Serving the Rocky Mountain Empire
Frontier Airlines was created from the combination of Monarch, Challenger Airlines and Arizona Airways. Its slogan, Serving the Rocky Mountain Empire, may sound like pure advertising, but the route quickly proves the point: huge terrain, isolated towns, high plateaus, desert country, valleys and long transitions into the American Southwest.
This flight plan rebuilds a 1950 network from Billings to El Paso, crossing Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. It is a proper navigation campaign, ideal for a DC-3 or a sturdy twin.
The scenario
The route begins in Montana, enters Wyoming through Cody and Greybull, then continues toward Casper, Cheyenne, Rock Springs and Kemmerer. It then turns toward Utah, crosses Salt Lake City, Provo and Price, and reaches Colorado for a spectacular mountain sequence.
The second half of the campaign moves into the Southwest: Four Corners, Albuquerque, Gallup, Winslow, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson, Douglas, then back toward New Mexico and El Paso. Each block can be flown as a full day of regional airline work.
Suggested route
Montana and Wyoming
Start by setting the Frontier atmosphere: isolated towns, regional legs and mountain safety margins.
KBIL → KCOD → KGEY → KWRL → KRIW → KCPR → KRWL → KLAR → KCYS → KRKS → KEMM
Utah and Colorado
The route then moves toward Utah and Colorado, where altitude, weather and aircraft performance become central.
KEMM → KVEL → KSLC → KPVU → KPUC → KGXY → KDEN → KMTJ → KGUC → 1V6 → KCOS → KPUB → KALS → KMVI → KCEZ → KDRO
American Southwest
Finish with a warmer and wider crossing through plateaus, desert and iconic Southwest towns.
KDRO → KFMN → KABQ → KGUP → KINW → KFLG → KPRC → KPHX → KTUS → KDUG → P13 → KSAD → KCFT → KSVC → KDMN → KLRU → KELP
Recommended aircraft
The Douglas DC-3 is the natural choice for a 1950 Frontier atmosphere. Free DC-3 resources from DC-3 Airways can be used with FS2004 and FSX. A sturdy light twin is also a comfortable option if you prefer simpler stages.
GPS is recommended alongside VOR/DME and ADF/NDB navigation. On mountain legs, check minimum altitude, weather, fuel and climb performance before departure.
Simulation advice
Do not rush the full chain. Fly Montana-Wyoming as one session, Utah-Colorado as another, then complete the New Mexico-Arizona-Texas crossing. The route becomes a real journey through the American West.
© Michel Lagneau 2020