A bush pilot is a licensed pilot who specializes in flying in bad weather to remote locations in a small, customized plane. She has always had an unusual appetite for adventure and danger. A bush pilot is usually self-employed, and she gets most of her jobs through social and business connections, as well as her track record of success.
For take-offs and landings, a person in this position usually does not use authorized airfields. She hasn’t used a runway in a long time. A bush plane takes off and lands in remote, rugged terrain that is inaccessible by any land vehicle. A bush plane’s underside is usually equipped with skis, floats, or oversized tires to facilitate such maneuvers.
The term “bush flying” now refers to flying an airplane into any undeveloped, wild, and unsettled area. Where this pilot flies, there are usually no buildings or signs of civilization. The term “bush pilot” is thought to have originated with pilots who flew into the remote areas of southern Africa known as “bush.”
Bush flying is still the most common mode of transport for getting into the Australian Outback and Alaskan and Canadian tundras. The first bush pilots were used in Canada for exploration and development. Bush pilots were primarily used for transportation in Alaska. Today, the most common job for this pilot is to perform a rescue mission.
A bush pilot, unlike a regular pilot, usually holds multiple pilot licenses. She usually gets her private pilot’s license first, then her commercial pilot’s license. An air traffic pilot’s license is usually added to the list because most of these pilots transport passengers. If the training program is pursued full time, it will take almost a year to obtain all three of these licenses. If the licensing is pursued part-time, it can take up to five years.
A bush pilot frequently receives special training after completing the aforementioned education, though it is not required. Some flight schools provide instruction on how to safely operate planes with wheels or floats. Instruction usually includes instructions on how to safely fly in extreme weather and land in unusual locations such as frozen lakes and gravel bars alongside rivers. Precision flying techniques are taught to enable this type of pilot to enter and exit small, confined spaces, as well as navigate a plane through hazardous and often blinding environments and weather conditions.