February 25, 2025
The Yellowknife Community Foundation is proud to announce the establishment of the Midnight Sun Aviation Fund. The student award fund supports residents of the Northwest Territories pursuing education in an aviation-related field (e.g. pilot license, ratings and endorsements, avionics, air traffic services, etc.). It will disburse $5,000 each year to one or more recipients. The fund pays tribute to the Midnight Sun Fly In, a biennial celebration that brought pilots and aviation enthusiasts from around the world to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Nestled on the shores of Great Slave Lake, the event honoured the region’s rich aviation heritage while providing a unique opportunity for camaraderie, adventure, and exploration under the summer’s endless daylight. The event was the brainchild of Yvonne Quick, who founded the Midnight Sun Fly In Association in 1994 alongside Roger Zarudski, Mike Stevens, Mike Piro, and Jeff Rocher. Their vision transformed Yellowknife into a hub for aviation festivities, attracting visitors eager to share in the spirit of flight and celebrate the community’s deep connection to the skies. Over the years, the Fly In became renowned for its vibrant program of activities, which included rig exhibitions, fly-out picnics, scavenger hunts, presentations, hangar tours, and lively feasts with entertainment. These events fostered a sense of community among attendees while showcasing the unique character of northern aviation. The Midnight Sun Fly In hosted its fifteenth and final gathering from July 6–9, 2023, capping off three decades of friendships forged in the thrill of aviation. Though the event has come to an end, its legacy lives on as a cherished chapter in the story of northern aviation and the community that grew around it. The Midnight Sun Aviation Fund wishes to honour the following pioneers of aviation in the North:Jim AdamsNeil J. ArmstrongPeter AustinFrank AveryRay BaertClem BekarJohn BidwellErnie BoffaKenn BorekEustace BowhayW. Leigh BritnellMatthew Aaron BromleyDaryle Ray BrownNorman Charles Muffitt (Bush)Norman ByrneMerlyn CarterCarl ClouterJ.C. Armstrong (Corky)Bruce Edward CornockAndrew CruickshankWayne DeakonMike DemeltC.H. (Punch) DickinsTom DownesJoyce DunphySteve EnglandBob (Robert Parsons) EngleJim EsbickGeorge Harold “Mike” FinlandDave FloydBarry FrainElmer FullertonHuby GauqueCapt. Stan GitzelGeorge GormanBill GranleyDuncan GrantPaul HagadornDon HamiltonDavid Henry HareMarten HartwellCliff HealeyBob (Robert Murray) HeathBill HettrickHenry HicksBob JensenTrevor JonassonWalter (D.W.) KellyHank KoenanMike KrutkoCam LancasterDon LandellsPaul William LaserichWilly LaserichGordon MacleodCedric MahBobbie MarkleW.R. (Wop) MayChuck McAvoyJames McAvoyChuck McLarenStanley Ransom McMillanArchibald Major McMullenRon MoeRick Muyres (Derick David)Bob O’ConnerFrank O’ConnorTed OliverMyron Dale Alfred OlsonDanny PagottoRocky ParsonsMike PiroWarren PlummerMark RangerLorne RankinLen RobinsonChuck RossPaul RossetBlair RutherfordBob RyanArnie (Arnold Roderick) SchrederManley Allen ShowalterJim SmithBruce SprungNicole Francis StaceyMike StevensKen StockallKeith SylvesterDale TingleyJim TownsendJohn TumchewicsKevin WangMax WardGlenn Boyd WarnerJason WattTony WattierDana WentzelJake WoolgarIf there is a pilot you believe should be added to this list, please reach out to information@ykcf.ca The Midnight Sun Aviation Fund wishes to honour the following pioneers of aviation in the North: If there is a pilot you believe should be added to this list, please reach out to information@ykcf.ca The Yellowknife Community Foundation was established in 1993 to give individuals and organizations a way to support community projects with lasting impact. We manage endowment funds, meaning that we invest donations and generally grant out the annual investment income as student awards or community grants. The Foundation is built on a simple yet powerful idea – that by working together, we can create meaningful change in our community.
