Wien Air Alaska

Noel Wien flew an open-cockpit biplane, a Hisso Standard J1 from Anchorage, Alaska's "Park Strip" to Fairbanks, Alaska on 6 July 1924 for Alaska Aerial Transportation Company.[3]

In 1925, Wien purchased a Fokker F.III monoplane with a cabin built in 1921 in Amsterdam for the Fairbanks Airplane Company, and it was shipped to Seward, Alaska, by boat, then shipped in pieces via the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks. Ralph Wien, Noel's brother, came with him, to work as a mechanic. They assembled the Fokker F.III Monoplane in Fairbanks. Yet, Noel and Ralph quit the company in Nov. 1925.[3]^{: 123–126}

Noel and Ralph Wien went into partnership with Gene Miller, and purchased a very used Hisso Standard from the Fairbanks Airplane Co. in 1927. In June they established their business in Nome, servicing Candle, Deering, Kotzebue, and Point Hope. At the end of the summer of 1927, Noel went into business for himself, purchasing a Stinson Detroiter he could fly year round, from Hubert Wilkins. Noel, and his Wien Alaska Airways, started a regular weekly round trip flight between Fairbanks and Nome. Noel also secured special air mail flights during the spring and fall breakup.[3]^{: 183, 194, 199, 212–216}[4]

Wien stewardess dressed for the Arctic, Point Barrow, 1950

On 20 Oct. 1928, Wien Alaska Airways, Inc. was incorporated with Noel as president, Ralph as vice-president, and Miners and Merchants Bank president Granville (Grant) R. Jackson as secretary. The new company built a hangar at Weeks Field and promptly ordered a Hamilton Metalplane.[3]^{: 255–256}[4]^: 55–58

Noel taught Ralph how to fly in 1924. Ralph was killed on October 12, 1930, while flying a diesel-powered Bellanca Bush plane with Fr. Philip Dolen, Superior general of Alaskan Catholic missions, and Fr. William Walsh, a diocesan priest from Oakland, California, on board.[5][6]

In 1929, Noel, Ralph and Grant Jackson sold Wien Alaska Airways to Avco. Noel's company plus Anchorage Air Transport and Bennett-Rodebaugh Company were merged into a new company called Alaskan Airways Inc. Noel flew for Alaskan Airways from Feb. 1931 until Jan. 1932. In Aug. 1932, once his non-compete clause ended, Noel restarted Wien Airways of Alaska, Inc. Northern Air Transport of Nome merged with Wien in 1936. In 1936, Wien had the first air-to-ground radio links in Alaska, and by 1937, Noel had 3 other pilots flying Wien's 8 aircraft, and 3 other mechanics worked with Sigurd Wien, his brother, while 3 people administered their offices in Fairbanks and Nome.[3]^{: 288–291, 294, 303–305}[4]^{: 128–129, 244–245}

Former Wien Air Alaska hangar
in Fairbanks, Alaska, in 2006

Sig received his commercial rating in 1937.[3]^: 334 Sig managed the Nome Office and flew the North Slope bush flights. Sig Wien, as a bush pilot, flew contracts for USGS geologic exploration activities including geologist Marvin Mangus.

Noel Wien was forced to sell his shares to Sig in 1940, so Noel could pay for his wife's medical care. He returned as a vice-president and continued to fly for the airline into the 1950s. Noel then worked public relations for the company into the 1970s.[3]^{: 336, 340}

Northern Consolidated Airlines (NCA) was formed on 8 May 1947 with Ray Petersen as president. The company was an amalgamation of Ray Petersen Flying Service, Northern Airways, Walatka Air Service, and Northern Air Service. Ray Petersen had started Ray Petersen Flying Service in 1937, based in Bethel, Alaska, supporting the platinum mining operations in Platinum, Alaska. In 1941, Ray moved his headquarters to Anchorage, and in 1943, he purchased Bristol Bay Air Service and Jim Dodson Air Service. After WWII, NCA purchased several war surplus Douglas DC3s.[7]

The front cover of the September 16, 1968 Wien system timetable stated, "Alaska's First Airline with America's Newest Jet the 737".[8] This timetable listed Boeing 737-200 jet service being operated on the following routes: Anchorage-Fairbanks, Anchorage-King Salmon, Fairbanks-Barrow and Fairbanks-Galena-Nome-Fairbanks with the latter being a "triangle" routing. On December 6 of the same year it received the first 737 certified by Boeing with the gravel kit which enabled operations into remote airfields in Alaska with unpaved runways.

Also in 1968, Wien merged with Northern Consolidated Airlines (NCA). Sig was named chairman, Ray Petersen president, and Noel and Fritz board members. The new company was called Wien Consolidated Airlines until August 1, 1973, when the company name became Wien Air Alaska. Sig retired and Ray assumed the roles of chairman, president and CEO. By then the airline had more than 800 employees and five Boeing 737-200 jets as well as various turboprop and prop aircraft including Fairchild F-27s, Fairchild Hiller FH-227s, de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, Grumman Mallards, Pilatus Porters, and Short Skyvans. Ray stepped down as president in 1976.[3]^: 319[3]^: 341[7]^{: 188–189}[9]

Expansion came at a price, as Wien was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Household Finance, controlling owners since 1979,[10] then dumped its investment in the airline and sold the company to Wien's President, Jim J. Flood, in 1983.[11][12] He shut down the airline,[13] and on November 23, 1984, Wien was liquidated for profit. Noel's son, Merrill, said the end of his family's airline came when it "was bought by a corporate raider on a leveraged buyout and was liquidated for about twice what the stock was selling for. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 made this possible." in an interview with Avweb.[2]

Before Wien Air folded in 1985, they were known as the second-oldest airline in the United States.

The company pioneered jet service to gravel runways , and helped develop the Boeing 737-200 Combi aircraft configuration which allowed mixed freight and passenger loads on the main deck of the aircraft. By the spring of 1984, the Wien route network extended from Point Barrow in north to dozens of Alaskan communities as well as to cities in the lower 48 states in the western U.S. including Albuquerque, (ABQ), Boise (BOI), Denver (DEN), Phoenix (PHX), Oakland (OAK), Reno (RNO) and Salt Lake City (SLC).[14] Their main bases were located in Anchorage and Seattle.

According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), Wien was operating interchange passenger service in conjunction with Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) with Boeing 727-100 jetliners in the fall of 1981 between Alaska and destinations in the lower 48 states.[15] The OAG lists these no change of plane through flights to Alaska operating a routing of Miami (MIA) - New Orleans (MSY) - Houston (IAH) - Seattle (SEA) - Anchorage (ANC) and from Alaska on a routing of Anchorage - Seattle - Houston - New Orleans with Wien flight crews operating the service between Anchorage and Seattle and Pan Am flight crews operating the Houston, New Orleans and Miami service with Seattle being the interchange point (also known as a "transport hub") between the two airlines.

Noel Wien's sons flew in an open cockpit biplane from Anchorage's 'Park Strip' to Fairbanks on the 75th anniversary of their father's flight. The municipality of Anchorage and the FAA allowed the plane to take off from the grass park, which was used as a runway in 1924.[16]

Throughout its existence, Wien Air Alaska has operated many types of aircraft, with majority of its fleet being propeller driven. This is a complete list of all aircraft types ever operated by the airline:

Boeing 737-200 N493WC Combi in 1983

Wien Air Alaska Boeing 727-100 N40481 Leased from Continental in 1984

A Wien Air Alaska Boeing 727-200, N275WC Leased from Ansett Australia in December 1983

Iñupiat people at Barrow Airport, in front of a Wien Alaska Airlines Constellation N7777G, circa 1966.

A Wien Alaska Airlines Cessna 170 met by a M29C weasel at Oliktok Point, Alaska (North Slope), Summer 1951

Boeing 737-200s

From left, airline president Ray Peterson, Noel Wien, Fritz Wien and Sig Wien as the airline takes delivery of a Boeing 737-200 C on April 12, 1974.

In 1968 Wien merged with Northern Consolidated Airlines (NCA) and became known as Wien Consolidated Airlines until August 1, 1973 when the company name was changed to Wien Air Alaska.

Wien was the launch customer for the Boeing 737-200 Combi aircraft passenger/freighter, and one of the first U.S. operators to commence operations in May 1968 with aircraft N461GB. These aircraft were equipped with a large cargo door on the side of the fuselage just aft of the flight deck near the nose of the 737.

The company pioneered jet service to gravel runways, and helped develop the Boeing 737-200 Combi aircraft configuration which allowed mixed freight and passenger loads on the main deck of the aircraft.

One former Wien aircraft (N4952W) was later acquired by First Air, an Arctic Northern Canadian airline, which then crashed operating as First Air Flight 6560 (C-GNWN) at Resolute Airport in the high Arctic region of Canada. Other primary users of the Boeing 737-200 Combi version in Alaska were Alaska Airlines and MarkAir.

• December 2, 1968 – Flight 55: Fairchild F-27B crashed into Spotsy Lake, Pedro Bay, Alaska; all 39 people on board were killed.[25]
• August 30, 1975 – Flight 99: Fairchild F-27B crashed on approach to Gambell, Alaska; 10 of the 32 passengers and crew on board were killed.[26][27]

• Russel Merrill
• List of defunct airlines of the United States

• Ira B. Harkey Jr., Noel Wien - Pioneer Alaska Bush Pilot, and discussions in 2005 with Merrill and Richard Wien, sons of the founder.
• Merrill Wien interview, by Joe Godfrey Avweb 2002
• Wien Airlines, a good example of how to bankrupt a company by Charlie Dexter, U. of Alaska, Fairbanks
• CHAPTER FOUR - The Wien Brothers The Last of the Bush Pilots (Mass Market Paperback - Bantam Air and Space Series)

by Harmon Helmericks, copyright 1969, pages 43 to 58 ISBN 0-553-28556-4

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wien Alaska Airlines.

• Wien television commercials
• KentWien.com – Founder's grandson has a few bits of Wien nostalgia on his site
• Wien N-number fleet lists by time period
• Timetable Images.com - Wien Air Alaska
• Air Times.com - Wien Air Alaska