Chris Hanly Memorial Aviation Scholarship
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“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
- Leonardo da Vinci
About Chris Hanly

Chris Hanly was born near Fairbanks Alaska. His first plane ride was in his Dad’s Cessna 182 when he was only 2 years old—and from that moment on he was hooked on flying. He and his father used every opportunity to fly, attend Fly-In’s (such as the ones in Oshkosh or Arlington) and talk about airplanes. Chris became quite knowledgeable about aviation, surpassing his father’s knowledge. Given the fact that his father was a career Air Force Navigator and private pilot, this was no small feat!

When Chris was 11, he and his father returned to Alaska for a vacation and went out with a friend in his plane. While in flight south of Fairbanks, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot calmly declared that they were now officially “glider pilots” and looked for a place to crash land. They found such a place, on a gravel strewn river bed. Despite the fact that the pilot landed safely, and they were rescued by the National Guard, Chris determined that he would be better off having his own license.

To say that Chris began studying for his private pilot’s license is not entirely accurate. This was not simply a decision to get a piece of paper that would end up in a box, nor was it a spur of the moment decision. Chris’ entire being was flying, as he had always been a pilot at heart. Getting his license was a natural progression in his love of flying. Chris earned his license as soon as legally possible, when he turned 17. He seemed to find his greatest peace in flying.

When Chris was almost 4 his family moved to the Spokane area, and he graduated from Cheney High School in 1997. He earned his emergency medical technician license while still in high school and after graduating worked as a firefighter for the Fairbanks (Alaska) North Star Borough. He was the youngest firefighter ever hired by the Borough. He worked as a firefighter/EMT at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks while attending college, and spent his off hours working as a bush air rescue medic in Fairbanks.

Chris also attended an accellerated Paramedic School in Virginia. After completing his training there, he worked as a paramedic in Astoria, Oregon, and was an aircrew paramedic for the Coast Guard. He then returned to Alaska and was the captain of emergency medical services for the Steese Fire Department, making him the youngest fire captain ever in Alaska.

Burnt out on saving lives in Alaska, Chris decided to return to his first love – flying. On the way home from a job interview in Spokane, Chris died from heart failure, three days after his 24th birthday.

Chris was a friend to everyone. As the old saying goes, ‘he never met a stranger’. Chris was passionate about flying, and we know that he would want to help others live out their dreams.
 
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