JEFF SCHULTZ PHOTO - Anchorage, Alaska 
Alaska Life hack: Iditarod Air Force seeking pilots
The storied Iditarod Air Force is aging, and in need of new blood.
A crucial part of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, the pilots take supplies out to locations along the trail every March for the mushers on the way to Nome.
They take dog food, straw, and other items out to places like Ophir, Cripple, and Eagle Island, and bring tired-out dogs and spent supplies back to Anchorage.
They fly on wheels and sometimes on skis, and are compensated for gas and oil and for minor maintenance. And they get to be part of something that is uniquely Alaskan. Without them, there is no race.
The pilots are talented, well-experienced in Bush Alaska, said Bert Hanson, director of operations for the Iditarod Air Force, but the organization is down about 10 pilots for next year, and with a commercial pilot shortage, it’s been tough recruiting new people. Over half of the current Iditarod Air Force is over 60 years old.
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