Anthony Fokker (aka The Flying Dutchman) was one of the most enigmatic characters in the history of aviation. His Nationality is listed as (Dutch, German, US). He was born in Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), inspired into aviation, in France, by witnessing Wilbur Wright's demo flights near Paris, moved to Germany, and designed remarkable (and innovative) WWI planes for the German Army (e.g. notably, helped create the legend of Red Baron...now, why do I think of that goggled aviator on the cover of a certain "Classic Crust Pizza"...🙂...or of the anthropomorphic Snoopy, the Beagle,...oh well...). After the War, he returned to the Netherlands and started a new aircraft company, (Dutch Aircraft Factory, predecessor to the Fokker Aircraft Company), then came to the U.S., and helped contribute to the fame of another legend, Amelia Earhart (in 1928, just a year after Lindbergh's crossing, Amelia became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, with two other pilots, aboard a Fokker F.VII Tri-motor, btw, coincidentally, which, I got to know, only today, was also named "Friendship")...

Anthony Fokker died young, at the age of 49, in New York, in December 1939 (within months of WW II start), and his ashes were returned and buried in a town, back in his homeland, Netherlands...  

In modern times, the Fokker lineage of aircraft came to an end, in 1997, when the last F70 twinjet rolled out of the assembly line, and, a Fokker took to the (RW) skies, for the last time, in 2017, when KLM bid farewell to its last F70 twinjet. Here, in this post, please find, another famous Fokker airliner, one of the most successful European airliners of the era, that also carried the founder's name. Fokker F27 "Friendship" was meant to replace the irreplaceable DC-3, and it proved its merit...it possessed superior efficiency, faster flight times, greater passenger comfort and a higher level of reliability. Powered by the same (and proven) RR Dart Engines (see close-up shots, below), that had already powered the first-ever turboprop airliner (the Vickers Viscount), F27 was a worldwide (commercial) success. Rarely seen, in RW, these days, now, however, it will have to remain confined only to our virtual skies...

So, this post is about a F27 (actually a Fairchild F27), flying from Juneau to Yakutat, in the (rare) color of Pacific Alaska Airways. This airline was a short-lived one, it was founded in 1932, as a subsidiary of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), but, just 9 years later, during WWII, in 1941, the airline got absorbed into Pan Am and ceased to exist. It had flown its first air-route from Juneau to Fairbanks. In this post, however, I'm flying the (Pacific Alaska) F27 from Juneau (PAJN) to one of my (other) favorite airports, Yakutat (PAYA). Here is Part I...starting with a (Tutorial based) Cold & Dark start-up in Juneau (see images), then lift-off from Rwy 26 (PAJN), and climb-out over the unique and majestic geography of Juneau's mountains and glaciers (notice e.g. just after lift-off, the sight of Mendenhall glacier, considered, one of the most beautiful and accessible glaciers in North America, barely a few minutes from the airport)...

Hope you enjoy these images of this classic turboprop commuter airliner, which eventually succumbed to the more modern likes of ATR and Dash 8, but, was a true pioneer in its class, roaming the skies, decades before the emergence of ATR and Dash 8...(and it is one of my personal favorites, too...)...

My F27 remains, currently, suspended, at FL230 cruise, above the ice-fields of Alaska, while I need to do some (non-aviation...🙂...) house-hold chores, but, I expect to post the rest of my adventure with this F27, in my Part II...(plan is to complete a landing at Yakutat, via the LOC/DME BC Rwy 29,...see my modernized avionics suite...🙂...GTN 750 shots below...)...

Thanks for your interest...!! Good flying...!!

[JF (F27-300), Orbx (SAK/PAJN)]

Very nice! I'm envious of your model. 🤩

Terrific series...plane and scenery! (Looking forward to the Yakutat part.)

jOHN

Excellent set of shots! 🙂 

Ahhh, remember the F-27 well, the Fairchild version, Piedmont Airlines flew them here in the southeastern U.S from the late 50's to late 60's, RR Dart engines super loud.

Love flying the JF F27 it’s right up there in my choice of FSX-SE/P3dv4 aircraft. 
Just wondering how you find the FDE though, I find a quite a bit overpowered and also, I don’t seem to get the trademark nose down attitude on approach, do you know of any tweaks?

Cheers and thank you for sharing this great set of pics.

Edited July 17, 20214 yr by ftwd

Folks, Appreciated comments and notes....!!

 

11 hours ago, edetroit said:

Very nice! I'm envious of your model. 🤩

Ed, I guess I take that as a compliment, from someone, who considers a model perfect, only when it's personally hand-crafted...🙂...(seriously, credit goes to the good folks at JF)...!!

 

9 hours ago, John F said:

...(Looking forward to the Yakutat part.)

Me too, John, I was nearing Yakutat..but a diversion to the grocery store was advised by local ATC...🙂...anyway, PAYA in sight,...will be navigating the final "BC Rwy 29" approach, shortly to touchdown...

 

5 hours ago, Alaska738 said:

Excellent set of shots! 🙂 

Thanks much, Alaska738...!

 

2 hours ago, ftwd said:

Love flying the JF F27 it’s right up there in my choice of FSX-SE/P3dv4 aircraft. 
Just wondering how you find the FDE though, I find a quite a bit overpowered and also, I don’t seem to get the trademark nose down attitude on approach, do you know of any tweaks?

Cheers and thank you for sharing this great set of pics.

You're welcome and thanks for your interest...! Yes, a good SIM, and good fun too,...especially enjoyed the Cold & Dark start-up with those (unusual) HPC orange balls used to spool up the engines...

Of course, easy to say, all these, being not a Pilot myself...🙂...will be landing shortly in PAYA...will note if anything different from normal...

 

3 hours ago, jymp said:

Ahhh, remember the F-27 well, the Fairchild version, Piedmont Airlines flew them here in the southeastern U.S from the late 50's to late 60's, RR Dart engines super loud.

Could it be this one, below...🙂...? I am aware there are variations within the Piedmont livery...but, this is the one I have, now, in my pack,...it's also a (Fairchild) F27-300...

Superfine set of shots - thanks for showing !

cheers 😉