IN FLIGHT: PILOTSThe reality series for the incredible untold story of the 2001 National Baseball Congress and Alaska League Champions: The Anchorage Glacier Pilots!
This team has produced so many future Major League baseball players. The 2001 Team alone included Jeff Francis (Colorado Rockies), Ben Francisco (World Series Philadelphia Phillies 2008) and Mark Teahen (Kansas City Royals). The following the series conclusion there will be a documentary film, with a June 2022* release date, is the 2001 Team. Their story is so BIG - everything in Alaska is BIG! - that it will initially be featured in an ongoing 9-part (or more) web series: In Flight: Pilots * Release dates are tentative and are represent our best efforts.
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Now Playing: Hometown Heroes Part 1The incredible untold story of the 2001 National Baseball Congress and Alaska League Champions: The Anchorage Glacier Pilots!
This exciting new reality baseball series as the team chases the golden dream of winning the National Championship in Wichita! But first they have to beat one of the toughest summer baseball leagues in America: the Alaska Baseball League! Six teams of the highest caliber college baseball players in the country! In this segment local Alaskan pitching ace Brian Montalbo takes the mound and battles the red hot 2nd place Mat-Su Miners whose hitting machine is aching to take down the Glacier Pilots and claim the 1st place title in the Alaska Baseball League! Donate to support the show! Diablos Del Sol Productions 2016 In Flight: Pilots! - Reality TV Series!In Flight: Pilots! Episode Preview: PILOTS VS BUCSPreview for the incredible untold story of the 2001 National Baseball Congress and Alaska League Champions: The Anchorage Glacier Pilots!
The exciting new reality baseball series as the team chases the golden dream of winning the National Championship in Wichita! But first they have to beat one of the toughest summer baseball leagues in America: the Alaska Baseball League! Six teams of the highest caliber college baseball players in the country! In this segment R.D. Spiehs ace pitcher from University of Nebraska struggles against the Glacier Pilots arch nemesis the Anchorage Bucs in the annual Mulcahy Park July 4th Celebration double header! Can Spiehs overcome and will the Glacier Pilots prevail? This team has produced so many future Major League baseball players. The 2001 Team alone included Jeff Francis (Colorado Rockies), Ben Francisco (World Series Philadelphia Phillies 2008) and Mark Teahen (Kansas City Royals). The exciting new teaser trailer for the upcoming reality series on the 2001 Championship Anchorage Glacier Pilots!
Go inside the dugout in each episode with the team on and off the fields of wild Alaska as they thrill in moments of victory and fight for every win! This is In Flight: Pilots! Premiered May 31st, 2016 |
Behind The Scenes
Many terrific and talented people are needed to create a wonderful program like this.
Narrators:
Ira C Smith
Ira was born and raised in Indiana. He was drafted into the Army where he was assigned as Broadcast Specialist and through the Army, appeared on the Ted Mack Ameteur Hour doing a comedy pantomime.
After leaving the military , Ira started his civilian career in radio management and sportscasting. Along the way Ira worked at WHLT in Columbia City, Indiana (4 years), WMRI AM and FM in Marion, Indiana (2 years), WVMO in Monroe, Michigan where he also broadcast University of Michigan football (for 6 years)..
Since 1976 ( in 39th year and counting!) Ira C. Smith has been the Voice of Napa Valley Sports for KVON and KVYN, covering many local sports.
Ira has served as past President of the Kiwanis Club fo Napa and past President of the Napa Valley Tennis Association. He received the Napa Chamber of Commerce "Volunteer of the Year" award, He is an Ambassador for the Napa Chamber of Commerce and was P.A. announcer for the Sacramento Kings from 2000 to 2008. For more info on Ira goto KVON.com
Judd Finkelstein
Judd was raised in Napa Valley. He graduated from The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University with a bachelor's degree in Television Production, but you might say winemaking was in his blood. Since he was a tot, his parents were making wine. From pruning to picking to punching to pressing, Judd has been involved in every facet of winemaking, and he also studied winemaking at UC Davis and Napa Valley College.
One of Judd's other passions is playing his ukulele, both solo and with his band, The Maikai Gents Featuring The Mysterious Miss Mauna Loa. "We perform old-time Hawaiian crooning in the Hapa-Haole style. We started because I wanted some Hawaiian music for a birthday luau I was having for myself and couldn't get the entertainer I wanted. We learned a few Hawaiian tunes and performed them at the party. My friends and family loved it, of course, but the funny thing was that the resort asked us back for a festival they were having later that spring! So we learned some more songs and have been gigging ever since." Why the ukulele?" Someone needed to play it! We thought a ukulele would round out our sound....and I haven't put it down in three years!" Judd has also started a ukulele club in the Napa Valley, The Wine Country Flea Jumpers. You can learn more - and hear what it all sounds like---at www.mkgents.com. Judd and Holly enjoy simple dinner parties for friends; one of their specialties is concocting tropical taste treats for the luau set!
For more info on Judd goto Judd's Hill.com
Ira was born and raised in Indiana. He was drafted into the Army where he was assigned as Broadcast Specialist and through the Army, appeared on the Ted Mack Ameteur Hour doing a comedy pantomime.
After leaving the military , Ira started his civilian career in radio management and sportscasting. Along the way Ira worked at WHLT in Columbia City, Indiana (4 years), WMRI AM and FM in Marion, Indiana (2 years), WVMO in Monroe, Michigan where he also broadcast University of Michigan football (for 6 years)..
Since 1976 ( in 39th year and counting!) Ira C. Smith has been the Voice of Napa Valley Sports for KVON and KVYN, covering many local sports.
Ira has served as past President of the Kiwanis Club fo Napa and past President of the Napa Valley Tennis Association. He received the Napa Chamber of Commerce "Volunteer of the Year" award, He is an Ambassador for the Napa Chamber of Commerce and was P.A. announcer for the Sacramento Kings from 2000 to 2008. For more info on Ira goto KVON.com
Judd Finkelstein
Judd was raised in Napa Valley. He graduated from The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication at Arizona State University with a bachelor's degree in Television Production, but you might say winemaking was in his blood. Since he was a tot, his parents were making wine. From pruning to picking to punching to pressing, Judd has been involved in every facet of winemaking, and he also studied winemaking at UC Davis and Napa Valley College.
One of Judd's other passions is playing his ukulele, both solo and with his band, The Maikai Gents Featuring The Mysterious Miss Mauna Loa. "We perform old-time Hawaiian crooning in the Hapa-Haole style. We started because I wanted some Hawaiian music for a birthday luau I was having for myself and couldn't get the entertainer I wanted. We learned a few Hawaiian tunes and performed them at the party. My friends and family loved it, of course, but the funny thing was that the resort asked us back for a festival they were having later that spring! So we learned some more songs and have been gigging ever since." Why the ukulele?" Someone needed to play it! We thought a ukulele would round out our sound....and I haven't put it down in three years!" Judd has also started a ukulele club in the Napa Valley, The Wine Country Flea Jumpers. You can learn more - and hear what it all sounds like---at www.mkgents.com. Judd and Holly enjoy simple dinner parties for friends; one of their specialties is concocting tropical taste treats for the luau set!
For more info on Judd goto Judd's Hill.com
Press Box Ticker
Glacier Pilots historic 2001 season remembered in new documentary seriesKTVA Channel 11 Sports 1/04/16
by Dave Leval ANCHORAGE – In 2001, Anchorage’s Glacier Pilots baseball team provided fans with a season to remember. The team not only won the Alaska Baseball League title that year, but also the national championship in Wichita, KS Francis played on that winning team and remembers that incredible year. “I wanted to to go away somewhere to play summer baseball, the opportunity came up to go to Anchorage, [which] seemed like a good opportunity. [It] turned out good for me,” said Francis. Following that season, he was drafted by Colorado in the first round of the 2002 Major League draft. The story of that magical season is featured in the new online documentary, “In Flight Pilots,” produced by Anchorage native Robert Barr. “I couldn’t understand why the national media was ignoring all the great baseball stories that happened in Alaska, all the great college players that played,” Barr said. for the full story and video click here |
Capturing the Boys of Summerby Nolin Ainsworth
April 18, 2016 UAA True North Magazine Leading off He can still recount the conversation nearly two decades later. As he sat in the bleachers of Anchorage’s Mulcahy Stadium one summer with his father, Robert Barr complained about the absence of any major media coverage for the Alaska Baseball League. After all, this was an amateur league that saw the likes of Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, and Dave Winfield take up its far-north diamonds before the joining the Big League. That’s when his father reminded him of his degree in broadcast journalism. “It was his way of telling me, ‘Why don’t you do it? Why are you waiting for someone else to tell the story if you feel that passionately about it? ” Barr said. And so he did. The Anchorage native and longtime fan of the Anchorage Glacier Pilots devoted a summer following around the 2001 team. for the full story click here |
Now available on DVD Lefty & Jack: Tall Tales
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Both Lefty Van Brunt and Jack O'Toole served in America's Armed Forces. For Jack it was the Army in World War 2 and he served a time in The Aleutian Islands and for Lefty it was the early days of the Air Force in Seward.
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