Alaska’s First Bush Pilots,
1923–30
And the Winter Search inSiberia for Eielson and Borland
Alaska’s First Bush Pilots,
1923–30
And the Winter Searchin Siberia for Eielson and Borland
by JIM REARDEN
Copyright © 2009 by Jim Rearden
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.
The print edition is available from Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Inc. pictorialhistoriespublishing.com
Library of Congress Control Number 2009938329
ISBN 978-1-57510-147-7
ISBN (e-book) 978-0-88240-932-0
Unless otherwise credited, all photos in this book are from the Noel Wien Collection, courtesy of Richard Wien
Typography & Book Design Arrow Graphics
Published by Alaska Northwest Books® An imprint of
Contents
1. Ben Eielson Arrives at Fairbanks
2. Noel Wien Arrives at Fairbanks
3. The Early Years of Wien Airlines
6a. Map of Siberia
BOOK TWO: EIELSON’S EXPLORATION FLIGHTS
7. Eielson and Wilkins’ 1926 Flights
8. Eielson and Wilkins’ 1927 Flights
BOOK THREE: THE SIBERIAN CHALLENGE
11. Travails of the Nanuk; The Hamilton Disappears
12. The Search for the Hamilton
BOOK FOUR: THE REST OF THE STORY
19. Noel Wien, the Later Years
20. Key Players in the Eielson/Borland Saga
ALSO BY JIM REARDEN
Alaska’s Wolf Man THE 1915–55 WILDERNESS ADVENTURES OF FRANK GLASER
Sam O. White Alaskan TALES OF A LEGENDARY WILDLIFE AGENT AND BUSH PILOT
Castner’s Cutthroats SAGA OF THE ALASKA SCOUTS
The Wolves of Alaska A FACT-BASED SAGA
Forgotten Warriors of the Aleutian Campaign
