Who is Jim Tweto from Flying Wild Alaska? Wiki-Bio, Net Worth, Career, Cause of Death, Family.

When he was playing hockey professionally, Jim Tweto never thought he would be flying a plane across Alaska. But now, the sight of Jim Tweto on a plane has been a common sight in all of Alaska. The reality TV star plays the leading role in the TV series, Flying Wild Alaska. The series began airing on the 14th of January, 2011 and aired for a total of three seasons. While the series wrapped up on July 20, 2012, it propelled the Tweto’s to nationwide fame. In this article, we will take a closer look at the wiki-bio of Jim Tweto.

Wiki/Bio Facts

Name	James Bradley Tweto AKA Jim Tweto
Birthdate	November 26, 1954
Birthplace	Wichita, Kansas, USA
Gender	Male
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Caucasian
Parents	Not known
Siblings	Ron Tweto
TV show	Flying Wild Alaska (2011-2012)
Career	Television personality, Pilot, Entrepreneur
Net worth	$20 million
Wife	Ferno Tweto
Children	Ayla Tweto, Elaine Tweto, Ariel Tweto
Star Sign	Sagittarius
Death Date	June 16, 2023
Death place	Near Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Cause of death	Plane crash

Early Life

Jim Tweto was born on November 26, 1954, in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Soon after his birth, the family moved to  Silver Bay, Minnesota. Jim spent his childhood in Siver bay and began schooling there. He attended William Kelley High School. An athletic kid, Jim was scouted by the University of Anchorage to play hockey. Following his time at high school, Jim decided to move to Alaska and found himself playing hockey at the bitter cold of Alaska. While Jim was good-natured outside of Hockey, he was a beast when in front of a goal. A star goaltender in Silver Bay in the early 1970s, Jim decided to play for Anchorage and stuck with them throughout University. After his graduation, Jim decided that he could not go on playing hockey for the rest of his career and began searching for other options.

Professional Career

After playing in Silver Bay for a while Jim joined Anchorage in 1980. While still at college, Jim decided to move to Unalakleet to work on fishing boats. As Jim worked during summers he wanted to learn more about Alaska and thought that flying above the last frontier would be a good way to do that. He somehow managed to sneak in his flying classes in between college classes and hockey practice and eventually earned his pilot’s license.
After he fell in love with flying, Jim decided to establish a business and became the owner of Era Alaska. During the early years of Era Alaska, Jim took help from his brother, Ron, who was the president of Anchorage-based Hageland Aviation Services. However, in 2002, Ron lost his life when he was a passenger aboard a twin-engine plane that crashed in mountainous terrain in western Arkansas.

Committed to his work, Jim did not let the death of his brother fazed him and continued working on airplanes. The man rarely stopped working as was evident in 2007 when he had gotten into an accident with a broken neck. Instead of taking some time off, Jim was back within a few months to start working on planes. Jim is currently a C.O.O at Ravn Alaska.

Net Worth

Jim Tweto had an estimated net worth of $20 million at the time of his death. He accumulated his wealth through his successful career as an entrepreneur, tv personality, and pilot.

Personal Life

Jim Tweto is happily married to Ferno Tweto. Jim met his wife after he moved to Alaska. The in-love couple tied the knot in 1988 and since the pair have been together. The pair gave birth to three daughters, Elaine Tweto, Ariel Tweto, and Ayla Tweto.  Ferno, other than being a homemaker, worked as station manager for Hageland Aviation Services and Ravn Air. She is a big fan of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Jim and Ferno share their home with their children in Unalakleet, Alaska.

Talking about their children, while Ayla and Elaine are not huge on fame, their sister Ariel is one of the most renowned members of the family. It was Ariel who brought on the whole reality TV show for the family. The producers were impressed by Ariel’s antics and behaviors in a one-off appearance, that they wanted to work on a new series focusing on Ariel. Even though the series wrapped up in three seasons, the Twetos are glad for it. As Jim puts it, “The whole show was a great experience. We all had a mission. They made a great show.”

Jim Tweto Dies in Plane Crash at 68

Jim Tweto died in a tragic plane crash on June 16, 2023. He was flying his Cessna 180 near the coastal village of Shaktoolik, Alaska, when the plane failed to gain altitude and crashed shortly after takeoff. He was 68 years old. His passenger, Shane Reynolds, a hunting and fishing guide and a friend of the family, also perished in the accident.

Tweto is survived by his wife, his daughters, and his many fans and friends who admired his courage and charisma. He will be greatly missed by the Alaskan aviation community and beyond.