Airline Name
Sierra Pacific Airlines (Sierra Pacific Airlines Incorporated)
IATA: SI / ICAO: SPA / CALLSIGN: SIERRA PACIFIC
Founded and commenced operations in 1970, known as Trans Sierra Airlines
Renamed to Sierra Pacific Airlines in 1971
Country of Origin
USA / United States of America ()
Main Hub(s): Tucson International Airport (TUS), Yuma International Airport (YUM)
Aircraft Types Used (from those available in WoA)
(For this airline, some types are available in WoA, some not.)Aircraft operated (already in-game/planned):
Boeing 737 (-100, -200/-200Adv, -300, -500, B731/B732/B733/B735) - 2 operating, 14 former.
(2/4/5/3/2 for each variant, respectively.)
Current active aircraft types from family: B735 (2)
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-100 N708AW - later broken up)(Pictured below: Boeing 737-200 N722S - later broken up)
When it came to the -200s, I figured that I should throw in a Adv example, so here it is:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-200/Adv N703S - now known as C-FTWW)Also, here’s the same aircraft with a (mostly) basic white color scheme:
(Pictured below: Ditto, same aircraft as above)Moving on now:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-300 N732S - later scrapped, known as N672SW at end of its life)And finally, the current active aircraft type of Sierra Pacific, the 737-500s:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-500 N708S)Now, I figured I should mention: the other 737-500 in Sierra Pacific’s fleet has winglets, meaning that if added, the 735s could appear with winglets; here’s what I mean:
(Pictured below: Boeing 737-500(WL) N709S)Moving on from the 737s:
De Havilland DHC-6 (-300, DHC6) - 3 former.
(Pictured below: N272Z - now known as HP-1952PST)Aircraft operated (not in-game):
Convair CV-340 (no specific variant, CVLP) - exact number of aircraft operated not available/not clear.
(Pictured below: N3416 - later scrapped, known as N154JR at end of its life)Do note the noticeably different paint scheme and branding - if you recall from above, Trans Sierra Airlines was the original short-lived branding of Sierra Pacific.
We’ll see more of the old branding in a bit with another aircraft; for now, I’ll continue with the Convair fleet:Convair CV-580 (no specific variant, CVLT) - exact number of aircraft operated not available/not clear.
(Pictured below: N73166 - now known as C-FHKF - preserved)And now, the final bit of the fleet:
Handley Page HP137 (Jetstream Mk1, JS1) - exact number of aircraft operated not available/not clear.
(Pictured below: N17RJ - status unknown)
Why should this airline be added?
I’d say this airline should be added because of its historical significance on the West Coast, and its unique, diverse fleet over the years, with the capability to appear both as a normal map contract operator - and work as a great event operator as well.From my research, I was able to find that into the 2010s, they were a semi-active operator of the 737-200s (such as N703S above, which was operated by Sierra Pacific until 2018), providing a nice bonus for what players can use, especially for those who like to see such classic aircraft at their airports.
Though, when it comes to something like the 737-100s and 737-300s, their time with the airline was limited, all leaving by late 1993 - however, I do think that this is where its event potential shines, especially if paired with the likes of the DHC6 - as a matter of fact, I feel as if it would be a small, yet notable addition, as outside of SXM and NGO, DHC6 operators are extremely rare to encounter or see at most airports.
So, to summarize, I think this airline should be added as it provides another accessible option for Classic 737s in North America, has a notable amount of potential when it comes to events or special arrivals/contracts, such as through the 737-100, -300 and DHC6, and in general has a pretty unique fleet, something that can be further complimented if more classic aircraft like the Jetstream or Convair 340/580 are added at some point.
Sources:
Sierra Pacific Airlines’ Planespotters.net Page
Sierra Pacific Airlines’ Wikipedia Page