Plane crash claims fearless adventurer (12 photos)
Natalie Gillis, 34, was a pilot, explorer, wilderness guide, author, academic, Canadian Geographical Society fellow and an exceptional photographer who lived life to the fullest.
They say you should live your life every day like it’s your last.
Natalie Gillis did just that. She was the most adventurous soul I have ever known, and an inspiration to many.
Gillis died in a tragic plane crash on June 17, “doing what she loved,” according to her brother.
She was just 34.
Gillis was piloting a twin-engine Piper Navajo aircraft when it went down shortly after takeoff from Albany International Airport in the state of New York. She was the only one on board.
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Gillis had just completed aerial survey work in North Carolina, and stopped in Albany for refuelling, and to spend the night before heading to Montreal.
She leaves behind many friends and family the world over.
Her short life was admirable. Gillis was a pilot, Arctic and Antarctic explorer, wilderness guide, author, academic, and an exceptional photographer.
She lived in Calgary, grew up in Toronto, and spent many summers in Parry Sound as a kid, loving the outdoors.
Gillis acquired her pilot licence in her early 20s.
One of her notable achievements was being elected as a Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) fellow in 2022, and taking part in their projects.
Gillis was also a contributor to Canadian Geographic magazine, with her wildlife photography gracing its esteemed cover.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Royal Canadian Geographical Society fellow and Canadian Geographic contributor Natalie Gillis,” the organization said.
“Natalie was elected a fellow of the RCGS in 2022, and not long after, her photo of a polar bear appeared on the cover of Can Geo’s January/February issue … Natalie took part in many other RCGS/Can Geo projects such as Giving Tuesday and the Polar Plunge,” they added.
My wife and I met her in the summer of 2018 when we joined an expedition to Canada’s Northwest Passage in the high Arctic, where we travelled on a Russian icebreaker.
Gillis would help run the inflatable Zodiac boats on day trips off the ship, ferrying passengers around pack ice and massive icebergs in search of seals, whales and especially polar bears, which we found many of on small rocky islands and on the floating sea ice.
During that time, her specialty was kayak guiding.
She would also often be on the portable radios with her colleagues keeping an eye out for bears as we explored the shorelines on our day trips on foot.
Gillis was a professional wilderness guide with more than 1,000 days living, sleeping and caring for clients in remote places of the world.
Just one day after my wife and I departed the vessel docked at the small Inuit village of Kuugaarjuk, Nunavut, Gillis was on board when the ship, the Akademik Ioffe, a Russian icebreaker and former Cold War spy ship, famously ran aground and found itself crippled and unable to continue leaving the bay where the small port was situated.
