SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - It's official: the famed rebel bush pilot of the North, Willy Laserich, will finally enter Canada's Aviation Hall of fame. When John Harding, Hall of Fame chairman, called Laserich's son Paul to tell him the news, Harding said, "and he deserves it," Paul recalls.

A portrait of Willy Laserich will soon hang in Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. - photo courtesy of Mike Murphy

Laserich, founder of Adlair Aviation, is a legend amongst Northern bush pilots. Endlessly brave and committed to Northerners, he performed some 5,000 medevac flights over his 50-year flying history, often in terrifying blizzard conditions. He is credited with helping to save the lives of countless Northerners.

Now, he has a permanent place amongst the finest flying Canadians in history.

"I let my mother know and she was elated, said it was about time," said his son. Laserich arrived in Canada from Germany when he was 19. He first took up the pilot's controls in 1957. The next 50 years were rife with adventure. Babies were born on his flights, he was arrested and fined by the transportation authorities for not following their rules, he rescued stranded trappers and hunters, and regularly flew in the most daunting flying conditions a pilot could imagine.

Laserich died in 2007. He was unsuccessfully nominated for the award in 2008 by Wardair founder Max Ward and former Wardair engineer Guenther Moellenbeck. This year, Paul put together a comprehensive submission package, including a biography and letters and stories from the many people his father had impacted. The new submission made all the difference, according to Rosella Bjornson, a member of hall of fame board of directors.

"It was very good. His life history was described and he had a lot of letters of support from the community and other aviation people."

Willy's impressive history of work in the North made an impact on the reviewing board, she said. "He contributed to Northern communities a tremendous amount by contributing air ambulance services and transportation," said Bjornson.

Laserich's longevity was impressive, she said, and his perseverance remarkable. "He started years ago and he had a lot of opposition and overcame it and persisted in his ambition to have an air service out of the North." Only four inductees are chosen per year. Laserich's application had to compete with 19 others. There are many other Arctic bush pilots amongst the 198 hall-of-famers, said Bjornson, for their contributions to Canada. "I think the main importance has been the opening of the North with aircraft," she said. "When you think about it the whole North exists because of the transportation of aircraft."

The Hall of Fame is housed in a hangar at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Laserich's portrait and biography will join the others on the walls. "It is very, very important to preserve the memories of these people who have contributed so much," said Bjornson.

Ten-minute videos of each new inductee's life in aviation will also be created and shown at the induction ceremony, which will take place in Vancouver next May or June.

Members of the Laserich family will be attending, including Willy's wife, children and grandchildren, said Paul. "It's the highest tribute you could have as a pilot, it's a good way of honouring my father," he said.