Established in 2024, the purpose of the Midnight Sun Aviation Fund is to support residents of the Northwest Territories pursuing education in an aviation related field (e.g. pilot license, ratings and endorsements, avionics, air traffic services, etc.).

2025 Key Dates

2 April, 12:01 PM

Scholarship application portal opens. 

30 May, 11:59 PM

Scholarship application portal closes.

Mid-to-Late July

Funding distributed to scholarship recipients. 

Application Process

Individuals interested in applying must create a profile on our scholarship application portal. Once your profile is created, you will need to complete our eligibility quiz and then submit an application for the student award.

Applications will be made available during our scholarship intake season, every spring.

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Established in 1994, the Midnight Sun Fly In was 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 honored 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 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 Adams
  • Neil J. Armstrong
  • Peter Austin
  • Frank Avery
  • Ray Baert
  • Clem Bekar
  • John Bidwell
  • Ernie Boffa
  • Kenn Borek
  • Eustace Bowhay
  • W. Leigh Britnell
  • Matthew Aaron Bromley
  • Daryle Ray Brown
  • Norman Charles Muffitt (Bush)
  • Norman Byrne
  • Merlyn Carter
  • Carl Clouter
  • J.C. Armstrong (Corky)
  • Bruce Edward Cornock
  • Andrew Cruickshank
  • Wayne Deakon
  • Mike Demelt
  • C.H. (Punch) Dickins
  • Tom Downes
  • Joyce Dunphy
  • Steve England
  • Bob (Robert Parsons) Engle
  • Jim Esbick
  • George Harold “Mike” Finland
  • Dave Floyd
  • Barry Frain
  • Elmer Fullerton
  • Huby Gauque
  • Capt. Stan Gitzel
  • George Gorman
  • Bill Granley
  • Duncan Grant
  • Paul Hagadorn
  • Don Hamilton
  • David Henry Hare
  • Marten Hartwell
  • Cliff Healey
  • Bob (Robert Murray) Heath
  • Bill Hettrick
  • Henry Hicks
  • Bob Jensen
  • Trevor Jonasson
  • Walter (D.W.) Kelly
  • Hank Koenan
  • Mike Krutko
  • Cam Lancaster
  • Don Landells
  • Paul William Laserich
  • Willy Laserich
  • Gordon Macleod
  • Cedric Mah
  • Bobbie Markle
  • W.R. (Wop) May
  • Chuck McAvoy
  • James McAvoy
  • Chuck McLaren
  • Stanley Ransom McMillan
  • Archibald Major McMullen
  • Ron Moe
  • Rick Muyres (Derick David)
  • Bob O’Conner
  • Frank O’Connor
  • Ted Oliver
  • Myron Dale Alfred Olson
  • Danny Pagotto
  • Rocky Parsons
  • Mike Piro
  • Warren Plummer
  • Mark Ranger
  • Lorne Rankin
  • Len Robinson
  • Chuck Ross
  • Paul Rosset
  • Blair Rutherford
  • Bob Ryan
  • Arnie (Arnold Roderick) Schreder
  • Manley Allen Showalter
  • Jim Smith
  • Bruce Sprung
  • Nicole Francis Stacey
  • Mike Stevens
  • Ken Stockall
  • Keith Sylvester
  • Dale Tingley
  • Jim Townsend
  • John Tumchewics
  • Kevin Wang
  • Max Ward
  • Glenn Boyd Warner
  • Jason Watt
  • Tony Wattier
  • Dana Wentzel
  • Jake Woolgar

If there is a pilot you believe should be added to this list, please reach out to information@ykcf.ca

$5,000. As this award may be allocated to multiple people, applicants shall advise the amount they seek as part of the application.

Please note that award amounts may vary year by year.
In order to be eligible to apply to the Midnight Sun Aviation Fund, you must be:
  • A resident of the Northwest Territories for at least twelve consecutive months
  • Pursuing education in an aviation related field (e.g. pilot license, ratings and endorsements, avionics, air traffic services, etc.)

All of our scholarship application forms and additional materials need to be submitted on our scholarship application portal.

  • You will complete a questionnaire describing your goals, your dedication to your field of study, your involvement in the community, etc.

You must be an eligible resident to apply for a scholarship.
As such, YKCF requires you to make a residency declaration and have a witness sign off.
However, you do not need to print out any forms!
Each residency declaration is a one-click question embedded within the application process.
You just need to provide the email address of your residency witness, and they will be emailed directly.

You can only apply through our online application portal.

Access it here: https://www.grantinterface.ca/Home/Logon?urlkey=yellowknifescholarship

Mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted barring extreme circumstances.

If you have more questions:

2025 will be the inaugural disbursement of the Midnight Sun Aviation Fund. Check back in August to see the awardees!