Alaska's First Bush Pilots, 1923-30. Jim Rearden

      

      Alaska’s First Bush Pilots,

      1923–30

       And the Winter Search inSiberia for Eielson and Borland

      Alaska’s First Bush Pilots,

      1923–30

       And the Winter Searchin Siberia for Eielson and Borland

      by JIM REARDEN

      Copyright © 2009 by Jim Rearden

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

      The print edition is available from Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Inc. pictorialhistoriespublishing.com

      Library of Congress Control Number 2009938329

      ISBN 978-1-57510-147-7

      ISBN (e-book) 978-0-88240-932-0

      Unless otherwise credited, all photos in this book are from the Noel Wien Collection, courtesy of Richard Wien

      Typography & Book Design Arrow Graphics

      Published by Alaska Northwest Books^® An imprint of P.O. Box 56118 Portland, Oregon 97238-6118 503-254-5591 www.graphicartsbooks.com

      Contents

       Two-page Map of Alaska

       List of Place Names

       Foreword

       Introduction

       Acknowledgments

       BOOK ONE: THE BEGINNINGS

       1. Ben Eielson Arrives at Fairbanks

       2. Noel Wien Arrives at Fairbanks

       3. The Early Years of Wien Airlines

       4. Alaska’s First Bush Pilot

       5. Olaf Swenson, Trader

      6a. Map of Siberia

       6. Flight to Siberia

       BOOK TWO: EIELSON’S EXPLORATION FLIGHTS

       7. Eielson and Wilkins’ 1926 Flights

       8. Eielson and Wilkins’ 1927 Flights

       9. The Flight to Siberia

       10. Flights in Antarctica

       BOOK THREE: THE SIBERIAN CHALLENGE

       11. Travails of the Nanuk; The Hamilton Disappears

       12. The Search for the Hamilton

       13. Recovering the Bodies

       14. Payback Time

       BOOK FOUR: THE REST OF THE STORY

       15. Joe Crosson

       16. Harold Gillam

       17. Ed Young

       18. Frank Dorbandt

       19. Noel Wien, the Later Years

       20. Key Players in the Eielson/Borland Saga

       References

       Appendix

       Index

      ALSO BY JIM REARDEN

      Alaska’s Wolf Man THE 1915–55 WILDERNESS ADVENTURES OF FRANK GLASER

      Sam O. White Alaskan TALES OF A LEGENDARY WILDLIFE AGENT AND BUSH PILOT

      Castner’s Cutthroats SAGA OF THE ALASKA SCOUTS

      The Wolves of Alaska A FACT-BASED SAGA

       Forgotten Warriors of the Aleutian Campaign

      Koga’s Zero THE FIGHTER THAT CHANGED WORLD WAR II

      Slim Moore: Alaska Master Guide A SOURDOUGH’S HUNTING ADVENTURES AND WISDOM

      Jim Rearden’s Alaska FIFTY YEARS OF FRONTIER ADVENTURE

      Travel Air NC9084 THE HISTORY OF A 75-YEAR-OLD WORKING AIRPLANE

      Hunting Alaska’s Far Places FIFTY YEARS WITH RIFLE AND SHOTGUN

      All thirteen of these books can be found in most Alaska book stores. The above ten may be ordered directly from the publisher [phone].

      Arctic Bush Pilot FROM NAVY COMBAT TO FLYING ALASKA’S NORTHERN WILDERNESS

       Tales of Alaska’s Big Bears

      Shadows on the Koyukuk AN ALASKAN NATIVE’S LIFE ALONG THE RIVER