Bush flying

Bush flying is aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally large tires, floats or skis.

Etymology

This term bush has been used since the 19th century to describe remote wilderness area beyond clearings and settlements hence bush flying denotes flight operations carried out in such remote regions.

Purpose

Bush flying is the primary method of access across Northern Canada,Alaska, and the Australian Outback.

History

In Canada, the first real use of bush flying was for exploration and development, while in Alaska, transportation was the main purpose. Later, bush flying became important during rescue operations. Bush pilots are well needed in rescues and are very important for many different things.

Canada

After the 1918 Armistice with Germany, Ellwood Wilson, a Canadian forester employed by the Laurentide Company in Quebec, realized that airplanes could be used to spot forest fires and to map forested areas. Early next year, when Wilson discovered that the U.S. Navy was giving Canada several war-surplus Curtiss HS-2L flying boats, he asked to borrow two. He then hired Captain Stuart Graham to fly the planes. Graham and his engineer, Walter Kahre, then started to fly the first HS-2L to Lac-à-la-Tortue on 4 June 1919, arriving on 8 June 1919. The flight had covered 645 miles, the longest cross-country flight executed in Canada at the time. He then delivered the other HS-2L to Lac-à-la-Tortue.

Bush Pilot

Bush Pilot may refer to:

Bush Pilot (film)

Bush Pilot is a 1947 Canadian-American film directed by Sterling Campbell. The film, produced by Campbell's Dominion Productions, was noted for being one of the first full-length feature films in which a Canadian production company held the primary role.

The movie was filmed predominantly in Toronto, Ontario, with outdoor and flight sequences filmed in the Muskoka region of Ontario.

Plot summary

Red North is a bush pilot in the village of Nouvelle, part of Canada's north. His half-brother, Paul Gerard decides to relocate his bush pilot business to the same lake, competing with Red's business and romantic interests.

Cast

Restoration

Although long out of print, the film was restored by the National Archives of Canada and The Movie Network in the 1990s, and was screened on the Movie Network as a special Canada Day broadcast in 1998.