Northwest History. State History. Aeronautics, Continued Airports, Commercial Service. Air Mail.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1934
• Subjects: Passenger air service; Air Mail; Spokane; Fairbanks; Alaska; Pan- American Airways; Lyman S. Peck; James A. Ford; Business; Air service; Northwest History > History > 20th century; United States > Aeronautics; Continued Airports; Commercial Service > 20th Century; Landing The; Pacific; Nome
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/140221

Spokane-Alaska Air Mail Route Now Considered. SPOKANE-ALASKA AIR MAIL ROUTE NOW CONSIDERED Establishment of an all-year mail and passenger air service between Spokane and Fairbanks, Alaska, is being considered by the Pan-American Airways, Inc., the holding company which has operating affiliates in South and Central America and Alaska. Lyman S. Peck, vice president and general manager of the Pacific Alaska Airways, Inc., a Pan-American company, is in Spokane today to make a study of terminal facilities for aircraft equipped with pontoons, skis or wheels. Thursday afternoon, Mr. |Peck visited nearby lakes with James A. Ford, managing-secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. "Spokane is on the line of a practical all-year air route from Alaska," said Mr. Peck today. "Flights can be made from Spokane to Fairbanks, Alaska, in from 18 to 20 hours, and from Fairbanks to Nome in another five hours. Type of Plane Unsettled. "The type of aircraft to be used would depend upon weather conditions along the route. When the northern lakes are open, we use pontoon equipment in Alaska, landing the planes on open water. Planes of this kind can be flown all the way south to Spokane. When the lakes freeze up, we use skis. In ordinary winters, we could fly to Spokane with ski equipment. In an open winter like this one, the skis would be removed at some airport en route arid wheels substituted." "Is there enough business between the United States and Alaska to justify an all-year air service?" Mr. Peck was asked. "There certainly is," he replied. "The mails alone would provide a lot of business. "Traveling by boat and rail, it now takes 11 or 12 days to go from Spokane to Fairbanks. If this time were reduced to one day, it would mean a lot to the people of the territory."