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