A reflection and look at the adventures during Kitty Banner's time in
Alaska. Experience her flights, landings, and takeoffs on high altitude
glaciers loaded with gear and mountain climbers from all over the world
who came to Talkeetna to attempt ascent of one of the toughest mountains
on earth, Denali. Kitty Banner was born into a loving, adventurous,
Irish-American family in Chicago, Illinois, joining three older brother
and welcoming a second younger sister. The siblings enjoyed excellent
guidance from their parents, who encouraged them to contribute to the
work of the family business, to live life fully, to be considerate of
others, and to strive for excellence. All generously shared their
variety of interests, which ranged from hiking, fishing, climbing,
target shooting, sailing and water sports, to snow skiing, horseback
riding: and, in the case of her brothers, a passion for flying. Kitty
was captivated by aviation and tried sky-diving before taking her first
flying lesson from a unique and accomplished aerobatic pilot, a
professor of geomorphology and flight instructor, David Rahm. Once
licensed as a pilot, Kitty went on to obtain an instrument rating, her
Commercial License, and her Glider and Flight Instructor Ratings.
Inspired at the age of 14 by the motivational exhortations of Wilferd
Peterson, author of The Art of Living, Kitty, in turn, became a
motivation and inspiration to all who came into contact with her. Having
visited Alaska at age 19, hiking and exploring with a friend, Kitty
could scarcely wait to return and, by age 22 with her pilot license in
hand, she revisited Alaska, where she excelled. Kitty flew as a Bush
Pilot and as a Glacier Pilot, mastering a variety of aircraft including
heavy load transport with tundra tires on off-airport remote sites;
seaplane and float operations, landings and takeoffs on the ice and snow
of high altitude glaciers; and flying with exterior loads as well as
exterior mounted cameras for aerial filming and action photography.
Kitty s evacuation flights included, among others, a newborn baby and
his mother, survivors of two separate aircraft crashes, many mountain
climbers from a world-wide number of countries, countless hunters and
fisherman, and even sled dogs. Kitty s more unique projects included:
Aerial Photography of Mt. McKinley, Denali, and the Alaska Range with
Wili P. Burkhardt, Switzerland; The Bush Pilot Film with German
filmmaker, Martin Schliessler for German television; Aerial flying in
Little Switzerland for Mt. McKinley National Park film by filmmaker,
Robert Fulton; A Documentary about Alaskan Bush/Glacier Flying with Sir
Edmund Hillary that included Kitty as Seaplane Flight Instructor for
John Denver, already a licensed jet pilot; She flew as a contract pilot
for Talkeetna Air Taxi, Hudson Air Service, Doug Geeting Aviation, and
for Jim Okonek, K2; Kitty is often named as the inspiration for the role
of Maggie O'Connell played so well by actress Janine Turner in the
made-for-television series Northern Exposure. Kitty had much to learn
and to experience; to quote Holly Sheldon of Sheldon Air Service, one of
the first chicks to become an accomplished glacier pilot. The Alaska Air
Carriers Association & The Alaska Aviation Community honored Kitty
Banner and Kimball Forrest as an Aviation Legend. Kitty Banner and
Kimball Forrest were the next generation of pilots by creating K2
Aviation
