Fly Your Way To A Homesteading Experience

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"Anyone who says flying and homesteading don't mix ought to take another look," states author/pilot Barry Dordahl of Fort Collins, Colorado. (Barry won't get any argument from us: Several of MOTHER's staffers are active pilots.) "Airplanes can be stupendously useful tools in bush country . . . and flying 'em can be a fantastic way to make money in the back country, too. Ground-bound homesteaders simply don't know what they're missing!"

So. You're almost ready to make the break to a simpler life ... but you haven't yet decided where to settle down, you don't quite have all the money you need to buy that little place in the country, and you aren't at all sure how you'll earn extra cash (for tools, transportation, etc.) after you've made the Big Move? Allow me to make a suggestion: Maybe you should learn to fly.

For a long time, I was almost ready to make my move . . . but-for one reason or another—I just couldn't bring myself to leave the desk job on which I'd depended for so long. Then, one beautiful winter afternoon, a friend of mine stole me away from my desk to go for a ride in a small plane. One year later, I was a working bush pilot ... and, to this day, I've never regretted the switch.

Now don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that flying is for everybody. It's not. I do say, however, that if you're looking for a "way out"—if you're ready to move to the country but aren't sure how to get there from here —you should at least consider investing money and time and hard work in yourself with the goal of acquiring a skill (flying) that's ideally suited to homesteading. I do suggest—in other words—that you consider aviating your way into a homestead. I know from experience that it can be done ... and I'm here to tell you how.

WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER EARNING YOUR WINGS

Maybe you've thought about starting a homestead in Idaho, Alaska, Maine, British Columbia, Central America, or even New Zealand. Each of these places abounds with truly remote, undeveloped regions ... regions so remote and so undeveloped that they're accessible primarily (sometimes only) by air. Which means [1] you'll find plenty of choice spots for homesteading in these areas, and [2] you'll also likely find any number of small, thriving air charter firms serving the people there. As a pilot, then, you could go to any of the places listed above with a fine chance of landing a job.

Backwoods charter flying has many advantages. As a bush pilot, you'll rapidly become acquainted with the local people. You'll perform a service vital to them and receive a fair wage in return. Also, you'll get a bird's-eye view of the area. And, if you like what you see below, flying will not only help you pay for a piece of that acreage but will remain a good source of income after your homestead is established.

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