Flying to Extremes: Memories of a Northern Bush Pilot

by Dominique Prinet

Full Color Version Recalling some of the most memorable escapades ever conducted in the Canadian Arctic with bush planes, Flying to Extremes takes place in the late ’60s and early ’70s from a base at Yellowknife, in the heart of the Northwest Territories. Beyond recounting so many near-mishaps, this book is also about colourful the trappers, prospectors, miners, adventurers and gold-ingot thieves who constituted the fauna at the main bar in Yellowknife in those days. For Arctic dreamers, there was always the flight to the Nahanni River, with its Deadman’s Valley, hot springs, tales of lost or dead prospectors, the many airplanes crashed in pursuit of gold, and much more Nahanni lore.

This entertaining book recollects Prinet’s adventures as a young man while capturing the humour, beauty, danger and unique culture of northern communities, in the dramatic landscape of the Canadian Arctic. Readers familiar with the region and those who can only dream of visiting it will both find this title a nostalgic and captivating read.

Genres: Nonfiction

280 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Nicole Bonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible collection of stories. The author’s writing style is engaging and a bit cheeky at times, and I enjoyed every page. I recommend reading it as a companion to Umingmak by Jake Ootes.

[Colleen Howard waldegger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband and I both enjoyed sharing in the exciting Northern tales and adventures presented with humour and honesty in these short stories. My husband has done a great deal of work as a geologist in these same isolated parts of the World and he could relate to the mishaps, beauty, danger and joy. I appreciated the representation of the Indigenous People's perspectives in the stories as well as the empathies towards everyone's struggles and longing for adventure or the 'next big thing.' Prinet does an excellent job capturing his audience and taking them on his small plane right beside him for the next great adventure. What a time! What stories! What wonderful adventures! I am grateful to have shared in these captivating memories with the author and I am inspired to travel North to take in some of the incredible beauty described so eloquently in these stories. A great read, for sure!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read. Absolutely insane what these bush pilots have done up North, and this is a great glimpse into that lifestyle.

[Andrew Bruce Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories!! Highly recommend to anybody who has a passion in aviation.

PS: I have also studied his books in Celestial Navigation - it's the best textbook written on the subject.

[Garth Mailman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flying to Extremes: Memoirs of a Northern Bushpilot

Dominique Prinet (Author)
Adam Henderson (Narrator)

For the record Goodreads doesn’t acknowledge the narrator. I’ve opted for the free audiobook on Hoopla acknowledging that I’ll be missing the pictures and maps that are part of the e-book and hard copy versions.

The author is frequently rather facetious in describing difficult situations and people.

How do you describe falling through the ice at 40 below in a seaplane on skis? The water is only 31, it’s when you hit the air.

If you’re reading a book that has a glossary at the back of the book you can simply click to that section and access the information, even simpler to bookmark it in a hardcopy book but on a CD or Audiobook hearing the definitions after you’ve read the entire book already is rather pointless. Better it be placed up front where if you wish you can skip it.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hair-raising stories of flying small planes in Canada's North.

[Emly Munt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories: 5/5
The writing itself: 3/5 being generous