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I've had a low opinion of Ron Hayes for 53 years; but of course I forgive him now. On Sept 9, 1971 I flew my Aeronca Champ w/ 85 hp continental down to the Gerstle River. I intended to go sheep hunting, solo. I wasn't very experienced and only 20 y.o. I saw sheep on the adjacent mountains, so I looked for a place to land. I saw a flat gravel bar and could see the vague outline of airplane tracks, so I lined up and attempted to land. I overshot the end of the gravel bar and ended up below the landing surface in small alders and big rocks and boulders. I luckily had landed upstream or otherwise I would have gone into the river! I wasn't sure what I was going to do because even with full power the airplane wouldn't move an inch in the bigger boulders and rocks. Ron Hayes flew over me, turned and landed and he walked down to where I was standing by my plane. "What are you doing here?" I explained I was going sheep hunting but overshot the runway. He told me it was a private strip- but I told him I knew this was public land and not private (a gravel bar along the side of the Gerstle River). He said it was his strip and to not use it. Then he said if I leave the plane there, tied down, I might find sugar in my fuel tank. I told him I would shoot anybody who put sugar in my fuel. The last thing Ron said was "Tie your plane down real good because 70 mph winds come up during the night!". He turned and walked off, got in his plane and left me there stranded with my plane in the bushes below the strip. Ron's supercub had a green "greenhouse" over the cockpit and I was in awe of his plane. I managed to get my plane back up on the gravel bar by rolling rocks out of the way, cutting brush with a small saw, and using the power of the empennage as a long lever with lots of muscle. I gradually walked it up the slope back onto the gravel bar taking several hours. I rested a bit, and flew back home to Phillips Field in Fairbanks glad to be able to get out of there. But I always felt Ron Hayes should have helped me get out of my pickle but I did feel pretty proud that I figured it out myself. I no longer hold a grudge against Ron Hayes!

Which Bern helmet is that?

Williwa. A local downslope wind best identified by a texture on the water known as “black water”, or by blowing snow. From Wikipedia: “In meteorology, a williwaw (archaic spelling williwau[1]) is a sudden blast of wind descending from a mountainous coast to the sea. The word is of unknown origin, but was earliest used by British seamen in the 19th century. The usage appears for winds found in the Strait of Magellan, the Aleutian Islands and the coastal fjords of the Alaskan Panhandle, where the terms outflow wind and squamish wind are also used for the same phenomenon. On Greenland the word piteraq is used.” “The williwaw results from the descent of cold, dense air from coastal mountains in high latitudes. Thus the williwaw is considered a type of katabatic wind.”

Good Lord these are so damn good!!

Yup, Mr. Affraid of heights <--- is back for another badass podcast!

Fukushima water is doing a number on Alaska it's horrible....

Good video, nothing like beautiful scenery and strong coffee...

sounds like paradise hard work but worth it!

Steve is great!! Always love flying with him, always learn something.

Great interview and content, i love to hunt and have been in Hunting in Alaska several times and when you can reach out to a Owner Guide Named Sam Fiejies Names Fejes Guide Services LTD from Cordova Alaska, he’s flown me into some interesting paces to hunt Moose and Mountain Goats, you would get a great interview with over 35 years of home as a guide outfitter flying his Super cubs and Beavers. We landed on a glacier with my wife and it was a Beautiful experience. Keep up the great content and mush success with your seat cove business. I have been a helicopter pilot for 24 years and got my fixed wing 4 years ago and decided to but a carbon Cub and love to fly it. Thanks Maurice Cayon

The career this dude had is the ultimate adventure... good uninterupted interview , thanks, plus he had to please high end clients...

What is that flight helmet?

This was lovely and relaxing

Learn what a “wilawah” … IS…You understand it incorrectly….!

Let him cook

Requesting your opinion Mr. Hayes: if a person obtained their CPL and float rating, do you think it is realistically possible to fly the bush as a commercial pilot at a more advanced age of 60-65 years old, and beyond? (This, of course, being able to keeping their FAA medical valid).

How do we get one?

That is awesome😅

"CZcamsrs In Cubs Getting Coffee" LOVE this!! You've earned a new subscriber!! 😄

Bigger surprise would be to leave him there.

I woke up at 4am and started scrolling through YT. I'm not a pilot, actually kinda scared of heights. Not an Alaskan or bush dude, just the average joe with absolutely no interest in aviation. TBH I have no idea how and the hell I ended up watching... this entire video.. but man am I glad I did. I was hooked from the start to the finish. What an amazing life and stories this man has. So happy I ended up here and watching this..

What a fun day!!

"I don't know how to tell you this, but I'm sort of a big deal." That was a great video, boys. When can I go?

Great video. Beautiful place!

Beautiful spot! I need to go find that one!

I won't get that 10 minutes back.

You shoulda brought that squirrel back and made him your company mascot. Help with troop moral

Super cool! What a great experience.

I want to work there! I will come with my own cub even. Are those Bern rafting helmets?

Very cool. What a way to spend a few hours! Nice Super Cub too...you should do a feature video on it.

Loved this guys! So funny and fresh. Want to take me for a ride some time?

This is awesome!

Good stuff Dude!

Hilarious! I love the banter 🤣

Amazing video. Thanks for sharing. Keep the content coming for us poor saps in the lower 48. Tell me about the helmets, I can’t seem to find Bern in the aviation style. Did you modify them?

Wow! I love how handsome, talented, funny, and intelligent this guest is!

Let me say, right up front. GREAT EDITING DUDE!

You learn something every time you fly. Sometimes a little thing about yourself too. A supercub becomes your buddy.

There will never be another Ron Hayes in this world. If his name doesn't mean anything to you then you aren't much of an Alaskan single engine pilot, big game hunter or adventurer. He looks and reflects like a man in his mid 70s.

Anyone know what LED light that is mounted on the main landing gear? It looks awesome!

That's right when I lost cylinder on the engine over the flamingo Bay I didn't touch the power everything was still running you start changing Powers most likely going to die😅

I could talk to this guy all day the slowest I ever got was 45 knots on a 172 XP with a Horton stall kit😅

Nice Will, met you at the shooting strip in the AM last week.....

Your mom pulled a joe dirt move on you.

Those 3 Rangers were lucky to make it out.

Ron Hayes That Name is special I remember my year of flying Bristol Bay 1990 to 2003 as a Beaver Pilot Guide A&P Flight instructor my best job was with Bill Simms 5 years working for Bill was Great.

I’m only 5:18 into this but maybe a word of advice? (I have just over 1800 interview format news and commentary programs under my belt as a Producer. And occasional Cohost. Somewhere around 7000 hours.) Right away I’m cautioning the Host: if you want to exude tremendous personality and be the focus of the airtime make yourself available for guest appearances on other platforms that serve similar subject matter. When you bring in a guest, especially a guest with the bonafides of this gentleman, it is ALL about your guest. This includes having interesting and multifaceted questions ready. Tailoring at least 15% of those questions to whatever the guest is currently working on, 5% of the conversation is devoted to helping them promote whatever their quid pro quo is (for agreeing to do the show: new book, conference, seminar, classes, movie) And perhaps most importantly, write it on a Post It, off-camera: do not interrupt your guest. After they speak do a 2-count. Or even a 3-count. Then speak. I had to learn this stuff too and I felt bruised when an old school media veteran shared it with me. Even got beat up in comments. Because many of us start as guests. Hosting is the exact opposite. I’m gonna hang with this, it looks interesting and wish you the best moving forward. 👍🏼

An old, bold pilot 😎 🎉

Hunting bears from an airplane is hardly a sport.

So they graded you on your landing like an LSO on an aircraft carrier.