Sled dogs going home First Class via Alaska Air 737 Combi in 2006

No roads to Nome and no roads home after Iditarod.  Sled dog athletes are being loaded onto an Alaska Air Boeing 737 Combi for their journey to the road system and eventually home.   As you can see, freight is located in the front half of the aircraft while passengers fly coach in the back half. This shot was taken in 2006 while I walked to the rear of the plane where passengers board.  I flew from Nome to Anchorage in row 17 right behind the dogs up there in “First Class.”  

According to information currently posted by Alaska Air, there are five 737-400 Combi planes in their fleet   The aircraft seats 72 passengers using rows 17 to 28.  The Combi is just short of 120 feet long and has a wing span of almost 95 feet.  It’s typical cruising speed is 502 miles per hour.  The crew consists of two pilots and two attendants. The multi-purpose function makes the Combi ideal for service within Alaska.    

Watch for more Telephoto Stories.  Having worked as a volunteer for the race for twelve years and having my camera handy every hour of every day, my Iditarod photo library contains roughly 20,000 pictures.  Seems like sharing photos periodically all year long with a brief description to tell a photo story is a great way to share favorite photos and unique pieces of Iditarod history with Iditarod fans, family and friends.  Enjoy and comeback soon for another Telephoto Story.