British Columbia History Vol. 38 No. 4 2005
Mike Higgs, retired Canadian Pacific pilot
Land Here? You Bet! Is the work of Sunny Fader, a professional author and writer in many fields. She was a friend of the Huntley family for five years before the death of Edward Huntley in 1996. He was then a retired Captain of Delta Airlines, and his story, told in her words, is a zestful and evocative return to the days of basic bush-flying in the early fifties.
Here is the case where enthusiasm became almost obsession, and the narrative carries us smoothly from the teen-ager working long, long hours to pay for his flying lessons, to the skilled and experienced arctic pilot of a few years later. The adventures are colorful, as are the excellent illustrations, and they follow each other like beads on a string: unexpected landings in the wilderness, contract flying for the Coast and Geodetic Survey, adventures with bear and moose, helicopters and storms, appalling weather and engine problems, fuel shortages and breakdowns. The almost boyish good nature of the young pilot, and the first-rate detail in the story, are fascinating. Read this? You bet! |
