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Harmon "Bud" Helmericks

Bud Helmericks

Born in Gibson, Illinois in 1917, Harmon "Bud" Helmericks is a well-known Alaskan pioneer, who was a bush pilot, adventurer, guide, businessman, and author. He came to Alaska with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, having studied engineering at the University of Arizona. He has a long history as a bush pilot in northern Alaska. He lived a remote lifestyle at Walker Lake in the Brooks Range and in the Colville River delta near the Beaufort Sea coast. For years, he kept detailed journals of his adventurous life, including written observations and drawings, and in 1969 published the book The Last of the Bush Pilots. For more about Bud Helmericks see "Remembering Harmon "Bud" Helmericks" in the Alaska Dispatch newspaper.
Date of Death:
Jan 28, 2010
Harmon "Bud" Helmericks appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Bud Helmericks

Bud Helmericks was interviewed on October 24, 2003 by Karen Brewster and David Krupa conducted at his home in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. As cultural anthropologist with Gates of the Arctic National Park, David Krupa was interested in hearing about Bud's relationship with the park. Bud was selected for this interview because of his long history as a bush pilot in northern Alaska, and because he has a home on Walker Lake within the boundaries of Gates of the Arctic National Park. Bud has many ties with the National Park Service. In this interview, Bud discusses flying in the Brooks Range in the early days, key people in the area at the time, life at Walker Lake, and how he has seen things change over the years. This interview has been edited.

 2002-27-14 Gates of the Arctic National Park Oct 24, 2003