# CHALUK A CORPORATIO N

Ma y 9,201 0 ADO T ' 1 Le o vo n Scheben , Conmiissione r P.O . Bo x 11^500 ; ' Juneau , Alaska9981 1 r250 0 ^ _ ' ;

' • " ' \- • . ' . Dea r Mr . von Scheben : \woul d lik

e t o write thi s letter

fromth e standpoin

t o f aprivate citizen fromNikolski , Alaskaand a s th e President fo r th e villag e corporation , ChalukaCorporation . I purchase d aroun d tri p nonrefundabl e ticke t fromPen Air

t o g o fromAnchorag e t o Nikolsk i o n March 29,2010 . Th e fligh t lef t Anchorag e o n tim e an

d arrive d i n Dutc h Harbor a t 12:3 0 p.m . I met

m y Mothe r in Dutc h Harbor

an d w e wer

e schedule d t o fly fromDutch Harbor

to Nikolski. ' Afte

r al l th e Anchorag e flights4eft Dutc| i Harbor

to retur n t o Anchorag e and Akuta

n flights wer

e take n car

e of . Pen Air attempte d to mak

e th e fligfit to Nikolsk i i n thei r Grumma n Goose . We wer

e airborn e fo

r fifteen minute s then tiime d aroun d to hea

d back t o Dutch Harbor . W

e ra n int o amassiv e sno w squall . Afte r deplaning , w e wer

e tol d t o cheC

k i n wit h th e ticke t

agent a t 10:0 0 a.m . tli e nex t

day , March 30 . , _^ ' Needles s t o say , w e checke d wit h th e ticke t

agent fo r severa l days . Due t

o ba d weathe r between Dutc h Harbor

an d Nikolski , tide flight

jiever happene d uhti l Aprill3,2010 . B y thi s time , there wer

e mor e passenger s tha

t arrive d into Dutc h Harbo

r t o g o t o Nikolski . Ther e wer e atotal o f six ^senger s to g o to Nikolski . Th e flight di d happe n on Apri l 13 , but w e wer e tol d W e coul d bnly tak

e up to fifteen pound s o f

hand carry . Two^o

f th e passenger s were acre w tha t ChalukaCorporatio n hire d t o do som e renovation s a

t ou r "hotel " s o the

y ha d t o tak e thei r tobl s wit h them . It di d no t mak e sens e fo r themto trave l without their tool s a s they woul d no t

b e abl e t o get

thei r wor k done. ^ M y briefcas e alone wa s thirt y five poiinds . The corporatio n ha d als o hire d aconsultant

fo r aprojec t t^a t wa s currently happenin g i n Nikolski . H e ha d hi s briefcas e als o and weighe d abou t twent y , pounds . I mad

e a n executiv e decisio n to let

hi mand I sta

y back i n Dutch Harbo

r uhti l w e coul d tak e pu r briefcase s and suitcase s alon g wit h us . M y Mothe r and th e coo

k tha t Chaluk aCorporatio n hire d fo

r th e projec t

tha t wa s happenin g and th e tw o contractor s wer e th e passenger s tha

t w?r^ o n th e Apri l 13 * flight to Nikolski . M

y Mother' s baggag e i s stij l sittin g i n Dutc h Harbor waitin g t o get

t o Nikolski . Unfortunately fdi

- th e cpttsul^ t

an d me , pfte

r waitin g fo

r seven mor

e days , w e ihat W e shoul aliea

d i)ac k t o Aiichoii^ge sinc e w e wer e riot ^oiri g t o b e abl e t

d ri decide d riiaketh e 

## RECEIVE D MA Y 

### 1 7 201 0 DO T & P F Commissione r RO . Bo x 10 4 • Nikolski , Alaska9963 8 Phone (907 ) 576-221 6 • Fa x (907 ) 576-220 3 

# TRAC K#10-800 9flight out t o Nikolsk i an y tim e soon . Beside s th e consultan t wa s schedule d t o depart Nikolsk i o n Apri l 19* , an d hea d bac k t o Minnesot ao n Apri l 22"* * wit h alayove r i n Dutc h Harbor . ^ , ' Befor e I heade d ou t

t o Dutc h Harbor , I faxe d agrocer y lis t t o Safeway i n Dutc h Harbo r an d aske d the mt o fill th e orde r an d sen d i t

t o Nikolsk i b y Apri l 1,2010 . I t wa s filled an d take n ove r

t o Pe n Ai r

cargo . I pai d fo r

th e freight

wit h m y credi t

card . Upo n m y retur n t o Anchorag e o n Apn l 19,2010, 1 mad e arrangement s t o charte r ACE

Alask aCentra l Express , t o hau l th e grocerie s tha t Chaluk aha d ordere d for th e Apri l 1 , 201 0 flight

an d an y freight

tha t wa s for th e Nativ e Stor & i n Nikolski . I f ih e /corporatio n di d no t charte r tha t flight, th e grocerie s woul d stil l b e i n Pe n Air' s carg o o^ce . O n tha t charter , Chaluk aha d les s tha n athousan d pound s o f freight. I hav e a n AC E airwa y bil l tha t charge d Chaluk aCorporatio n for 4,34 0 pound s o f

frei^t. I understan d tha t Pe n Ai r . di d mak e aflight

ou t t o Nikolsk i afte r

thei AC E charte r

wit h mor e passenger s bu t the y wer e not abl e t o tak e thei r

luggag e wit h them . I f

Chaluk adidno t

charte r ACE , fhos e grocerie s woul d stil l b e i n Dutc h Harbor . Th e whol e basi s o f

m y tri p out

t o Nikolsk i was t o ge t

wor k don e tha t

>va s crucia l befor e a Ma y 1,201 0 deadline . Sinc e I wa s not abl e t o ge t

ou t t o Nikolsk i durin g th e constructio n o f th e fence , I a mgoin g t o hav e t o rel y on^ e contractor s tha t wer e hire d b y th e corporatio n t o hopefiill y mak e siv e tha t i t wa s constructe d t o tihe federa l contrac t specifications . - , i ' / \ I d o understan d tha t

safety i s first

ari d foremos t

for Pe n Air . I believ e tha t

thb pilo t " know s wha t

h e i s doin g an d make s decision s accordin g t o th e weather . Whil e I was wautin g t o ge t

t o Nikolski , th e Goos e neve r lef t th e hanga r

fo r severa l days . I d o not

thin k i t eve n wen t

t o Akutan . ' ^ I understan d tha t

Pe n Ai r ha s th e Essentia l Ai r

Servic e fo r

Nikolski . Ther e ha s not bee n an y mai l tha t

ha s gon e t o Nikolsk i sinc e Marc h 25 , 2010 . I kno w thi s becaus e th e thre e passenger s tha t

cam e ou t o f Anchorag e for

Nikolsk i wer e tol d tha t

th e Goos e ha d a mechanica l an d wer e tol d no t t o com e dow n t o Dutc h Harbo r o n Apri l 12 , 2010 . Th e Nikolsk i passenger s opte d t o com e out t o Dutc h Harbo r

believin g Ihat

th e Goos e woul d ge t fixed i n ashor t

perio d oftim e an d woul d b e headin g ou t t o Nikolski . I was "stranded " i n Dutc h Harbo r fo f 2 2 day s waitin g fo r

Pe n Ai r t o tak e m e t o Nikolski . Ther e wa s agu y tha t

wa s l^eadin g out

t o Nikolsk i an d For t

Glen n t o fix th e inteme t

out there . Berin g Pacifi c Ranche s ende d u p takin g hi mt o Nikolsk i an d For t Glen n i n thei r helicopter . I d o hop e tha t gu y wa s abl e t o ge t

som e o f hi s nonrefundabl e ticke t back . Nikolsk i ma y no t

b e a"money " make r

for Pe n Ai r bu t w e ar e peopl e livin g i n tha t village . I t

i s difficul t

for peopl e i n Nikolsk i t o mak e thei r docto r appointments , gettin g thei r medicatio n refilled , an d everi payin g thei r bill s o n time . Chaluk aCorporatio n ha s a veste d interes t

i n th e lodg e tha t

i s ou t ther e also . I f

client s ar e unabl e t o mak e i t out t o Nikolsk i o n Pe n Air , the n th e lodg e lose s money . W e canno t pharte r th e client s out

ther e al l th e time .Th e only time s tha t peopl e ar e abl e to get

out o f Nikolsk i i s when acharte

r show s up . Tha t ca n ge t costly fo r individuals . I a

msur e they pa y sea t far e but wh y shoul d they when Pen Air

i s schedule d t o mak

e flights out

there ? I n closing , I woul d lik

e t o get arespons e fromsomeone tha t wil l mak e adifferenc e fo

r th e villag e o f

Nikolski . W

e ar e i n dire nee d o f

hel p wit h fransportation in atimely maimer . Something ha s t o b e don e and thi s situatio n addresse d b y Pen Air , FAA , DOT , hec k even th e Governor

shoul d get

involved . 1 a mgoin g to patientl y wait

fo r arespons e fromsomeone tha t care s t o resolv e thi s issu e o r hel p t o fix tihe problm . Thian k you fo r you r time . Sincerely , ' , Dor aJohiisdn , President ChalukaCorporatio n cc : PenAir , Daim

y Seybert , President U.S . Posta l Service , Postmaste

r U.S . Posta l Service , Dian e Horbochuk , AK Distric t Manage r ADOT , Le o vo n Schebeu

i Commissione

r USDOT , FA

A AlaskaRegio n Airport s Division , AAL-600 , Byro n K . Huffma n .