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Cleo McMahan

Cleo McMahan

Cleo McMahan was born on a farm in Kansas in 1912 and he came to Alaska in 1939 on the SS Yukon. He started flying while living in Fairbanks in the early 1940's. He married his wife Daphne in the 1940's and they homesteaded on Meier's Lake in the Copper River Basin near Gakona, Alaska. They came into Gakona in the winter so the kids could go to school, but in the summer Cleo worked as a big game guide, bush pilot, and bounty hunter. He trapped year round and loved flying. His daughter, Sally McMahan Pollen, wrote a book about him called Papa Was a Bush Pilot. Cleo McMahan died in 2005. For more about Cleo, see his obituary in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman newspaper or read an article about him in the Juneau Empire newspaper from 2001.
Date of Birth:
Sep 24, 1912
Date of Death:
Jul 30, 2005
Cleo McMahan appears in the following new Jukebox projects:
Gakona, Alaska Slideshow
Interview Title Abstract Archive #: Oral History Project Date of Interview
Cleo McMahan

Cleo McMahan was interviewed by Bill Schneider and David Krupa on October 20, 1993 at his home near Gakona, Alaska. Cleo and his wife, Daphne, lived just off the Richardson Highway, overlooking the Tok Highway with a beautiful view of the mountains that Cleo spent so much time flying in. He came north during the Depression, worked several Civilian Conservation Corps jobs, and then learned to fly. With that he had a way to get into the woods and he soon was taking folks out and guiding hunters. Cleo's sons lived adjacent to him. At the time of this interview, Cleo's eyesight had deteriorated a bit so he couldn't keep his license, but he wanted to get into flying ultra lights, since he wouldn't need to have a license to fly them. If you are interested in learning more about Cleo, his daughter, Sally McMahan Pollen, wrote a book about him entitled Papa was a Bush Pilot.

 95-71-12 Wrangell-St.Elias National Park Oct 20, 1993