Family, fellow aviators say good-bye to beloved Alaskan Bush Pilot Jim Tweto

Beloved aviator Jim Tweto spent decades working and flying throughout Western Alaska, earning the respect of fellow aviators and community members for his skill as a bush pilot and his generosity towards community members in Unalakeet and beyond.

Tweto and his family soon gained celebrity when the Discovery Channel launched ‘Flying Wild Alaska’ — a documentary series about his family-run airline, Era Alaska, which transported goods to remote areas of the Bering Sea coastline. The show also focused on his family, based in Unalakeet, Alaska, where they worked various roles in the operation. The show aired for three seasons between 2011 and 2012.

Tweto, 68, died Friday in a plane crash 35 miles northeast of Shaktoolik that also killed 45-year-old Idaho outdoor guide Shane Reynolds. The crash generated international headlines due to Tweto’s role on the show.

Closer to home in Alaska, Tweto is being remembered as a dedicated aviator who often dropped everything to assist when he could, oftentimes waiving fees to help find missing people or travel expenses in times of emergencies.

At a celebration of life this past Tuesday evening at the Alaska Aviation Museum, Tweto was remembered not for his celebrity, but as a generous and humble man fueled by his love of aviation and the communities of the region he served from his home.

During the celebration, 5 planes flew over a crowd of more than 300 who had gathered at the edge of the Lake Hood Seaplane Base. Afterwards, people packed into the museum to share stories of the beloved, hard-working pilot.

His wife, Ferno, was at the celebration, greeted attendees before the service Tuesday evening.

“Above all, we never doubted his love for us,” she said.

Tweto, originally from Minnesota, came to Alaska on a hockey scholarship. He then worked throughout the state as a welder for the Army Corps of Engineers before becoming a boat builder in Shaktoolik and then Unalakleet.

He played a major role in the development of rural aviation in Alaska, where rural communities rely on planes transportation in and out of remote villages, but also much-needed cargo like groceries, equipment, and mail.

Tweto was a co-owner of Hageland Aviation Services and then Era Alaska, which later became Ravn Air Group. He was bought out of the company in 2015. He retired soon after, but remained an important figure in Western Alaska, continuing to take to the skies. He also worked for Golden Eagle Outfitters, which was owned by a friend, according to an obituary prepared by his family and distributed at the service.

Tweto and his family were featured in “Flying Wild Alaska” when it aired during 2011 and 2012. The show was considered when it aired as “perhaps the most honest of the Alaska-based reality series.” The show depicted the Tweto family, with Tweto himself often working to manage the busy air service while also balancing his family life.

On Friday, Tweto departed from Unalakleet to pick up 2 hunters including Reynolds from a remote camp northeast of Shaktoolik. He’d planned to make 2 trips, picking up a hunter and some of the gear each time.

According to reports, Tweto was seen taking off in his Cessna 180 on Friday morning, and it purportedly crashed soon after. The hunter who remained at camp saw the plane crash as it took off but failed to climb, Alaska State Troopers said. The hunter activated an SOS notification on his InReach device after seeing the crash, officials said.

Neither he nor Reynolds survived. Alaskan State Troopers recovered both bodies.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is just beginning an investigation into the crash. The cause of the crash remains unclear and bad weather at the crash site over the weekend delayed the arrival of NTSB official, who are working with Golden Eagle Outfitters to recover the wreckage of the Cessna 180.