In our SIM world, we're quite familiar with Canada's two largest Airlines (Air Canada and WestJet). I'd travelled once each, in Air Canada's 767 and WestJet's 737. This post is about another (much smaller, but interesting) Canadian airline, Air North, based out of Yukon, touted as "Yukon's Airline". My interest in this airline was revived this past week by images of an (excellent) airnorth DC-3/C-47 livery, painted by a member here (the repaint is for P3D/PBR, so, I am not able to fly it, here, on FSX/SE, but many of you can, if you wish to, however, I've included, below, a couple of images below from the Painter's README). Air North with its characteristic "Compass" logo has been known to me since the FS9 days, thanks to several freeware airplane models available. The airline celebrated its 40th anniversary 2 years ago, having originated, in 1977, from the bush-pilotage and mining roots of Northern Canada..."Air North's (two) founders had to heat their Whitehorse hangar with a wood stove....lucky enough to find two surplus pieces of the Trans-Alaska pipeline in a scrapyard, and the 48-inch pipe was fashioned into a firebox that brought cheap and welcome heat into the hangar from a roaring exterior stove". The airline has operated 737-200s in the past, and, currently has 737-400s/500s in its fleet. Just as, in its infancy, Air North's DC-3s (see screenshots, below) had given it a solid (first) footing in the airline business, so have, in later years, the early model 737s (200/400/500) served as its mainstay of operations. Consider this: One of its co-founders (originally a bush-pilot), has a total of 25,000+ hours of flight time in the (company's) 737s...!

The airline is head-quartered in Erik Nielsen Airport (CYXY) (my choice of airport for this post), which is an international airport located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. [Side Note: The airport is named in honor of longtime Yukon Member of Parliament Erik Nielsen, but, it's also worth noting, Erik Nielsen was the elder brother of actor Leslie Nielsen, whose comic brilliance, we aviation fans, know well from e.g. the parody film (Airplane!)...the "Doctor" perfectly in control, or, should we say, perfectly in lack-of-control...🙂...(Ted: Surely you can't be serious. / Rumack: I am serious...and don't call me Shirley.)...sorry, I couldn't resist...🙂...time to see it one more time during the holidays...)...]

Plane 1 (Air North Douglas C-47B Skytrain (C-GZOF)):
I have shown two images below of this plane thanks to the screenshots provided by the Painter, in the README file. This repaint is available in the local Library. The plane built, at Long Beach, California, towards the end of WW II, in 1944, was first delivered to the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). Note the logo for this Air North DC-3 that featured the tail art showing three Klondike EXPLORERS (symbolic of the legends of Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush). In RW, on the fateful morning of Saturday, 19 August (1995), this plane took off Vancouver Rwy08, bound for Whitehorse, Yukon. However, due to a (rapid) series of unfortunate events, during takeoff, it was forced to return to the airport for an emergency landing. One mile short of Rwy 30, it crashed to the ground, avoiding, at least, what could have been a much worse outcome, but, still, one life was lost in the accident, and the a/c was damaged beyond repair. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's report starts with this thoughtful disclaimer, "...(TSB) investigated this occurrence for the purpose of advancing transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability" - and, is worth reading to appreciate the complexity of analysis of the (various) interacting (contributing) factors.

Plane 2: (Air North B737-200 (C-GNAU)):
First of all, this B737 is a -200Adv (Advanced variant) - had come to Air North via Piedmont and US Airways. I'd thought, I'd a B737-200Adv, in the Air North color, in my hangar, but, found I didn't. So, I decided yesterday to supplement my CS B737-200 (which I'd bought from CS, ~12 years ago,...time has flown..., in the earliest days of FSX, before my 5 years of break from SIM) with this (CS) -Adv variant purchase. CS did also have an Air North repaint, handy, for its B737-300Adv. Now, I'm aware (the latest and most modern) 737 MAX has (finally) returned to the sky. I also read recently an article about AA having conducted the very first 737 MAX (public) flight about 2 weeks ago, on Dec. 2. However, myself, being a bit old-fashioned (hope I'm not the only one here...🙂...), the (older) CS (Boeing) Classics (727/737/757/767), especially the (727/737) have been always closer to my heart, and I was missing the 737-200Adv. These SIMs have taught me almost everything I know about the early Boeings. And, of course, speaking as a non-pilot, these CS (SIM) aircraft have proved more than sufficient for my (amateur) enjoyment and learning.

The Advanced 737-200 had appeared 6 years after -200. Along with minor aerodynamic improvements, the most significant exterior features of the -ADV were the extended engine nacelles, broad engine pylons and the inboard leading edge flaps extended to the fuselage, most of these features adequately simulated by Captain Sim's Adv model (see several wingview shots, below). 737-200Adv integration was seamless today (thanks to a quick support response from Captain Sim). And, one of the (interesting) things, I wished to explore, today, in the 200Adv, is the PDCS unit - see left of RADAR on the cockpit shot - (precursor of (but quite different from) the later 737 FMC, we're so used to), but, I couldn't fit it in due to lack of time (will be on my to-do-list). BTW, I also recall, there were postings here, a while ago, by a member, further customizing (I believe) the (CS) 737-200Adv PDCS, to make it more realistic of the actual unit that had started appearing in the 737 cockpits during late 1970s. Towards the end of -200Adv's production run, it was fitted with an SP177 autopilot (that would form the foundation of the modern 737NG autopilot). However, this 737-200Adv Air North, here, (see images), continues to use the (basic) Sperry SP-77 autopilot.

This post, today, was a few fun hours of (SIM) enjoyment and engagement. Hope you enjoy it too, along with these images of the 737-200Adv, landing at Whitehorse (Yukon). Thanks for your interest....!! Happy Flying...!

[CS (B737-200Adv), Freeware C-47 (airnorth), Orbx (SAK)]

Edited December 20, 20205 yr by P_7878

Another interesting write-up sir. 

Excellent work, P_7878 !! With so many liveries for the M. Jahn C 47 around, there must be an older Air North livery that will fit your FSX version.

Thanks, Mark and Bernd...!!

Bernd: Yes, I did find a couple, of airnorth DC-3/C-47 repaints for FSX, (CF-CUG) and (N983DC), with curious logo labels ("Lady Lou" and "Yukon Sourdough" respectively), but, due to some reason, on my FSX/SE, their Prop textures appeared abnormal, not un-usual, but, here, my usual replacement of alternate Prop Textures, did not fix it, so, I gave up after some attempt...(will look into it again)...

And, I didn't (yet) find an FSX KLONDIKE EXPLORER (C-ZGOF) C-47 that I was looking for, here, which was the livery that had revived my memory of Air North, last week, and prompted me for this post....