Liability, Insurance, and Safety

Alaska is a frontier land where little protection is provided beyond your own skill and training. Off field instruction is uninsurable, thanks to the reputation of tail draggers in general and Alaska bush flying specifically. Hence, we are largely self insured meaning we have to fix what we break. But for liability protection of our family and yours, you will be required to read and sign an extensive liability release in case an accident resulting in injury or death occurs. It states that you understand the nature and risk of the flying you are getting involved in and you take FULL responsibility. Our agreement with you is not to pursue you or your family for damages in the case of injury or death nor damages to aircraft that are operated in a prudent manner. We expect everyone to operate their aircraft as they have been trained and will only remove a member from PIC duties (or pursue legal action) if they exhibit recklessness or poor judgment. In our state there is very little recklessness primarily because off field operations provide all the challenge and risk most pilots will ever want, and secondarily, our fatality rate takes care of the foolhardy (at 5 times the US average.)

Safety

We operate near icy glaciers and raging rivers in remote mountainous areas miles from any roads or civilization. Though we make every effort to avoid hazards, we carry survival gear on every flight and prepare for unscheduled stays. Though we approach every situation with caution, and train for precise handling, bush flying by it's nature is not risk free. Unseen hazards can damage aircraft and injure occupants. We believe that preparation and training are our best tools to return on schedule, or at least reduce an incident to a unscheduled camping trip. For some pilots, our flying may be too "risky" as no landing or takeoff is ever the same as another. Every movement must be carefully planned and critically considered whether you have been there before or not. On the positive side of the ledger, the dynamic environment in which we operate makes bush flying ON WHEELS the greatest flying in the world. In addition to aviation risks, we share this land with creatures and topography that can be more dangerous than our flying. Consider your risk tolerance carefully before flying anywhere in Alaska, especially off field. We are accomplished risk managers, but, except for the heading of this paragraph, we intentionally do not use the "s-word" to describe bush flying.