DANGER IS MY BUSINESS: FLYING MINUTEMEN

[music] >> A reckless pilot, a call for help, >> [music] >> and a man faces death in Alaska on Danger Is My Business. And here to tell us the story of one of these flying [music] minute men is Mr. Adventure himself, Colonel John D. Craig. Here in the remote areas of the 49th state, men of the Civil Air Patrol daily defy death so that others might live. A down flyer, an injured person, evacuating the sick, all in a week's work where more travel is done by light airplane than by automobile. In all Alaska, there are less than 1,200 mi of road. And because of this, in all seasons, aircraft of all type fly over wild remote areas, wild rugged mountains, mud flats, icy glaciers. Because of this high incident of civilian flying, often by pilots inexperienced in the quickly changing weather, accidents are many. It is the dangerous work of the Civil Air Patrol to find these men and rescue them from the remote areas where they crashed. This is a story of a CAP pilot and the harrowing experiences he has in this volunteer service. Flying in Alaska is altogether different from flying in the temperate climate of the United States. In these frozen canyons, there is a constant turbulence of air due to the cold temperatures on the shaded side and the warmed-up currents in the sun. This creates treacherous downdrafts that may suddenly suck your plane to destruction. When it does happen, the flying minute men of the Civil Air Patrol brave the same vicious air currents to get you out. For them, it's always peril like this, searching the jumbled ice flows, gambling their lives in the tricky winds, risking a crack-up against the granite [music] mountain. >> [music] [bell] >> Who are these men, these citizens of Alaska who freely give their time without pay, their planes at their own expense, [music] and sometimes their lives in this most hazardous kind of public service? In a moment, we'll meet [music] some of them because this CAP flyer is running into trouble. In spite of weather broadcasts every half hour, a sudden flurry of snow may occur in a local area at any time. Out on a mission in the upper mountain regions, this pilot has been caught in freezing temperature. He heads for warmer areas of the bay. This lad, monitoring radio calls, is a CAP cadet. Ice breaking off the wings is his last warning, and he's close to a forced landing. Emergency, a plane out of control. The cadets note the plane's last position. Now, it will be up to other CAP pilots, if they can be reached at work at their regular civilian jobs. Major Bob Mason is at his office. Major Mason has flown over 40 rescue missions with CAP and knows the area well. A pilot down on tide lands, that pilot will have to be reached before the incoming tide rolls in and covers plane and all. They'll need more than one search plane. Major Mason Lozelle receives a call in his radio-equipped truck. Like all CAP pilots, when there's trouble, they leave their work at a moment's notice to help with a search. Major Lozelle has flown over 400 hours on search and rescue missions. He, too, knows the urgency of this flight. Time is precious, and while the pilots are en route to the airfield, the cadets hurry to make the planes ready. They're hoping that someday they, too, will advance to flying status [music] and get into the air on search and rescue missions. Major Lozelle is briefed on the downed pilot's last known position. The area to be searched is divided into sectors. The tide land area goes to Major Lozelle. The sector where the blizzard occurred goes to Major Mason, who has both wheels and skis on his plane. >> [music] >> This is formidable country to be forced down in, constantly changing from brushy hillsides to heavy timber. [music] And there's always those jagged edges of the mountains. The blizzard has gone almost as quickly as it came. This is about where it struck. [music] The crash should be somewhere beyond here. They search and they hope. Soon, the ocean will be flooding in, pushing the swirling currents of the bay over the tide land, over a broken plane, and perhaps a man still alive and unable to move. Wrecks are familiar sight in this barren country. That's not the one they're looking for. No, >> [music] >> this one happened months ago. Eventually, the old wreckage will break up with the tides. This muddy bottom land spells disaster to any kind of plane forced down here. But Lozelle may have to land in this area. And it looks like he will. There he is, hurt but alive. Less than an hour now, and that spongy mud bottom will be under 30 ft of water. People are warned not to walk out too far on this low land. Many have drowned because they couldn't beat the tide back. He's sure happy to see that plane, but he knows the danger Lozelle is facing, coming down onto the mud, dodging the monstrous stumps. Natives call this ground muskeg, a network of roots and salt grass woven in slime. Some places you can sink up to your hips. No dust here, just chunks of mud flying against the wooden prop like baseballs. It splinters the tips, but he's down safely. Lucky, no broken bones, but a painful sprain, too severe to walk on. >> [music] >> He's got the man, now to salvage the plane, if possible. An Air Force helicopter could help. Every plane counts in this wild frontier. The CAP has only a few. If they crash, patch them up, fly them again. Someday, it might save another life. >> [music] >> The Air Force, CAP's big brother, depends greatly on these daring pilots who bounce their little planes in and out of hazardous areas to save pilots who have parachuted into the wilderness. Before the chopper can lift it out, [music] they'll have to level the plane. That other high wing could smash a chopper blade. >> Major Lazelle will have to make the hookup to the chopper, something he's never done before. Then get his plane and injured pilot out of there. It's all a calculated risk. No wonder those chopper jockeys like to help courageous flyers like Major Lazelle. The big chopper tries it. One little downdraft now or a sudden loss of power and the tremendous whirlybird would drop too quickly for the major to dodge. This same helicopter lost an engine 3 days later and fell on a 4,500 ft mountain. >> [bell] >> Looks like a strange great falcon with a prey in its claws. >> [music] >> Now their new problem is to keep the little plane from flying by itself. It's like a kite on a string. Sometimes when carried like this, a plane will fly up and hit the belly of the chopper. But these pilots know their stuff. It looks like this one's going to do all right. If you crack up in the wilds of Alaska, you may not be found for days or even weeks. It's foolish not to carry survival equipment. But this hunter can't be bothered. He's ignored another CAA caution to file a flight plan. If you go down, stay with your plane. A careless pilot like this hunter increases the dangers for CAP search and rescue pilots. His folly may cost another man's life as well as his own. Low flying over trees is asking for trouble. But his mind is on game, moose, elk, bear, the abundant wildlife in these Alaskan woods. In a matter of minutes, he's in snow country. And in his warm cabin, he forgets the freezing cold nights should he crack up. Game, down there, they're caribou. He rides high on the rudder trying to follow them. This is exciting and he forgets his flying until it's too late. We'll see what happens to him after this brief message from our sponsor. >> [music] >> The overdue hunter is reported missing by his friend. So once more, Major Lazelle and the Civil Air Patrol search the distant forests. For a landing, this is a wicked slope, strewn with treacherous boulders, broken logs, and gullied out from the melting snows. These or a dozen other hazards in this rock ground could flip the light plane and smash it to bits. Act, react, hang on, and fight it down. Brakes don't hold much air. Lucky to be alive, Lazelle's [music] next thought is for his plane. It's his only link with civilization, whether the crash victim is dead or alive. And he can't afford to lose precious gasoline [music] from those wing tanks. >> [music] [music] >> Plane, but no pilot. That means he's wandering around somewhere. But where? Only a reckless person would leave his plane without leaving a message to tell search parties where he was heading. >> [music] >> This is bear country. He may need that rifle. That track wasn't made by a man. Bear, and a big one. You can come on a bear suddenly here or they may come on you. These tracks follow the man. >> [music] >> This mission might have ended happily if [music] the pilot had only heeded a simple precaution. File a flight plan. Then if you go down, stay with your plane. The Northern Defense Program, jointly supported by the United States and Canada, is commonly called NORAD. Around the 15,000-mile North American border, [music] NORAD has built a formidable fence of installations like this one with radar and detection devices that screen all approaching aircraft. When any plane fails to identify itself, there's a jet scramble from alerted NORAD bases. These F-102s are kept warm 24 hours a day. And minutes after the alert, they're in the air prepared to challenge any intruder. The alarm goes to all bases, ships, shore batteries, guided missile stations. There's an instant state of readiness all over Alaska and Canada. This is NORAD in action. A forbidding barrier to enemy attack, a solid wall of protection against surprise from ground level extending into the stratosphere. But in this flight, a jet's in trouble. He calls his command. May have to bail out, but he'll try to get back. Command calls a CAP tower. Alert, stand by to pick up jet pilot endeavoring to make base. The tower gets his position. The Alaskan wing of the Civil Air Patrol is a vital part of the North American Air Defense System, too. And when the tower learns that the pilot has abandoned his aircraft and parachuted into the mountains, the whole CAP wing takes action. A doctor meets Major Lazelle at the CAP field. He can also act as an observer. In addition to saving lives, the CAP save thousands of dollars for the Air Force on search missions like this. Air Force planes are expensive to operate. Someone had a good idea when they issued bright orange parachutes to the Alaskan command. Can he set it down here? Maybe. He'll take a look. It's a short space to land in, very short, and littered with hidden menace. It will be rough, but he's got to squeeze in. That pilot may still be alive. Here's where bush pilot experience counts. Now, if they can stop in time. Close, but Lazelle would fly in and out of Hades if he had to. Although half frozen, he's still got a chance. Head lacerations and shock, maybe internal injuries. Lazelle makes use of his first aid knowledge, part of every CAP pilot's training. Fortunately, there's a doctor this time. But many times, there isn't. Here's another problem. Only two can ride. The doctor will have to stay behind with survival gear and a rifle. He'll be picked up later. To get up off that short field, Lasalle needs a burst of power. Maybe Doc can hold the plane while he revs it up. Well, maybe a rope will do it. When you risk landings in this backwoods country, you have to know a lot of tricks. There are a couple of lucky men in that plane, and they're on their way. Calls for CAP aid never end. In an Indian village, a child is [music] burning with fever. A trading post relays the word to send a doctor. Major Lasalle is called to fly him in. Lasalle measures his chances against the high grass and the snags it may hide. The odds are against him as usual, but the girl maybe dying, and he must come in. Even the stoic Indians are impressed. To them, the plane and the pilot are joint miracles. They speak broken English, but they try to tell the doctor about their little girl. He's a stranger to them, but they have faith in him, and finally escort him to their village. Major Lasalle's plane is equipped to receive a stretcher. It's an advantage of this type aircraft. They're light, and the CAP pilots have [music] adapted them for their needs. Any takeoff in high [music] grass is risky, and it's a good idea to rough out a runway. At least examine the ground. He memorizes the wheel-breaking chuck holes, gets rid of hidden refuse, and hopes the tall weeds won't foul the air intake or clog the motor. Lucky he didn't strike these obstacles [music] coming in. It's a good thing they arrived. Appendicitis, not much doubt about that. And thanks to the courage of men like Major Lasalle, she'll get to the hospital in time. Even her dog seems satisfied that everything will be all right now. Lasalle doesn't want that stretcher to come loose while he's bumping over that treacherous field. >> [music] >> And once again, the doctor is left behind. Maybe he will pull a tooth or two until they send back for him. Mission accomplished? Well, not yet. Not until they get back over the mountain peaks, through the yawning canyons that swallow so many planes a year. Not until they've escaped the tricky winds and left behind the freezing temperatures of the last icy glacier. But one thing you can be sure of, if it's flyable, Major Lasalle of the Civil Air Patrol will attempt it, because he can truthfully say, "Danger is my business." I wish to thank the Alaska Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, the NORAD Command, and particularly Major Mason and Major Lasalle for their assistance in helping us tell this story. They're a great organization. Support them. And I hope you will join me again when I'll bring you another unusual action adventure on Danger is my business. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [bell]