Hard Choices

In the frigid Alaskan town of Unalakleet, the Tweto's and their family-run airline battle the arctic elements to transport supplies and passengers to some of the most inaccessible areas on the planet.

Pilot Luke Hickerson transports dangerous chemicals from Barrow to the remote village of Atqasuk. Then, in Unalakleet, the cold and dark winter claims its first casualty and Jim must make arrangements to transport the casket.

In a dangerous mission, pilot Doug Doherty flies along Russian airspace to transport volatile explosives to the island of St Lawrence. In Unk, Ben slams into a large bird mid-flight.

Unseasonably warm weather sends Jim up to the Brooks Range to look for potential landing strips. Ferno and Ariel prepare an Eskimo feast for returning pilot John Ponts and the week ends with an icy plunge into the Unalakleet River.

In Bethel, construction crews race to finish Era's newest hanger before the unforgiving winter snows arrive. But when Jim flies in to inspect the progress, he is far from happy. In Unk, fierce crosswinds blow John Ponts' tiny 207 all over the sky.

Pilot Yuri Ivanoff trains in Bethel for a potential promotion to fly the 208 Caravan. But danger strikes when heavy ice forms on the wings. In Unalakleet, weeks of rain force Jim to do a river landing and a greenhorn arrives.

Era Alaska makes a special canine delivery to four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey in Fairbanks. After the first snow in Unalakleet, Jim and Ferno cope with an influx of schoolteachers on their busiest day of the year.

A dangerous frozen river landing leaves Jim and Ferno skating on thin ice, while Ariel's flying lessons end in disaster. The biggest snowstorm of the season hits, shutting down all of Western Alaska and leaving several Era pilots up in the air.

Halloween in Alaska brings vicious crosswinds that wreak havoc on Era's small planes. Ariel hopes to learn the family business in Unk, but a power blackout tests her abilities when she takes over as station manager.

The approaching winter darkness fuels a mass exodus from Unalakleet. In Barrow, a bootlegger attempts to smuggle in illegal liquor and Luke races to complete a daring rescue before the sun sets for two months straight.

John Ponts fights heavy turbulence and angry passengers on a flight through the Nulato Hills. Jim and Ferno leave the terminal in the hands of the pilots & Sarah's flight to rescue a villager lost in a storm turns into a battle for her own survival.

Two pilots push their limits to land vital vaccines two miles from Russia on Alaska's most treacherous runway. In Unalakleet, Ariel Tweto takes to the skies once again and proves that she still has a lot to learn.

Two pilots attempt to deliver a specialty drill through a sea of fog. Luke brings the first ever ATM to Wainwright, along with a planeload of cash. Erik races to deliver passengers and critical supplies before a spring storm shuts him down.

After two months of darkness, the villages of Western Alaska are desperate for fresh supplies. Jim attempts a risky landing on a frozen river and Luke has problems getting his plane in the air. A pilot flies to the Russian border to deliver vaccines.

The Iditarod dog sled race brings big business to Era Alaska. Ferno, Ayla and Ariel Tweto run with the reindeer in Anchorage. A pilot battles malfunctioning trim control over the frozen Norton Sound and a tsunami warning threatens the entire coast.