EDITOR'S NOTE: The Legends in Alaska Aviation project celebrates the amazing lives of Alaska's long-time aviators who are still with us today. We've already taken a look at the lives of Al Wright, Rod Judy, Bill Stedman, and John Hajdukovich among others; Today we go along for a ride with Cliff Everts.
GROWING UP IN NEW YORK STATE
Cliff Everts was born to Julia and Julius Everts, emigrants from Solingen, Germany. Everts was the youngest of five children, two girls and three boys.
Although the Everts didn't have much, the boys always had money. Everts and his older brothers found employment as newspaper boys. It was during his stint as a paper boy when Everts discovered planes. Everts recalls:
TAKING TO THE AIR
Everts started flying when he was 15 years old, before his first driver's permit and well before his driver's license. Everts said:
Everts would perform his first solo flight before he could legally drive a car. When Everts finally got his driver's license, he immediately put it to good use making money. But then everything changed. Everts said:
COMING TO ALASKA
In the summer of 1942, Everts met H.W. Robinson, an aviation representative for L48 Rail Road tycoon R.W. Marshall. Robinson, who lived in Connecticut, was visiting New York looking for talented aviators. He offered Everts a job with Alaska Star Airlines-- which, in 1944, would become Alaska Airlines-- if he would travel to Alaska. At the time, Alaska was considered an overseas assignment, and accepting a job there meant guaranteed military deferment.
Everts' parents thought he was crazy, but after he explained to them that he'd be receiving a handsome salary and deferment from military service, they came around. Evert said:
Everts was 21 when he traveled north. The trip cost him several days; he took a train to British Columbia, then a steamship to Skagway, jumped another train to Whitehorse and finally hitched a ride with Alaska Star Airlines pilot John Lynn up to Fairbanks, where he would stay before traveling south to Anchorage.
FLYING THE LAST FRONTIER
Once in Anchorage, Everts started flying as a co-pilot in a Ford Trimotor for Alaska Star Airlines. It wasn't long before he discovered his deep love for Alaska. Everts made connections and friends fast, he said:
ENTREPRENEUR BY HEART
Everts has always had more interests and goals than just piloting aircraft. Not unlike others in his time, Everts is a gifted entrepreneur, innovator, pilot, and adventurer and continues to be active in these areas today. Through the years, Everts has had several various "businesses" in addition to his flying career, everything from ice cream sales to a river boat hotel.
The ice cream business: Archie Ferguson lived in Kotzebue and had an ice cream machine. Cliff took advantage of that business opportunity and, while flying the mail route, would pick up ice cream from Archie and sell it along his way from Point Hope to Point Lay.
The Riviera Boatel: Everts saw another profitable business opportunity when he purchased a river boat in Nenana, the "Yukon Health," and towed it up the Tanana River to the Chena River in Fairbanks and created a restaurant and motel. He called it The Riviera Boatel.
Alaska Rental and Sales: In 1960 Everts partnered with Robert "Bobby" Sholton to purchase surplus and salvage goods under the name Sholton and Everts. Eventually Everts bought out Sholton and renamed the business Alaska Rental and Sales. He continues to buy and sell for the business.
At one time Cliff sold home heating oil, owned a gold mine and even had a company that specialized in environmental core drilling. He has owned and rented homes and office spaces, as well as operated a gas station called Airport Gas and Oil, off of Airport Road.
EVERTS BIG BUSINESS: EVERTS AIR FUEL
After 35 years at Wien Airlines, Cliff retired in 1980. During his tenure, he flew more than 30,000 hours carrying mail, cargo and passengers to villages all over the territory and state.
After "retirement," Everts purchased his first Curtiss C-46, N92853, from Wien when Wien Airlines was upgrading its fleet. At the time, Everts did not have an operating certificate, so he leased the plane to Jack Coghill, owner of Nenana Fuel Company. Everts then purchased a second aircraft, a DC-6, and again leased it to Coghill who used the aircraft to haul fuel and freight.
Soon Everts acquired his own operating certificate, and in the early 1980s, he took over the two aircraft from Coghill and began operating under Everts Air Fuel. By January of 1985 Everts was able to purchase the Wien hangar, putting Everts Air Fuel officially into full swing.
The 1990s proved to be a transitional period for Everts when his son purchased several DC-6 aircraft from him to use in the development of his all cargo business. Separate businesses, Everts Air Fuel, became dedicated to the carriage of bulk fuel and petroleum product transportation, while Everts Air Cargo, his son's operation, focused on the transportation of cargo only.
By 1995, between Everts' big business, Everts Air Fuel, and his son Robert's business, Tatonduk Outfitters Limited, the pair owned 21 airplanes. Six of the planes were flying and transporting about five million pounds of freight and millions of gallons of fuel annually to destinations all over Alaska.
Everts is the largest owner of operating piston engine aircraft in this part of the world. With parts already hard to find, because they were no longer being manufactured, the non-flying aircraft in the Everts fleet ranged in status from "In Service" to "Storage" to "Organ Donor" to "Now a House." Over the course of time, Cliff leased airplanes to outfits in the Lower 48, salvaged aircraft and has stockpiled enough surpluses to open a commercial warehouse. One of his largest purchases was the C-46 Parts, Inc. inventory in 1992. It took 45 vans to move the surplus parts from Florida to Fairbanks. The same year, he also purchased two surplus fire bomber DC-6 aircraft from the French government.
THE EVERTS LEGACY
Cliff Everts and his wife Betty have five daughters and one son. Between Everts Air Fuel and Everts Air Cargo, more than half of the family is involved in Alaska aviation. Everts himself continues to work seven days a week. In his words:
He adds: