Alaskan pilot serves area for more than 30 years
November 1, 2011, 08:36 am
Roland Ruoss, an independent pilot operating out of Kodiak, Alaska, has been serving the community for 36 years as the sole aviator flying for Sea Hawk Air, according to the Juneau Empire.
Ruoss told the source that after earning his pilot's license in 1979, he bought into Sea Hawk Air in 1987, which at that time staffed two other pilots. Following a series of fortunate turns that boosted the independent air travel industry in the area, Ruoss carved out a niche transporting local fishermen who found themselves with more money to spend on hunting excursions after Japanese demand for salmon injected the market with money.
Ruoss also transports tourists to remote locations to observe wildlife in some of the harshest terrain in the United States. He told the source that only about 5 percent of the land in the Kodiak area is accessible by roads.
Ruoss flies a modified DeHaviland Beaver that is more than 50 years old, but with modifications, he said, it remains the best plane for situational flying in remote parts of Alaska.
Many independent pilots like Ruoss belong to pilot organizations like the Experimental Aircraft Association. These groups often provide discounted rates and special access to pilot insurance policies.
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