Pioneer Bush Pilot: The Story of Noel Wien

xviii, 307 pp. Noel Wien (June 8, 1899 – July 19, 1977) was an American pioneer aviator. He was the founder of Wien Alaska Airways. Wien was born in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, but the family moved to a homestead in 1905, to a place now called Cook, Minnesota. In May 1921, he learned to fly a JN-4 in 8 hours, from Major Ray S. Miller, commander of the 109th Minnesota Air Squadron and manager of the Curtiss Northwest Airplane Company's flying school. Unable to pay the bond required to solo, Wien took a job with E.W. Morrill 15 June 1921, helping to fly and maintain his Standard J-1 while barnstorming. After a few more flying jobs, on 2 Sept. 1922, Wien had enough money to put a downpayment on a Thomas-Morse S-4, which he owned for two weeks, unable to make the final payment. Wien then started working for Clarence W. Hinck's Federated Flyers Flying Circus, earning $300 a month, before Hinck's sold out his operation in Jan. 1924. Wien was then hired by Jimmy Rodebaugh, in May 1924, to fly 2 Standards for his Alaska Aerial Transportation Company. When Wien first arrived in Alaska he had 538.5 hours of flying time.[1][2]--Wikipedia