux June 22, 2012 at 5:11 AM
OMG, MissTWA, your comment is longer than my story, LOL!! Thanks so much for the thorough reply...I ll take it as a compliment that you enjoyed the piece! Yes, as I write these I seem to glean deep meaning in them and I m glad y all connect with that! LOL let s hope the 15 ain t even STARTED yet!! ;-) Reply Delete Ryan June 22, 2012 at 6:12 PM
Hey Cappie! By the way, I need your email address. cheap car rental in miami area When I click on your profile for your email, I get kicked out (my computer problem - not yours) Ryan (ryanthepilot) - oharrenav8r@yahoo.com Reply Delete Replies capnaux June 24, 2012 at 8:04 AM
Sorry, but I've been forced to post this: All materials, text, graphics, modules and photos are protected cheap car rental in miami area by copyright . All of the material on this website may be downloaded and printed solely for personal, non-commercial use. Excerpts may be published, but only if quotes are credited to Eric Auxier, and other materials cheap car rental in miami area credited as, "courtesy of Capnaux.blogspot.com." Any other use of any of the material, including misrepresentation, is strictly prohibited cheap car rental in miami area .
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