The Ice Pilots Flying with the Mavericks of the Great White North

by Vlessides, Michael

• ISBN13: 9781553659396
• ISBN10: 1553659392
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-02-21
• Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre

Summary

A nail-biting tour through the North alongside the legendary ice pilots, whose story created an international television sensation. Based on the top-rated TV show now airing on History Channeland Global TVin Canada, and in eleven other countries around the world, The Ice Pilotsfollows a group of pilots in Yellowknife, Canada, and the extraordinary adventures of the most unorthodox flyboys on earth. Renegade Arctic airline Buffalo Airways defies the cold and the competition by using World War 2-era propeller planes to haul vital fuel, supplies and passengers to remote outposts across the world's last great wilderness of northern Canada. From rookie pilots trying to earn their wings in dangerous conditions to vintage planes that flew over Normandy on D-Day, The Ice Pilotsbrings its readers on an engaging romp through Arctic skies. The intrepid Michael Vlessides-- the writer behind Les Stroud's bestselling Survivorman books -- braves bone-chilling temperatures, treacherous landings and iconic owner "Buffalo" Joe McBryan's famous temper to capture behind-the-scenes stories about the ice pilots, the crew, the passengers and the communities they serve. Weaving in history about bush pilots, plane crashes and the north, Vlessideshas crafted an entertaining, informative narrative about aviation: the lifeline of this remote and icy world.

Author Biography

Michael Vlessides is the writer behind adventurer Les Stroud’s bestselling Survivorman books including Survive: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere. A graduate of New York University’s School of Journalism, Vlessides is the former editor of Up Here magazine in Yellowknife, where his office was next door to Buffalo Airways, and his work has been published in North America’s top outdoor magazines. He lived for six years in the Arctic and now lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Arrivals	p. 7
The Inner Sanctum	p. 27
The Knife	p. 43
The Family Business	p. 67
Rampies	p. 83
Flyboys	p. 103
The Land Before Time	p. 123
A Bush Pilot Is Born	p. 145
Flying the Wild	p. 167
Hay River	p. 193
Finding Chuck	p. 209
Summer Days	p. 227
Departures	p. 253
Acknowledgements	p. 267
Photo Credits	p. 271
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.