Customer Reviews

Flying the Alaska Wild

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

I wanted to burn this book after the first two chapters. No doubt this guy has flown in the alaskan bush, and some of the tails are rather intriguing; But, judging from his experience on his first solo flight (90 degree xwind at 25+knots), not mention his ability to recover from a spin within a 10 degree heading - all this - with less than 10 hours of flight time!? Seems a bit far fetched to say the least. I don't even think the great Red Baron or Chuck Yeager possessed the skill this chap claims to have.

Steer clear unless you want to use some of this paper for kindling, or enjoy fairy tales!

A bush pilot reminisces a life time of seat-of-the-pants flying over the "Big Empty" (Alaska). Flying single engine super cubs, landing on frozen lakes, sand bars, mountain ridges ...makes a couch potato want to get out and go. Writen from a pilots point of view, with lots of pilots lingo. Makes an entertaining read, for wana-bee pilots like me. For those that dream of adventure, the wild places are within the pages of this book.

Whether you're a pilot or you don't know anything about flying, you'll love this book. His stories will keep you on the edge of your seat and reading for hours. I usually don't read for fun, but I just couldn't put this book down! Bottom line, you will not regret reading this book!

Flying The Alaska Wild: The Adventures And Misadventures Of An Alaska Bush Pilot by Mort Mason (who has flown more than 18,000 hours over the Alaskan outback bush country) is an amazing collection of true stories from the airborne adventures of an Alaska Bush pilot, who met challenges ranging from dealing with dangerous headwinds, to the hazards of ice on the plane, to participating in search and rescue missions, and more. From cover to cover, Flying The Alaska Wild is an exhilarating and highly recommended account of an exciting occupation that demands steady nerves and a courageous heart.

Flying The Alaska Wild: The Adventures And Misadventures Of An Alaska Bush Pilot by Mort Mason (who has flown more than 18,000 hours over the Alaskan outback bush country) is an amazing collection of true stories from the airborne adventures of an Alaska Bush pilot, who met challenges ranging from dealing with dangerous headwinds, to the hazards of ice on the plane, to participating in search and rescue missions, and more. From cover to cover, Flying The Alaska Wild is an exhilarating and highly recommended account of an exciting occupation that demands steady nerves and a courageous heart.

Mort Mason is akin to a Swiss Army Knife...the biggest one with the most tools. Mason has a solution for any problem that might confront a pilot flying the Alaska Wild. You feel as though you are in totally competent hands when you fly with Mason.

He has escaped the fate of many of Alaska's pilots, i.e.death, by sheer instinct and daring split-second decisions. His book takes the reader soaring over the Alaskan mountain ranges, and expertly landing on tiny slivers of sand or touching down on a narrow gravel spit. We travel at night and in haze through slender mountain passages. We travel by day into sudden wind gusts or unexpected fog.

The planes Mason piloted developed about every mishap possible, yet he had a remedy for each and every one. His brilliant use of twigs to replace lost bolts, newspaper to replace torn cloth on a wing, and his method of hammering straight a bent prop, all leave you in admiration of the control Mason had over his situations. He explains much of the technical jargon of flying, giving the feeling that we are in the plane with Mason at all times.

His expertise extends from medicine to math to astronomy. There seems to be no area in which Mason lacks competency. His love for our largest State is patently apparent, and his knowledge of its lakes and mountains and wildlife is limitless.

Mason's book is an adventurous, thrilling read, in which you will marvel at his escapades and admire his quick thinking.
I was reluctant to come to the last page, wishing for more of Mason's adventures of flying in the Alaska Wild. He has done it all, and miraculously, lived to tell the tale.

mort mason is not a master of prose like faulkner, but he certainly has a lot of stories to tell in plain, good old english. he writes of his exploits that would raise the eyebrows of mainland pilots, tales of flying in very low visibility, of living with the constant danger of flying into mountainsides, or just simply losing one's way. there are stories of being stranded in the frozen wilderness, of performing his own repairs since there isnt anyone else in the area for miles around. mason recalls memorable clients and local personalities, of wonderful fishing spots and hunting grounds. it would be helpful to have a map of alaska and the anchorage area in hand since mason describes his routes along passes and flatlands, and their relative distances. he talks about overloading his cessna taildragger near or beyond the manufacturer's recommendations, and surprisngly flys it without a problem. packing an airplane to its limits, it seems, is an art that all bush pilots must learn. in perspective, one has to keep in mind that his exploits cover many years of flying, and that not every flight results in a memorable event. it's a great read for flyers and even non-flyers. as a mainland pilot, i enjoyed reading about how the other side do their flying. bush pilots, they are a different breed. they push the envelope, and it's all here.

I have always found the outback and wilderness a wonderful place to unwind and let loose of ones inhibition. Reading this book does just that! It puts you in a place were men are men and home is where you make it. Mr. Masons adventures are spectacular story telling and imagineably real. I would recommnend this book to any reader that is looking for an just a great outdoor adventure.

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. ........