Grounded Before Solo to Alaska Medevac Captain: Evan Davis on the HIMS Program
Eight hours into training, Evan Davis answered a question on his medical honestly and was grounded. Today he flies PC-12 medevac above the Arctic Circle.
Evan Davis was eight hours into flight training when his aviation medical examiner asked whether he had ever struggled with alcohol. He answered honestly, and the FAA grounded him before he soloed.
More than a decade later, he is a PC-12 medevac captain in Alaska. In Episode 357, he tells Justin the whole story, a story about second chances in aviation.
- 01Why honesty on your medical application matters
- 02How the HIMS program works from a pilot who went through it
- 03Commuting to work in a Cessna 182
- 04How a resume dropped in Homer led to a job
- 05Flying from Bettles and the Brooks Range
- 06Medevac flying on Alaska’s western coast
Grounded before solo
Evan’s honesty on his medical application led to his grounding. He talks about a slip two months into sobriety and what came next.
The HIMS program
He describes a year of breathalyzer tests, AA meetings and flight simulator hours as he worked through the HIMS program and back toward the cockpit.
Finding his way to Alaska
A 90-hour trip into the Frank Church, commuting to work in a Cessna 182 and a resume dropped in Homer that turned into a job offer all led him north, including flying out of Bettles and the Brooks Range.
Medevac above the Arctic Circle
Today Evan flies medevac from Kotzebue on Alaska’s western coast. He talks about weather above the Arctic Circle, four months of darkness, living alongside villagers for two-week stretches, and the importance of saying no in the cockpit.
Evan Davis
Evan Davis is a PC-12 medevac captain based in Wasilla, Alaska, who flies out of Kotzebue two weeks a month, north of the Arctic Circle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HIMS program?
HIMS is the FAA-recognized program that helps pilots with substance-related medical issues return to flying. Evan Davis describes going through it in this episode.
Can you become a pilot after being grounded by the FAA?
Evan Davis was grounded before his first solo and is now a PC-12 medevac captain in Alaska.
What does a medevac pilot in Alaska fly?
Evan flies the Pilatus PC-12 out of Kotzebue, north of the Arctic Circle.
