IN FLIGHT: PILOTS

The 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 2018* 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  which are subject to available funds and availability of production team. 

Sponsor Now!

Click here and learn how you can become 
an individual sponsor of the exciting 
Glacier Pilots Legacy Project!

Depending on your level of sponsorship you can get a Producer's Credit, Glacier Pilots Home tickets, gear and DVDs!

What is the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Legacy Project?

Simply, It's a fan supported documentary series about thousands of talented ball players from around the world  playing baseball in Alaska. The Project features Alumni interviews, a "Deadliest Catch/ NFL Films"  documentary style internet series "In Flight: Pilots! " and feature film of the 2001 Glacier Pilots Team, and History of the Glacier Pilots. But we need you! 

Pilots fans please check your photo albums we need pics! Have a great Pilots story to tell? We want to hear from you! 

Please go to the Sponsorships/ Fan Donations page and find out how you can help to be a part of the team bringing these great stories and memories to the screen.

Capturing the Boys of Summer

by 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 Playing 
               Hometown Heroes Part 1

The 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 for 2016!

 In Flight: Pilots! Episode Preview: PILOTS VS BUCS

Preview 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

Glacier Pilots Team Shop

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Press Box Ticker

​Glacier Pilots historic 2001 season remembered in new documentary series

KTVA 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

Now available on DVD

Available thru the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Shop

 Lefty & Jack: Tall Tales
Alaskan Baseball Stores

If you love baseball, then you'll love these baseball stories from two well-loved Alaskan coaches who have trained thousands of ball players including Mark McGwire and Randy Johnson and hundreds of other MLB players. This is the first in a series of sports documentaries on the Anchorage Glacier Pilots baseball club.

Lefty Van Brunt and Jack O'Toole were the heart and soul of the ball club.  They were there at its founding and helped the Glacier Pilots win five NBC Championships! 

The  program can be purchased at the Pilots website.

For more info: www.glacierpilots.com

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.