"A survey of 100 pilots in the fall 2000 Northern Pilot magazine found that 82 had experienced or had firsthand knowledge of management pressure to fly in conditions they considered unsafe. Seventy-three percent said pressure from passengers can lead to unsafe flying."
The term "management pressure" is kind of vague in my opinion. In the old days, there were direct confrontations and threats from management. Currently the most common type of management pressure is to pass the more challenging flying to the pilots that have proved their willingness to press marginal weather. In other words, if one conservative pilot turns down a flight repeatedly, he'll get "punished" with all the short easy local trips. Most managements definitely value a pilot that will get the job done. But still, in my experience, I put more pressure on myself than any manager. Now pressure from passengers is completely different: They just come right out and tell you, "You suck," if you don't try to get them in somewhere. They hate flying with new pilots for a lot of understandable reasons, but they really have to take part of the blame for any external pressure put on pilots in the bush.
Wardleigh said pilots can pressure themselves to fly because they know they're the only lifeline to remote villages. If they don't fly, someone may die awaiting hospital care.
I have friends that have flown as medivac pilots and friends that have been medivac nurses. It's for this very reason that the nurses don't tell the pilot what the problem is with the patient. It could be a broken finger or a brain aneurism and the nurse doesn't want the pilot performing any heroics trying to save these people.
Despite the danger, having "Alaska" on a résumé wins respect around the hangar. Test pilots generally are considered No. 1 in this unofficial hierarchy, followed by carrier fighter pilots, all other fighter pilots and Alaska pilots.
"A lot of us get killed, but the rest of us are damned good," said Skip Nelson...
What a load of crap!! Bush flying requires certain techniques but these techniques are certainly not out of reach of the average pilot. The only part I agree with here is: "A lot of us get killed." In six years I've known nine people killed in airplane accidents. Just because I didn't kill myself says nothing about my skill. And those that died, well, a few made some bad decisions but the others were also "damned good" too. Give me a break.
Nelson said part of the problem is that few young pilots stay in Alaska more than a year. The ones who do stay usually are running from something or someone, Nelson said, making Alaska sort of "an open-air witness-relocation program."
Then there are the older pilots, the ones who like Alaskan flying and the state's simple life. That means most Alaska pilots are either young and inexperienced or grizzled veterans.
Running from something? Witness-relocation program? Young and inexperienced or grizzled veteran? What in the hell is he talking about? I'm none of that. I came to Alaska for the money and adventure. I'm not a criminal. I'm 33 years old, college educated and voted for Ralph Nader. It just blows my mind what I read sometimes...Fly smart!