Alaska Airlines uses $500K in Federal Grants to paint jet like a fish

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Alaska Airlines takes flying fish to a whole new level

$500,000 grant from federal funding pays for custom paint job on company's passenger jet

By WESLEY LOY
Anchorage Daily News

Published: October 2, 2005
Last Modified: October 2, 2005 at 03:07 AM

http://www.adn.com/front/story/7038924p-6942571c.html

So, you landed a big king salmon this summer? It can't compare to the colossal king Alaska Airlines plans to land this morning in Anchorage. The Seattle-based carrier has painted nearly the full length of a Boeing 737-400 passenger jet as a wild Alaska king, or chinook, salmon. The airline has dubbed its flying fish the "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon."

It's a bold promotional move to celebrate wild Alaska seafood and also the carrier's role in hauling millions of pounds of fresh salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp and other seafood out of the state each year.

The fishy paint job was done on a grand scale, company spokesmen said. A team of 30 painters and airbrush artists used more than 140 gallons of paint and took 24 days to render the lifelike chinook -- triple the time normally needed to coat an airliner.

A local nonprofit agency, the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, gave Alaska Airlines a $500,000 grant to paint the jet. The money came out of about $29 million in federal funding U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and his congressional colleagues have appropriated to the marketing board, created in 2003, to promote and enhance the value of Alaska seafood. The senator's son, state Sen. Ben Stevens, is chairman of the agency's board of directors.



Airbrush artist Chris Coakley, a worker at Goodrich Aerospace in Everett, Wash., paints an Alaska Airlines 737, now called the "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon," to look like a giant king salmon Friday. A crew of 30 painters spent 24 days on the job.

[Gnostic]

1. Tax dollars hard at work

It's awesome Alaska Scarelines has used our money for such fanciful promotions. Don't you think?

Why are'nt the major airlines nationalized and shares distributed among that taxpayers yet???

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Agreed -- but even so, it looks sorta cool.

[girl gone mad]

4. This doesn't bother me...

nearly as much as money given to defense contractors.

It's ironic that Republicans hate the NEA so much, but have no problems funding corporate art.

[Gnostic]

6. Corporate welfare

If you or I ran a business and we ran it into the ground, the only relief we'd find would be in bankruptcy court...without a bail-out.

The airlines continually are in red ink, and continually get bailed out. Not that the unions or the help get any relief from lay-offs or undesireable contract negotiations. Just as long as the suits get theirs.

And to top it off, it's not only promoting the airline, but it's also a form of corporate welfare for the seafood companies. Free advertising.

Do you think you'd get help from advertising from the fed-guv?

Your right, it's not nearly as troublesome as the massive state sponsorship of globalist corporations such as Halliburton. I just don't understand why some companies continually get free pass despite years of mis-management, and now are using the money intended to help them for this instead of....just maybe.....safety improvements?

I mean, after all, this is the same airline that killed a person I knew a few years back.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Was that the accident off the coast of CA, where the MD-80 jackscrew

in the horzontal stabilizer failed because the airline was using an unapproved lubricant and got FAA approval to extend the inspection cycle way beyond the manufacturer's recommendation? I understand a lot of the passengers were employees. Sorry about your friend. That was terrible -- never should have happened..

[Gnostic]

10. Flight 261

Thank you.

The person I knew was not really a friend, an acquaintance where I used to work in Valdez actually. But it hit home at the time. Could have been any of us.

[AntiCoup2K4]

3. Saw the plane on the local TV news the other day. it looks cool as Hell.

I guess I missed the part about the Federal funds though. Not surprising with Ted "Bridge to Nowhere" Stevens involved.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. And, BTW, how does a senator get an airport named after himself?

ANC, the Anchorage airport, is named for the very same POS Ted Stevens. I thought you had to be dead (or at least senile, like Reagan/DCA) to get your own airport.

[Gnostic]

7. Not here

Alaska is and has always been ruled by elite power families.

One only needs look at the current guv, and his nepotistic choice for senator. For those of you not aware, he APPOINTED his own daughter.

Nothing new.

[baron j]

9. The airport in Erie, Pennsylvania is named "Tom Ridge Field".

It used to be called "The Erie International Airport".

I suppose just being a horrible governor and a Dumbya crony is all it takes.

[Gnostic]

11. Funding

Stevens got it named after him for all the funding he pushed through for it, and the massive funds he has been able to generate and extort from the feds ever since. I believe he's been at the top of the list of senators nationwide for the ability to bring in huge pork barrel funding for the state's projects.

Of course, it did'nt hurt to be a member-for-life of the state's elite ruling class.

By the way, his son, Ben, is a state senator. :puke:

[baron j]

19. Aristocracy without the titles.

They'd probably give themselves the titles, if they could.

[Vinca]

12. I wonder how many gulf coast houses that fish plane might have built.

What's wrong with this government? They have no conception about the need to fulfill the basics of living: shelter, food, education and health care. But 737s turned into fish? Can't get enough of 'em.

[Toots]

14. Fishing is the number one employor in alaska

Do you know anything about the fishing Industry? It is a very competetive Industry from around the world. There are fish farms around the globe that "dump" their product on the world market against world trade regulations. Alaskans have to work hard to promote their Industry. Alaska has the clearest waters and the healthiest stocks of fish in the world so produces a superior product but is hard pressed to compete in price. Every country that has fish farms also subsidizes their fisheries. Alaska gets no government help other than a few dollars to help promote products. What would you suggest as a better promotion than a huge unique billboard that travels around the world. When was the last time you ate some fish from Alaska? There seems to be a lot of knee jerk reaction here without a lot of critical thinking going on.

[Vinca]

15. Actually, I prepared Alaskan salmon a couple of nights ago.

(Lemon pepper marinade then under the broiler if you're interested.) I have no problem with industry of any kind being promoted, but it gets under my skin when evacuees from the hurricanes are still living in shelters and I see a 737 being painted to look like a fish on my dime. It's a very cute idea, but at this sad point in history the fishing industry should pony up the funds for their own paint.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

13. Gov. Murkowski recently complained about the 2K debit cards.

Remember, the ones for Katrina victims that were soon revoked?

Apparently, Murkowski doesn't realize his state takes in more welfare than all the Katrina victims combined.

[myrna minx]

17. He called the debit cards "hand outs."

Well I guess if the governor gets a bridge to nowhere and a fish plane he should know all about hand outs. Yeah, a fish plane is more important than feeding people who have lost everything and barely escaped with their lives. :puke:

[renie408]

16. Now there's money well spent...

At the same time that Repukes are trying to cut funding for food for hungry people, they are spending a half a million dollars on painting airplanes to look like food.

[Catchawave]

18. Uh, why is this even necessary.....?

Between the kickass environmental rulez (good for them) and the hardcore tourista's who pay mega bucks to fish there, why do they need to "advertise" :shrug:

My hubster just got back from an Alaska fishing trip with his bubbas, we figured, he paid over $60/lb for the salmon and halibut that "he was allowed" to catch and bring home to Virginny. I'm a veggie too, and this is not only sad for me, but GEEBUS, can you buy this sh*t cheaper locally?????

OY, Vey, guess it was about the "adventure" :wtf:

Sidebar: NO, the Alaskan tourisism industry doesn't need to paint airplanes to attrack bumfu*k backwoods fishermen from the southeast.

:popcorn: Hubby's already put down his $2500 downpayment for next summer :(