Accumulated More Than 30,000 Hours Over His Aviation Career

One of the pioneers of aviation in Alaska has Gone West. Cliff Evert passed away last Tuesday at his home in Fairbanks at the age of 95.

The Newsminer newspaper reports that Evert was an entrepreneur who once said "Aviation has been my life." He arrived in Alaska in 1943 as a pilot for Alaska Star Aviation before joining Wien airlines, who which he flew for 35 years. He retired from the airline in 1980.

In 1982, he founded Everts Air Fuel using a leased C-46, and grew that fleet to supply fuel to rural villages in Alaska for the next 30 years.

Everts was inducted into the Alaska Aviation Hall of Fame in 2013. According to biographical information posted there, Everts financed his early flight hours by delivering newspapers and that he made his first solo flight within six months, flying a 1939 Taylorcraft.

In 2011, he was honored with a plaque at the East Ramp of Fairbanks International Airport.

In a statement, Fairbanks International Airport noted Everts' passing. "It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we share news of the passing early this morning of Cliff Everts, a Fairbanks International Airport icon and highly respected member of the Fairbanks community,” the statement said. “In some way, Cliff touched the lives of so many of us, and he will be remembered for his intelligence, business success and savvy, tenacity, humor, and kind spirit.”

FMI: Original Report