Did you know…

Alaskans are the "flyingest" people. Alaska has six times the average number of pilots per capita for the U.S., the highest of any state. Maybe it's because only 10% of the state is accessible by road.

Source: www.adn.com

Our Flying Heritage

Once in a Blue Moose is a family owned business, and our family has a special connection to flying. Our father, Jack Jefford, was an Alaskan bush pilot who detailed his flying exploits in the book Winging It! (Winging It! is out of print but available at Amazon.com.)

Our Mom and company founder, May Jefford, eloped with Dad on April 10, 1944 in his small plane. They flew to Unalakleet where they said their vows. Our grandmother thought he was too old for her -- she was 21 and he was 34.

While on their "honeymoon," they had to make a forced landing in a snowstorm. Mom had noticed Dad packing a gun in the luggage and thought it was a strange thing to bring on a honeymoon, but that night when the wolves started howling it seemed like a great idea.

The next day they were able to shovel enough of a makeshift runway to take off. Safely back in the sky, the newlyweds were ready to face their next challenge: facing May's mother.

Date 5/29/08

Anchorage Temperature
Low 42 °F, High 64°F

Daylight 18 hrs 31 mins

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Life in Alaska
orange float plane
Alaska bush planes on wheels, floats or skis can fly to some of the wildest and most beautiful places in the world. By plane, you can see pristine beaches, high mountain glaciers and wilderness rivers that are otherwise inaccessible.
airplane airplane airplane
airplane airplane airplane
Click an image above to see it larger
airplane in garden

A Beaver in the garden …
was the result when a pilot ran out of gas on approach to land at Lake Spenard in Anchorage. He could see he was a couple of blocks short and in danger of hitting a house, so he deliberately aimed for a tree at the back of this yard. The pontoons hit the branches, stopping his forward motion, and the Beaver miraculously settled gently in the garden.
t-shirts
For Father's Day, consider giving Dad our Arctic Air Beaver Builder T-shirt or our front/back design Bush Pilots Mile High Club T-shirt. (Photo taken at Lake Hood/Spenard in Anchorage.)
airplane items

For the pilot in your life or for anyone fascinated by the romance of small planes:

Back Country Expeditions Mug

Float Plane Slider Keychain

Alaska Float Plane Baseball Cap

Handcrafted Sparkplug Float Plane
Remember your northern adventure with this 14KT gold float plane charm. Wear it as a pendant or on a charm bracelet. airplane charm