Author Archive for: mikestirewalt

Mike grew up in Anchorage and soloed in 1965 at Merrill Field with instructor Nancy Howard, who later became a training captain for Boeing in Seattle. The weather and challenges of flying in Alaska have served him well in his mostly bush-work flying life, whether flying twins for the UN in Africa or navigating the Andes and jungles of South America. He's currently retired and flying his KR-1½ out of Gillespie Field near San Diego, occasionally doing dynamic propeller balancing using the Dynavibe. That Turbo Arrow IV in the story is the only plane he's ever harmed.