05/06/2025 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

              HB 167-HAROLD ESMAILKA AIRPORT AT RUBY                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:07:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  CARRICK  announced that  the  first  order of  business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO.  167, "An  Act renaming Ruby  Airport as                                                               
Harold Esmailka Airport; and providing for an effective date."                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:08:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL  LABOLLE, Staff,  Representative Neal  Foster, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, on  behalf of Representative Foster,  prime sponsor,                                                               
presented HB  167.   He explained  that HB  167 would  rename the                                                               
airport  in Ruby  to the  "Harold Esmailka  Airport."   He stated                                                               
that Mr.  Esmailka was a  pioneer in Alaska  aviation, especially                                                               
in  the Interior,  where he  was  a [bush  pilot], operating  two                                                               
different air  service companies.   He  stated that  Mr. Esmailka                                                               
provided   many  services,   including  medivac   flights,  cargo                                                               
services, and passenger services.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:10:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KATIE KANGAS, Mayor, City of  Ruby, provided invited testimony on                                                               
HB 167.   She shared  Harold Esmailka's history, stating  that he                                                               
had been a pilot for two-thirds of  his life.  She said that when                                                               
he  became a  pilot, the  airport in  Ruby had  a single  landing                                                               
strip.   As aviation grew in  the Yukon River villages,  she said                                                               
that Mr. Esmailka was instrumental  in air service modernization.                                                               
She shared  that he  had helped  many people  in the  villages he                                                               
served,  as over  60 letters  have been  submitted in  support of                                                               
renaming the airport.  She  stated that without his services, air                                                               
service  in  the villages  has  changed,  and she  mentioned  the                                                               
expense  of being  medevacked.   She stated  that he  handled his                                                               
businesses with "humility, kindness,  and generosity."  She asked                                                               
the committee to support the proposed legislation.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:12:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CYNTHIA ERICKSON,  representing self, provided  invited testimony                                                               
on HB 167.   She shared that Harold Esmailka  was her father, and                                                               
she provided anecdotes about his  life.  This included stories of                                                               
flying  in   snowstorms,  delivering  packages   to  anticipating                                                               
villagers,  and  having  eight babies  delivered  on  flights  he                                                               
piloted.   She related that  he had said,  "One lady liked  it so                                                               
much, that  she did it  twice."   She expressed support  not only                                                               
from herself,  but from all the  young men and women  he mentored                                                               
along  the  way.    She  expressed  pride  that  her  father  had                                                               
influenced the  many Alaska Native  pilots who exist today.   She                                                               
stated that  he was  born on  an island  and had  an eighth-grade                                                               
education, and English  was his second language.   She added that                                                               
he worked "like a dog" and never  gave up.  She concluded that he                                                               
became  successful in  aviation  and business  in "a  white-man's                                                               
world."   On behalf of  her family,  she thanked the  sponsors of                                                               
the proposed legislation.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:17:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:17:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  CARRICK  opened public  testimony  on  HB 167.    After                                                               
ascertaining that  there was  no one who  wished to  testify, she                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:18:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:18 p.m. to 1:20 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:20:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TILTON commented  that her  husband was  a pilot,                                                               
flying in  remote Alaska.  She  noted that a woman  gave birth on                                                               
one of  his flights, and  from the  story he told,  she expressed                                                               
the  belief that  any individual  who had  had eight  babies born                                                               
while flying a plane "is beyond deserving" of this privilege.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:21:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR EISCHEID  moved to report  HB 167 out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being  no objection, HB 167  was reported out of  the House                                                               
Transportation Standing Committee.