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Logistics In Alaska

Discussion in 'History & Geography' started by Don Alaska, Sep 18, 2018.

  1. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    There are few cities of any size and few football teams. I saw on the news that Ketchikan High School was going to play Barrow (Utqiagvik now). I thought the distance was a bit much to travel to play a high school football game. The distance they have to travel is 1331 miles (2141 km). That is roughly the equivalent of flying from Chicago to Miami, Florida or London to Naples. That makes for a very expensive high school sports program. When I moved to Alaska near the Bering Sea, an acquaintance asked me to stop in to visit his friend in Skagway. That was like asking someone in Chicago to visit a person in Baltimore...and no roads much of the way. Here is what Alaska looks like superimposed on the Lower 48:

    https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ak/technical/dma/nrcs142p2_035899/

    Almost 2 1/2 times the size of Texas with more coastline than the entire remainder of the U.S. The map has blue lines on it, which are the major rivers, a main transportation system before air travel.
     
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  2. Beatrice Taylor

    Beatrice Taylor Veteran Member
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    I agree!

    When I was a teenager my stepfather subscribed to Alaska magazine. I was always fascinated when I read articles about people of average means flying airplanes from place to place as part of a normal routine.

    I suppose it comes down to different priorities and different needs. For me, stories about life in remote areas or Alaska or life in midtown Manhattan seem a little odd compared to my quiet little life.

    It is always fun/interesting for me to get a glimpse of how other folks live and what is considered normal for them.
     
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  3. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    Maybe with global warming....oops, I mean climate change, some of our citizens in overcrowded cities can move to Alaska. Looks like there is plenty of room. :)
     
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  4. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    We'll see @Shirley Martin. Perhaps it will get warmer...and let all the riff-raff in. Now the less hardy folks are kept at bay by the weather and the transportation difficulties.
     
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  5. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Why is Alaska Airlines headquartered in SeaTac, Washington? Shouldn't it be headquartered in Alaska? After all, American Airlines isn't headquartered in Germany. Interestingly, I see that Alaska Airlines has merged with Hawaiian Airlines.
     
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    Last edited: Oct 18, 2024
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  6. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Alaska Airlines started as a small airline ferrying things and people from Washington to Alaska. It has expanded over the years and has beaten several competitors to come out on top and is now the primary air source to Alaska... almost the only year-round airline...but Delta, American and United fly in a few times a day. SeaTac and Anchorage airports are the airports that don't sleep. I haven't been to Kennedy in a long time, so I can't speak to that. I have flown into Philadelphia, DFW, Dulles and O'Hare late at night thinking I could get a meal...but guess what? They were essentially closed for the night. We couldn't even find a snack bar open in O'Hare after about midnight.

    I guess originally it was easier to get fuel and service in Washington. Kinda like Northern Exposure being filmed in Washington, not Alaska.
     
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  7. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    I didn't know Alaska had an airline, but then I haven't flown in decades. I do know the population is increasing.
     
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  8. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Alaska doesn't own the airline, but it has become a major player in the airline business. It first acquired Virgin Airlines from Sir Richard Branson who once said it was easy to run an airline in America since the others are run so poorly. I guess he found the reality to be too much for him and it wasn't so easy after all since he sold out to Alaska. Alaska recently merged/bought Hawaiian and they will still operate as separate airlines for a year or more before becoming one airline.

    When I fly, I fly almost exclusively on Alaska, not because it is necessarily the most luxurious but because I know what to expect from it. I had trouble with them 25 years ago or so, but have had no issues since except for our last trip to Hawaii which was during the 737 Max crisis. I flew Delta then and enjoyed that. I will not fly United under any circumstances, but do fly American, which is a partner with Alaska and they even share some flights and was once my favorite airline.

    Alaska almost controls Alaska logistics. There is a cargo competitor--Northern Air Cargo--but they only fly cargo and don't carry passengers. As some of you know, Alaskans fly everywhere.
     
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  9. Joe Riley

    Joe Riley Supreme Member
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  10. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    My oldest grandson is a pilot for Alaskan Airlines, and he loves working for them ! Maybe you will get him as your pilot when you travel, @Don Alaska ?

    IMG_7214.jpeg
     
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  11. Tony Page

    Tony Page Veteran Member
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    I was surfing the internet and came across facts about Alaska I thought they were interesting

    Alaska is the largest US state, covering over 665,000 square miles

    That makes it larger than the next three largest states (Texas, California, Montana) combined. If Alaska were an independent country, it would be the 18th largest in the world.

    Almost one-third of Alaska’s land is in the Arctic Circle

    It is home to the 17 tallest mountains in the United States

    Alaska’s Mount Denali is North America’s highest point at 6,190 meters (20,310 feet)

    There are eight national parks in Alaska

    These are Denali, Gates of the Artic, Glacier Bay, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark and Wrangell-St. Elias.

    Alaska has more coastline than the entire contiguous United States combined

    It is estimated that it has over 100,000 glaciers

    It’s thought that about 3% of Alaska is covered by glaciers. That’s a lot of ice, when you consider how large Alaska is.

    There are more active glaciers and ice fields in Alaska than in the rest of the inhabited world

    There are over 3 million lakes in Alaska

    Alaska’s largest lake is Lake Iliamna

    At 77 miles long, the lake is as wide as the state of Connecticut.

    Alaska is 14.2% water

    With more than 3,000 rivers and 3 million lakes, it’s no surprise that Alaska is thought to have 94,743 square miles of water area.

    The United State’s two largest forests are in Alaska

    The Chugach forest covers 4.8 million acres, while the mighty Tongass forest spans an inconceivable 16.8 million acres.
     
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  12. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    Tongass is the largest national forest, and Wrangell-St. Elias in the largest National Park. It is as big as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the nation of Switzerland COMBINED! People, including many who live here, just don't know how big the state is. It also has more coastline than the rest of the country combined but without a single naval base.

    https://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm
     
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  13. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Thats great Yvonne. If Don fly's with him they will have something in common to discuss. :cool:
     
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    Last edited: Oct 19, 2024
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  14. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    Tony that's amazing and I thought I knew geography and world wonders. Thanks for the lesson.
     
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  15. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
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    We don't often get to talk with the pilots. I have a friend who is an Alaska pilot, and I have never seen him on a plane even though I fly fairly often.
     
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