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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 4, 2009 - 12:33am PT
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Folks,
I just received word that Jay Hudson, owner of Hudson Air Service in Talkeetna, Alaska, and the son of famed pilot Cliff Hudson, has passed away. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just last spring.
I am sure there are many people on here who flew with him over the past 30-some odd years he has been flying climbers and sightseers to the mountain. Like his father, Jay was one of the very best glacier/bush pilots on the field, and was always on hand to assist with search and rescue operations on Denali.
Jay was an icon both on the mountain and in the local community, and he'll be missed greatly.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Sport climber
Will know soon
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Thanks for the post Mark. Alaska is grand and glorious and made so by the incredible pilots that make it happen. These Free Spirits make the land come alive. They venture to take you where you would never dream you could be ...... or experience.
A few very special people made it happen fo' me.
So Jay Hudson,,,,Bravo for living the life you chose. To all those that are grieving and loved this person you will be in my thoughts and prayers. Loss of one loved is So Hard. I know having lost my lover in 2007.
You will make it, just keep it One day at a time, one step at a time with peace, patience, and perseverance. Love and Joy, lynnie
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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I know I met him as a fry but sadly not since. I am sure he did his sainted dad proud; like father like son and that is saying a lot. His dad was the best pilot and a gem of a human. Sad to know he is in the Pioneer Home in Palmer now.
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Double D
climber
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Condolances to all family and friends. The Hudsons both contributed a lot to the AK scene and had huge huvos to boot.
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hooblie
climber
sounding out stuff , in the manner of crickets
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those pilots take us across to where our dreams come true. they rise to the call, earning our faith and gratitude. we rely on them
to bring us back to our families as we left them, or to deliver us broken, escort us spent... a very noble, chosen mission.
wouldn't it be appropriate if there was a way to return the favor of such a service.
sadly we're just too human. we share our condolences, ponder the mystery ahead, and honor a hero's final, sweetly silent departure
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Too bad! BITD Jay flew Jack Tackle and me into Hunter, he flew low and kept looking out of the window. I asked him what he was doing. his response: "I'm looking for a Griz." A true Alaskan in no danger of being called a metrosexual.
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Hard Rock
Trad climber
Montana
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RIP
Flew with Jay when he just started out around the early '80s. He must have been about 20. Ask if he could take his new girl friend with us. She hadn't made the flight before. We said sure. Came through One Shot Pass really tight. Lessson learned. Never fly with a young bush pilot trying to show off for his girl friend.
-Kurt
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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This will make Keith and Jay Kerr sad.
Those guys had many great flights with Jay.
I'll let Alpinista 55 know, he'll probably have a tale to tell.
R.I.P. Jay
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Stewart Johnson
climber
yo mama
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i heard he wasnt doing well.jay will be missed greatly.
im sure he is still flying!
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Wow, bummer.
RIP Jay
Conrad Anker and I used him several times for trips around the Ruth. While there were plenty of pilots that were capable of taking people into the gravy train landing sites on the Kahiltna, Jay was one of the best pilots for the obscure and rarely used landing sites that took a bit more finesse and skill. He was also a great person to hang out with in Talkeetna, waiting for the weather to clear to fly.
Paul
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Alpinista55
Mountain climber
Portland, OR
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Jay Hudson on the West Fork, just stopping by to chat.
Wow, I'm so sorry to hear of Jay's death. He was a hell of a pilot and a good friend.
I remember so many times that Jay would come in to our camps on the West Fork in his Piper Cub, just to bring a paper, some mail, a cold six-pack and package of steaks. He always made time to visit, and could spin a good yarn with the best of them. More importantly, he was a pilot you could depend on to get you where you needed to go, and pick you up on schedule.
Once as we were skiing down the Kahiltna towards Little Switzerland we heard a plane approaching from up-glacier. It was Jay, flying down our ski tracks about 200 feet off the deck. As he passed overhead, something dropped out of the window and fell to the snow not 20 feet from us. It was an ice-cold sixer of PBR. On another occasion he bombed us with a gallon of ice cream.
In 1983 Keith and I wanted to be as isolated as possible, and told Jay just to leave our caches ahead of us. After I broke my leg and froze my toes, that plan didn't seem so wise. Not to worry, because after Jay dropped off a party on the Kahiltna and saw our cache undisturbed, he flew over Ruth Gap on his own time to check up on us. Our tent was below the French Icefall on the West Fork, with big crevasses crossing the landing zone. Jay put the big Cessna down, kept the power on, and literally flew across the crevasses to stop 30 feet from our camp. He had me to the hospital a hour later.
Alaska and the mountaineering community has lost a good friend too soon. RIP, Jay.
Jay Kerr
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Too cool Jay, I knew you'd pop in here.
Thanks for a great tribute.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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Such a loss!
I was running kahiltna basecamp for a week a few year back when a pilot totaled his plane on take off. Hard saying if it was his fault or mechanical failure, but the pilot and the passangers were fine.
Jay landed soon after the crash, and handed me some garbage bags and duct tape.
Said in his gruff manner, "Go over there and cover up the companies name on that plane, so folks don't start taking pictures and disparging the company."
If it was 1998, I have both pre and post duct tape photo's...(or was that '96, ugh...).
Rumor has the pilot said, "oh no, not again". Wasn't really the company but the pilot in that case. Although, we'd flown with him before when he was with brand x and he did fine. Crazy business up there.
Bummer to hear about Jay. Hudson was one of the flight services I'd not used, although they were always an option due to the excellant reputation.
-Brian in SLC
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Scared Silly
Trad climber
UT
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I flew with Jay a few times. Once was not by choice as the NPS called on him to schlep my partner off the hill after his bar fight with a serrac and crevasse. I was kinda bummed cause the NPS stiffed him for part of his services. At we managed to get some money to him. A super nice guy. Sorry to hear of his passing
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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I was lucky enough to fly with Cliff in May 1979. He was a real old school Alaskan and I imagine his son was the same. Sad news.
Doug
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hooblie
climber
sounding out stuff , in the manner of crickets
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i flew once with hudson's, and i wish i could say for sure if it was with jay.
i worked and lived within sight of denali for most of two decades. one february morning from anchorage the mountain shined so crystal clear the glaciers glistened like i had never seen. i called my boss and announced my impending absence, something way outside of character, but these circumstances were extenuating.
there was not a climber in talkeetna that early, and i knew what to expect when i asked about rates in the little office. two guys had just walked out as i had walked in and the light bulb went off. so outside i went and chatted up these guys who were on a runner from chicago. not mountain folks at all. maybe a drug run was my guess. i fuzzed up these two, who like me had fizzled at the price of a flight see. we pooled our maximum concievable figure and went in to make a lump sum offer, somewhat short of the quoted tour through the pass. it had to be presented to the boss man, who never appeared. but a WHOOP! busted out from around a corner and we knew we were in. the pilot was an upstart, but wanted to be up there on such a day as badly as i did, though the chi-town boys had no idea how this clarity measured up against just plain clear.
i had a couple of el cap routes under my belt at that time, had an armchair understanding of the layout of the amphitheater, but i had no sense of scale, could see nothing steep that looked climbable. luckily no one was looking to me to speak any kind of sensible estimate of what a days effort would yield or whether an airliner could circle with us to gain the col. i just had to give up trying and submit to the behemouth, and felt a little relieved that i wasn't going to be tossed out in the snow and expected to perform.
it's not just a normal life that jay lived, he must have had an aptitude for the otherworldly
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Rest in Peace, Jay.
And thanks for takin' so many climbers safely into
the Alaska Range. . .
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, i had seen a few documentary things on the pilots of alaska and respect them greatly...
thanks for very much shareing this news, in honor of his name and the work that he did so very well...
my condolences to his family and friends...
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Dolphin 49
Social climber
Alaska
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Dec 10, 2009 - 12:22am PT
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Just a note.
Jay's service will be this Saturday December 12, in Talkeetna. It will be held at 11 am in the church across for the Alaska RR Depot.
Jay was one of the best, a Pilots Pilot. He carried his family's business on from his father to over 60 years. They are a customer air service, always available, and always friendly. Safety was alway first.
Jay will really be missed. God Bless you Jay, Rest in Peace.
Dolphin 49, Lake Chelatna, AK
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Michael D
Big Wall climber
Sorrento Mesa
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Dec 10, 2009 - 12:54am PT
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Jay was a total stand-up guy..I was there when the plane augered in.
Another time, before the OAS requirements were passed, I was frustrated waiting for a flight out. Weather was closing, and I sat watching client groups loading and flying out, thinking I'd be stuck a few more days in the NPS tents. Jay and I had met the year before, and he recognized me, walking by to his plane he said softly "rumble seats open, or maybe you don't like the Roadhouse standard..." I grabbed my gear and he flew me out.
Condolences to the family, and Peace be with Jay.
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