The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Anyone see the programs on flying Alaska on National Geo channel on Mon, [10th] night. Some neat scenery and great flying , makes me excited to get there some day.

I recorded the 3 episodes of "Alaska Wing Men" last night and am watching them now. Some of the best I have seen on TV.

Too much skipp'in around and not much meat for me. Obviously not much pilot (effective) input to the editors. Whats with the skipp'in between the DHC2 and the DHT3 ? How dumb do they think pilots are? BUT, Yes! as a 45+ year resident/pilot Alaska is impressive. It somewhat underscores the need for a level head. The Civil Air Patrol has their plate full!!

John
I bet as a resident, you have a completely different view. For me as never visiting Alaska, it seems really neat. I definitely would like to visit and take a flight.
Dan

I missed the show. But can't wait to see it. Don't know what I want to see really. Guess I be judging how real the flying is and how much is faked for the camera.

I think when your closely involved or have expertise with the subject of a TV show you see right through the "made for TV" stuff and tend not to like it.

About two seasons ago there was a new TV show around Emergency Medical Services (EMS). For weeks will we watched the commercials leading up to it and figured it would be a cheesy show. Took less that 5 minutes for me and my crew to call a BIG BS and turned the show off. We were disgusted. I think the helicopter crashed in the second show and by the fourth a patient stole it off the hospital roof. The EMS community was outraged and put enormous pressure on the network and the show was cancelled by the fifth episode but they aired all eight they'd made before it disappeared.

I suspect Alaskan's, specially pilots, won't see this new show the way we do in the lower 48.

There is another series starting this Friday at 9 PM EST on Discovery called "Flying Wild Alaska". If it has airplanes in it, I watch it.

DWood wrote:There is another series starting this Friday at 9 PM EST on Discovery called "Flying Wild Alaska". If it has airplanes in it, I watch it.

There are two shows?

I live in the real Alaska where we don't have cable TV! 33 years!

Tim brings up a point. I wonder how many Alaskan's see these shows?

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Tim brings up a point. I wonder how many Alaskan's see these shows?

TLC announced yesterday that "Sarah Palin's Alaska" will go off the air/cable.
Alaskans may not realize how little they don't see.

I can't wait to see the new "Pilot" show. I was working at a local float outfit last summer and the production point men showed up to see what we were all about. Apparently we were'nt wild enough to waste any film on. I look forward to it as the FAA must be.

Look forward to any of you passing through for a visit. (BEER)

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Tim brings up a point. I wonder how many Alaskan's see these shows?

All I can do is roll my eyes 45+ years!:lol:

gahorn wrote:

Bruce Fenstermacher wrote:Tim brings up a point. I wonder how many Alaskan's see these shows?

TLC announced yesterday that "Sarah Palin's Alaska" will go off the air/cable.
Alaskans may not realize how little they don't see.

The "JUST OFF CAMERA" must be a riot. What a joke!!

Look forward to any of you passing through for a visit. (BEER)

Might just have to take you up on that one of these days.

I have been wanting to go to Alaska for years.

Dan

Like Tim I don't have broadcast TV. What my wife and I watch is mostly movies on the Internet, or DVD's. I could have Dish Network but we choose not to.

Yes, I suppose Alaska pilots view these two new shows differently, just like Alaskans viewed Sarah Palin's show differently than most others.

The problem with reality TV shows is they have to make them exciting enough to interest the general viewer (the general public), not just those who are interested in whatever the activity is. Ice Road Truckers, SP's Alaska, The Most Dangerous Catch, the stupid show about Alaska State Troopers...they all reflect only exciting or controversial moments out of the participants' true lives, which are satisfying but mostly boring.

So it goes with professional Alaskan pilots. Some are here simply to build time to move on to something else. Others love what they do and wouldn't do anything else. But it is still WORK and most days most folks simply look forward to getting home to their loved ones, dinner, or at the very least getting somewhere warm, to their poker game and beer with their buds. I suspect that the shows will not reflect the true reality of their situations, but will be wayyyyyy over-dramatized to cater to the general public who know very little about flying much less being a working pilot.

What I think would be great is more of a One-Six Right type of documentary focusing on the broader spectrum of aviation in Alaska. Perhaps center on Illiamna, or King Salmon, or Juneau, or even Bethel and see all the interesting things which are happening in one airport - be it the 18 year old flying his Dad's shortwing Piper out to the cabin or some of the legacy cargo aircraft still flying supplies up here.

No doubt what WILL be great in these shows is the scenery. I still have to shake my head on every flight be it for work or play to believe what I am seeing is real. For a preview check out the back cover of the Fourth Quarter 170 News