HISTORY OF PACIFIC NORTHERN AIRLINES
Arthur Woodley started this company on April 10, 1932 as Woodley Airways. In 1934 Woodley Airways was awarded a mailcontract and acquired Travel Air S-6000s to operate between its base Anchorage and Kodiak, Bristol Bay and Kuskokwin. Later on it received the required permit to carry passengers along with the mail.
The war effort brought modern airfields to Alaska and aviation could grow. To attract investors, the company became a partnership on 01Jan44 and was incorporated on 23Aug45 at the end of WW2. With new investors, a new name was chosen: Pacific Northern Airlines (PNA). And Boeing 247D airliners had joined the fleet (they seated 10 passengers).
In 1946 the first of 4 Douglas DC-3D's (N37465, c/n 42955) joined the fleet; it could seat 21 passengers. Later 2 ex-military C-47s would join the fleet as well. On 20Jun46 the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) awarded PNA a new route: Achorage - Cordova - Yakutat - Juneau. Since there were no roads linking these cities, this was a vital connection for the territory.
PNA's rivals in the area were: Alaska Airlines, Pan American World Airways and Northwest Airlines. In 1950 PNA was awarded the routes Portland,OR - Seattle,WA - Anchorage,AK. In 1953 Seattle/Tacoma - Juneau followed.
The company needed long range airliners for these routes and bought 3 ex-US Army Air Force (USAAF) C-54s and an ex-Navy R5D-1 (C-54A). The first DC-4 was N3934C, acquired from Aerovias Guest (had previously operated in Mexica, as XA-HOA) and it arrived in July 1951. But when Northwest Airlines operated the Boeing 377 on the long haul routes, the DC-4 came out too slow and PNA needed a faster plane to compete.
Woodley found Delta Airlines disposing of Lockheed L.749A Constellations and 3 were bought: N86524 (c/n 2660), N86523 (c/n 2659) and N86525 (c/n 2662). N86524 arrived on 15Mar55, the 2 others followed in April. They did well on the SEA-ANC route, advertised as the PNA Constellation Flagliner Service with a speed of 300 mph (a cruising speed of 250 mph was more realistic). The 749A's were also assigned to the SEA-Ketchikan (Annette Island)-Juneau route; the Douglas DC-4s flew on the less competitive Juneau-ANC and Juneau-Yakutat-Cordova route.
PNA suffered only 1 accident with loss of life in their history: L.749A N1554V (c/n 2555) crashed on flight 201 from Cordova to Anchorage on 14Jun60; the Connie crashed into Mt.Gilbert, 9 passengers and 5 crew perished.
The competition moved into the jet age and PNA had to follow. Nothwest Orient Airlines introduced the Douglas DC-8 on the Seattle/Tacoma-Anchorage-Tokyo route in 1960. alaska Airlines introduced the Convair CV880 jets in 1961. PNA ordered the Boeing 720 in 1961 and saw delivery in 1962 (N720V c/n 18376 and N720W c/n 18377). The 720 was 02hr45 faster than the Connie on the SEA-ANC route. A 3rd 720 followed in 1966 (N7081, c/n 18042).
But the increased competition forced Arthur Woodley to merge with Western Airlines. The latter had no routes to Alaska and both companies shared a connection point in Seattle,WA.
PNA was absorbed into Western A/L on 01Jul67 as its Alaska Division. |
