A pilot’s Yukon dream

Author/pilot Larry Whitesitt will sign books during event in St. Maries on Saturday

The adventures experienced by Larry Whitesitt are as countless as the miles he's flown.

He's come face to face with black bears and grizzlies, met the Canadian prime minister, rescued pilots and horses from raging rivers and witnessed massive herds of caribou migrating across the Northwest Territories.

And it all started with "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London.

"When I read Jack London’s 'Call of the Wild,’ that’s when I decided I wanted to go to the Yukon," said Whitesitt, of Fairfield. "My boy dream was to go up to a land called Yukon. So it started out a long time ago."

Whitesitt has enjoyed much excitement in his 82 years, sparked by a novel that takes place during the Klondike Gold Rush in the 1890s. He grew up spending time at his grandpa's cabin on Lake Coeur d'Alene. He served in the Navy for six years and he became a logger working in Burke in the Silver Valley after the military. But his heart always called him northward.

He shared a story about the day he realized he was meant for a life of flight. The idea hit him right on the head.

"One day I was falling trees and a chunk of tree knocked me down," he said. "Just at that time a Beaver (float plane) flew overhead. I thought, 'That looks like a lot better job than what I’m doing now.’ It was like something from heaven: ‘That’s something you should do.' I thought that was a message from God."

Whitesitt earned his commercial pilot's license and was right at home in the cockpit. He went on to have a son, Scott, who would become his co-pilot and share in many adventures. Whitesitt documented these experiences in his book, "A Father and Son's Yukon Bush Pilot Adventures," which is filled with exhilarating accounts of pilot life and wilderness tales. The book was released last year.

"The Yukon is a beautiful rugged land, mostly wilderness that extends from Mt. Logan, Canada's highest mountain to the Arctic Sea," reads the first words of the first chapter, titled "Yukon Dream."

Whitesitt held up the book, beaming with pride.

“This was 47 years ago, in the Northwest Territories,” he said, gesturing to the image of Scott and him on the cover. "The red Beaver, I flew this for five years. Thousands of hours."

This is the fourth novel for the seasoned pilot, whose other books are filled with tales of heroes of the air and bush pilot adventures. They're available through Amazon and locally through the Well-Read Moose in Coeur d'Alene and the Paperhouse in St. Maries. He also released a video, "Northern Flight of Dreams," that covers the last 11 chapters of his book, "Northern Flight of Dreams," published in 2004.

"Whenever I miss the north, I plug it in and go back in time," Whitesitt said. "I’m so fortunate. My dreams of youth were all fulfilled above and beyond my wildest imagination."

Whitesitt will be signing copies of "A Father and Son's Yukon Bush Pilot Adventure" from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Paperhouse, 822 Main Ave., St. Maries.

Book signing info: 208-245-2064