Bush Pilot

Flying Wild Alaska: What to expect in the second season

You may already have the DVD set of the first season (or maybe you've been catching the reruns this week on Discovery Channel), but for those who have yet to see "Flying Wild Alaska" -- the reality show about bush pilots working for Era Alaska -- here's the chance to catch up with recaps of every episode from the first season before the second season premieres Friday night. Click on the episode's name for an in-depth recap.

Episode 1: "Meet the Twetos"

Get an introduction to a partial cast of characters in the show, including Era Alaska COO Jim Tweto, his wife Ferno and two of their three daughters: Ayla and Ariel. Jim recounts the disturbing story of how he broke his neck in an accident a few years prior, pilot and series regular John Ponts takes a trip to a remote campsite at Kavik with a sole year-round resident, and a situation in Barrow threatens Era's fuel supply there -- and costs the company thousands of dollars every day.

Episode 2: "Life or Death"

This episode follows numerous storylines, including pilot Luke Hickerson's delivery of corrosive, water-purfying chemicals, a low-fuel landing for Jim, and a dicey landing with Era pilot Brett Harris. Most of the episode revolves around a common problem in rural Alaska: the suicide of a young member of a bush community. "It happens so much out here," Ariel says tearfully, "and I'm so sick of it."

Episode 3: "Blow it Up"

This episode is especially good: Era pilot Ben Pedersen, still considered a greenhorn, encounters a moment of terror when a bird strikes his prop mid-flight, splattering gunk all over the wing camera and the windscreen. Meanwhile, back in Unalakleet, Ferno helps pilot and Tweto family friend Doug Doherty bury a "Stink Flipper," a bearded seal paw buried underground until it is appropriately rotten and is considered an Inupiat delicacy. Elsewhere, Jim flies a man named Heimo and his wife Edna to their home in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where they are the only year-round residents. Also in the episode, Doug flies a load of explosive harpoon heads dangerously close to Russian airspace en route to St. Lawrence Island, where they're gearing up for the annual whale hunt.

Episode 4: "Indian Summer"

In this episode, Ponts makes his final trip to the lonely camp in Kavik, where the only resident, Susan Aikens, recounts the story of the time she was attacked by a grizzly bear and had to wait 10 days for a pilot to come and rescue her. When Ponts leaves, she will spend nine months alone in the camp. Jim pays a visit to the company hub in Kotzebue, and Ariel and Ferno use the opportunity to goof around back in Unalakleet.

Episode 5: "Tundra Taxis"

The winds are high in western Alaska, and this episode features a lot of tricky landings, not to mention queasy stomachs. Added to this, Ponts is charged with delivering a wedding cake through all the turbulence. And an apprentice pilot moves beyond the greenhorn stage and has his shirttails cut in honor of the achievement.

Episode 6: "Greenhorn Ben"

In this episode, the inclement weather trend continues, with wind making every landing and takeoff a challenge. We're introduced to pilot Sarah Fraher, John Ponts' girlfriend, who has to transport a dehydrated child in the nasty conditions. Pilot Yuri Ivanoff gets tested to operate a Cessna 208 Caravan, signalling a bump in pay. Ben Pedersen makes the move to Unalakleet to replace Ivanoff in the smaller Cessna 207. Pedersen makes his first off-airport landing in the 207, and encounters two gold prospectors in the lonely Alaska wilderness, who bum a ride at a cost of $700.

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Episode 7: "Deep Freeze"

Winter's coming on in Southwest Alaska, and Doherty is on his way to Fairbanks to drop off a shipment of sled dogs for four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey. And Unalakleet is slammed with a meeting of rural teachers causing logistical headaches for getting everyone out of town and back home for school the next day.

Episode 8: "Bush Brawl"

Ariel, who is in the process of getting trained for her pilot's license, takes a trip with Ponts to work on takeoffs and landings. Ponts has to take over and abort her landing, and Ariel shows some forgetfulness when it comes to telling which dial is the altimeter. Jim and Ferno take a trip together to check on a couple of snowbirds' cabins before winter sets in hard. Elsewhere, Sarah Fraher tries to outrun a stormfront.

Episode 9: "Trick or Tweto"

A Halloween episode, the events take place entirely over the course of Oct. 31. There's a bit of a history lesson, including mention of Alaska bush pilot pioneer Noel Wien, and some discussion of the importance of subsistence hunting in the state. Ponts spends the day strutting around in a specially-ordered chicken costume, carrying out his daily duties while fending off boredom. He makes a flight to Shaktoolik, while Jim heads to a remote dropoff for some hunters. Ariel and Ferno also have a very close encounter with a bear -- but it all works out in the end.

Episode 10: "Goodbye Sun"

It's hard to wrap up a reality show for the season. Even after the cameras are gone, life goes on offscreen. But the onset of winter is a good place to start, especially in Alaska, where the nights get longer and longer. Jim takes his Cessna 180 out for the last time of the season, to pick up a group of hunters and their kill. In Barrow, a bootlegger gets busted when the bottom falls out of a package, revealing alcohol contained inside. Luke Hickerson, on his way back to Barrow, is called off track to help search for a snowmachiner who's gone missing. He spots the man and goes back out with Barrow search and rescue to pick up the hypothermic patient. Ariel and Ferno finally dig up their buried stink flipper and boil it up for consumption. Ariel makes her first successful landing with her dad in the passenger seat.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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