A bush pilot is a certified flier of an aircraft, normally a small, customized plane, who specializes in flying in adverse weather conditions into remote geographical areas. She traditionally has an unusually high desire for adventure and danger. A person who works as a bush pilot is typically self-employed and lands most jobs through social and business connections and her reputation for success.
A person with this job normally does not use authorized airfields for take-offs or landings. She traditionally uses no runway at all. A bush plane typically takes off and lands in remote, rough terrain not reachable by any type of land vehicle. To facilitate such maneuvers, a bush plane is normally equipped with skis, floats or oversized tires on its underside.
Today, the term bush flying commonly refers to flying an aircraft into any undeveloped area that is wild and unsettled. There are normally no buildings or signs of civilization where this pilot flies. The term is generally believed to have originally referred to pilots who flew into the remote areas of southern Africa, commonly referred to as bush.
Bush flying is still the most common form of transportation used to get into the Australian Outback and the tundra of Alaska and Canada. A bush pilot was first used in Canada for the purposes of exploration and development. Alaska’s main use of bush pilots was for transportation. The most common job for this pilot today normally involves a rescue operation.
Unlike a regular pilot, a bush pilot traditionally has multiple pilot licenses. She normally first obtains a private pilot’s license followed by a commercial pilot’s license. Since most of these pilots transport passengers, an air traffic pilot’s license is typically added to the list. It takes almost a year to get all three of these licenses if the training program is pursued full time. Up to five years is required if the licensing is pursued on a part-time basis.
Although not mandatory, a bush pilot frequently receives special training after completing the aforementioned education. Some flight schools offer classes in how to effectively operate planes equipped with wheels or floats. Instruction also typically includes directions on how to safely fly in highly unusual conditions and land in aberrant places like 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 and maneuver a plane through treacherous and often blinding environments and weather conditions.