Heritage Northern Airlines
There are many virtual airlines out there that fly in Alaska. It is an area of the world that is very dependent on aviation, and is also one of the most desirable places for sim pilots develop their skills. Heritage Northern (FS Hub ICAO code AKH) is a salute to the classic propliners and airlines that helped build Alaska in the years following the Second World War, and may be seen as a kind of "feeder" VA to the modern Alaska Airlines VA run by FS Hub staff. These are the carriers, planes and routes worth remembering. When it's time to escape the Arizona heat for some old-school fun in the far north, this is the place. What follows here are route maps intended to illustrate where certain types flew, as the aggregate route map at the FS Hub portal is quite crowded.
PACIFIC NORTHERN DC-3 (1947-1959), DC-4 (1955), L749 (1958-67) & B720 (1965-1967)
This carrier was the leader in traffic along its' route network from the mid-1950's to the mid-1960's. The DC-4 served between Seattle and Anchorage, whereas the DC-3 served the Kenai Peninsula, and points west of Anchorage, by 1955. The late 1940s saw the PNA DC-3s serving the Panhandle run as well as well as the Kenai Peninsula from Merrill Field, Anchorage's first airport. Those flights may be flown here. Operations moved to Anchorage's present international airport, now named for the late Senator Ted Stevens, when it opened in 1952, and just as the DC-4s had arrived into service. Note that Gustavus and Ninilchik were only flag stops, meaning that the aircraft would only stop there upon prearranged request. These flights are available to fly in a magnificent-looking PNA DC-3. The L749 Constellation and Boeing 720 flew very similar routes between Seattle and Anchorage, flying the nonstop and a two-stop routing with landings at Juneau and Annette Island (which was then how one flew to Ketchikan). We replicate the final days of 1967, before the merger into Western Airlines, including the famous Seattle-Kodiak Connie run. Check out the timetables: 1947, 1955, 1958, 1959, and 1967.
REEVE ALEUTIAN L-188, DC-6B & DC-4
Reeve and the Electra II have become synonymous legends. It's tough to replicate in a VA context, but meticulous research pays off. 1975 and 1997 timetables are replicated. The Attu runway was closed in '75, meaning that the issue of leaving the engines running while unloading and loading the aircraft is avoided. 1979 saw the short-lived Cold Bay-Seattle service, which was flown in Electra combi aircraft. The DC-6B served the Anchorage-Cold Bay-St Paul-Anchorage run exclusively. 1957 DC-4 routes sourced from a book.
REEVE ALEUTIAN DC-3, C46 & YS-11A
These types served similar roles, with the Japanese turboprop combi model eventually replacing the Douglas and Curtiss workhorses entirely. There's some commonality, and some differentiation between the types, as airfields came online and went offline over the years. Many stops on these runs "down the chain" were at small military outposts. PAAL shows as Cold Bay on the map, but was known as Cape Sarichef. Similarly, PAAM is Driftwood Bay in timetables. Reeve also flew the C-46, but there's very limited timetable information out there. Only a cargo shuttle between Anchorage, Cold Bay and Dutch Harbor is here.
WIEN ALASKA AIRLINES DC-3
The Wien name was synonymous with aviation in the Arctic for decades. 1947 and (mostly) 1956 timetables show scheduled services to the far flung corners of the Arctic from Fairbanks. Many of the flights were circuits, carrying passengers, mail and cargo north of the Arctic Circle. Some destinations, like Umiak were only served on the return trip from Barrow to Fairbanks. There are some photos (and paints) of a Wien C-46, but no sufficient routing/timtable information has surfaced. The C-46 doubtlessly served a main route like Anchorage-Fairbanks, so we honor that.
WIEN AIR ALASKA/WIEN CONSOLIDATED F-27
The routes depicted here range from 1967 to 1974, during which time the airline was known as Wien Consolidated, and had developed an Anchorage base. Wien had retired the DC-3s by the time the 737 arrived in 1968, and the Twin Otter was serving a lot of the bush routes of 1967. As always, pilot interest determines whether or not the Twotter becomes an expansion.
WEIN CONSOLIDATED B737-100/200
Wien was the launch customer of the jet that has sustained the Arctic to this day. The routes here are from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Some flights have 1968 timetable evidentiary support, while others (i.e. the Homer-Kodiak run) rely on the memory of this VA's founder from 1972. Pro tip: For FS Hub tracking purposes, the ICAO code to use is B732, even if you're flying a payware -100 aircraft.
Wien would fly the B732 until its demise in 1984, when efforts to expand into serving the "Lower 48" drove the carrier into insolvency. Research is ongoing to determine what additional B732 services should be replicated within this VA. Pilot feedback is essential in this area. This VA is presently built to not have too much overlap with the FS Hub-staff-run modern Alaska Airlines. Further expansion likely involves such overlap.
Out of the ashes of Wien's closure arose Mark Air, in the 1980s. While not associated with the Wien family, Mark Air fleet and services held the B732 in common. There are ex-Wien and ex-Mark Air 732s still flying in Canada, with carriers such as Buffalo Airways, Canadian North and Nolinor Aviation. The Kotzebue airport is named in honor of Noel Wien.
Lastly, we come to the only aircraft that you might need for FSX/P3D to enjoy this VA. N907HD bases at Sitka, flying the Juneau tourist shuttle service at a profitable premium price for the privilege from May though September, and being a standby aircraft for emergency cargo runs for the rest of the year. She's our DC-3 (actually a C-47), the pinnacle of FSX/P3D freeware from Manfred Jahn and team. "Northrider 1" is proudly presented here, as part of the all-RMAG-inclusive download package of this aircraft, featuring a modern virtual cockpit, and other tweaks that make her an absolute joy to fly. Want a vintage virtual cockpit? This package has everything but the HNA livery, which is exclusive to the modern VC model. History already tells us plenty of great stories. Heritage Northern Airlines offers the sim pilot the opportunity to write their own. Pack your parkas, and get ready to fly the last frontier.
