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Celebrate Aviation.
The Aviation North Expo annual awards banquet continues the tradition
of honoring the history of aviation.
Friday, October 17, 2008, 6:30 p.m.
Fairbanks AK
Last year's guest speaker, John Kounis, is the editor
of Pilot Getaways, a travel magazine for pilots. Since earning his pilot
certificate in 1981, he has flown more than 5,000 hours in 40 countries—as
far south as South Africa, and as far north as the 80th parallel. Currently,
he flies his Cessna 185 more than 400 hours per year in search of fun
fly-in destinations for private pilots—from uncharted grass strips to
major airports with convenient general aviation services.
From awe-inspiring
national parks, secluded romantic hot springs, and luxurious golf resorts
to vibrant cities bustling with casinos and nightlife, the Western United
States has it all. As editor of Pilot Getaways, John Kounis has spent
the last nine years crisscrossing the country to research the best fly-in
weekend getaways, airport restaurants, and even complete flying vacations
for the magazine. He shares some of his discoveries in an audio-visual
tour with stunning aerial and ground photography.
2007 FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award Recipients
Clifford R. Everts
Clifford R. Everts was
born in New York to German immigrants. He
took his first airplane ride when he was 12 years old and has been hooked
on aviation ever since. In the early years, Cliff sold newspapers
to raise money for flying lessons. When he was 17, he soloed in
a 55-horsepower Taylorcraft. With about 50 hours under his belt,
he made one of his first solo cross-country flights— to Cuba of all places! There,
he delivered a Luscombe aircraft to a buyer. He even supplied him
with flying lessons! When he was 18 years old, he headed to Alaska,
where he went to work for Star Airlines, the predecessor of Alaska Airlines. Later,
he accepted a position with Wien Air Alaska where he spent the next 35
years flying throughout rural Alaska. After retiring from Wien
Air Alaska, he started his own business, Everts Air Fuel, hauling fuel
throughout Alaska, using Douglas DC-6 and Curtiss Wright C-46 aircraft. Cliff
and his wife, Betty, reside in Fairbanks where they raised six children.
Jack McManus
 Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
Jack McManus has lived a colorful life, never settling for the ordinary. His love of aviation began as
a child, but flourished in 1945 when he enlisted in the Marine Corps
and was assigned to a Tactical Air Control Party in China. After
serving three years in the military, Jack pursued his academic interests
and attended Michigan State University on a boxing scholarship. When
a shoulder injury forced him to reevaluate his chosen path, Jack transferred
to the University of Wisconsin, Madison. There he earned his Bachelor
of Science degree and a Doctorate in Law. Besides having a successful
career as a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, Jack has managed
to continue his love of aviation. He has flown over 7,500 hours,
owned in excess of 75 airplanes, and flown throughout the United States,
the Cayman Islands, Mexico and Central America. In 1988, Jack moved
to Alaska where he maintains his residence and spends summers at his
lodge on Chandalar Lake, north of the Arctic Circle. In the winter, he
returns to his home in Wisconsin, where he continues to practice law
on a part-time basis.
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