Local air carriers: one company's flights across Alaska.

• Author: Colby, Nicole A. Bonham
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

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Maximizing logistics in an innovative fashion typical of Alaska's history of legendary air operators, Bald Mountain Air Service accomplished a recent interview with Alaska Business Monthly with unique flare, scheduling its key executives to take time between flight schedules and call in from geographically varied positions across the region. While the teleconference itself may have challenged its participants' planning skills--and perhaps the state's communications infrastructure--the exercise proved to be a successful example of how Alaska's small air operators think beyond the norm to set their product apart in a highly competitive and nimble marketplace.

On that autumn day, Gary D. Porter, vice president and director of operations for Homer-based Bald Mountain Air Service dialed in from Deadhorse. Eric Lee, chief pilot and director of safety, called from the airfield in Barrow, where he had a few minutes between flights. Kathy Day, whose firm handles the company's public relations, coordinated the complicated teleconference from Anchorage for this Southeast-based reporter. It was a conversation that literally spanned Alaska's breadth.

Alaska's geography and scattered populace has long made air operations support a complex, challenging and financially risky business to contemplate. For those entrepreneurs and adventure-minded business folk who make flying passengers and cargo across the 49th State their career and passion, their secret to success lies in establishing a niche--whether geographically or in terms of targeted service provided. A second important factor, in contrary fashion, is at the same time diversifying their client base to weather the ups and downs typical of those industries that utilize rural air support--whether they are oil and gas exploration companies or bear-viewing cruise ship tourists.

Flying High

Bald Mountain Air Service is only one example of rural-based air operators providing transportation in Alaska. The list of such air carriers spans the alphabet--from Air Arctic operating out of Fairbanks and providing air charter service throughout the Alaskan Arctic region to larger, scheduled air taxi companies like Promech Air of Ketchikan, family custom-flightseeing operations like Seawind Aviation of southern Southeast, and bear-watching excursions by air charter service Southeast Aviation, and dozens of others statewide.

For small air operators, the competition is stiff. The terrain is...