Last of the Long Hunters
Exploits of a Young Arctic Pilot
by
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Too Many ’Bou
We tack up the Big Canyon and the open plain soon appears, my passenger taken aback at what lay before us in the fading light. The caibou are now stretched along the river, thousands of them, all the way back to the horizon. I figure, “no problem, Mick will have the strip cleared even if he has to shoot them off,” but it was not to be. Looking out as we approached, I see the whole bar moving, Mick is in the corner with tent up waving his hands in exasperation, so I circle and try to get my head around the situation. We have too many ’bou here and light is failing! They have covered all the landing options up and down the canyon!
I try to buzz them away—no deal, all I can do is circle and circle as the light fades, those big bulls waving their racks in disgust as if saying, "You’re in our way here, this is our country!" This situation has now changed for the worse as I watch the fuel needles bouncing off “E.” "Come on, get outta the way!" I say out loud, and finally they start to thin out, only as this party crosses the river. Mick has setup the markers as planned, but it's all a muddled grey/black mass in the fading dusk now, river, gravel and boulders. I setup for landing best I could, the red panel lights in the cockpit are on now, it’s near past dusk so the landing light comes on to with the last of the battery.
Disaster Looms
I line up on the bar flying west into the last glimmer of light, but the markers are not on my side now, they're on the passenger’s because the wind changed. I ask him to call off when he sees them go by, "ok, got it," he says. Good, I think, "a few more seconds and this day will finally be over."
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About the Book
In this story you’ll experience the front seat thrills of bush planes and helicopters operating in the most dangerous conditions on earth in Alaska. Opens with an interesting early history of the 49th State, leading to the eventual use and development of a new tool of transport – the single engine airplane, but not without extracting a terrible price. The author relates his true life experiences growing up in the territory as a youth and in his flying years. Concludes with an encounter that will compel every reader to grapple with its final truth. A must read for every pilot considering flying in or to Alaska with the included flight safety Appendix and useful links included. www.longhunters.org/
About the Author
Mark Rose worked professionally in Alaska aviation for many years. As both a pilot and A&P technician, he worked as a manager of helicopter operations building the 28 mountain communication sites for the Alaska Pipeline, a 3 year 24/7 endeavor, as well as outfitting Arctic hunting expeditions. His experiences in Alaska convinced him that the crust of the Earth had gone through a revolution which aligns fully with the Biblical account of Noah’s Flood, motivating him to author the popular title The Noah Code. www.noahcode.org
What Others Are Saying about Last of the Long Hunters
This book draws you into a great adventure. You easily and vividly imagine you are a part of it, and it’s hard to put it down until you have completed the journey. Last of the Long Hunters combines real-life experiences whose contents could save your life in more ways than one.
—Brent Maule, President of Maule Air, Inc.
Last of the Long Hunters is an excellent read for a short history of Alaska flying and what we often experienced. Mark and I worked together for years on the North Slope and elsewhere in the state. He has covered the adventure of flying and documented the many mistakes that were made and the lessons learned.
—Bob Wigen, retired Era Helicopters chief pilot