The year of 1961 was not entirely limited to “calls and hauls” of automobile parts. The Ortner Air Service’s reputation for getting the job done caught the attention of the biggest paying client of them all — the United States Government. The contract secured by the Ortners entailed hauling heavy construction vehicles, machinery, and spare parts to the US Air Force’s “Dew Line” (Distant Early Warning) project that was being built in conjunction with the Canadian government. The Dew Line was conceived, and i
The Ortner Air Service’s first destination for the US Government was Barter Island, Alaska, located on the northern coast. Barter Island is actually not an island, but is more like a sand pit that is totally isolated by water at certain times of the year. Aircraft landings were limited from May to September. The Ortner Air Service fit well into US military planes for hauling vital cargo to Barter Island, even though the USAF had vast resources available in larger capacity cargo planes. However, the Ortner a
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