Bush flying is a term for air operations which are carried out in remote, inhospitable regions of the world. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain, frequently neccesitating that bush planes use tundra tires, floats, or skis. This, combined with unpredictable weather and distance from help means that bush pilots have to be very resourceful to be succesful, or all too frequently, just to stay alive. Given all these elements, Bush flying has entered the world of aviation and popular culture as a rugged, romantic lifestyle that combines elements of great beauty and independence with constant danger.

Bush flying as it is known today originated in the Canadian North. With no roads and many small, isolated communities air transport was the ideal method to open up the North. Originally started to provide logistics like food, medicine, and mail to northern communities, bush operations grew rapidly to support mining interests as well as climbing, canoeing, and hiking. Bush flying is the primary method of access across the Canadian and Australian Outback, and to the African Sahara.

Because they are so far from help, Bush pilots must be resourceful enough to fend for themselves. Critical skills range from survival skills like trapping and shelter-building, to mechanical skills for airplane repair. The life_and_death nature of bush flying also means that Bush pilots frequently resort to untested methods for accomplishing the job. Whether this means repairing an airplane engine with duct tape or landing a floatplane on snow, the result is that many common aviation practices are pioneered in bush flying. It also results in frequent accidents, as evidenced by the fact that even today Alaska records the hightest percent of aviation accidents of any state in the union.

Bush flying and the mythos that surrounds it has attracted many of the worlds most famous aviators. Men such as Wop May and Don Sheldon made their name in the bush flying industry.

See also: Bush plane