Coffee In A Hangar

Sponsor: sportaircraftseats.comJohn Bishop came to Alaska with the Air Force as a teenager and spent his life flying here. He was an Alaska bush pilot in Super Cubs, Cessnas and float planes, trapped two winters in a wall tent in the Wrangell Mountains, and went on to fly for Northern Consolidated and Wien Air Alaska, from Convairs and F-27s to the Boeing 737, with over 20,000 hours of flying time.This is a conversation about the bush flying lessons the old timers passed on to John, the little secrets he says kept him alive when he was a young pilot in Alaska. Pull up a chair in the hangar and hear the stories behind them.John flew a Super Cub on floats out of Tangle Lakes, then counted the Nelchina caribou herd from the air: around 188,000 animals, swarming as far as you could see. Landing a ski plane at 25 below in the middle of the herd, he was pouring gas into the wing when he felt something and looked down to find a caribou licking his mukluk.Before GPS, bush flying meant pilotage and tricks handed down from pilot to pilot: aim 20 miles to one side of a village so you know which way to turn, follow a drainage downstream if you're lost, and if you can see individual rocks from 200 feet, they're too big to land on. On his first trip to Barrow, with about 400 hours, one look over his shoulder kept him from flying out over the Arctic Ocean.Flying the mail out of Bethel in a beat-up Cessna 185 bush plane, hundreds of pounds over gross, John timed his takeoffs to the ebb tide with the floats completely under water. An old timer named Eddie taught him how to get a float plane on the step, and a tiny pond on top of a hill taught him about STOL landings and takeoffs the hard way: a STOL takeoff with full flaps, kissing the tundra into ground effect.Born in Syracuse, New York in 1939, John got his first airplane ride at eight in a Piper PA-12, a cousin of the Piper Cub, and was hooked. His family's story is that his uncle tuned the ignition on Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis the night before the flight to Paris. At 19, as an Air Force tower controller at Eielson, he was checking out military pilots in the aero club's Cessna 140 and Super Cub. He also tells the story of spinning a 1935 Stinson SR-5 with full flaps, and the one thing that got it out.From the bush to the airlines: an engine fire on takeoff in a Convair 440 with a captain the flight attendants called "Sleeping Moses", an engine that blew apart climbing out of Seattle, and how Wien got the Boeing 737 certified for gravel runways in Alaska aviation, right down to the "ski" on the nose wheel.If you love flying, bush planes, tailwheel and backcountry flying, STOL, general aviation and aviation history, subscribe to Coffee In a Hangar, the aviation podcast of pilot stories told by the pilots who lived them.

Sponsored by: https://sportaircraftseats.com/Neil's Book: https://a.co/d/0aCmcF10Our website: Coffeeinahangar.comIn this episode of the Coffee in a Hangar podcast, I sit down with Neil Hansen (author of Flight: An Air America Pilot Story of Adventure, Descent, and Redemption) for one of the most jaw-dropping conversations we’ve ever had. Neil’s story spans everything from high-risk flying in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, to the hidden world of Air America and the CIA, and the kind of missions that never made the nightly news.We talk about flying the C-123 aircraft on low-level airdrop runs, what “hard rice” really meant, why Neil changed the way he approached airdrops to survive, and what happens when you’re hit, lose control, and have to make decisions that most pilots will (thankfully) never face.Neil also shares how his life took a dark turn after returning home—leading into Drug Smuggling, the money, the danger, the consequences, and the redemption that followed.If you’re into aviation history, Southeast Asia-era stories, or the mindset of pilots who operated on the edge of the envelope—this one is for you.Subscribe for more long-form pilot stories, hard-earned lessons, and conversations you won’t hear anywhere else.

Bob Breeden is a recreational backcountry Super Cub pilot that has been flaying for 38 years in Alaska and beyond. In this episode of the Coffee In A Hangar Podcast he shares how he has safely navigated the dangerous sport of off airport mountain flying. From landing on the moving surface of high mountain glaciers in Alaska to ridge lines in Patagonia and waterfalls in Iceland, he has done it all in a "sanitary" and safe way.

Sponsor: sportaircraftseats.comjoin our email list: coffeeinahangar.comTy Christensen joins us for one of the most skill-focused episodes we’ve ever recorded. As one of the most talented young Super Cub pilots in Alaska, Ty breaks down how he manages energy, evaluates risk, and teaches new pilots the fundamentals of flying in the backcountry.In this conversation, we dig into what it really takes to fly a Super Cub precisely and safely in off-airport terrain. Ty shares his approach to bush landings, reading terrain, dealing with unexpected variables, and the techniques he drills into students who want to fly the Alaska wilderness with confidence.In this episode:How Ty became one of Alaska’s most capable young bush pilotsManaging energy in a Super CubRisk assessment and how to stay ahead of the airplaneWhat Ty teaches new pilots about backcountry flyingBush landings: approaching different terrain and conditionsReal stories and lessons from training and off-airport operations🎙 More episodes of Coffee In a Hangar: https://www.youtube.com/@AirplanesInTheWild🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65F0iLDmQCpiyzdoaVUypvSafety note:This podcast contains personal accounts from professional pilots in unique environments. These stories are not training guidance. Always follow current regulations, and get qualified instructionComment your favorite moment, a lesson you’re taking into your own flying, or who we should interview next.Hashtags:#AlaskaAviation #BushFlying #SuperCub #BackcountryFlying #PilotTraining #AviationPodcast #CoffeeInAHangar #TyChristiansen

Sponsor: sportaircraftseats.comjoin our email list: coffeeinahangar.com Frank Knapp: STOL Champion, Innovator, and Alaska Bush PilotIn this episode of Coffee In a Hangar, we sit down with Frank Knapp, one of the most recognized names in the short takeoff and landing (STOL) community. Frank opens up about what it takes to win STOL competitions, the mindset behind his success, and gives us an inside look at the new airplane he’s been building from the ground up.He shares his tuning tricks, setup details, flying techniques, and a few stories that show why Alaska’s backcountry flying is unlike anywhere else in the world.In this episode:Frank’s journey into STOL flyingThe flight techniques that separate winners from the packInside Frank’s new airplane build — design, challenges, and goalsHow the Alaska flying environment shaped his approach✈️ Watch more Coffee In a Hangar episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@AirplanesInTheWild🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/65F0iLDmQCpiyzdoaVUypvTimestamps:0:00 – Intro0:45 – Secrets of winning STOL competitions15:00 – Inside his new airplane build39:30 – Sport aircraft seats44:30– History of Franks Flying59:00 – Sharing StoriesSafety note:This podcast contains personal accounts from professional pilots in unique environments. These stories are not training guidance. Always follow current regulations, and get qualified instructionComment your favorite moment, a lesson you’re taking into your own flying, or who we should interview next.#STOL #AlaskaAviation #BushFlying #FrankKnapp #PilotInterview #BackcountryFlying #AircraftBuild