The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-09-25

Both airlines have received Ma tional Safety Awards from the Na- tional Safety Council. All precau- tions are taken to maintain a high order of performance of aircraft and pilots.
 AGA shop facilities for many years have been certified by CAA as an approved repair station and a li- censed CAA inspector is on the pay roll. The shops are equipped for complete overhaul facilities for en- zines, radio, instruments and all types of repair.
 AGA Shows Steady Growth
 Alaska Coastal Airlines is a part nership of two corporations. Alaska Air Transport, Inc, was organized in 1885 by Sheldon Simmons and was financially backed by Thomas A. Morgan, Dr. w. w. Council, Dan Moller and Tom Mccall.
 Capt. James Davis backed and financed A. B. (Alex) Holden in Ma rine Airways which was organized in 1886. Simmons and Holden are co-managers of the AGA.
 From two single-engine seaplanes at the inception of the cooperative venture, the company now has 13 aircraft ranging from 24-passenger Catalina type PBY to two Aeroncas for training and one-passenger charter trips.
 Other aircraft include five B. passenger Grumman amphibians, two 5-passenger Lockheed seaplanes, one Ballanca for five passengers, one 3-passenger Seabee amphibian and one Curtis Kingbird. The King bird carries seven persons and is used on the contract Tulsequah run for the Consolidated Mining and Smelling Co. of Canada.
 Alaska Coastal's recently ex- rateded @nd et~ea aroii,'sd s7asFeaqer terminal at times resembles e mini ature Grand Central Station"
 The peak travel months of this year have been July, August and September which show an increase of 30 percent over the same months in 1850, AGA officials reveal.
 The first week in September of this year was something of a re- cord when 1,500 passengers were transported. On Sept. 8-the high day-283 persons flew with the air. line.
 To hark back to 1940, about 1,500 persons were carried during the entire year, but by 1946 ten times that number were carried and in 1946 AGA counted over 10000 pas sengers.
 During the past 12-month period Alaska Coastal has moved 38,500 ton miles of mail, 51,000 ton miles ex- press and freight in addition to 30,00o passengers.
 AGA Has II Agents
 The Juneau airline is represented in most of the outlying towns by the following agents: Kyra Garnes Angoon; Jack Templin, Hoonah; Joe Sadlier, Pelican; Ira Powell, Haines; Christine Lamoreau, Skagway; Har- old Hargraves. Funter Bay; Dermott O'Toole, Tenakee; Robert Martin, Rake; O. E. Swanson, Elfin Cove; Eldor Lee, Petersburg; and Orville Paxton, Sitka.
 Ellis Air Lines represents AGA in Ketchikan and AGA does the same for Ellis here.
 Ellis Air Lines Growing
 R. E. (Bob) Ellis of Ellis Air Lines operating out of Ketchikan serves that city, Wrangell, Peters, burg. Hydaburg, Klawock, Craig, Annette and Juneau.
 He, too. reports about a 20 per- cent increase in passenger traffic over last year with July up A per- cent.
 Ellis operates the shortest and busiest aerial route in Alaska = 21 miles between Ketchikan and An nette-where he handles Pan Amer ican Airways connections between the two points. He says that nearly 19,000 persons were carried on that route last year.
 While most of the passengers are | PAA connections, substantial portion can be chased as commuter Approximately 300 persons live at Annette, largely CAA, PAA, Stan- dard Oil and Coast Guard person. nel," he pointed out.
 Ellis Air Lines carried 34,000 pas sengers in 1850 and it is expected that the figure will run close to 10000 this year. Ellis reports great increase in airmail. It has tripled since 1948. However not as much cargo is carried by air since much of it is transported by small boat.
 Six Grumman amphibians anc three Aeronca sedans are operated by Ellis and he says this is the first year that he has had sufficient aircraft to handle the business of. fered.
 Improvements in seaplane facil. ities are constantly being made a various points in Southeast Alaska These aid materially in the hand. ling of passengers and cargo.