C-208 Down near Bethel, Alaska

Roger Roger said:
Yeah. Guys that haven't sat at the company office waiting to hear from an overdue plane and knowing they never will. Guys that haven't gotten the certified letter from the FSDO.

Like one of my co workers says, it's all fun and games until you wake up in the hospital with your jaw wired shut, missing a leg, and wondering how many people you killed.
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Reality can be a b*tch. Accidents happen, and will always happen. Things break, wx changes much faster than forecast, etc. I've no clue what happened in this wreck, nor do I have the stomach to theorize or second guess or spread/listen to rumors. These always hits close to home. But with all of the lessons learned over the past 70 plus years of aviation in Alaska there is no reason to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Be careful out there everyone.
 
Roger Roger said:
Well, some of the stuff I heard from an ex-Era guy we had fly for us last summer gave me a pretty good idea of some of the issues. But I'd understand if you'd rather not air that stuff on a public board.
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I appreciate that. I have been with the company for a very short time and trying to get a feel for things.
 
I flew for hageland 2 years.....they pay great...and offer good time off. The downside is they dont give a crap about rules. The "old school" guys are the root of the problem. Bootleg IFR, bustin weather mins....shooting approaches to the deck.....flying over weight....and other antics. There is very much an alive and well macho cowboy attitude at H6. Including a drinking buddy test.....Add in the fact that most pilots are native....it brings in new challenges to an already troubled culture. I watched it every day i worked...including pressure from OPS if you didnt fly. Look at all the recent accidents or incidents. The 2 1900s that got bent....one for trying to go below vis mins and falling short of the runway up on the slope....then there was the crash in savoonga due to low vis and winds gusting to 75. The 207 cfit near newtok.....the st marys caravan crash ( i was working that night). Things are starting to change...but not fast enough.
 
Akbush said:
I flew for hageland 2 years.....they pay great...and offer good time off. The downside is they dont give a crap about rules. The "old school" guys are the root of the problem. Bootleg IFR, bustin weather mins....shooting approaches to the deck.....flying over weight....and other antics. There is very much an alive and well macho cowboy attitude at H6. Including a drinking buddy test.....Add in the fact that most pilots are native....it brings in new challenges to an already troubled culture. I watched it every day i worked...including pressure from OPS if you didnt fly. Look at all the recent accidents or incidents. The 2 1900s that got bent....one for trying to go below vis mins and falling short of the runway up on the slope....then there was the crash in savoonga due to low vis and winds gusting to 75. The 207 cfit near newtok.....the st marys caravan crash ( i was working that night). Things are starting to change...but not fast enough.
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Being native has what effect now? I've worked with plenty of Native Alaskans that are great pilots and stand up guys, so to lump them in with everything that's wrong at Hageland is beyond offensive.
 
Akbush said:
The downside is they dont give a crap about rules.
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Them's fightin' words!

Akbush said:
The "old school" guys are the root of the problem. Bootleg IFR, bustin weather mins....shooting approaches to the deck.....flying over weight....and other antics. There is very much an alive and well macho cowboy attitude at H6.
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Those are pretty strong accusations. No doubt guys have been between a rock and a hard place, but blatant disregard for the regs is not the norm.

Akbush said:
Add in the fact that most pilots are native....
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That claim is factually incorrect and it sounds prejudiced.

Akbush said:
pressure from OPS if you didnt fly.
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If you felt pressure from WR or the counter girls it might have been a personal problem. WR does not push people out the door in bad WX.

Akbush said:
( i was working that night).
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This comment pretty much confirms who you are. You had some bum experiences in KSM, particularly with TH's accident. Seeing the casualties from that must have been particularly rough. But seeing disturbing stuff happens to everyone - whether it's car accidents, disease, natural disasters, etc. It may sound callous, but whether or not a person flies from a bush station that they don't like, bad things happen to folks.

Running down your past employer isn't the way to go. If you have lingering issues, especially from TH's accident, you may get some relief by talking to a counselor: sometimes reviewing things with an independent third party is a good way to put unpleasant experiences behind you.

All the best,
 
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I spent a decade in fire and EMS....i have seen many dead bodies in my day there guy....So many i cant count anymore. I in fact wasn't in st. Mary's that night...i was in bethel. Im not making accusations of anything...but speaking truth from what i saw there. The truth is not to make false accusations. Most everyone out in the delta flies vfr in IMC.....don't deny it.....and BS....they do show blatant disregard.....stop denying that fact too. And the native comment was to prove a point....that they do that crap because none of them have ever flown in the "real world" where you fly properly....therefore contributing to part of the problem. If you dont ever have fresh insight.....the culture never changes does it? The blind keep leading the blind.
 
in fact I hope the FAA yanks the Hageland certificate.....and i will gladly testify as a professional witness to the cowboy behavior that goes on within that place. I have already been debating calling the FSDO to offer information. The illegal stuff needs to stop. Its not acceptable. While its not everyone....its the majority not the minority.
 
Akbush, you seem to have a chip on your shoulder and are clearly convinced that you have a monopoly on the truth. We will have to agree to disagree. I hope your interview with the railroads is successful: perhaps you will find greater satisfaction there.
 
Wow, shiz got real in here. Suffice to say I have my own opinions from the outside looking in but this isn't the time or medium for sharing those.
 
Capt. Chaos said:
I saw a Martin Air van in KTN today, said he was on the way to Palmer to swap out engines with the Blackhawk birds. Going back to the 675's?
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Yep, sure are. Do not know the reasoning behind. The pilots like the performance of the blackhawk mod. As a mechanic the cowling setup is a pain.
 
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