More on Jorgy

Here are a couple of items on Jorgy and his life that should be noted:

"Legends in Alaska Aviation: Holger Jorgensen," October  7, 2012, Alaska Dispatch.

Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, (pdf) 2006, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office Honoree

Jorgy giving testimony at Murkowski spotlight

Here's Jorgy in September 2012 talking about the incident at the Nome movie theatre that helped end segregation in Alaska:

Another review of the book

From LibraryThing:

One of the jobs I wanted to work at when I was younger was to be a Lighthouse Keeper, the other was to be a bush pilot. Never got to be either of them, but in Jorgy I get to at least read about what it would have been like to be a pilot in the wilds of alaska and canada. I have read a number of narratives like this, but I think this is one of the best. Captured therein is a sense of time and place that no one else but an experienced pilot of 85,000 hours of flight time could do. His time in the air extended from 1943 to 2001...an amazing accomplishment in my eyes...and in many a pilots experience. Reading Jorgy is a pleasure for me, his writing is like his flights...no fuss, no muss, quick and to the point. A great read!!

—oldmanriver1951

One point: Many of the reviewers mistake the writing for Jorgy's—Jean Lester is the actual writer, but Jorgy is the speaker. Lester took great care to keep his words and voice, but it is her narrative. That she is invisible to the reader is an amazing accomplishment, one that few memoir writers are able to do so well, and demonstrates just how good a writer she is.

Jorgy and Jean Lester to participate in 3rd Annual Alaska Book Festival

The theme for this year's Alaska Book Festival is "Historically Alaska", and, appropriately, Jorgy's memoir is to be one of the featured titles. Jean and Jorgy will be reading from the book and answering questions from the audience during the aviation readings panel along with Dermot Cole on Friday, June 12, at Pioneer Park at the Exhibit Hall at 3:30 to 4:30.

Article in First Alaskans on Native pilots

Alex DeMarban has written an interesting piece on Alaska Natives in aviation, "Lost in the Wind," appearing in the April/May issue of First Alaskans. He sums up beautifully in the first sentence: "Alaska Native aviation has a rich history, but you probably don't know it."

The article interviews Jorgy and Wilfred Ryan, Jr. and talks about the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum and its hope for getting funding for an exhibit on Alaska Native pilots.

Two more reviews from LibraryThing

Varroa says this about the book:

A very interesting biography. While other Alaskan pilot biographies focus just on flying adventures, this one presents just as fully a history of aviation and a history of Alaska. There are loads of photos as well: cultural, historical, and aeronautical.

Sdmcrae notes this:

The tone and style of this book, which is pretty laid back, belies the risks Holger "Jorgy" Jorgensen took as he pursued a career in aviation in Alaska spanning approximately 55 years. … Some have commented this book is a little too laid back for them. But I think, if your interested at all in aviation, Alaska, or especially the combination, you can think of reading this book as sitting down on a cold night next to a pot-bellied stove and listening to a gifted raconteur rattle off one story after another.

Little League coach

A new review on Amazon from E. cassellius:

I've read the book and it is a first class read of an accomplished Aviator and a great man. I found one omission I would like to add to Jorgy's biography. He coached me in Little League baseball in Alaska in the 60's. Thank you Holger Jorgenson....