Flying Wild Alaska series finale

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Jim Logajan

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So it took Ariel two years and over 60 hours (according to the narrator, if I heard correctly) and a checkride with an FAA examiner to get her certificate.

She did well to pass, since the FAA statistics show pass rates are higher with DPEs than with FAA examiners.

Not sure why they showed the non-ERA guys landing on the glacier - are they going to start a show using them as a focus?
 
I wondered that very same thing about the non era guys being shown on the episode. That would be great if it were true. I really enjoyed watching Flying Wild Alaska and am bummed that it seems like it's over. It was really a good show and enjoyable to watch each episode. Hope that some show emerges to take its place if Friday's episode was in fact the end of Flying Wild Alaska.
 
The teaser for the final episode made it sound like Jim Tweto is going to retire from his management role. If true, it may have something to do with the end of the show.
 
Nice of Juice to teach Ariel how to use the radios after her 400 mile cross country. Sounds like Juice needs a good hard spanking. By the FAA of course.
 
I'm guessing the next FWA will no longer be about Era or the Twetos but about the 2 non Era guys.
 
ScottJ said:
It was disapointing to hear that the series is ending. It was good Friday night television. Did Jim sell or just hire a manager and retire?

Regarding the pass rates on pilot exams from the FAA vs. a DPE... there is very little difference in the pass/fail rates. Some are higher, some are lower. See Table 19 http://www.faa.gov/data_research/aviation_data_statistics/civil_airmen_statistics/2011/
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Sounds like the PTS is fulfilling its intended purpose.

As for the purported end of the series, somebody posted that they got a tweet from Ariel that a possible fourth season is being discussed, or something to that effect, so it sounds like it's up in the air, if you'll pardon the expression.
 
Palmpilot said:
Sounds like the PTS is fulfilling its intended purpose.

As for the purported end of the series, somebody posted that they got a tweet from Ariel that a possible fourth season is being discussed, or something to that effect, so it sounds like it's up in the air, if you'll pardon the expression.
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I sure hope so. Even if it does skew away from Era a little bit, it's a great show, especially with regard to GA awareness. I'd be curious to it's effect in getting people interested in GA or even clearing up some myths about small aircraft:yikes:
 
I thought it was the "season ender" not the "show ender"

Before Flying Wild Alaska, Ariel was a contestant on the ABC game show Wipeout in 2008 and 2009.

I expect we'll see her on other reality shows -- maybe Survivor or Amazing Race, or, heaven forbid, Dancing with the Stars.

Is anyone watching Ice Pilots NWT (Buffalo Airways.) I like that show a lot, too.
 
tinerj said:
I thought it was the "season ender" not the "show ender"
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In the show and in their schedule description it is described as the series finale:

"In the series finale, after 30 years of running Era Alaska, Jim Tweto sets his eye on a new path. Doug loses all avionics while flying over the North Slope. Ariel comes face to face with the FAA in the last step of getting her pilot's license."
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=1.16862.26262.40219.x

Before Flying Wild Alaska, Ariel was a contestant on the ABC game show Wipeout in 2008 and 2009.

I expect we'll see her on other reality shows -- maybe Survivor or Amazing Race, or, heaven forbid, Dancing with the Stars.

Is anyone watching Ice Pilots NWT (Buffalo Airways.) I like that show a lot, too.
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I have not seen Ice Pilots because I don't get the National Geographic channel.

The most interesting segments of FWA for me were those involving bush piloting. Such as when Jim Tweto took the climbers to the mountains. Scouting for landing spots, delivery, pick-up, and some mountain climbing all seemed to hold my interest. Definitely helped that there was a sense of camaraderie between Jim and the climbers.

I also thought that episodes that dealt with some of the local culture were interesting - such as whale hunting. I thought they handled that well. (I've been to Barrow Alaska as a tourist several years ago; the young guide we had seemed excited by the next season's whale hunt.)

The problem with focusing on ERA is that if it is a well run airline, it should be as exciting as watching paint dry.

If someone does a series with the kind of flying that is described in the bio of Don Sheldon in "Wager with the Wind" by James Greiner, I'd be very interested.
 
They also have Hurricane Hunters on TWC which is based on AF Squadron at Keesler AFB chasing hurricanes. They fly into some nasty weather.
 
Funkeruski said:
Nice of Juice to teach Ariel how to use the radios after her 400 mile cross country. Sounds like Juice needs a good hard spanking. By the FAA of course.
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This. I was gonna mention that. I'd let it slide that they showed segments to of sequence except that Ariel did screw up the radio use on he XC.

Only Ariel could get airsick on the ground.

Then trust Ariel to spot thicker ice to cross the river "20 to 30 feet from where you are." :yikes:

tinerj said:
...Is anyone watching Ice Pilots NWT (Buffalo Airways.) I like that show a lot, too.
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Yeah. I like Ice Pilots NWT. I haven't picked up shows from National Geographic but I'm catching up on the ones on the Weather Channel.

Mikey is not as dumb as some think. I was impressed by him spotting the Canadair Tanker in Venezuela, although I strongly suspect here was a lot more to that. What if they got a ferry permit from Venezuela and didn't bring it to Canada?
 
ainokea said:
They also have Hurricane Hunters on TWC which is based on AF Squadron at Keesler AFB chasing hurricanes. They fly into some nasty weather.
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Yes, it seems like a big deal for the AF to fly into winds that are nearly an every day experience in winter for the folks flying in Alaska. At least they don't have to deal with ice. :)
 
mikea said:
Then trust Ariel to spot thicker ice to cross the river "20 to 30 feet from where you are." :yikes:
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Given what the family business consists of, I would have to assume that she had been seeing what different thicknesses of river ice look like from the air for a LOT longer than she had been a student pilot. I would also assume that once she located the thickest patch for him, he probably tested the ice thickness the same way he did at the first spot.
 
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Just got caught up with FWA Season 3. The only thing I don't like is they don't do the pre-landing checklist.

It motivates me to want to go flying though. 2 weeks is too long! :)
 
Got my very own C-46 Commado T-shirt from Buffalo. :D

If they run true to form with other Cable Series, I would expect to see a "Marathon" of FWA and Ice Pilots eventually. Might even show up on DVD.

Cheers
 
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