Retro Sioux Falls Airport

[JJ Skippy]

The next Retro FSD airport update is now available. Unfortunately I'm going to have to shelve my second airport update for this month, as the model I hinted at previously won't be arriving; the order "failed". The air service history video will still be published later this month.

 

[JJ Skippy]

Another Retro FSD update has been uploaded as of this past week. Check it out here:

 

[JJ Skippy]

Today I added a wonderful model to my collection in this North Central DC-9-30 by Netmodels. It’s my first model from this manufacturer; they made over 400 models between 2002 and 2012 based on DiMA records. I found this model on eBay, as has been the case for most of my Retro FSD acquisitions.


This model has inspired me to revisit my 1979 update project. However, North Central did not fly this type into FSD at this time; they flew the Convair 580s.

 

[JJ Skippy]

The next Retro FSD update is now live; we’re going to 1968 for this update, thanks in part for two acquisitions I made during Airliners International 2024.

 

[JJ Skippy]

It's been quite the absence from this project due to a lack of new acquisitions and already covering what I can with my existing fleet. But that changes today thanks to a new arrival in this Western 720 by Aeroclassics.


Departedflights reports this bird on the FSD flight board in 1975 and is the latest documentation I could find of this type at FSD. These were the biggest passenger jets scheduled on commercial flights and at that time they flew to and from Denver. I have seen them on the flight board in the late 60s too so an older Indianhead livery one would be great to add as well.

 

[JJ Skippy]

It’s been over a year since I’ve provided any concrete updates about Retro FSD — the project has been shelved for a while, but with recent developments this project is coming back in 2026. Here’s a summary of what’s happened since the last post here:

- First, I posted the 1975 update as planned following the Western 720’s arrival.

- I’ve acquired all three white whales for the project: the American Fokker 100, Frontier Boeing 737-200, and Western Boeing 737-200. I’ve made just one more update since then using the F100 for 1992.

What’s Next?
Thanks to recent releases from 3D Design Deck, Retro FSD will be returning in the new year. A Northwest Dash-8 was announced in their latest releases; these flew here in the mid-1990s. A USAir Express Beech 1900D will hopefully be announced in the next couple months as well, so when that gets released, I will make another update.

I also plan on making updates in the 1980s using the other two white whales. And, as applicable, I will cover other aspects of FSD’s history. Stay tuned for updates!

 

[Starz10p Aviation]

It’s been over a year since I’ve provided any concrete updates about Retro FSD — the project has been shelved for a while, but with recent developments this project is coming back in 2026. Here’s a summary of what’s happened since the last post here:

- First, I posted the 1975 update as planned following the Western 720’s arrival.

- I’ve acquired all three white whales for the project: the American Fokker 100, Frontier Boeing 737-200, and Western Boeing 737-200. I’ve made just one more update since then using the F100 for 1992.

What’s Next?
Thanks to recent releases from 3D Design Deck, Retro FSD will be returning in the new year. A Northwest Dash-8 was announced in their latest releases; these flew here in the mid-1990s. A USAir Express Beech 1900D will hopefully be announced in the next couple months as well, so when that gets released, I will make another update.

I also plan on making updates in the 1980s using the other two white whales. And, as applicable, I will cover other aspects of FSD’s history. Stay tuned for updates!

Very cool! Are you planning on bringing retro FSD into the 2010s, now that its been almost five years since you’ve started the project?

 

[LeoMuse747]

Just wondering: do you plan to set up a proper diorama for your Sioux Falls airport? By "proper diorama", I mean: a wooden board, terminal buildings, etc etc

 

[JJ Skippy]

Very cool! Are you planning on bringing retro FSD into the 2010s, now that its been almost five years since you’ve started the project?

That has been in my plans since I started. Given my priorities for earlier decades it’s why I’ve neglected to focus on the 2010s. But I will hopefully acquire many of the modern-classic planes that FSD got during this time in 2026; one rare model is the United Q400 which we got briefly around 2012.

Just wondering: do you plan to set up a proper diorama for your Sioux Falls airport? By "proper diorama", I mean: a wooden board, terminal buildings, etc etc

I have looked into getting a proper diorama for FSD for a while now, but two things have led me to stick with what I have: cost and space. While I don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars on getting terminal buildings, and preferably a mat, I don’t have a lot of space to work with either. My room is very small, further constrained by all the permanent setups I have. I probably have 10-15 feet of walkable space in my room in a narrow corridor right now. The scaling I used to make my current FSD diorama for my modern airport updates is already off because of this, and Retro FSD has had to settle for the makeshift setup as well. I try not to go out into the living room for airport dioramas so as not to upset my parents

To put it simply, yes I plan on a more formal setup for FSD. It’s going to take some time, however.

 

[Starz10p Aviation]

That has been in my plans since I started. Given my priorities for earlier decades it’s why I’ve neglected to focus on the 2010s. But I will hopefully acquire many of the modern-classic planes that FSD got during this time in 2026; one rare model is the United Q400 which we got briefly around 2012.


I have looked into getting a proper diorama for FSD for a while now, but two things have led me to stick with what I have: cost and space. While I don’t mind spending a few hundred dollars on getting terminal buildings, and preferably a mat, I don’t have a lot of space to work with either. My room is very small, further constrained by all the permanent setups I have. I probably have 10-15 feet of walkable space in my room in a narrow corridor right now. The scaling I used to make my current FSD diorama for my modern airport updates is already off because of this, and Retro FSD has had to settle for the makeshift setup as well. I try not to go out into the living room for airport dioramas so as not to upset my parents

To put it simply, yes I plan on a more formal setup for FSD. It’s going to take some time, however.

Also makes sense given the terminal is being redone. Would be annoying having to rebuild it in like a couple years