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Show U. S. Planes Flown to Russ Front Over Canada and Alaska Route LEGEND PonvptniR. M ROUTE BMMMH AKUAVIKN ALASKA MILTTARV HI6HWAY ZfJlRMMKS n,-, Tl PIPELINE T,i ri , 1 "foV LINE ALONG HIGHWAY sun 1 ct,C5i MACKENZIE RIVER WATER ROUTE W , . RIO RIVtR ati.V l SCALE IN MILES ALASKA . tt f G006 HOPJO 5 IS 550 K I i IB r,isTRicT - OA vS" V -SM, -fJt" PWMCt RUPERT (.ST.JOHH McMURRAwt J $kt DWS0N ""L VtrWWS "VS ORAMOE PMURuS .' "'vlt ;albertA I : :, m MBKI Mo8 Jtw, j I ' i : jgr" j. - Y n VANCOUVER . ' A tLV'CTORIA o . JJtofaWM ,", ' JN V ' COUTTS ! . J-lJ .SEATTLE --A- - Ferry pilots fly planes destined for Russia from the factories in the United States to Edmonton, Canada. After refueling and servicing they proceed by either of two routes to Fairbanks, Alaska, where Russian pilots take over. One air route follows the Alaskan military highway. There are numerous landing fields along the road where stops are made. The other route goes almost parallel, about 230 miles to the east, along the Mackenzie river. comparatively free from danger of enemy attack.' Construction and enlarging of airports, air-ports, building of barracks and otherwise oth-erwise improving facilities, was carried car-ried on by Canada until the summer of 1943, during which time the Alaska Alas-ka highway was completed. These two projects were interlinked as of paramount military importance. Increasing In-creasing volume of air traffic necessitated neces-sitated further U. S. government extension ex-tension of the program, hence Canada Can-ada will pay the U. S. for installations installa-tions and additional facilities built by the United States along the route. First planes flown over the route to Russia passed through in September, Sep-tember, 1942, and a week later many of these planes were in action against the Germans at Stalingrad. During the first months of 1944, more than 2,200 American planes winged their way over this chain of airways air-ways which opens the Northwest to air and land travel. Built as military mili-tary necessity, after the war it will be a vital link in the world chain of air routes. THE Northwest Staging Route, a chain of airports air-ports from Edmonton, Alberta, Alber-ta, to Fairbanks, Alaska, is Canada's huge wartime airway air-way expansion project. Canada Can-ada built the route, offered it for use by the U. S. govern- ment, and will pay the U. S. more than $39,000,000 for installations in-stallations and extensions put up by the United States. ! American ferry pilots have brought more than 5,000 American built planes over this route to Fairbanks, Fair-banks, Alaska, where Russian pilots take over, flying the craft across the Bering sea to bases in Siberia, and on to Europe. j. Canada pioneered the air route across the Canadian northwest when "bush pilots," operating flimsy planes, began operating in the area in the 1920s. The Canadian department depart-ment of transport made a survey of routes to the Yukon In 1935, when the present route was chosen. When war broke out in 1939, work on the route was hurried, and when the United States entered the conflict in 1941. Canada was able to offer free use of the airways to Alaska, removed from the Pacific coast and |