Reykjavik to Isafjordur
Domestic flights in Iceland were operated by the Fokker 50s of Icelandair's domestic division, marked as Flugleidir on the aircraft but operating with normal Icelandair FI codes.
We arrived at Reykjavik domestic air terminal (RKV) on a sunny Saturday morning. We checked in, and managed to get a window and an aisle seat on the four abreast Fokker 50. This was my first flight in the type, as Icelandair had, until recently, operated the Fokker 27 on domestic routes.
Our transport was TF-FIS "Sigdis", and I managed to get some photos of the aircraft as we headed to board. VC10 also took a photo of me beside the aircraft just before we got on.
Our first glimpse of the Fokker 50. This was a new livery which had been given to mark the arrival of the new aircraft into the domestic fleet.
A closer look at Sigdis. You can see that one prop blade is tethered down.
There was one stewardess on this flight. She greeted the passengers and gave the safety talk before we taxied out to the runway and lifted off for Isafjordur.
This flight was timed at 45 minutes. The north west fjords is geologically the oldest part of Iceland, and has remote fishing villages beside the fjords, nestling beneath the mountains.
No food was served on this short flight, just drinks. I had orange juice. The weather became more cloudy as we approached Isafjordur, which was a pity because flying relatively low in the Fokker prop over Iceland is a true delight.
Islands in the fjord.
Various views taken along the way.
Isafjordur is not an easy approach, it lies beside the fjord at the foot of the mountain, and it is a basic kind of place! Try it in Flight Sim and you'll get some idea what I mean!
Beginning final approach to Isafjordur. The landing gear doors have just opened and the gear is lowering. You can see the mountains and the fjord. That is the kind of terrain you are flying into. London City is a dream of an approach compared to this one!
The captain skilfully manouvred the Fokker between the mountain and the water and touched down on the runway. It was raining, a change from the sunshine in Reykjavik. It had been a great first flight in the Fokker 50.
Isafjordur to Reykjavik
We caught a taxi to Isafjordur airport the following Tuesday. We had a nice time there, it was a peaceful place with friendly people and stunning scenery. As we got out of the taxi VC10 dropped all the change all over the floor of the car park and the taxi driver had to help us gather it all up (she'll go mad at me for putting that!) We had a good laugh about it at the time though.
We had quite a while to wait, and Isafjordur was a basic terminal. There were no other aircraft to see so we just sat. Eventually our old friend Sigdis arrived and it was soon time to board.
Sigdis in Isafjordur. Note the mountains very close to the airport!
The take off was something else. Owing to the close proximity of mountains, the pilot had to go into a very steep bank as the aircraft climbed away from the runway. The mountain is in front of you at take off and you move quick to avoid it! That is certainly the most exciting approach and climb away I have ever experienced, but it is not for those nervous of flying!
The flight itself was uneventful, but the scenery, as ever, was worth seeing from above. Around 45 minutes after that dramatic take off, we were touching down on a sunny Reykjavik evening. We had one full day left in the Icelandic capital, and we made the most of it. Two days after flying back from Isafjordur aboard Sigdis, I had another meeting with my nemesis on the Keflavik-Glasgow service and never flew Icelandair again.
