Why We Fly

Instructing in the Alaskan wilderness

There are those who dare to dream, and those with daring dreams. Flight instructor Drew Haag fits the latter category. To be the one in the backseat teaching others to fly a tailwheel-equipped airplane requires skills similar to those of a lion tamer, trapeze artist, stuntperson--and sometimes magician. For starters, the rear seat offers no instruments, no access to flaps or carburetor heat. Most challenging is the fact that you cannot see what is in front of you. The view from the side window plays a significant role in the takeoff and landing phases of flight. There are dual rudder pedals and a stick in the back of Haag's blue-and-white 1960 Champion Aircraft 7HC Champ, however, and he lets the student learn by trial and error.

Further differentiating Haag's flight instruction is that he provides it in the Alaskan wilderness. What better place to teach people who fantasized about landing a bush plane on gravel bars and remote strips?

Haag saw the need for a flight school specializing in tailwheel instruction and founded Above Alaska Aviation in a community steeped in aviation history and lore.

His job is to assess the degree of the student's error while it is happening, and know when to jump on the controls so he can prevent the airplane from ground looping. Flight instructing can be stressful, yet as the skills of flying evolve with time, so do the skills of being the backseat back-up driver. It takes a special kind of person to manage the chaos involved in allowing someone to really learn what happens when the swerve begins.

Perhaps being a mechanic helps. Haag keeps a close eye on preventative maintenance, and as an airplane and powerplant mechanic with inspection authorization, he holds the highest standard for maintaining the Champ and its 140-horsepower Lycoming engine.

Above Alaska Aviation takes it a step beyond private pilot training and taildragger techniques. The Talkeetna area has the highest concentration of remote landing strips in the world, and three rivers--the Talkeetna, the Susitna, and Chulitna--offer numerous gravel bars for practice. Accessible unimproved airstrips make an ideal training ground for "want to be" bush pilots.

"One of the highlights of my work is to see the look on people's faces as they step out of the aircraft and feel the vastness of remote wilderness," Haag said. "When we see bear, moose, or caribou, people get to see something that they never have experienced." That includes flying over the Kahiltna and Ruth glaciers and learning about mountain flying in the Alaska Range, considered one of the most rugged ranges in the world.

There are no limitations to what you can do with Haag. A client from Hong Kong wanted to fly to the Arctic Ocean in the Champion. So they did. If you look at a map of Alaska, Talkeetna to Prudoe Bay is a considerable distance in an airliner. The geography can be intimidating to the capabilities of the Champ, which cruises at 100 mph with an endurance of six and one-half hours. Instead, with extensive research and flight planning--and a thoughtfully packed airplane--they took off on the 10-day trip. "I get to explore the huge state of Alaska, which is mind blowing. Density altitude, unpredictable weather, fuel burn, changing terrain, 40-knot headwinds, weight and balance, and did I say weather? You've got to know what you're doing and know the limitations of the aircraft so you don't get into trouble."

As a business owner, the flying is the fun part while running the business is 24/7. "It's all I do, but I enjoy the freedom of being my own boss," Haag said. "And the flying really keeps me on my toes. I knew I wanted to fly for a living in Alaska, where the wilderness and backcountry flying is so exceptionally rugged and awesome," he explained.

By Katie Writer

Katie Writer is a CFII in Talkeetna, Alaska, for Alaska Floats and Skis. She is a freelance writer and photographer.