First SPA is set up at Oakland, California, in the fall of 1965 to provide scheduled passenger and cargo services to Reno via Lake Tahoe. Employing a de Havilland DH 104 Dove, the commuter begins revenue services on November 11, but, despite an interline agreement with Western Airlines, it cannot last a year.
SIERRA PACIFIC AIRLINES (2): United States (1972-1978). Early in 1972, Trans Sierra Airlines, based at Burbank, California, is reformed and renamed. Employing Piper PA-31-310 Navajos, Cessna 402s, and a Convair CV-340, revenue flights are maintained, linking the company’s base with Los Angeles, Fresno, Bishop, and Mammoth Lakes. Service is operated without incident in 1973.
Chartered by Wolper Productions to fly a movie production crew from Bishop to Burbank on March 13, 1974, Flight 802, a CV-340 with 4 crew and 32 passengers crashes at the 6,100-ft. level of White Mountain, 5.2 mi. SE of Bishop; there are no survivors. The aircraft is replaced on October 15 by purchase of a CV-580 from Frontier Airlines (1).
Operations continue apace in 1975-1978; however, fiscal difficulties steadily mount. In July of the latter year, the company is purchased by Mountainwest Aviation of Tucson, Arizona, and will be regenerated into the third SPA.
SIERRA PACIFIC AIRLINES (3): 7700 North Business Park Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85743, United States; Phone (520) 744-1144; Fax (520) 744-0138; Code SI; Year Founded 1978. Mountainwest Aviation is formed at Tucson, Arizona, in February 1976. Two years later in July 1978, the company purchases the assets of failing Los Angeles-based Sierra Pacific Airlines (2), transferring them across state lines where they are operated under the purchased carrier’s name as the main subsidiary of a new holding company, Sierra Pacific Corporation.
Passenger boardings jump 30% to 54,622.
Employing 6 Convair CV-580s and 2 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters, the revamped airline undertakes charter and commercial contract flights, both civilian and military, in addition to scheduled flights. Turboprop operations, primarily to the Mamouth ski region, continues apace.
In 1979, the first full year of change, passenger bookings fall 40.6% to 27,000 and freight is off by 34.7% to 27,000 pounds. Rising costs coupled with the energy crisis nearly force the carrier out of business in 1980.
Flights continue without incident in 1981-1982. While on final approach to Hailey, Idaho, on February 15, 1983, Flight 868, a DHC-6-300 with two crew and six passengers suddenly loses power and crash-lands on a highway, veering off and hitting a 4-ft. snowbank. There are no fatalities.
Despite the loss, Sierra Pacific rallies and is able to continue operations through the remainder of the new decade. To help boost income, two CV-580s are wet-leased to Horizon Air during the summer season in 1984.
In 1989, the carrier operates seven Convairs, one of which is leased out to Aspen Airways. The Aspen lease ends in 1990, at which time four Convairs are chartered to Express Airlines I for a year. In 1991, one Convair is leased to ERA-Jet Alaska and two leased Boeing 737-112s (one formerly flown by America West Airlines) enter service.
The jetliner fleet is significantly increased in 1992; in addition to the CV-580s and two leased B-737-112s, one more B-737-112, two B-737-247s, one B-737-281, one B-737-2T4, and two B-737-3Q8s are also chartered. All of this capacity allows the company to transport a total of
498,000 charter passengers.
Airline employment in 1993 at President Gar Thorsrud’s company is 165 and the fleet remains unchanged. Enplanements decline 29.4% to 351,790 and revenues reach $10.94 million. Expenses hit $11.99 million and cause a $1.05-million loss. There is also a $742,583 net loss.
The workforce is cut to 100 in 1994 as passenger bookings plunge 80.1% to 70,000. Revenues decline 21.8% to $8.55 million, while expenses drop 29.1% to $8.51 million. There is a tiny $46,000 operating surplus and a net loss of $69,000.
The eight aircraft of the Tucson-based regional transport a total of
46,000 passengers in 1995, a 34.3% drop. As might be expected, costs outrun revenues and the previous year’s operating profit becomes a $142,000 loss. A $198,000 net loss is also suffered.
The fleet in 1996 includes 1 chartered B-737-2T4Aand 7 CV-580s, 2 of which are out of service. Traffic recovers as customer bookings skyrocket 92.3% to 100,000 and 1.3 million FTKs are operated, a 69.7% jump.
Operating income accelerates 51.6% to $9.85 million while expenses grow 35.9% to $9.02 million. An operating profit of $829,000 is reported, along with a net $834,000 profit.
Operations continue in 1997, during which year passenger boardings fall 34% to 66,000 and cargo traffic plunges 40.2% to 797,000 FTKs.
Operating revenues decline 43% to $5.61 million, as expenses drop 27% to $6.58 million. The operating gain of the previous year is turned into a loss of $970,000, while the net profit becomes a net loss of $781,000.
The company continues its charter services in 1998 and, as before, accepts subcharters from other organizations. Among these are the U. S. Forest Service and the U. S. Marshals Service. A second B-737-2T4A is acquired.
For the 12 months, customer bookings accelerate by 25.8% to 83,000.
Revenues jump 15.3% to $6.47 million, while expenses plunge 14.2% to $5.63 million. The operating profit is $819,000 and a net gain of $313,000 is celebrated.
Customer bookings fall 18.1% in 1999 to 68,000.
On the ground at Grand Isle, Nebraska, on April 15, 2000, a B-737-2T4A en route to Las Vegas on a gambling junket is stranded for four hours when its stairway jams. Unable to free the portal, the airline authorizes airport workers to drive a front-end loader up to the plane and to evacuate those aboard via its snow bucket. Once repairs are made, the delayed visitors reboard and the jetliner departs. The airport, which does not have its own portable stairway, gives consideration to such a purchase.
Passenger boardings increase 20.6% to 82,000.
World History
