Fly Alaska

• FLY ALASKA •

• Some of my 1966 and 1968 adventures •

Alaska Airlines N7777C "Flight 301" at Unalakleet - 31 August 1966 - Touched down 09:45 wheels up 10:21 local. Next landing Nome at 10:59.

Crossing the Arctic Circle, passengers getting certificates (only if you were on the special tour!). Captain made the aircraft go up and down as a way of telling us!!

Return flight to Anchorage departed Kotzebue at 16:13 for Nome, arriving at 17:03, next station stop was Unalakleet, then McGrath. She ended her flying days in a landing accident at Kotzebue on 17 April 1967. The 38 year old Captain forgot to lower the landing gear, blowing snow at the time, oh yes, also factor in whiteout, low ceiling, icing conditions, sleet, freezing rain, windshield had ice etc . . . . NTSB (ANC67A0058)

Even with just twenty minutes on the ground, there was time at McGrath to deplane, go into McGuire's Bar (one room shack beside runway) and have a whiskey, bottle was given and taken to table, I was treated by a drunken FAA guy (off duty!) and then Jenny, the Stewardess, had to come into the bar and tell us the flight was boarding!! As we left the bottle was returned to the bar and the drinks paid for.

Photos: Neil Aird © 31 August 1966

Alaska Airlines had sold their venerable Convair 880, so my ride north from Seattle to Anchorage was on N797AS Boeing B727-90C (19169) shown here on the ramp at Sitka, AK. This was my modern mode of transport back to Alaska in 1968. Gravel airfields included, as this aircraft was certified for such landings. Interesting to note that it was later based close to me at Ottawa, Ontario, with Bradley Air Services/First Air as C-FRST "Spirit of Iqaluit", again servng the far North. Cancelled 20-Apr-2001.

Photo: Neil Aird © 14 September 1968

Typical ramp scene at Fairbanks, a bare metal Curtiss C-46 Commando N4860V (30240) of Interior Airways awaits tasking. Note the elderly Fairchild C-82 Packet N-209-M still active. I met up with this Commando again in September 1995 where I found it out to pasture at Fairbanks. It had come to grief on 27 March 1975 (ANC75AA071) at Deadhorse Airport, Prudhoe Bay. Below is a colour photo of it at Fairbanks.

Photo: Neil Aird © 15 September 1968

Photo: Neil Aird © September 1995

N1312V Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando (22575) with an actual livery at Fairbanks on 15 September 1968. The aircraft was written off in an accident (ANC74AA002) at Beluga Airport on 10 July 1973 09:58, landed short, an engine failed on go-around. Aircraft crashed, all three on board okay. Registration cancelled 18 July 1973

Photo: Neil Aird © 15 September 1968

N1968R Lockheed L-188C Electra (2007) Reeve Aleutian basking in an Alaskan Sunset. It started off as VH-ECC, then became ZK-CLX, and finally C-GHZI (Tanker 484).

Photos: Neil Aird © 14 September 1968

We meet again. Here, ex N1968R sits at Red Deer, Alberta awaiting conversion to a tanker.

N75142 Douglas DC-3 Dakota (9173) of Reeve Aleutian on jacks at Anchorage. Purchased from Northern Consolidated in 1965. Sold to Northern Air Cargo in 1975. She ended her days on 09 December 1996, tt 34,124 hours. Link . NTSB (SEA97FA034)

N1513V Grumman G-21 Goose (B-103) of Reeve Aleutian, having her Wasps worked on. She was written off at False Pass 22 June 1970 (ANC70AA021)

A twenty-three year old in "Heaven" . . . . . .