A Review of Dick Folsom - Bush Pilot

Few men have seen more adventure than the early bush pilots
of northern Maine. When roads were few and far between and the north woods was
more wilderness than not, bush planes were often the only feasible means of
transportation. Small planes and the pilots who flew them became a critical
lifeline to many sporting camp operations and backwoods trappers. With floats
in summer and skis in winter, they provided nearly year-round transportation
that connected woods folk with the outside world, and brought in their needed
food and supplies. 

Greenville native Dick Folsom grew to love flying at an
early age, and after serving in World War II, he returned home eager to start a
business. Over the next forty years, Folsom’s Air Service grew to become the
largest seaplane operation in the eastern United States. 

As you might imagine, Folsom made a lot of memories in his
decades of flying, including dealings with backwoods hermits and friends,
flying interesting people into the Maine woods, witnessing fatal crashes, and
having a few close calls himself. 

It was an interesting set of characters that made up the
north woods back in those days. All winter long, trappers lived out alone in
remote cabins harvesting fur for a living. They led a pretty quiet existence
out there, but when friends flew in or they made it out to town, look out! Dick
told some funny stories about Jim Clarkson, Al Nugent and Jasper Haynes, among
other notable names.

Some of the most captivating stories are those of planes
gone missing and crashes that aren’t found for years, if at all. With so many
planes operating back then, the unfortunate accident happened from time to
time. Dick was around for many of the crashes and searches, some of which
continue to this day.

With so many stories to tell, Folsom’s friend and fellow
pilot Jake Morrell sat down with the legend in 1996 to record some of the
history on tape, and preserve the memories of an icon in Maine bush flying. They
talked about a variety of topics, including woods hermits, early pilots, mail delivery,
and his time in the war. And now, we can listen in on the conversation.

“Dick Folsom: Bush Pilot” was published by Jake Morrell in 2017. The book provides a transcript of Morrell’s interview with Folsom about his life and career in aviation, and numerous photographs spanning the history of Folsom’s Air Service. As an added bonus, the book includes two audio CD’s, giving you the chance to listen in on the actual interview.

Review by Jeremiah Wood on Outdoor Sporting Library

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