This 1/400 scale model of a Horizon Air Fokker/Fairchild F-27 depicts N217PH, the airline’s first aircraft when it was established in 1981. With the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978, airlines were no longer bound by the Civil Aeronautics Board as to what cities they could serve and from where, those decisions were now left to free market forces. As a result, many small communities in the Pacific Northwest saw their air services dropped by the larger airlines. In May 1981, Milt Koult gathered a group of Seattle entrepreneurs to fill this gap with a new regional airline named Horizon Air. Operations were launched on 1 September 1981 using three Fairchild F-27 turboprops (license built versions of the Fokker F-27). This model depicts the first of those three F-27s, the other two being N272PH and N273PH. The first services were from Seattle to Yakima, Washington, followed by services the following week from Seattle to Pasco, Washington. In those days, the general offices of Horizon were located in an old house behind Sea-Tac Airport. Struggling financially, Horizon merged with Air Oregon in June 1982 and then again the following year with Transwestern of Utah. A stock IPO was floated in 1984 to help keep the airline afloat. In the summer of 1985, Horizon entered a code share agreement with United Airlines which attracted the attention of Alaska Airlines which was looking for a regional partner to increase its passenger feed into Seattle. In November 1986, Alaska acquired Horizon and the rest, shall we say, is history! #avgeek #aviation #aircraft #airlines #planeporn #TheChickenport (follow this tag to see more of my collection) #airlines #aerosanctuary #Fokker #Fairchild #F27 #N271PH #Horizon #400Scale #Aeroclassics #instaaviation #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #flight #Avgeekery #AvgeekSchoolofKnowledge