Alright, I’m speaking up on this one, though I am a bit surprised to see this on here. I knew the guy, his wife, and daughters. Though not well in recent years. He gave me my first flying job up here in AK. I worked for the company for 4 years, and for years afterwards, would wonder over and say Hi whenever I was in UNK. Jim taught me, and dozens of others, much of what we know about flying little airplanes in the bush. He would have us lowly pilots over for family dinner every night we were in ”town”. Hell of a guy, we lost a good one… As well has the guide with him, though I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing the guy, friends of mine do. The respective communities are hurting right now.
As far as the armchair quarterbacking I’m sure will come. You.don’t.know.shit. Also, fuck you. Until the investigation comes out, even the reports I have from other pilots in the area at the time, paint an inaccurate picture at best. Off airport operations is an art, more akin to the barnstormers of the 1920’s & 30’s, not the science of a certified airport. Paved, gravel, or otherwise. Unless you’ve done it, it’s hard to understand.