Jim Wilson, honored as Pilot of the year, is the first Alaskan since
 1960 to receive this honor.
     On March 6, 1997, the Alaska legislature issued a proclamation
 honoring James M. Wilson, for being named "1996 Pilot of the Year"
 by the Helicopter Association International.
     In part, the proclamation, reads:
     "Jim was honored for the outstanding coordination and rescue of
 the pilot and passengers from a downed airplane on the Davidson Gla-
 cier near Haines on August 31, 1996. Fifteen minutes after receiving
 the call at his home, Jim was airborne and en route to the crash
 site, 65 miles from the Juneau airport. To save valuable time, Jim
 called ahead and arranged for rescuers and supplies to meet him at
 the Haines airport since the weather was deteriorating and darkness
 was fast approaching.
     "At the crash site Jim found no acceptable place to land and was
 forced to balance one skid on an ice ridge to stabilize the helicop-
 ter, a very demanding maneuver. Jim continued the rescue effort mak-
 ing two trips to the crash that night, even though darkness was
 impending and weather was closing in. According to Juneau Federal
 Administration Agency officials, if Jim had not chosen to continue,
 the injured remaining on the glacier may not have survived.
     "The members of the Twentieth Alaska State Legislature honor
 Jim Wilson for his competence and professionalism and wish him the
 best as he continues his career~
 Scottish Rite Journal  September 1997
 --------------------------------------
                     KLM Close to Japan Deal
      Amsterdam,   Netherlands,   Sept. 8 - Dutch flag carrier KLM
 said it's close to sealing a cooperation pact with Japan Air Systems
 and is eyeing other tie-ups in Europe and Latin America.
     "We have good hopes that within two months we will have a deal
 with Japan Air Systems," a KLM spokesman said, adding there would be
 no cross-ownership.
     "We are striving for a global network and for that you need con-
 nections in several regions in the world."
     KLM, which says it aims eventually to become one of five or six
 genuine worldwide airlines, has made no secret of its desire to ex-
 pand well beyond its continental European base.
     Last month it bought a 30 percent stake in Norwegian Braathens
 SAFE, throwing the Scandinavian market open.
     In July it signed a billion dollar peace pact with U.S. carrier
 Northwest Airlines. The two committed themselves to a 10-year com-
 mercial marriage and in return KLM agreed to hand back its 19
 percent Northwest stake.
     "The centerpiece of our cooperation is the alliance with North-
 west. But we are seeking a combination of other networks, domestic
 and regional," the spokesman said.
     Japan Air Systems, which already has a deal with Northwest Air-
 lines, serves 38 Japanese cities and a few international destina-
 tions in Australia, Singapore and South Korea.
     Of the roughly 18 million passengers it carries each year, 17.5
 million are within the home market.
     "The real strength of this company is its very strong domestic
 route network in Japan," the KLM spokesman said.
     They were watching closely for signs of a long-anticipated linkup
 with Italian carrier Alitalia.
     "A deal with Alitalia would be a big breakthrough. KLM needs a
 second hub in Europe to have enough capacity to move the extra pas-
 sengers these cooperation deals generate," said Thijs Berkelder,
 airlines analyst at HSBC Van Meer James Capel.
     KLM said talks with Alitalia were still going on. The carrier
 added it was also casting around for a partner on Latin American
 routes.
     Spain's Iberia has faded as a potential ally since it announced
 it was forging links with British Airways.
     "If the opportunity arises we are interested in further partner-
 ships," the KLM spokesman said.
     KLM, 25 percent owned by the Dutch government, owns Air UK and
 has stakes in Transavia, Martinair and Kenya Airways.
 -----------------------------------------------------
         Rescuers in Norway find bodies, wreck of chopper
     OSLO (September 8, 1997 09:04 a.m. EDT) - Rescue workers on Mon-
 day located two bodies and wreckage from the rotor blade and fuselage
 of a helicopter missing over the Norwegian Sea off northern Norway,
 the NTB newsagency said.
     The findings were made in an area where rescue services had con-
 centrated the search, Bjoern Hareide, coordinator at the rescue
 centre at Bodo, said.
 ---------------------
      New York - With a healthy economy fueling strong fall travel
 bookings, the nation's major airlines have raised already record-
 high ticket prices by 5 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported
 Monday.
     Business travelers will take the brunt of the increases. But
 the newspaper also said many advance-purchase fares were raised
 over the weekend.
     "The business traveler is going back to work, and the airlines
 are taking advantage by raising fares," said Tom Parsons, editor of
 Best Fares Discount Travel Magazine. "I think we'll see one or two
 more fare hikes before the end of the year, too."
     Northwest Airlines initiated the industry-wide price hike when
 it raised its unrestricted coach fares by 5 percent Thursday.
 American Airlines and United Airlines quickly followed suit, as did
 several other major carriers, including Delta Air Lines on Friday.
     "There are some exceptions market-by-market, but the majority of
 fare types are up 5 percent," an unidentified spokesmen for American
 told the Journal.
     Airline passenger traffic hit record highs over the summer and
 early fall bookings have remained strong.
--- DB 1.39/004487
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