The fabled friendly competition tradition of sharing routes and facilities started by pioneer Southeast Alaska bush pilot Shell Simmons, owner of Alaska Air Transport, Inc./Alaska Coastal Airlines in Juneau founded in 1935, and his Ketchikan based rival Bob Ellis, owner of Ellis Air Transport, Inc./Ellis Air Lines founded in 1936. Their established aviation routes planted the necessary flags to earn and establish precedent for claiming the prized grandfather rights to commercial aviation travel routes in Southeast Alaska, which allowed their respective outfits to dominate over their competitors. After surviving the lean WWII years, discussions popped up periodically regarding the possibility of joining forces at some point in the future. Although both had a lot in common, the realities these two outfits faced to successfully accomplish such a union were formidable. They operated individually under two totally different schools of organization and business formulas. As time passed, it became more apparent that working out the bugs to affect a consolidation would be in the best interests of their economic survival.

The merger of Ellis Air Lines and Alaska Coastal Airlines was approved by directors of the two companies at a special meeting in Petersburg on Saturday July 15, 1961. In September of that year, they filed for formal approval by the Civil Aeronautics Board. On April 1, 1962, the Alaska Coastal - Ellis Airlines merger was approved, creating the world's largest scheduled amphibian airline with a 25-plane fleet, 280 employees, and a 2 million dollar payroll. The long company name was often abbreviated to Coastal - Ellis. Coastal - Ellis adopted a flashy new livery scheme of black and white trimmed with dayglo-red trim that included a revamped twin-geese logo, with Coastal-style script for the name. The large, newly combined airline regularly served over 50 camps, canneries, villages, and cities from Skagway to the North all the way down to Prince Rupert, BC, Canada to the South.

The venerable Grumman G-21A Goose remained the mainstay of the company's predominant amphibian fleet, with 17 total examples owned in the fleet complement, along with 4 PBYs and a variety of small pontoon seaplane types (mostly Cessna 185s, plus a Bellanca Pacemaker and a Howard DGA). In early January 1966, Coastal - Ellis began an ambitious design conversion project with McKinnon Enterprises, Inc. and Strato-Engineering Corporation to upgrade the standard radial piston engine Grumman to PT6A turbine propjet configuration to increase its performance, reliability, and revenue earning-capabilities. The work was performed by Coastal - Ellis' maintenance crew in Juneau. A mockup engine installation was first installed onto the R/H-wing of Goose N2751A, with full modification performed using N95341. A Federal Aviation Administration required 50-hour experimental category flight test program began on February 26, 1966 with chief pilot Ray Renshaw and copilot John Callahan assigned as test pilots. The test was successful and the radical pointy-nosed "Super Goose" made its auspicious debut for passenger service January 24, 1967. Initial plans were to convert additional Grummans, if Goose 431's evaluations proved to be worth the investment.

On January 20, 1966, Coastal - Ellis purchased a Convair CV-240-5 twin-engine airliner (N196N) for faster airport-to-airport scheduled commuter service between Juneau, Sitka, and Annette Island. The Convair ran the same R-2600 radial engines as their Super PBYs. In December 1966, the Convair started scheduled service to Sitka's newly constructed airport. For the sake of brevity, the Alaska Coastal - Ellis Airlines name was shortened back to Alaska Coastal Airlines in June 1966, while retaining the new company look. The company was stronger than ever, but limited in regards to additional future expansion. Inspired perhaps by partnering with Pan American Airways and Pacific Northern Airlines on connecting jet airliner flights, it's said that some younger minds thought it might be a good time to consider stepping up by trying out the idea of "going bigger". However, Alaska Coastal Airlines's company senior management prevailed against taking such a risky move. At that time, Alaska Airlines desperately needed to make a move to stay in business, which meant acquiring Cordova Airlines and Alaska Coastal Airlines to gain the Southeast Alaska air travel grandfather rights as the final player piece to dominate air travel in the 49th State.

On March 15, 1967, Alaska Coastal Airlines' board of directors' president Shell Simmons announced they'd agreed to merge with Alaska Airlines and began the formal process of making it happen. The merger was accomplished and officially approved on March 27, 1968. Company employee seniority negotiations were more challenging than in 1962, but were able to be resolved. The large vintage amphibian airline changed ownership one final time with Alaska Airlines agreeing to continue established Southeast Alaska Panhandle operations of the company's venerable Goose and PBY fleet for five more years as part of its "Golden Nugget Service", until the Jet Age took over with new regional airports opening in Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, and Petersburg. Many pilots transitioned up through the ranks to fly as captains on Alaska Airlines DHC-6 Twin Otters or Boeing 727 jets. Some like chief pilot Captain Bud Bodding, were content to keep flying the fleet standard R-985 powered Grummans until the last ones were phased out in 1973.

In June 1962, Bob Ellis retired from Alaska Coastal - Ellis Airlines following the successful company merger. Ellis also served as an elected Alaska Territorial senator in 1950, and as Mayor of the City of Ketchikan. Bob Ellis and his old pal Shell Simmons were honored with the title of Directors Emeritus on Alaska Airlines Board. Ellis passed away at his Ketchikan home on May 8, 1994, and Simmons followed on November 16 that same year in Juneau.

Aircraft:
Grumman G-21 Goose (Amphibian+Flying Boat), Grumman/McKinnon PT6A Super Goose, Consolidated PBY and Super PBY Catalina, Bellanca Pacemaker, Howard DGA, Fairchild 24, Cessna 185, and Convair CV-240-5 Twin-engine Airliner.

Aircraft Specifications:
9-place Grumman G-21A Goose. First Flight: May 29, 1937. 345 built from 1937-1945. Construction: Length: 38' 4"; Height: 12'; Wingspan: 49'. Weights: Standard Empty Weight: 5,425 lbs.; Gross Weight: 8,000 lbs.; Useful Load: 1,119 lbs.; Fuel Capacity: 220 gal. Performance: Air Speed: 175 mph cruise, 191 mph max; Service Ceiling: 21,300 ft.; Rate of Climb: 1,100 ft. per min.; Range: 640 mi. Engine: Two Air-cooled 9 Cylinder 450 hp Pratt and Whitney R-985-AN-6B Wasp, Jr. Propeller: Hamilton Standard 2D30 Metal 2-Blade CW or Hartzell 3-Blade Full-feathering. Occupancy: Crew: 1-3.

12-place Grumman/McKinnon G-21A Turbo Goose (N95431). Test Flight: January 28, 1999. Construction: Length: 38' 4"; Height: 12'; Wingspan: 50' 10". Weights: Standard Empty Weight: 6,545 lbs.; Gross Weight: 10,500 lbs.; Useful Load: 3,955 lbs.; Fuel Capacity: 299.6 gal. Jet A. Performance: Air Speed: 200 mph cruise, 220 mph max; Service Ceiling: 21,300 ft. Engine: Two Air-cooled 550 hp Pratt and Whitney PT-6A-20. Propeller: Hartzell 3-Blade Full-feathering.

Consolidated-Vultee Super PBY (Civil Desig. CV28-5ACF EMQ) Catalina (N31235). Construction: Length: 63' 10.875"; Height: 22' 5.125"; Wingspan: 104'. Weights: Standard Empty Weight: 24,020 lbs.; Gross Weight: 32,000 lbs.; Fuel Capacity: 1,750 gal. Performance: Airspeed: 207 mph max; Service Ceiling: 15,800 ft. Engine: Two Air-cooled 14 Cylinder 1,700 hp Wright R-2600 Twin-Row Radial. Propeller: Hamilton Standard Hydromatic 3-Blade Constant Speed. Occupancy: Crew: 3; Passengers: 24.

Pilots:
Shell Simmons, Bud Bodding, Norm Gerde, Ray Renshaw, Rodger Elliott, Wes Sande, Carl Bloomquist, Hunt Gruening, George Straiger, Gene Heath, Joe Kendler, Joe Diamond, Dave Brown, John Callahan, Quentin DeBoer, Hank Aegerter, Dick Frank, Roland Gildersleeve, Bill Stedman, Leon Snodderly, Stu Adams, Ben Milnes, Ed Zaugg, Jim Sweaney, Jim Hickey, Bob File, Ken Perry, Bob Reynolds, Paul Mattle, Dennis Lund, Bill Bernhardt, Paul Lutts, Harold Collins, Bob Foster, Bob Sparks, Barry Sage, Esko Typpi, Peter Goodwin, Gene Riggs, Tom Jackson, Paul Morf, G. J. Senatori, and Terry Jackson, among others.

Photo Description:
Image 4: Coastal - Ellis Board of Directors Meeting in Juneau, AK, 1963

Seated (L-R): Helen Monsen, Vice President; Margaret Cope Vice President and Assistant Treasurer; Alleine George, Assistant Secretary; and Loraine Holden, Vice President of Public Relations. Standing (L-R): O. F. "Ben" Benecke, Executive Vice President; Keith Wildes, Vice President; Norman Gerde, Treasurer; R. E. "Bob" Ellis, Vice President of Sales; W. C. Stump, Secretary; Ray Renshaw, Vice President; Bjorne Olsen, Vice President; Sheldon B. "Shell" Simmons, President and Chairman of The Board; G. A. "Bud" Bodding, Vice President of Southern Division; Jack Sherman, Vice President of Maintenance; Hunt Gruening, Vice President of Operations; and Peter Ellis, Vice President.