# OoT-OST - QOQS - 

# 0 3 Vl Join t Commen t

Lette r t o U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n from 

### Cit y ofKake P.O . Bo x 50 0 Kake , Alask a9983 0 Stat e Chartere d Municipa

l Governmen

t Organize d Villag e ofKak e

P.O . Bo x 31 6 Kake , Alask a9983 0 Federally Recognize

d Triba l Governmen

t Jul y 29 , 201 0 Denni s J . DeVaney , Chie f Essentia l Air Servic e Divisio n Office o f Aviatio n Analysi s U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n 1200 Ne w Jerse y Avenue , S E Washington , D C 2059 0 f I 3 RE ; Essentia

l Air Servic e Provide

r fo r Kak e Alaska Dea r Mr . DeVaney : Pe r ou r telecon s earlier

thi s month , than

k yo u fo r you r willingnes s t

o allo w additiona

l tim e fo r review an d consensu s b y th e tw o loca l government s i

n Kak e in regar d t o Essentia

l Air Servic e (EAS ) provider s fo

r KaJk e beginnin g Septembe

r 1 , 201 0 fo

r atwo-yea r period . Wit

h tha t additiona l time , representative s frombot

h th e Cit y ofKak e (City ) an

d th e Organize d Villag e ofKak e (OVK ) me t wit h th e tw o applicants . Wing s o f Alaska , Inc . (Wings ) an

d Air Excursion s LL

C (Ai r Excursions ) o

n tw o separate day s (plu s th e loca l Kak e School s gathere d input

as wel l and provide d commen t int o th e decisio n process) . Based o n all input

gathered , includin g propose d service s an d airlin e equipment/capability , plu s experienc e in th e past , th e grou p consensu s i s i

n suppor t o f Ai r Excursions . Th e followin

g summarize s th e informatio n w e gathere d an d ou r decisio n process . Sinc e ou r Southeas t Alask aweathe r ca n b e challengin g a

t times , th e abilit

y to operat

e service s in IF

R (Instrumen

t Fligh t Rules ) condition s an

d effectivel

y utiliz e th e FA

A Capston e Syste mi s o f th e highes t

importance . People , freight an d mai l rel y o

n dependabl e airlin e servic e fo r th e mos t basi c of day-to-da y need s i n ou

r rura l community . W e hav e t o b e abl e to trave l fo r busines s & persona

l needs , healt

h care , freight

i n an d out , timel y deliver

y o f mai l in an d out , an d th e lis t goe s on . Al l o f

thi s need s to hav e th e assuranc e tha t sufficien t flights ar e regularl y availabl e an

d provide d o

n adail y basis . Bot h Wing s an

d Ai r Excursion s promis e suc h service , wit h eac h havin g nuance s a s pluse s an d minuse s (e.g . Wing s ha s tw o IR F aircraf t an d Ai r Excursion s onl y one , although Air Excursion s ha s de-icin g alread y installe d wherea s Wing s doe s no t bu t promise s to do so) . T oJoin t Commen t Lette rfro m Cit y o f Kak e an d Organize d Villag e o f Kal< e t o U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n RE : Essentia l Ai rServic e Provide rfo rKake , Alask a pag e 2 complimen

t IR F capability , de-icin g i s amus t i f w e wan t t o ge t th e mos t out o f th e IF R routes , which i n ou

r climate ca

n en d u p being a t icin g levels . Freigh t capacit y i s anothe

r consideration . Th e Carava n operate d b y Wing s offer

s mor e payload capacity , but

Ai r Excursion s commit s t o adding a n extr afreight

flight wheneve r possibl e a s neede d an

d a t aminimum , gettin g apassenger' s exces s baggag e o n the nex t availabl e flight. Air

Excursion s charge s $.50/pound fo r bot h exces s baggag e ove

r 7 0 pound s per passenge r and $.50/pound fo

r freight. Wing s i s th e same fo r exces s baggag e but

charge s u p to $.65/pound fo

r freight (16-9 9 pounds ) an

d $.6 0 ove r 10 0 pounds . Sea

t fares , frequent flyer programs , etc . are clos e enoug h t o each othe r t o b e awash . A s th e dus t

settle s o n th e abov e comparison , which promise s ver y simila r servic e an

d weathe r capabilit y b y both , th e scal e i s tippe d b y custome r service . A locally owned airlin e suc h a s Ai r Excursions , whic h apparently i s mor e i n tun e wit

h ou r rura l communit

y needs , promise s passenge r pick-u p & drop-of

f fromtravelers ' homes , freight delivery , and willingnes s to wor k wit h u s whe n th e weathe r look s to o ba

d even fo r IF R an d not requir e u s t o sit all da y a t th e airpor t when aperiodi c phon e cal l t o update th e fly/no-fly work s instead . A s a n exampl e o f

ho w some o f thi s affects ou

r people , somethin g a s simpl e a s passenge r pick-u p here in Kak

e mean s alo t

to folks whe

n groim d transportatio n i s no t

readil y availabl e t o them . I n additio n t o ou

r consensu s recommendatio n t o you r office , w e als o pla

n to provid e Air

Excursion s alette r tha t review s their

commitment s mad e t o us . W e trus t tha t Air Excursion s wil l follo

w throug h fo r ou r community , wit

h such alette

r providin g a

n agree d upo n benchmar

k o f service s fo

r ou r citizens . T o kee

p you in th e loop , w e woul d lik e to "cc " tha

t lette r t o you r office . W e als o trus t

tha t you r offic e will wor

k wit h Air Excursion s as the y offe

r thei r services , s o tha

t they ma y d o s o in amaime

r tha t not onl y fulfill s Kake' s needs , bu t als o allow s themt o operat e in a fiscally viabl e manner s - fo r tha t t o occur , w e than

k th e U.S . Congres s an

d th e U.S . Departmen

t o f Transportatio n fo

r th e Essentia

l Ai r Servic e Subsid

y Progra mtha t i s s o critica

l i n rura l communitie s such a s Kake , Alaska . I n closing , w e wis h t o than

k you r office fo r it s willingnes s to wor

k wit h u s - t o see

k communit y commen t o n th e Essentia

l Ai r Servic e tha

t i s s o importan

t an d criticall y neede d b y ou

r rura l community . Sincerely , Henrich Kadak

e Casimer o A . Aceved a Cit y ofKak e Mayo

r OV K Triba l Counci l President