Flying Wild Alaska
| Flying Wild Alaska | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Discovery Channel |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Production locations | Alaska, United States |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Discovery Channel (2011-Present) |
| Release | January 14, 2011 – present |
| Related | |
| Gold Rush Alaska | |
Flying Wild Alaska is a documentary television series that airs on Discovery Channel.
The show features the Tweto Family from Unalakleet, Alaska who run a division of the Alaska airline Era Alaska. They operate the hub operations from Unalakleet. It also features other segments from their bases in Barrow, Deadhorse and others. [1]
Cast
Tweto Family
- Jim Tweto the COO of the airline, was born in Wichita, Kansas, but his family moved to Silver Bay, Minnesota shortly after his birth. He then moved to Anchorage, Alaska at the age of 18 with a hockey scholarship for the University of Anchorage in Alaska. Shortly after moving, he realized his true passion was aviation, and in 1980 moved to Unalakleet, Alaska where he met his wife Ferno Tweto. He became the COO of Era when they merged, becoming the largest regional airline in Alaska.[2]
- Ferno Tweto the Unalakleet station manager and wife of COO Jim Tweto was born in Anchorage and raised in Unalakleet. Ferno is also a pilot, earning her pilot license from a school in Everett, Washington in 1981. Ferno met Jim when he came to Unalakleet in 1980, and they got married eight years later in 1988. They have worked together side by side ever since, and now have two daughters. [3]
- Ariel Tweto is part of the Unalakleet ground crew, and was Jim and Ferno's first child. Like her mother, she ran cross country and has run every day since May 2002.[4] She was also a contestant on the ABC game show Wipeout in 2008 and 2009. [5]
- Ayla Tweto, like her sister, is part of the ground crew. Now living in Anchorage she is studying to be a paramedic. She visits the rest of her family in Unalakleet every weekend, and has her private pilots license. [6]
Others
The show also features other various pilots from cities all around Alaska.
Episodes
Season 1 (2011)
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (1) | "Meet the Twetos" | January 14, 2011 | |
|
In the frigid Alaskan town of Unalakleet, the Twetos and their family-run airline Era Alaska Aviation battle the arctic elements to transport supplies and passengers to some of the most non-accessible spots in North America.[7] | |||
| 2 (2) | "Life or Death" | January 21, 2011 | |
|
Pilot Luke Hickerson transports dangerous chemicals from Barrow to the remote village of Atqasuk. In Unalakleet, the cold and dark winter causes its first death and Jim must make arrangements to transport the casket. [8] | |||
| 3 (3) | "Blow it Up" | January 28, 2011 | |
|
In a dangerous mission, pilot Doug Doherty flies along Russian airspace to transport volatile explosives to the island of St Lawrence. In Unk, pilot Ben slams into a large bird in the middle of his flight. | |||
| 4 (4) | "Indian Summer" | February 4, 2011 | |
|
Unseasonably warm weather sends Jim up to the Brooks Range to look for potential landing strips. Ferno and Ariel prepare an Eskimo feast for returning pilot John Ponts and the week ends with an icy plunge into the Unalakleet River. | |||
| 5 (5) | "Tundra Taxis" | February 11, 2011 | |
|
In Bethel, construction crews race to finish ERA's newest hangar before the unforgiving winter snows arrive. But when Jim flies in to inspect the progress, he is far from happy. In Unalakleet, fierce crosswinds blow John Ponts' tiny 207 all over the sky. | |||
| 6 (6) | "Greenhorn Ben" | February 18, 2011 | |
|
Pilot Yuri Ivanoff trains in Bethel for a potential promotion to fly the 208 Caravan. But danger strikes when heavy ice forms on the wings. In Unalakleet, weeks of rain force Jim to do a river landing and a greenhorn comes on board during some of the worst weather to fly. | |||
| 7 (7) | "Deep Freeze" | February 25, 2011 | |
|
Era Alaska makes a special canine delivery to four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey in Fairbanks. After the first snow in Unalakleet, Jim and Ferno cope with an influx of schoolteachers on their busiest day of the year. | |||
| 8 (8) | "Bush Brawl" | March 4, 2011 | |
|
A dangerous frozen river landing leaves Jim and Ferno skating on thin ice, while Ariel's flying lessons end in disaster. The biggest snowstorm of the season hits, shutting down all of Western Alaska and leaving several Era pilots up in the air. | |||
| 9 (9) | "Trick or Tweto" | March 11, 2011 | |
|
Halloween in Alaska brings vicious crosswinds that wreak havoc on Era's small planes. Ariel hopes to learn the family business in Unk, but a power blackout tests her abilities when she takes over as station manager. | |||
| 10 (10) | "Goodbye Sun" | March 18, 2011 | |
|
The approaching winter darkness fuels a mass exodus from Unalakleet. In Barrow, a bootlegger attempts to smuggle in illegal liquor and Luke races to complete a daring rescue before the sun sets for two months straight. | |||
Season 2
It's official there will be a Season 2 of Flying Wild Alaska
References
- ^ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/about-show.html
- ^ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/bios/jim-tweto-bio.html
- ^ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/bios/ferno-tweto-bio.html
- ^ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/bios/ariel-tweto-bio.html
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3573025/
- ^ http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/flying-wild-alaska/bios/ayla-tweto-bio.html
- ^ Discovery Channel, Flying Wild Alaska, About Page [1]
- ^ Discovery Channel, Flying Wild Alaska, About Page [2]