The company offers passenger and cargo service across Kachemak Bay, and charter service throughout Alaska. The two-man, two-woman crew hails from Seldovia and Homer and operates a Cessna 207 and Cessna 172.
The company's owner, Donny Olson, has lived all over western Alaska.
Station Manager and pilot Don Seelinger said the company decided to expand into the Homer market for several reasons.
"Donny became interested in the uniqueness of the Kachemak Bay area," Seelinger said. "He saw a business opportunity to provide a high level of service to the business community and to the people."
Seelinger, who lives in Seldovia, was approached to set up the offices in Homer, and told Olson that there were several people in the area that had solid experience in the industry.
"It was one of those once-in-a -lifetime opportunities," he said. "It was a chance to pick up some really talented folks."
Seelinger earned his pilot's license in 1962 and spent nearly all his time since flying in Alaska. Seldovia resident George Nathan, the company's other pilot, has flown Alaska skies for nearly 15 years. Bobbi Sweatt, from Seldovia, runs the Seldovia office and Jana Larson of Homer has five years experience in the field and is an agent at the main terminal.
Olson Air Service was established in 1955 in northwest Alaska by Donny's father, Martin.
Donny was born in Nome and raised in Golovin, Alaska. He has lived in Barrow, Kotzebue, Nome, Bethel and Dillingham, and has worked in the surrounding villages. He also is a doctor and has logged over 15,000 hours transporting passengers, freight, mail, medevacs and providing charter services to remote fishing and hunting camps and villages.
Today, Olson Air Service offers seat fares to Seldovia, Port Graham and Nanwalek, flight-seeing trips, cargo service and charter service anywhere in Alaska.
Several companies offer similar service in Homer, such as Homer Air and Smokey Bay Air. But Seelinger said the location of Olson Air Service at the main terminal of the Homer Airport is what separates it from the competition.
"We make our equipment available to interface with Era's arrivals and departures," he said. The idea is to dovetail with Era to create convenient service, he said, as people can step right off an Era flight and onto an Olson Air Service flight without having to get into a cab and drive around to Kachemak Bay Drive.
Customers flying exclusively with Olson Air do not have to wait to be screened by the Transportation Security Agency, even though they check in at the Homer Airport, as Olson Air is not subject to the same federal regulations as larger carriers.
"They're not treated any differently than if they were coming or going with Smokey Bay or Homer Air," he said. "It's all the same."
Since their opening on March 22, Seelinger said an average of six flights a day have left the Olson Air Service terminal. Most of these people are coming to and from Kachemak Bay villages. But Seelinger sees the charter business picking up in the summer. And Olson Air has plans to offer activity-specific trips across the bay such as mountain biking, fishing, hunting and hiking as well as bear-viewing and flightseeing.
Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homernews.com.
