Fairbanks - Says a recent issue of The Daily News-Miner:
"Hans Nelson critically ill, come at once, " said a wire received by Percy Hubbard of the Service Airlines late one afternoon.
Pilot Hubbard was eating dinner at the home of his parents when the wire
arrived. Although weather conditions were anything but ideal, Hubbard prepared immediately to take off for Ruby. His Stinson airplane was in the hangar of the Northern Air Transport
where skis were heing placed on it. The work of changing from wheels to skis was only half completed but Hubbard, with the aid of Mechanics Larry Applegate, Boh Ames and Joe Jensen, and his brother Russell, had the plane ready to fly within three hours.
Left at 7:45 p.m.
Hubbard left Fairbanks at 7:45 p.m. "I could hardly see the end of the runway as I took off from Fairbanks" said the flier. "I followed the Alaska Railroad track as far as Dunbar and from there decided to cut across country until I hit the Tanana River which is only a few minutes flight from Dunbar. I flew in total darkness and with nothing to guide me except the ground directly under me and my instruments, I flew only a 100 feet above the track to Dunbar.
"It seemed as if I had been flying for hours (actually only 15 minutes)
whem it suddenly dawned upon me that I had not flown over the Tanana River. I changed my course and flew almost south until I came to Nenana. From Nenana I decided not to leave the river and followed it until I arrived at Ruby. I was aided on the flight by a tail wind.
Flares Mark Field
"Ruby residents had been notified that I was due to arrive and had a field marked out with flares for me. I was also told that the Anchorage radio station had sent out warnings to residents at Hot Springs and other towns along the river and if I should attempt to land at any of the places they would mark out a field for me with flares.
"Upon arrival at Ruby I learned that Robert Serafino had an injured eye and expected to return to Fairbanks with me. I stayed in Ruby only a short time.
Sighted Beacon Light
"On the return flight I again followed the river. It was at Manley Hot
Springs that I first sighted the beacon light at Fairbanks. This was surely a great help to me. I was able to cut across country from Hot Springs thereby saving a lot of time. I could see the light for fully 100 miles even with the weather as murky as it was. I bucked a 15-mile head wind on the return flight."
Pilot Hubbard landed his passengers at 2:15 in the morning on Week's
Field, where the floodlight had been turned on as soon as he was near Fairbanks. Nelson and Serafino were rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital soon after the arrival of the plane. Both patients are resting as well as can be expected now.
Hubbard's Flight Outstanding
The emergency flight of Percy Hubbard will be long remembered. It is one of the many mercy flights that are made each year by Alaskan fliers who risk their lives daily to help others. Flying in the daytime is one thing, but to take off at night in total darkness and foggy weather is something else. The success of a flight of this nature depends upon a flier who is fearless and frightful only for the safety of his passengers. Hubbard's mercy flight will long be one of the outstanding flights in the annals of Alaskan aviation.
