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Parents' Guide to

Flying Wild Alaska

By Elka Karl, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Alaska family pilots unfriendly skies in warm reality show.

TV Discovery Channel Reality TV 2011
Flying Wild Alaska Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

aerofast
aerofast Parent of 7-year-old
January 22, 2011
age 7+

unique alaskan family

no matter the things that go wrong everyone keeps moving ahead in a positive way
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The Tweto family runs an airline company, Era Alaska, out of the tiny town of Unakleet, Alaska, where they deliver packages and travelers to the deepest reaches of the state. The lack of freeway system in this area of Alaska means that the Twetos' airline is responsible for keeping essential goods delivered to rural residents along the Bering Sea. The family members -- Jim, the patriarch and business owner, Ferno, his wife and business partner, and the two spunky daughters, Ariel and Ayla -- all work together to keep the business running smoothly and the family strong and happy.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This exciting reality series keeps the complications coming for the Tweto family. From broken down airplanes to fuel shortages and scary back country landings, FLYING WILD ALASKA offers fast-paced entertainment that's appropriate, and interesting, for a range of ages. There's also a lot of educational information to be gleaned from the show. The art of marshalling (guiding planes onto the runway and into parking spots) is touched upon, as are the complications of running a small business in an extremely remote location. There's plenty to learn about fuel contamination, the rate of small plane crashes, and the skills involved in flying small aircraft in Alaska. That's not to say that the show is dry -- all of the information is presented in a way that feels less like a school lesson and more like straight entertainment.

The main stars of the show, even when competing with the stunning Alaskan wilderness and the tough little planes that fly through it, are the Tweto family. Not only do they obviously love and respect each other, they actually seem to genuinely enjoy each other's company -- a definite positive for families looking for some entertainment to enjoy together.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reality television. Do you think that this show is filmed to make events look more dangerous than they actually are? Why or why not? What techniques do reality shows use to keep viewers interested?

  • What are the challenges of living in a place as rural as the communities in northern Alaska? Would you want to live in someplace like this?

  • How do the pilots deal with stressful situations? How would you handle running into a dangerous fog bank? What skills do pilots need to succeed in rural Alaska?

  • The Tweto family works and lives together. Would you want to work and live with your family? What do you think would be difficult about it? What do you think might be fun?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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