A true legend of aviation in North America, a gentleman and an all around great guy!

Andy and Phil Upton made hundreds of landings on the Mt Logan Plateau at around 17,500 feet supporting a research project, and spent decades flying climbers, scientists and others all through the Saint Elias Mountains in the Helio Couriers, without the fanfare of those on the other side of the border.

A great operation at Silver City, Kluane Lake - Icefield Discovery - I highly recommend for anyone wanting to see one of the best places in the world!

A real privilege to have known him. Blue skies and tailwinds Andy!

Kiwi wrote:Andy and Phil made hundreds of landings on the Mt Logan Plateau at around 17,500 feet

That’s impressive. The book I have on the Helio 295 claim a service ceiling of 20,500. Operating on skis that close to the limit sure isn’t for the faint of heart! Or the inexperienced

Andy ran twin turbo’s to provide motivation at that Altitude.

He sure did love his helios and had them dialled for high altitude work.

We lost one of our great aviators, he will be missed but not forgotten.

Celebration of life tomorrow for anyone near Whitehorse.

Operating to support the High Altitude Physiology Study at over 17,000 feet through the 60’s and 70’s with the Helio is unlike anything ever done before, or since, with single engine piston planes.

“Charles Houston, I and many others who carried out research on Mount Logan and in many other parts of the St. Elias Mountains were totally dependent on the skill of both AINA [Arctic Institute of North America] pilots. Even the local aviators regarded these two as being in a special class.” Gerald Holdsworth 1987

Some photos of ‘Logan High’ camp from Andy’s book Mount Logan & The Icefields - Yukon Flying Adventures

Interesting stuff Kiwi. Thanks for sharing and giving us a little more insights into the contributions of Andy Williams and a bit more history of aviation in the St Elias area. I do believe we met in Silver City last August when my friend Dave (in a Rans) and I (in a Kitfox) stopped by. We had a nice chat and look at the Helio Courier you were regularly flying into and around Mt Kennedy. It was a great stop that made a fun trip even better. Cheers mate.

There is some amazing history all through the Saint Elias Mountains, including Mt Kennedy!

It was named by the Canadian Govt as a memorial to JFK following his assassination, and at the time, it was considered the highest unclimbed peak in North America.

The first ascent was made a year later in 1965 by an expedition led by Jim Whittaker, which included Bobby Kennedy, who left personal mementos of his brother on the summit. This was supported by a RCAF CH-113 Labrador helicopter and two ski equipped Beavers from the Yukon Flying Service. Bradford Washburn, who mapped a lot of this area, was also part of this expedition. Then more recently a climb undertaken by Bobby’s son and two sons of Jim Whittaker marking 50 years since the first accent.

I wasn’t up the last year (wish I was!). Did you go up and check out the icefields?


The Lowell Glacier looking West, with Mt Kennedy visible in the background


The Kaskawulsh Glacier looking South East, with Mt Kennedy visible top right

What a great response, Kiwi and Bush Buggy and all. The good ones deserve the legend. Thanks for posting. Did he ever write anything? Do any published stories exist?

There was a book that Andy put together with the MacBride Museum (MOUNT LOGAN & THE ICEFIELDS: YUKON FLYING ADVENTURES) that details lots of his adventures with some great photos and segments from others, including Tom Bradley who spent a number of seasons flying there after Andy retired from flying.

There are several articles like this from over the years to;



Andy was also the recipient of the Order of Polaris in Canada;

2014 Recipient Andy Williams, the silver-haired master of the skies of the Kluane Icefields, who was inducted into the Order of Polaris. The award, presented by Commissioner Doug Phillips, honours a significant contribution or meritorious service “North of 60” in advanced northern aviation. For more than 40 years, Williams has served as one of the world’s premier glacier pilots. Using a sprightly four-passenger Helio Courier airplane, Williams has mastered short take-offs and landings on uneven patches of ice and snow at elevations as high as 6,000 metres. Weather can change in a heartbeat and the winds blowing through the peaks can buffet an airplane and throw it around “like a ping pong ball.”