The Last Bush Pilots

By: Eric Auxier

Narrated by: Thomas Block

"Mayday, mayday! I'm going down, I'm going do- "

Author, airline captain, and popular blogger (capnaux.com) Eric Auxier brings Alaska bush flying to life in his second novel, The Last Bush Pilots. Exhilarating flying, tall tales, and larger-than-life characters abound in a wild land that truly is America's Last Frontier.

Two young pilots, Daniel "D.C." Alva and Allen David Foley, take on the world's most dangerous flying: the Alaska bush. But Mother Nature - and a sexy Native Alaskan - stand in their way.

Southeast Alaska Seaplanes, Juneau: Retired airline captain Chief Pilot Dusty Tucker pilots a renegade band of flying misfits. Meet legendary bush pilot Jake "Crash" Whitakker, equally adept at landing planes and ladies - and "crashin' 'em" as well; prankster pilot Ralph Olaphsen, who once set an extinct volcano ablaze on April Fool's Day; and no-nonsense Check Airman Holly Innes, trying to cut a respectable niche in the notoriously macho bush pilot world - while escaping a dangerous past.

Amid Alaska's soggy skies, D.C. and Allen face escalating challenges in and out of the cockpit. The two cheechackos, or greenhorns, are roped into Crash and Ralph's harebrained scheme, Operation Dirty Harry. Under the suspicious nose of draconian FAA Inspector Frederick Bruner, the pilots hatch a plot to hijack and rescue a planeload of orphaned bear cubs. Moreover, mischievous Tlingit Indian Tonya Hunter, as wild and unpredictable as the land in which she lives, plays the two lovestruck cheechackos against each other.

But the true villain of the story is Mother Nature herself. Alaska's notoriously fickle weather and rugged terrain take on lives of their own. Can the two cheechackos survive her relentless onslaught and launch their fledgling airline careers?

©2012 Eric Auxier (P)2015 Eric Auxier

An entertaining piece of mind candy

It’s clear the author spent a summer flying in Alaska’s Southeast. I found it a good read/listen and especially enjoyed hearing and flying along in my own stomping grounds. I think he did a good job capturing the weather challenges of flying part 135 in SE (as well as some of the technical and regulatory hurtles). As a constructive comment I would offer: Although I enjoyed the readers abilities, I could tell he was a reader only and I would have enjoyed it more had he learned the local pronunciations - it was like listening to a tourist through the whole book without having the benefit of being able to correct pronunciation. And finally, and without bravado, a summer of commercial flying in Alaska does not a Bush Pilot make. Real Bush Pilots have long ago shunned off that title in humility before others start to make that attribution to them. The Bush Pilot is a truly amazing individual - it takes a lot of years, maturity, gas, good fortune, and especially experiential judgement to know you are not yet one.

Narrator Sounds Like a Drunk Airline Pilot

I had to stop listening. The narration is just awful. Maybe the story gets better, but I can’t stick with it to find out.

Engulfing

This book sucks you in like weather does the planes. Makes you want to go fly

Cheesy Story, Terrible Narration

The story is predictable but entertaining. The narration, however, is hardly bearable. Variation of inflections and tone from character to character is minimal, women’s voices are raspy at best, accents are poorly executed, and more. I will be avoiding books read by this narrator in the future.

Excellent book!

I listen to this audiobook in like three days, I was hooked! As a former Alaskan Bush pilot I could not stop listening! I have experience almost all that happened in the book. It was almost like reliving my experience out in the Alaska tundra.

Very edge of seat listening

A little much on the sexuality, I enjoy the in depth and realstic story, but the sex was tii intense.

A Layover In Alaska

Would you listen to The Last Bush Pilots again? Why?

Yes. It was an enjoyable but realistic look into bush flying in Alaska that taught you about the profession while giving you an interesting backdrop of characters, landscapes and interesting, if slow, plot. Listening again would be an enjoyable way to pass the time on a long flight.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's a toss up. But, I think "Crash" is my favorite. He is complex and demonstrates a man with some experience still learning his craft.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I thought the performance was so so. The characters voices didn't vary enough which can make it hard to follow at times and you can hear a few edits here and there. But, that is made up for by the narrator's passion and knowledge of aviation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Due to the slow start I stopped and started a lot. But, the last third of the book or so I listened to in one shot.

Any additional comments?

I really would like to hear a squeal

loved it

this book was engaging and realistic which is what I like. i normally don't read fiction, but happy I did.

hit all the right notes

Anyone, pilots especially, would enjoy this. It's many moments of sky hi, ( or scud low )… adventure are relatable, even if bush flying is something you've only dreamt of. Vivid mental imagery, on the flying side but, thankfully... it's not ALL flying. You'll find rich character development... interpersonal, professional and romantic drama... often in conflict with one another. Just the right amount of irony, with, at times hints of humorous cynicism. The book is just enjoyable, entertaining without taking itself too seriously. ( also nicely narrated, but I typically speed things up to about 1.7... so, your mileage may vary ).

Fun story, odd choice of reader.

It's a fun, easily digestible, story that has enough aviation jargon to keep amateur pilots interested. The choice to have an aged gentlemen with slurred speech and clearly some sort of speech impediment really made the experience strange. Hearing about allegedly dashing pilots in their 30’s and 40’s take part in acts of daring, fraternity, and womanizing was lighthearted fun. Hearing them voiced by a slurring nasal, seemly drunk at times, geriatric was just off putting. The story also could have done well with a few passes to bring together the cohesiveness of the multiple storylines. Great storylines, don't get me wrong, but they just kind of build randomly and then end up as a ten car pileup at the finale.