Historic flight plan

1958: Pacific Northern Airlines, from Chicago to the edge of the Aleutians

A Michel Lagneau historic route presented as a clear cockpit briefing, ready to help you prepare the simulator, follow each stopover and enjoy the journey.

Period1958AuthorMichel LagneauReading3 min

21Waypoints~ 8 371 kmDistance3Segments

Interactive route, leg by leg, with animated playback.

Real route map

Approximate track based on the article waypoints and available aeronautical coordinates.

01Continental trunk02Pacific Northwest03Alaska

Pre-flight briefing

Pacific Northern Airlines, from Chicago to the edge of the Aleutians

Understand the mission

Start with the historic context: it sets the atmosphere, aircraft choice and overall logic of the journey.

Prepare the simulator

Check scenery, recommended aircraft, fuel and weather before launching the first leg.

Follow the legs

Use the airport codes, flying times and route notes to build your navigation leg by leg.

Enjoy the journey

Let the route shape the experience: adjust lighting, document waypoints and take time to rediscover the story.

Historic flight plan

Michel Lagneau route notebook

Settle into the cockpit, prepare your aircraft and follow the journey as a proper historic crossing.

A long run into Alaska

Founded in 1932 as Woodley Airways, the airline first served communities in southwest Alaska. It became Pacific Northern Airlines in 1945 and was later absorbed by Western Airlines in 1967.

This 1958 route starts on the continental network, climbs toward Seattle, then continues into coastal Alaska. It is a superb trip for a light or medium twin, with weather, terrain and fuel planning becoming more important as the route moves north.

Period1958

AirlinePacific Northern Airlines

Suggested aircraftLight twin

NavigationGPS with VOR/DME and ADF/NDB support

Flight planning notes

Treat this as a multi-session journey rather than a single hop: the route gradually changes from continental flying to remote Alaskan operations.
After Seattle, carry comfortable fuel reserves and review alternates carefully, as weather and terrain can become demanding.
The final stages through Kodiak, King Salmon and Dillingham are the highlight: sea, mountains and navigation all matter.

Suggested route

From the Great Lakes to California

This chapter structures the From the Great Lakes to California segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

KORD → KDEN → KSAN → KLAX → KSFO

Up the Pacific coast

This chapter structures the Up the Pacific coast segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

KSFO → KOAK → KPDX → KSEA

Entering Alaska

This chapter structures the Entering Alaska segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

KSEA → PAKT → PAJN → PAYA → PACV → PANC

Southwest Alaska

This chapter structures the Southwest Alaska segment with regular legs and distances to monitor in the navigation block.

PANC → PAEN → PASW → PAHO → PAIL → 37AK → PADQ → PAKN → PADL

Navigation steps

From the Great Lakes to CaliforniaChicago / Chicago-O’Hare Intl KORD → Denver / Denver Intl KDEN 770 NM
Denver KDEN → San Diego / San Diego Intl-Lindbergh KSAN 740 NM
San Diego KSAN → Los Angeles Intl KLAX 95 NM
Los Angeles KLAX → San Francisco KSFO 294 NM
Up the Pacific coastSan Francisco KSFO → Oakland / Metro Oakland KOAK 10 NM
Oakland KOAK → Portland Intl KPDX 472 NM
Portland KPDX → Seattle-Tacoma Intl KSEA 112 NM
Entering AlaskaSeattle-Tacoma KSEA → Ketchikan Intl PAKT 589 NM
Ketchikan PAKT → Juneau Intl PAJN 203 NM
Juneau PAJN → Yakutat PAYA 171 NM
Yakutat PAYA → Cordova-Smith PACV 184 NM
Cordova PACV → Anchorage / Stevens Anchorage Intl PANC 138 NM
Southwest AlaskaAnchorage PANC → Kenai Mun PAEN 52 NM
Kenai PAEN → Skwentna PASW 84 NM
Skwentna PASW → Homer PAHO 139 NM
Homer PAHO → Iliamna PAIL 104 NM
Iliamna PAIL → Big Mountain 37AK 26 NM
Big Mountain 37AK → Kodiak PADQ 130 NM
Kodiak PADQ → King Salmon PAKN 142 NM
King Salmon PAKN → Dillingham PADL 62 NM