At the Princess Cruises McKinley Wilderness Lodge next to the 20,320 Alaska Grill there was a Luscombe Silvaire on an imitation ice plinth.
The [Luscombe] Silvaire can make a good pilot look very good, and let the pilot flying it have a ball
Rick Durden
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
By the numbers:
- Top speed – 115 mph
- Horsepower of the engine – 65 hp
- Maximum weight the cabin can hold – 400 pounds
- Range – 370 miles
- Weight of the plane when empty – 665 pounds
Luscombe was a plane manufacturer that I had never heard of before. I looked it up on the Internet and learnt about the history of the manufacturer and the planes.
Around the plane there were notices that detailed the history of Alaskan Bush pilots, this plane and its illustrious owner.
Alaska’s bush pilots
Since their earliest days, Alaska’s bush pilots have earned a reputation for boldness and skill. They have saved lives and connected remote communities for over 100 years.The term “bush” describes areas of remote wilderness. Bush pilots navigate Alaska’s hard-to-reach lands, where cars, trains and boats cannot travel. They fly over – and land on — glaciers, mountains and large ponds. They face storms, avalanches and dangerous mountain peaks.Bush pilots fly hunters and fishers to isolated camps, climbers to mountains and mail to secluded homes. They respond to medical emergencies and rescue people who live far from hospitals. They risk their lives and many have died saving others.
For much of the 20th century, bush pilots flew in fragile planes with little advanced technology. Today’s pilots have better technology and weather forecasting, but the job remains dangerous.
DID YOU KNOW?
Alaska‘s early bush pilots were- legends and they mastered how to fly in the worst of conditions. However, despite their expertise, many of the early bush pilots taught themselves how to fly and never attended flight school.
VISIT HISTORIC TALKEETNA
Talkeetna nestled at the base of Denali, has long been a home for bush pilots. It is known as the jumping off point for climbers preparing to ascend Denali, and it is home to the Talkeetna, Chulitma and Susitna Rivers.
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