[Note: Here, below, is a bit of Alaska Airlines' history...if you're interested, followed by a set of Boeing 737-200 Combi images...]
Among the U.S. Airlines, Alaska Airlines has one of the most colorful and fascinating histories. There was a time when I used to regularly read up about the past and present of this airline...e.g., in one of my previous posts, I'd alluded to some details, I'd read years ago, about how Alaska Airlines, with its 737-400s, had pioneered "proprietary" and "un-published" (but "approved") GPS-aided (RNP RNAV) IFR approaches, for many of the difficult (terrain) Alaska airports that lacked conventional landing and approach aids. Rooted in its origin meant to serve the remote corners (and communities) of rugged Alaska, the airline, now headquartered in the Sea Tac suburb of the greater Seattle area, spans out its network to the farthest corners of U.S and beyond. The airline has a remarkable history of long and loyal association with Boeing 737 aircraft and has made innovative uses of the series, specifically to suit the unique needs of flying in the state of Alaska. 

Alaska Airline was one of the major operators of the 737 Combi model, when "Combi" was "popular" among many airlines. I was recently re-reading about this interesting segment of Alaska Airlines history, when I decided to also acquire the 737-200C variant from CS, tipped off by Bargain Hunter's Shack that some kind of SALE was going on over there... (I have had the CS "-200/-200ADV" since many years, but not the Combi variant). The idea of transporting "cargo" and "pax" together in an airplane has been around since the beginning of aviation. When Alcock and Brown made the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919, they also carried a "mail-bag" (first ever mail to be carried over the Atlantic, which included the famous 2-liner letter from Jack to Elsie) ...so they too had transported cargo and humans...on that Vickers Vimy...a "Combi" operation...🙂...

In Alaska, the legends of bushplane pilots hauling pax and cargo into and out of the rugged and remote interiors is well-known. That (regional) tradition later carried over to the jets of Alaska Airlines. In 1964, when the first three 727s were acquired by the airline, they were "all" 727-100 "Combi" C-models. In 1970s, the 737-100 "Combi" joined their fleet. But, most significantly, in the 1980s, Alaska Airline operated nine 737-200QC (QC = Quick Change, meaning that it featured a movable partition which allowed it to quickly add/remove (flexible) capacity for either cargo or pax - with cargo in the front and pax in the back). This post is about the 737-200 Combi. In one of the shots below, you can see the dividing partition inside the cabin. The Combi 737 held cargo containers called "igloos" (see a shot, below, of an "igloo" on the loader, waiting to be loaded on board). In addition to 70-100 pax, the 737 Combi could carry groceries (milk included, see below), flowers, medicines, automobiles etc., and... yes...occasionally reindeer too...🙂...

Alaska Airlines' Milk Run is a most unique flight route. It's a "hop-skip-jump" flight between Anchorage and Seattle, with (typically) 7 en-route stopovers via (Cordova-->Juneau-->Ketchikan). The route, operational since 1930s, was the only way to deliver critical commodities (including, of course, milk) to these outlying communities. The operation was "old-school" Alaska, and, as bonus, it also involved flying along some of the most dramatic glacier and coastal mountain scenery (see my screenshots, below, for a virtual approximation, albeit far from real). 

For this post, yours truly, at the command of a 737-200 Combi...🙂...has flown ~400 miles from Yakutat (PAYA) to Ketchikan (PAKT) - see MAP. I've departed from Rwy 11 (PAYA), enabled GPS navigation for my en-route flight, and finally captured the ILS signals of Rwy 11 (PAKT) for landing.... (Was surely glad to touch down safely, with my pax and, a supply of milk for the locals, and (maybe, at the Pilot's discretion) a few reindeer too just in time for celebration of Christmas...🙂...) ... 

Combi operations now are almost a thing of the past. The last of Alaska Airlines' 737 Combi (a 737-400C) was retired in Oct. 2017. Hope you enjoy these pictures, as a reminder of the throwback era of the Airline's Combi operation days, along with this (hard-working) 737-200C, making a routine Milk Run between two remote locales in Southeast Alaska...

Thanks for your interest...! Good flying and Happy holidays...!!

[CS (737Combi), Orbx (SAK/PAYA/PAKT)]

Great photos!

Miss the sound of those ole B732's!!! Stupid noise restrictions! 😉

Years ago, I actually picked-up a Just Planes video of the Alaska B732 combi operations...I think it was an airframe retirement series...excellent regardless, and worth the watch if you can find it!

It amazes me that these aircraft would fly into remote/challenging locations without modern avionics...I get sweats flying the Q400 RNAV into CYCG...Pacific Western used to fly B732's in CYCG routinely! Something to be said about those old flight crews!

Thanks again for the photos and story!

Great Flashback...and Pictures!!

Yep , just like in RL , a long day but lot's of memories .

Very nice set of shots! 😉 

Beautiful set of shots, like this classic birds..

cheers 😉

Great shots!

What an old workhorse.  I can only imagine how happy the locals were to see her coming in, knowing a goods of many types they needed to survive were in that aluminum tube. 🙂

Thanks for the historical series.

 

rmeier, Patrick, johnbow, Alaska738, pmplayer, Steve:

Many thanks for the comments...!!

 

16 hours ago, rmeier said:

Great photos!

Miss the sound of those ole B732's!!! Stupid noise restrictions! 😉

Years ago, I actually picked-up a Just Planes video of the Alaska B732 combi operations...I think it was an airframe retirement series...excellent regardless, and worth the watch if you can find it!

It amazes me that these aircraft would fly into remote/challenging locations without modern avionics...I get sweats flying the Q400 RNAV into CYCG...Pacific Western used to fly B732's in CYCG routinely! Something to be said about those old flight crews!

Thanks again for the photos and story!

Appreciated the notes...!

Yes, the Just Planes videos are always so well-done...will try to get that video you've mentioned...I just now caught a YouTube 10 mins clip of an Alaska Airlines 737-200 operating in snowy winters of Alaska...wonderful to watch and listen to the Captain...these 732s were classics...no doubt...

 

15 hours ago, johnbow72 said:

Yep , just like in RL , a long day but lot's of memories .

Not sure, john, maybe, you've experienced this milk run flights in RW... (I recall one or two people, here, who had had mentioned having done segments of it) ...

I'd plans in the past, in normal times, to take one of these, but it never panned out...maybe one day...

I see two flights today on FlightAware:

1. Alaska Airlines Flight ASA65/AS65 (departs Seattle today Dec 24th in an hour or so...) - Looks like, this flight begins in Seattle and heads to Anchorage, stopping at various points along the route. Before landing in Anchorage, the flight passes through Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau.
2. Alaska Airlines Flight AS66/ASA66 (arrived in Seattle from Juneau 7-8 hours ago yesterday on Dec. 23rd) - This one (in the reverse direction) begins in Anchorage, stopping in Cordova, Yakutat and Juneau before finishing in Seattle.

One must make sure to get a window seat on the correct side to enjoy the views of the glaciers and the mountains...🙂...And these flights are all operated by 737-700...no combi...of course...

 

2 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

Great shots!

What an old workhorse.  I can only imagine how happy the locals were to see her coming in, knowing a goods of many types they needed to survive were in that aluminum tube. 🙂

Thanks for the historical series.

 

Yes, Steve, for the residents, stuck in these remote and cold parts...in the older days...we can only imagine how welcome must have been, the supplied carried by these Milk Run flights...

(And I'm pondering this morning if I should drive 15 mins to the neighborhood grocery get some cream for my coffee...🙂...it's a bit cold and windy, here, you know...this is not TX or FL...🙂...)...
 

Just now, P_7878 said:

rmeier, Patrick, johnbow, Alaska738, pmplayer, Steve:

Many thanks for the comments...!!

 

Appreciated the notes...!

Yes, the Just Planes videos are always so well-done...will try to get that video you've mentioned...I just now caught a YouTube 10 mins clip of an Alaska Airlines 737-200 operating in snowy winters of Alaska...wonderful to watch and listen to the Captain...these 732s were classics...no doubt...

 

Not sure, john, maybe, you've experienced this milk run flights in RW... (I recall one or two people, here, who had had mentioned having done segments of it) ...

I'd plans in the past, in normal times, to take one of these, but it never panned out...maybe one day...

I see two flights today on FlightAware:

1. Alaska Airlines Flight ASA65/AS65 (departs Seattle today Dec 24th in an hour or so...) - Looks like, this flight begins in Seattle and heads to Anchorage, stopping at various points along the route. Before landing in Anchorage, the flight passes through Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau.
2. Alaska Airlines Flight AS66/ASA66 (arrived in Seattle from Juneau 7-8 hours ago yesterday on Dec. 23rd) - This one (in the reverse direction) begins in Anchorage, stopping in Cordova, Yakutat and Juneau before finishing in Seattle.

One must make sure to get a window seat on the correct side to enjoy the views of the glaciers and the mountains...🙂...And these flights are all operated by 737-700...no combi...of course...

 

Yes, Steve, for the residents, stuck in these remote and cold parts...in the older days...we can only imagine how welcome must have been, the supplied carried by these Milk Run flights...

(And I'm pondering this morning if I should drive 15 mins to the neighborhood grocery get some cream for my coffee...🙂...it's a bit cold and windy, here, you know...this is not TX or FL...🙂...)...
 

I hear ya!  I find myself giving thanks for being fortunate to live in the US and being literally walking distance (but of course I drive) to a super Walmart, Albertson's and many other stores that have more product on their shelves than probably all the stores combined in certain, unfortunate countries.

Or seeing in Alaska in some outskirt towns that are serviced by air or sea, milk on the shelf at $18 a gallon! (at least they have it).

Anyway, in this season of being thoughtful of all the people in the world and their circumstances, it is my greatest hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season this year.

Merry Christmas to all!

1 hour ago, P_7878 said:

rmeier, Patrick, johnbow, Alaska738, pmplayer, Steve:

Many thanks for the comments...!!

 

Appreciated the notes...!

Yes, the Just Planes videos are always so well-done...will try to get that video you've mentioned...I just now caught a YouTube 10 mins clip of an Alaska Airlines 737-200 operating in snowy winters of Alaska...wonderful to watch and listen to the Captain...these 732s were classics...no doubt...

 

Not sure, john, maybe, you've experienced this milk run flights in RW... (I recall one or two people, here, who had had mentioned having done segments of it) ...

I'd plans in the past, in normal times, to take one of these, but it never panned out...maybe one day...

I see two flights today on FlightAware:

1. Alaska Airlines Flight ASA65/AS65 (departs Seattle today Dec 24th in an hour or so...) - Looks like, this flight begins in Seattle and heads to Anchorage, stopping at various points along the route. Before landing in Anchorage, the flight passes through Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg and Juneau.
2. Alaska Airlines Flight AS66/ASA66 (arrived in Seattle from Juneau 7-8 hours ago yesterday on Dec. 23rd) - This one (in the reverse direction) begins in Anchorage, stopping in Cordova, Yakutat and Juneau before finishing in Seattle.

One must make sure to get a window seat on the correct side to enjoy the views of the glaciers and the mountains...🙂...And these flights are all operated by 737-700...no combi...of course...

 

Yes, Steve, for the residents, stuck in these remote and cold parts...in the older days...we can only imagine how welcome must have been, the supplied carried by these Milk Run flights...

(And I'm pondering this morning if I should drive 15 mins to the neighborhood grocery get some cream for my coffee...🙂...it's a bit cold and windy, here, you know...this is not TX or FL...🙂...)...
 

I use to have a sister up in Girdwood AK , so many trips up to PANC . I did the milk run one time up to visit her .

$18 a gallon and they do not even have to put it in the fridge.

 

Beautiful shots of a classy lady!