Biography
Born in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, Wien learned to fly from Ray Miller in 1921 and became a barnstormer in Clarence W. Hinck's Federated Fliers Flying Circus. Wien saw an opportunity to fly in Alaska and migrated there, later bringing his three brothers up from Minnesota. In 1924, with his pilot license No. 39 signed by Federation Aeronautique Internationale Official Orville Wright in hand, Wien flew his Hisso Standard biplane to Alaska and began servicing the gold-rich territory.
His brothers Sig and Ralph Wien, were also bush pilots.
A legend among legendary pilots, when Wien first arrived in Alaska he had 538 hours of barnstorming and aerial circus stunt flying under his belt. He went on to build up a long list of firsts: he was first to fly from Fairbanks to Seattle, Fairbanks to Nome, and beyond the Arctic Circle, across the Bering Strait and was first to make a round-trip flight between Alaska and Asia.
He died on July 19, 1977, in Bellevue, Washington.
Read more about this topic: Noel Wien
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