File:Fairchild Plane (15831162996).jpg

Last of the Fairchilds

Rugged, welded steel construction, supported by cloth-covered wooden wings made the Fairchild a robust and easily maintained bush plane. This CF-BXF, a Fairchild FC-2W2, was built in Farmingdale, New York in 1928. It was ferried from California to Carcross, Yukon in 1943 by Pat Callison to commence commercial service with Northern Airways. A Carcross-based company, Northern Airways had the mail contract between Carcross, Atlin and Telegraph Creek, BC. In addition to routine charters, the was brought much survey work to the company and for the next five years, BXF and three sister-ships (BXD, BXH and BXI) flew thousands of hours on the Alaska Highway and Canol Pipeline projects.

Many veteran bush pilots flew BXF, including Herman Peterson, Pat Callison, Jimmy Symes and Rae Farrell. In 1949 BXF was sold and upgraded from a FC-2W2 to a Model 71. It then served coastal communities and logging camps of the BC coast until its demise in a take-off accident at Jervis Inlet in 1963. With the subsequent arrival of the Noorduyn Norseman in the 1930s and the famous De Havilland Beaver in the late 1940s, the old Fairchilds, which had virtually opened up the Canadian North, faded into obscurity, leaving BXF the last working Fairchild 71 in the world.

Currently undergoing restoration, BXF will once again bear the Northern Airways colours and logo, a testament to her days as a pioneer plane in the Yukon.

Last of the Fairchilds, Fairchild Plane. (year unknown). [exhibit sign]. Whitehorse: Whitehorse Transportation Museum.