Synopses & Reviews
You know those outlandish tales you've heard about the early bush pilots of the Far North? Author Joe Rychetnik, a former Alaska State Trooper turned reporter-photographer and correspondent for Time-Life News Service and United Press International, reveals the humorous truth about an earlier era of aviation when breaking the rules was the rule, when even temperamental airplanes and aerial mishaps had a lighter side, when legends-to-be flew across the huge new state of Alaska. Others have written about the daring and courage of Alaska's special breed of seat-of-the-pants aviators. But hew were witness to the near misses, when all you could do was shake off the fear and laugh when it was over...to the honest miscalculations that made good yarns later...and to the ingenuity and skill that kept the airplanes aloft. Rychetnik collected these storie the hard way. He was there. He flew with the boldest and the best. And his recollections are reminders that truth is stranger than fiction.
Synopsis
This book is full of stories of the daring and courage of Alaska's special breed of seat-of-the-pants aviators. They include the near-misses, when all you could do was shake off the fear and laugh when it was over.
About the Author
Joe Rychetnik was a veteran of the World War II invasion of Okinawa and was a U.S. Marines photographer during the Korean War. He began collecting his Alaska aviation tales after coming to the new state in 1959 as Anchorage bureau chief for United Press International. Following a stint with the Anchorage Daily Times, he switched from reporter to cop, working as state trooper in a far-flung district that included Nome, Kotzebue, and Barro. Back at the TImes in 1964, Rychetnik captured scenes of the devastating Good Friday earthquake in a series of memorable photos. His next career move turned into seven years as Alaska correspondent for Times-Life News Service. Rychetnik later went into public relations work in California. He was the author of BUSH COP, about the Alaska State Troopers.