Air travel is a way of life in the Lower Kuskokwim region, where 50 small villages are spread across one of the largest
river deltas in the world. Yuut Yaqungviat, Yup’ik for “Where people get their wings,” is a flight school in Bethel that trains
pilots for the region. Last year, high operating costs forced the school to close, as heating and electric bills topped
$1,000 a month and students could no longer afford tuition.