Alaska Coastal Airlines was an airline in the United States. It was formed in 1939 as a result of the merger of Alaska Air Transport and Marine Airways. On April 1, 1962, Alaska Coastal Airlines merged with Ellis Air Lines, trading for a while as Alaska Coastal-Ellis Airlines. Alaska Coastal Airlines was taken over by

Alaska Airlines Alaska Airlines is a major American airline headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest airline in North America when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and the num ...

in April 1968.Alaska Coastal Airlines
timetables.

History

Alaska Air Transport was formed by Sheldon Bruce "Shell" Simmons (October 8, 1908 – November 16, 1994)library
Shell's biography at

Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the s ...

in the summer of 1935 with one Stinson SM-2AC aircraft named ''Patco''. Alaska Air Transport bought out Irving Airways in September 1936. Irving Airways had been started by Wilbur Irving at Juneau in the spring of 1936. Marine Airways was formed by Alex Holden, Jim Davis and M E Monagle in Juneau in July 1936. Holden bought a

Bellanca CH-300 The Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker was a six-seat utility aircraft, built primarily in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a development of the Bellanca CH-200, fitted with a more powerful engine and, like the CH-200, soon became renowned ...

Pacemaker NC196N in August 1936. In 1938, Simmons used Bellanca NC47M in the rescue of survivors of the ''Patterson'', an oceangoing freighter which had run aground at Cape Fairweather, 150 miles northwest of Juneau.Findarticles.com
/ref> In 1939, Simmons and Holden joined forces, forming Alaskan Coastal Airways. Ellis Air Lines was formed in

Ketchikan Ketchikan ( ; tli, Kichx̱áan) is a city in and the borough seat of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough of Alaska. It is the state's southeasternmost major settlement. Downtown Ketchikan is a National Historic District. With a population at the 20 ...

in 1936 by Robert Edmund "Bob" Ellis (January 2, 1903 – May 8, 1994). At the time of the merger his fleet consisted of ten

Grumman G-21 Goose The Grumman G-21 Goose is an amphibious flying boat designed by Grumman to serve as an eight-seat "commuter" aircraft for businessmen in the Long Island area. The Goose was Grumman's first monoplane to fly, its first twin-engined aircraft, a ...

amphibian aircraft. In 1945, Simmons went to

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, BC, and purchased a

, formerly in the service of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

Findarticles.com
/ref> On one occasion in the late 1960s, a woman had a baby in flight between Gustavus and Juneau.Findarticles.com
/ref> Alaska Island Airways was acquired by Alaska Coastal Airlines in 1954.

Destinations

Alaska

Angoon,

Annette Annette may refer to: Film and television * '' Walt Disney Presents: Annette'', 1950s television series * ''Annette'' (film), a 2021 musical film Other * Annette (given name), list of people with the name * Annette Island, Alaska * Tropical Stor ...

, Baranof, Cape Pole, Chatham, Craig, Duncan Canal, Edna Bay, Elfin Cove, Excursion Inlet, Funter, Gustavus, Haines, Hawk Inlet, Hollis,

Hoonah Hoonah ( tli, Xunaa or ''Gaaw Yat’aḵ Aan'') is a largely Tlingit community on Chichagof Island, located in Alaska's panhandle in the southeast region of the state. It is west of Juneau, across the Alaskan Inside Passage. Hoonah is the only ...

, Hydaburg,

Kake KAKE (channel 10) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Lockwood Broadcast Group. The station's studios are located on West Street in northwestern Wichita, and its transmitter is located in ...

, Kasaan,

Klawock Klawock ( tli, Lawáak) is a city in Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, in the U.S. state of Alaska, on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, on Klawock Inlet, across from Klawock Island. The population was 755 at the 2010 census, down ...

, Pelican, Petersburg, Port Alexander, Port Armstrong, Point Baker, Port Walter, Rogers Point, Saginaw Bay, Sitka,

Skagway The Municipality and Borough of Skagway is a first-class borough in Alaska on the Alaska Panhandle. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,240, up from 968 in 2010. The population doubles in the summer tourist season in order to deal with ...

, Steamboat Bay, Taku Lodge, Tenakee, Thorne Bay, Todd, Tokeen. Washington Bay, Wrangell.

British Columbia

Prince Rupert, Tulsequah.

Accidents

* 1948 - Kingbird NC622V written off at Tulsequah, BC. * November 14, 1952 - Vega NC49M destroyed by fire at Sitka.DMAirfield.com
Full history of NC49M * January 5, 1958 - Vega NC47M written off near Tanakee. Pilot killed, two passengers injured. * January 20, 1964 - Goose N79914 accident at Petersburg.NTSB
Accident report * October 2, 1964 - Catalina N4936V written off at Otter Lake, flight attendant killed.
N4936V accident details
N4936V accident details * August 21, 1966 - Goose N88820 written off near Juneau. Nine killed. * August 30, 1967 - Goose N74588 accident at Prince Rupert, Canada.NTSB
Accident report

Fleet

* Aeronca PC-3 NC16250 bought new from Aeronca 1 May 36 and sold after two accidents in Juneau and subsequent repairs on 30 Sep 39 to Mary Joyce of Taku Lodge, cancelled in CAA records 4 Aug 48 after letter from Miss Joyce that it was unlikely to fly again (Source; FAA file for NC16250) * Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker - one operated now preserved in the National Aviation Museum, Ottawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada.Findarticles.com
/ref>
Alaska Airlines Fleet List

2009-10-25. * Cessna 180 * Cessna 185D - one operatedGeocities
Alaska Coastal-Ellis Airlines Fleet article & photos

2009-10-25. * Convair 240-5 - one operatedxs4all.com
Convair 240 production list.
Complete history of N196N *

Consolidated PBY Catalina The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served wi ...

- five operated Findarticles.com
N2763A history * Curtiss Kingbird D-3 - one operated * Fairchild 24 - one operated * Howard DGA *

- 24 operatedWidaguy
Goose webpage including aircraft converted to turboprop power ("Turbo-Goose") *

Lockheed Vega The Lockheed Vega is an American five- to seven-seat high-wing monoplane airliner built by the Lockheed Corporation starting in 1927. It became famous for its use by a number of record-breaking pilots who were attracted to the rugged and very l ...

- two operatedFindarticles.com
/ref>Findarticles.com
/ref> * Piper J-3C-65 Cub - one operated in 1948Alaska.edu
Photo of NC71097
history of N71097 * Stinson SM2A - one operated *

Waco Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

References

External links

Photo
of CF-ATN (NC196N) in Canada National Aviation Museum.

of CF-ATN (NC196N) in Canada National Aviation Museum.

of NC196N at Juneau in 1939.
Video documentary about Simmons
{{US-airline-stub 1939 establishments in Alaska 1968 disestablishments in Alaska Airlines disestablished in 1968 Airlines established in 1939 Airlines based in Alaska Defunct airlines of the United States