the first tourist trips to be accomplished by flying in the Alaskan bush. Aircraft used Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain, necessitating bush planes to be equipped with tundra tires, floats, or skis. A bush plane should have good short take-off and landing capabilities. A typical bush plane will usually have high mounted wings on top of its fuselage to ensure adequate ground clearance from obstacles. They will normally have conventional "tail-dragger" landing gear as they offer lower drag and weight than tricycle landing gear, and is more suited to rough surfaces. The greater upward angle of the taildragger configuration gives the propeller more ground clearance allowing it to avoid striking the ground, which would cause damage. Most types can be equipped with wheels, skis or floats, to operate from dry ground, snow, ice and protected waterways. Some commonly seen bushplanes include: The Grumman G-21 Goose amphibian, whose combination of both a flying boat hull and wheeled undercarriage endowed it with considerable versatility. The De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver designed and built in Canada in 1946 is widely used throughout Canada and Alaska. The De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter (also from Canada) was widely used throughout the Canadian and Alaskan bush. The aircraft which began its service in 1952 was supplemented by a later twin engine version, the Twin Otter that remains in widespread service. The Cessna 185 Skywagon is a popular light aircraft widely used in the bush. The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is a two-seat airplane developed in 1949 and is fitted with a variety of engines of different sizes. The aircraft is capable of carrying a single passenger. See also Notable bush pilots Related articles Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia Ontario Provincial Air Service References Notes Bibliography External links Alaska Air Museum Backcountry Pilot.Org FAA Fly Alaska Safely Tundra Pilot Aviation in Canada Aviation in Australia Aviation in Alaska General aviation