Alaskan Bush Pilot Wilderness Survival Techniques

Alaska can be a dangerous place for pilots. Much of the state is mountainous, there is the danger of hitting a bird and damaging the plane or engine (called birdstrike) or a sudden weather front can pop up suddenly, creating a flying hazard. Help is usually far away, but a bush pilot who is prepared for a possible disaster and uses some basic survival techniques has a good chance of surviving an emergency.

Be prepared

• A first aid kit is an important part of emergency preparedness.

  In Alaska, pilots are not allowed to fly unless they are ready for a crash or emergency landing. Alaskan state law (Statute 02.35.110) requires all pilots to carry emergency survival equipment. Equipment for the summer months includes an axe, fire starter, mosquito net head covering for each person, a fishing tackle assortment (line, sinkers, hooks, flies, etc.), a first aid kit and enough food for each person for at least a week. Also required are at least two signaling devices (colored smoke, flares or other similar items). In winter the plane must also carry sleeping bags, snowshoes and wool blankets. In the event of an emergency, the pilot and passengers will be able to survive a minimum of a week in the wilderness. The Department of the Interior also recommends bush pilots wear vests holding waterproof matches, pocketknife, space blankets, whistle, water purification tablets and signal flares, in the event the larger emergency kit is not retrievable after a crash.

Shelter

• Stay with the plane if at all possible.

  In a state where the nighttime temperature routinely drops as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit even in the summer, and well below 0 degrees F in the winter, shelter is essential. Whenever possible, a bush pilot should stay with his plane, taking shelter in it, as he will be much easier to find. If not, he will need to construct shelter as one of his first priorities. According to the book "The Encyclopedia of Survival Techniques," good places to build shelter are against existing features of the land, such as cliff faces, large trees or boulders. Use branches from bushes or trees for insulation. The shelter should be closed on all sides, except for an entrance. Use branches to close the entrance once inside.

Water

• Even water that looks clean may be contaminated.

  Even more essential than food is water. Although Alaska has many lakes and rivers, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources cautions that much of the surface water in Alaska is contaminated with giardia, and organism which is carried by beavers and other mammals. Giardia causes intestinal upset, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramping and fatigue. Snow banks, especially in summer, may also be contaminated with giardia. To prevent this illness it is important to boil drinking water for at least two minutes. An alternative treatment is to disinfect the water with chemical purification tablets (carried as part of the emergency kit), or to use a small, portable water filter which filters out everything down to 5 microns in size.