The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-26

l. Air service linking outside with
k London is established with the
opening of regular passenger and
chikan, and Juneau.
Four motors lift a Sikorsky clip
mail flights between Seattle, Ket-
per from Lake Washington in Seat
tie and you're off on great flying
adventure.
Out through the straits of Juan
de Fuca, over the Pacific to skirt
international complications. Yes,
that's Vancouver Island down at
your right, and Vancouver Island is
in Canada, and Canada is at war.
But all that seems very remote.
Past the northernmost tip of the
island and on north. Then, without
being told, you know you're looking
at Alaska.
A few hours and you're at Ketchi-
kan to set foot on Alaskan soil dur
ing a brief refueling pause. You
take off again and in two hours
more you are in Juneau, end of the
line for the flying boats.
Originally projected in 1882, it
wasn't until defense expediency cut
the strings of international compli-
cations that this "all American
route over U. S. land and interna-
tional water was put into operation
Until its Inauguration slow travel
by boat through the tortuous inland
passage was the only method of
transportation between Pacific coast
cities and Alaska. But closing of this
aerial gap marks only a stop-gap
service to Alaska.
When winter sets in marine fly
ing will be impractical as early as
October and flying boats will have
to be housed until spring. Next de-
velopment in air schedules is the
highspeed service from Seattle di-
rect to Fairbanks, LOO miles dis
tant.
Four-engine supercharged land
plane clippers, flying at high alti-
tudes, will hurtle this distance nom
stop over international waters OF
U. S. territory. In all Alaska there
isn't an airport capable of handling
that size craft right now. In a few
months, with the armyis defense
program underway, there may be.
ONE JUMP
TO AVIATION
Whirling propeller blades have
played an important part in the de-
velopment of Alaska, singing a song
OF mastery over some of the most
difficult terrain in the world.
In a land with lses than 5000
miles of highways open only E
part of the year, with one operating
railroad and scattered travel by
boat, everyone matches the chal.
lenge of transportation with the air.
plane.
Ever since Carl Ben Eilser
brought his old Jenny" here il
1882, the story of Alaska's progress.
has been the saga of the airplane
The old slow, uncomfortable trave
by dog team and boat is outmoded
Everyone travels by air during tn,
winter months. Trappers, off tt
lonely traplnes for a winters yielt
of fur charter plane, often Loaf
deg team and sled aboard will
traps and supplies, land a few hour
later at their headquarters camp o
on lake.
Months later the same plan
drops in with fresh supplies, load
aboard catch of furs and is off t.
the next camp.
| Sportsmen, hunters, fisherman
miners, trappers, fur and minera
buyers, prospectorS and businessmen
charter a plane as nonchalantly a
the average resident of the state
| hires a taxi.
Accomplishment of all this ha
not been easy.
While weather along the south
eastern coast is mild the year
round, winter sets in with ban
in the interior during October, tn
mercury starts a swift slide to tn
seasons low of 60 or 70 degrees be
low zero. In April temperature
start their climb to possible co.
ALASKANS
GET AROUND
A land of rugged mountain:
dense forests, swampy increases
| EAldShd hl4OWo IlO ildIuld al ldlAOJl
fields. Only flying boats or pontool
planes can set down on its myria
lakes in summer. Ski-euuipped ship
conquer ice and snow in winter
The provide year?round operation
airports had to be hacked out @
forests, stump uprooted, and Ian
smoothed or built up from tundra.
But airports have been built
more than 100 of them In Alaska
GOO 900 square miles. Many Of them
however. are available only in tn
summer months. Pan American Air
ways. through its Pacific Alaski
Always. operates IS small airports
approximately the same number o
weather and radio stations for 1t
2l25-mile schedules.
Today there are more than 10l
planes in the territory. virtually ell
of them small charter ships.
Alaskans get around on their air
lines. Last year nearly 10000 pas.
sengers few more than 1000. 00l
faIias IN the territory. When YOU re.
r'ember that the population d
about 73000--less than half Of then
whites--that's something like a fly.