Remembering Andy Williams, Yukon's legendary glacier pilot
The pioneering aviator who shaped backcountry exploration in Canada's north has died. His impact on mountaineers and researchers spanned decades.
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Andy Williams, one of the Yukon's most storied glacier pilots, has died. Those who flew with him describe an old-school bush pilot ethic — no bravado, no ego — and a lifetime of stories from the St. Elias range.
Born in Wales, Williams moved to British Columbia before settling in the Yukon in the early 1970s. He and his wife ran the Kluane Lake Research Station, where scientists from around the world came to study among Canada's highest mountains. Williams worked as a diesel mechanic there, keeping operations running, and eventually learned to fly from legendary pilot Phil Upton. He later founded Icefield Discovery, an aviation charter business his daughter Sian now runs.
Mountaineer Michael Schmidt worked with Williams on a 1992 expedition to measure Mount Logan's height using GPS technology. "Flying in the mountains is never easy, and having someone like Andy, who knew the St. Elias mountains so well, and was familiar with the weather patterns and landing in snow conditions... was really essential," Schmidt recalled.
Pat Morrow, a mountain climber and photographer who flew with Williams many times, called him "one of the great glacier pilots of the Yukon." Morrow remembered Williams as someone who "regale[d] us with some great stories" and carried a rare combination of skill, humility, and practical wisdom.
Sian described her father as dynamic, thoughtful, and someone people gravitated toward. "Everybody who met him, even if they met him briefly, seemed to remember him forever," she said.