What happens when there’s an accident or medical emergency in the parts of rural Idaho where roads just don’t go? Time can be a critical factor in these situations, and Idaho’s backcountry airstrips and rural airports can mean the difference between life and death.
The pilots who fly in and out of these remote airstrips are a special breed, acting as both daredevils, to get in and out of these remote areas, and angels, saving lives while connecting remote communities.
Art Mortvedt is one of those daredevils. He’s flown solo to both the North and South Poles in his Polar Pumpkin, a bright orange Cessna, and when he isn’t flying, he’s a big advocate for keeping backcountry aviation alive.
Art will be speaking about his career on Tuesday, Oct. 7 and he joined Idaho Matters along with Thomas Mahoney, administrator with the Idaho Division of Aeronautics to talk more.
