Philip P. Upton, 1919-1984

Abstract

... In 1960, [Phil Upton] ... was invited to join the Arctic Institute's Icefield Ranges Research Project as a pilot. It was an inspired choice, for Phil's contributions and loyalty to the Arctic Institute and the Kluane Research Station were immeasurable. He made the Saint Elias Mountains his "parish", and became the finest mountain and glacier pilot in North America. He explored countless landing sites throughout the range in support of Arctic Institute research projects and private mountaineering expeditions. ... Skill he had in abundance. Of greater importance, his judgment was superb, his intuition uncanny. For 24 years he operated without serious mishap, tempering courage with caution, understanding fully the limits of himself and his machine. In 1968 he made the first landing on Mount Logan, at an altitude of 5300 m asl. This and subsequent landings that season inaugurated and developed the Institute's capability to run the High Altitude Physiology Study. It was an astonishing feat, and we who followed had the enormous psychological advantage of knowing that it could be done, and the benefit of his advice and leadership. ... To the eternal credit of Philip and the Institute, the safety record of the HAPS project was without parallel. After 12 years of operations, and after passing a considerable number of research and support personnel through one of Earth's more inhospitable sites, not one serious injury was sustained. Crises there were, of course, and although I took a larger share of the flying in later years, it was always Phil who chose to plough the aircraft into deep powder snow after a storm, who made the quite dreadful approach over the Northwest Col when the wind demanded, who picked his way over the undercast to a sick climber. ...