This list was inspired by the discovery, in August 2003, after 39 years, of the wreckage of the Fairchild 82 piloted by Chuck McAvoy. He was carrying two geologists (one of whom was my first cousin, Doug Torp) north of Yellowknife when his plane went down June 9, 1964. This area was first explored by Lord Franklin.
Mickey Leland, Pierce Pettis Robin Hopper / The Old Bush Pilot Kristina Olsen song about flying in small planes in Alaska Kristina Olsen / The Yellow Piper Stan Rogers / The Northwest Passage James Taylor / The Frozen Man Bill Staines / Redbird's Wing, The Shores of Prudhoe Bay Connie Dover\ Lord Franklin\ The Border of Heaven\ Taylor Park Amelia Earhart's Last Flight / by Red River Dave McEnery Also covers by Maple Ridge Band Kinky Friedman Belinda Bowler Country Gentlemen Greenbriar Boys Lost Ramblers Faith Petric Ian Matthews Amelia, Jonathan Sprout, American Heroes Randall Williams\ Spirit Of Amelia\ Praying For Land\ Musafir When Amelia Earhart Flies Home \ SHERMAN & LARSEN \ Smash Flops \ Lemon Amelia Earhart \ FAITH PETRIC \ Faith's Favorites \ Self Dear Amelia \ VANCE GILBERT \ Fugitives \ Philo Amelia \ SCOTT MARRS \ Saturday Morning \ Self Joni Mitchell\ Amelia\ Hejira Lord Franklin / trad, sung by Martin Carthy John Renbourn/Pentangle Sinead O'Connor Michael Cooney Nic Jones Atwater Donnelly Connie Dover Jeanie Stahl Kevin Burke/M'haill O'Domhnaill Lisa Null & Bill Shute John Roberts & Tony Barrand Lady Franklin's Lament, trad, sung by many including Vancouver Folk Song Society Shany Crew Dave Hadfield does a song called "Bush Pilot's Song" on his self-produced Wilderness Waltz CD. "Dear Amelia" by Vance Gilbert on his "Fugitives" CD, about Amelia Earhart. Ian Matthews has an original song about her, and Joni Mitchell does one, too -- "Amelia." 'White Horse' (Mary Ann Kennedy / Pam Rose) from the album 'Walk The Line' which is a favourite song from a favourite album... the second verse about Uncle G is slight but very poignant. My copy is 1994 Pangea Records, but it's a UK release so that's probably not much help ;-) Anything by John Denver would be germane, of course. The Tragically Hip have a song titled Bill Barilko which is related. He was a hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs who scored the winning overtime goal in the 1951? Stanley Cup Finals. He went on a fly in fishing trip right after that and the plane went down. It was not found for several years. Ellis Paul has a very funny short story on his life double CD about going on a small plane with a pilot who, he learns, is a Deadhead. Tony Kaduck's "Princes of the Clouds" "Six years ago Bob was flying mail in Mexico, and the plane went down, the wreck was never found." James Keelaghan's covers it on Small Rebellions.
From: Frank Ferguson Subject: Bush Plane Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 02:42:57 -0400 Richard, I had written a song for Ted entitled, The Ballad of Chuck McAvoy, after he told me the story of the famous bush pilot who never came back. It's on his North of Canada album. These albums have been out of print for many years and being so regional weren't big sellers, so it's difficult to find any, though I have seen them on eBay once in a while: http://www.peace.ca/tedwesley.htm The Ballad of Chuck McAvoy - Sung by Ted Wesley, Words and Music by Frank Ferguson, guitar Maurice 'Moe' Marshall on an electric Dobro, Recorded at Damon Recording Studios in Edmonton, Alberta, circa 1973 or 1974. Now they tell you that Chuck McAvoy still flies his ghostly plane, Lookin' for a place to set her down. When the fog is thick and misty in this cold and barren land, You can hear his engine searchin' for the ground. He was born inside a cockpit and was weaned on airplane fuel. He lived and died inside that damn machine. He spent more time up in the sky than down here on the ground. His music was that bushplane's whinin' scream. He saved more people from the grave than anyone could say -- You could hear his plane when others had gone home. Now who can save Chuck McAvoy he's lost and never found And I wonder if he ever did come down. It was cold and foggier than hell in May of '64; The day his magic carpet lost it's glow. The lakes and the land he claimed to love had claimed him for their own. His grave's a frosty cockpit in the snow. Now they tell you that Chuck McAvoy still flies his ghostly plane, Looking for a place to set her down. When the fog is thick and misty in this cold and barren land, You can hear his engine searching for the ground... You can hear his engine searching for the ground... You can hear his engine searching .. for the ground. Another great bush plane song from the Straight North album: Bush Plane - Words and music by Bob Ruzicka, sung by Ted Wesley, guitar Maurice "Moe" Marshall, backup singers "Charlies Horse", Recorded at Damon Recording Studios in Edmonton, Alberta, circa 1972. I've been out here half the winter Workin' on this God-forsaken survey line A foreman's job on Melville Island Seems like it's been a whole lifetime And today's the day I'm leavin' But I'm findin' very little cause to smile 'Cause there's blowin' snow and crosswinds; Visibility's a quarter of a mile. The men who fly those little planes Are heroes of our country's last frontier. They jog, walk and laugh and talk And confidence says you've got nothing to fear. They risk their lives to bring supplies, Mail and catalogues from Simpson's Sears. But the skies socked in on Melville Island Ain't been this lonely friends for years. Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182; Thirty-thousand people countin' on you. Bush plane a comin' I hear you whinin' in the wind. I'm seen them do things with those planes I'm sure friends no normal man would do. I've seen them landing with their floats On tall grasses wet with mornin' dew. I've seen 'em landing in the willows, Landing on the frozen sandbars, too. But the skies socked in on Melville Island Ain't no way to make it through. Pick up my gear and walk back to camp I guess there's nothin' more that I can do. Then a dog starts barking and I say, "My God, can it be true?" I hear him now above the clouds Lookin' for a hole to fly on through I see it now, that pretty Beachcraft Gonna bring this boy on home to you. Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182 Thirty-thousand people countin' on you Bush plane a comin' I hear you whinin' in the wind Beaver, Otter, Beachcraft, Cessna 182 Thirty-thousand people countin' on you Bush plane a comin' I hear you whinin' in the wind Cheers, Frank Ferguson Ottawa
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