Conversation with a Pilot

An air taxi ride to Bethel was Friday afternoon's agenda!

I got a ride to the airstrip on the agent's snowmachine.  We pulled a wooden sled that bumped along behind us with a person bound for the airstrip and the agent's children.

The plane was waiting for us on the airstrip.  The pilot hopped out, threw a padded blanket over the front of the plane, began chatting and unloading the supplies he had
brought.

I picked up a few interesting tidbits:

• The pilot sees himself a vital part of the villages he serves.  He talked about being the one who brings babies to meet their village for the first time, sees them grow over the years, and eventually is the one who transports their caskets. 
• The blanket he threw over the front of the plane has an important function, he wasn't just getting it out of the way.  It keeps the engine is to keep it warm between short flights.  If the engine gets too cold, it is not a good thing.
• Weight has to be evenly distributed in the small planes. 

I sat in the copilots seat since I was only only passenger to get on.   Here was my view:

Here's Atmau from a birdeye's view...

We took a quick 5 minute flight down the river to the village of Nunapichuck and picked up a couple of dentists.  Dental care is provided in villages by teams that fly in and fly out.  

Then, we were Bethel-bound.  There are very few landmarks on the tundra to give pilots visual cues as to their whereabouts.  My pilot pointed out a curious tower on the tundra, known as "White Alice".  It was an early warning communication system put in during the cold war.  It is obsolete, but still stands as a landmark for bush pilots.  

So, I'm enjoying a couple of days with Anna.  Last night we had a delicious meal with Anna's roommate and a principal from the district.  Good company, good food, good times!