Bush airplane facts for kids

An American Champion Scout. Note the large "tundra tires", for use on rough surfaces.

A bush airplane is an aircraft serving far away areas of a country, usually the African, Alaskan, and Canadian tundra or the Australian Outback. They are used where the road system is not good, or where there are no roads. Many planes used as bush planes are made by Cessna, or other makers of small and medium-sized airplanes

Common traits

• High wings make it easier for the pilot to see. There is also more space between the wing and plants and rocks on the ground.
• Bush airplanes usually have two large main wheels in the front and one small wheel in the back. This makes the plane tilt up in the front when it is on the ground, which makes it easier and safer to take off on a short or bumpy runway.
• Special modifications to the avionics also help the plane take off on short runways
• Extra large tires help the plane to land and take off in bumpy places. Sometimes a bush pilot will land (and take off) where no airplane has been before.
• Some bush planes have floats for landing on water or skis for landing on snow.

A DeHavilland Single Otter with floats for water landings.