Gear for the mission
Bush Pilot
Ken Strickler, chief pilot at Alaska Rainbow Lodge, flies sport fishermen throughout the remote Bristol Bay region near the Bering Sea in de Havilland Beaver floatplanes. He coordinates the daily movement of three airplanes using a DeLorme InReach Explorer satellite messenger.
Ken always carries a Delorme InReach Explorer (www.inreachdelorme.com), $380.
Also consider: Spot Gen3 Global Satellite GPS Messenger (www.findmespot.com), $169.95; Spidertracks Spider 3 (www.spidertracks.com), $995
“When weather changes, there’s a mechanical issue, or a guide wants to know the fishing conditions on a portion of the river, we can share that information instantly,” he said. “We’ve got a DeLorme in all three of our airplanes, and we use them every day.”
When a Beaver’s engine blew a cylinder last year and the pilot made a precautionary landing on a remote lake, he notified Strickler via satellite message as soon as the airplane was safely down and secured. Strickler sent another airplane there to pick up the passengers, and he alerted a mechanic who flew to the lake and replaced the cylinder.
“That wouldn’t have been possible without the DeLorme. It’s as essential to our operation as GPS.”
Strickler carries a survival kit, but he keeps in mind that if a floatplane flips or sinks, he may not be able to retrieve it. He keeps the DeLorme in a survival vest. The vest also contains a drinking filter, space blanket, multitool, fire starter, waterproof matches, and batteries.
Gear for the bush pilot
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