Flying Around Baja in the 70s

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My husband was so excited recently when one of our daughters gave him a Baja Bush Pilot shirt. Being a Bush Pilot in Baja, Mexico was something he actually did when we were young! Back in our 20's, my husband and I owned a small private plane, and my husband had his pilot's license. In order to help out, I also took classes in aircraft navigation, understanding weather forecasts, and making an emergency landing (practicing in a flight simulator). We joined Flying Samaritans and used to fly around Baja, Mexico regularly, often landing on dirt roads and beaches, so we could take dentists down to remote areas of Baja where they would perform free dental services for the poor, isolated people who lived there. My husband and I would take turns being the volunteer "dental assistants," handing the dentist tools, holding a bucket for people to spit into, and grinding up the material to be used for fillings. Often the temporary dental office we used was an open air patio outside a doctor's clinic. Frequently, the whole town turned out to watch their neighbors get teeth pulled or filled and, sometimes, root canals. All the work was performed without x-rays and with an occasional shot of Novocaine as the only anesthesia. We had such crazy, fun adventures during our many trips to Baja during those years! I think everyone should have some wild, carefree adventures in their youth! What about you?