Flying the Alaska Wild: The Adventures and Misadventures of an Alaska Bush Pilot

by Mort D. Mason

Release Date: June, 2002

Edition: Hardcover

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Informative but Boring

What I expected was an exciting adventure story of Mr. Mason's true life experiences in the Alaskan wilderness. What I got was a tutorial on what works best for bush pilots in Alaska along with some homey anecdotes. Boring. Definitely not a keeper.

READ THIS REVIEW !!

Mort Mason is a Alaskan bush pilot (a real one) and an extremely good pilot.
I probably can be regarded as a opinionated reviewer as I can relate firsthand (been there) to some of Mort's many places during the 60's,70's,80's. None of Mort's stories are the least bit exagerated as some readers might think.
When he says 20 feet, he means just that, 20 feet.
If anything he ho-hums situations like flying in darkness, mountains,snow,rain,fog,wind, etc. or all of the above.
Things that get us mortels attention real quick. If you read this book,my statement would be, "Believe every word, it's all true" !!
Mort Mason is not a reckless risk taker nor uses less than perfect equipment, as one might be lead to think. The opposite.
His stories point out the very few mistakes he did make and the many ever changing weather/terrain problems he encountered. He always learned from them, no repeats. He explains the many mechanical problems and how he prevented or corrected them, sometimes jury-rigging some strange 'bush' repairs.
He used up his 'lucky-factor' or luck as some would call it, making the right moves when it counted. More skill than luck.

Must have worked, he pulled it off, survived. So, we get to read his book.

HINTS: The reader should get a somewhat detailed map of Alaska as Mort takes you many places. Alaska is, in a word,'HUMONGOUS',
as he describes it, like 3 states of Texas would fit inside but some of us don't realize how HUGE Texas really is, so a map will help.
Mort starts book out kind of 'stiff',(pilot-talk) like "flying the N2029Y etc. etc." but that's just his way to identify airplanes. He loosens up and gets less technical as book progresses.

The picture Illustrations are extrodinary. You will page back and forth over and over again. The pictures of rescues of broken airplanes were eye opening and special. the photo of a wingless Piper Cub being hoisted by a helicopter is imaginable but I especially liked that one of a cub airplane body, lashed to the float struts of an even bigger float plane (Beaver) defies imagination. That has to be the most un-aerodyamic, lopsided, unflyable, etc. setup I've ever seen ! Amazing.
Mort describes and explains, from a pilots reasoning, why flying Alaska can be a 'different-ball-game'.
The FAA, (our sky cops) who make our airways the safest in the world, can't very well say, "O.K., here's the rules everyone, (except Alaska)" Mort tells how they make it work.

The word 'super' became popular during 50's-60's (Super-Bowl)etc.
meaning the best, ultimate, whatever.
Mort's statement: " Whatever you've heard, seen, before about a SUPER-CUB airplane, BELIEVE IT" !
He goes on to write about some hair raising experiences using that airplane.

Mort describes/shows the modern Alaskan airplane. The words 'flimsy' or 'fragile' would best apply to the 'where' the airplanes are being used. Rather BEEFED-UP, Alaskan-style is a better description. Mort tells of the many airplane customized
changes. Reinforced landing supports, larger horsepower engines,
tires,retractable ski's, etc.etc.
Compare 'off-road-vehicles', to 'all-terrain-airplanes' and Alaska is the undesputed king.
The lakes Hood & Spenard, that Mort repeatedly refers to, is
exactly as he describes.They are adjacent to Anchorage International airport and the parking lot of the worlds wildest airplanes. The planes are stacked in there like cordwood, a sight to behold. If your ever in Anchorage, Alaska, and would like to see some of the (Mort-type) airplanes, rent a cab or take a drive around the lakes and you'll see all the variations, from Big Foots to Turbocharged X-perimentals.

On the lighter-side, Mort has many 'rookie' (him) stories and adventures, which will tickle the reader. A few of my favorites were:
* The German customers, HERR SCHMIDT, ("Sprecken-Nein-English")
or
* Mort drank too much coffee and HAD to pee with nowhere to land.

Lots of laughs for the reader. Mort tells it like it is/was. ........