Flights of a Coast Dog: A Pilot's Log

by Jack Schofield

Book by Schofield, Jack

181 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1999

Reviews

[Hella Comat]

First of three titles written by the author/pilot about his career flying float planes on the BC coast. It was a tough grind making a living, especially at first: a freak snowstorm landed heavy snow on his high wing floatplane tied to a dock. The pilot was stuck on the road in the storm and couldn't get to the plane in time, so the weight of the snow on the wings and tail caused it to roll over upside down. They ended up fishing it out slowly to avoid structural damage due to the weight of the water, soaking the instruments in fresh water, sticking the spark plugs and mags into a 4oo degree oven, changing the oil, drying it off, and flying the next day!
Then there was the passenger who said that despite having taken off only twice in a float plane, he'd never landed in one - both flights ended up in crashes, although the passengers were able to swim out of the wrecks.
Lots of great stories netted the author a BC book award.