Penair
OLD Alaska 135
I would like to say in conclusion that back when I was flying in Alaska Penair was the worst of the worst. It was common to see them taxi out a Cherokee 6 with the tail tiedown skipping off the ground since the plane was so overloaded. In an interview the King Salmon cheif pilot he told me and another guy that if we worked for him and didn't get caught out at least two nights a week that he would fire us.
On another occasion the same guy was asked to report the weather where he was and his reply was "1/2 mile I think, but I can't see much past a half mile anymore anyhow". There was this kid who hung around our airtaxi and he tried for a few weeks to get on at ILI. After giving up he excitedly told us that he had gotten on with Penair. We strongly warned him to stay away but wild horses couldn't stop him. A month later he was in the hospital and two of his passengers were dead. I know that he was really banged up and was not expected to live.
Things were diffrent then. Penair shared the ramp with Markair Express and they both were fighting for survival. My last story is of a Penair Cherokee 6 pilot who was lost in the clouds and crying on the raido. He was sure that in short order he would find the side of a mountian. I listened as others tried to talk him into pulling himself togather but he was unconsolible. In the end I later was told that someone got him onto ATC and talked him back into DLG. Just another day in the bush circa 1990's I am told that life is better there now.
SkyHigh