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Cliff Hudson

Cliff Hudson was a pioneering Alaska bush pilot whose air-taxi services based out of Talkeetna, Alaska made Alaskan climbing accessible to many more people. Born in Mallot, Washington in 1925, Cliff joined the U.S. Army in 1944 and came to Alaska in 1948 to join his brother, Glen, who was operating Hudson Air Service in Talkeetna. Cliff took over the business after his brother was killed in an airplane accident. Cliff had a great love of Alaska and flying, and was known for his flying skills, has attention to safety, and his intergrity. Cliff had many years of experience flying climbers to and from Denali, was involved in rescue operations, and always enjoyed sharing his stories. Cliff Hudson retired from flying in 1998 and his son, Jay, took over the family business. Cliff Hudson passed away in 2010 at the age of 84. For more about Cliff and Jay Hudson and Hudson Air Service see, "Hudson Air Service: A Big Part of Talkeetna History" in the Frontiersman newspaper.

Date of Birth:

Oct 27, 1925

Date of Death:

Mar 5, 2010

Cliff Hudson appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Denali Mountaineering

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Cliff Hudson	Cliff Hudson was interviewed on February 28, 1992 by Bill Brown in Cliff Hudson's living room in Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a busy place with family, friends, and dogs dropping in or running through the room. In this interview, Cliff talks about his experiences as an air-taxi pilot flying in the Denali National Park area. He discusses the challenges of high-altitude flying, glacier landings, dealing with bad weather, and participating in rescue operations. He also provides advice to climbers and shared his thoughts about the role of the National Park Service on Denali.	93-02-04/05	Denali Mountaineering	Feb 28, 1992