The Wombats

On August 23, 1975, a fourth aircraft was added to the fleet. This Electra was registered RMG and came from McCulloch Properties in the USA in its original colours; it worked for a few days and then went south to Melbourne for its Ansett colour scheme, but differed from the other three aircraft in that the under fuselage was painted grey. VH-RMG stayed with Ansett until 1978 when it was sold to Evergreen, a US cargo airline. At the time, RMG needed costly modifications to bring it up to the standard of the other three and it was decided to sell rather than modify – a decision perhaps somewhat regretted, as a fourth aircraft would be most welcome.

Early in May this year; a decision had been made to sell the Electras in favour of two 727QC freighters but, by the time I had made my flights, it was decided that the Electras were a profitable enterprise after the new management had decided not to put the running expenses on to the freight operation, for the whole operation of the airline. Each of the aircraft now has 42,000 hours on the airframe, about 2000 hours each year, and should see them out to the end of their useful lives in about five years’ time.

RMC or, as she is known in airline parlance, Romeo Mike Charlie, was the first of the trio to be converted to a pure freighter and made her first revenue flight in that role on June 6, 1972. RMA (Romeo Mike Alpha) followed, making her first revenue flight on August 30, 1972.

RMB (Romeo Mike Bravo) followed the other two, with her first revenue flight on October 16, of that year. The trio have thus almost completed a decade of freighter operations and 12 years as passenger aircraft before that.

Today’s operation is a highly mechanised container service operating on a tight schedule from as far afield as Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to Perth in Western Australia.

Kevin Sullivan, Ansett’s Freight Operations Manager in Melbourne, arranged for me to travel up front with the crews on two typical flights. His second-in-command, Graham McCulloch, was most enthusiastic when describing the freight operation run by the Ansett organisation; this enthusiasm is reflected throughout every stage of every flight – and it made being part of the team so enjoyable. The middle management team is extremely conscientious and vitally concerned that the cargo reaches its destination by the next morning, so that at the first sign of a hitch phones are running hot with “please explain” and “What are you doing about it?”. In Graham’s office is a model of an Electra painted all over red with the Ansett logo and titles in black – obviously an idea that never saw the light of day. However, with the new Ansett colours of all-over white, it would seem certain at the time of writing that we could see all-white Electras by the end of 1982.

Ansett’s Electras are busy beasts. Using Melbourne as a starting point, Flight 431 leaves Melbourne at 9 pm for Launceston and returns at approximately 11. 30 pm as 432. It then returns to Launceston as 435 and comes back to Tullamarine as 436. It is then able to operate charters to Adelaide or Sydney as required, or could fly across to New Zealand on a horse charter. Flight 400 leaves Tullamarine at 9. 30 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns. On Wednesday and Thursday, it continues on to Weipa and returns to Cairns. Arrival in Sydney is 11 pm, with a departure at 11. 45 pm for Brisbane. Arrival in Cairns is at 6. 15 am and Weipa at 10. 50 am, departing Weipa at 11. 50 am and arriving back in Brisbane at 4. 35 pm. Departure from Brisbane for Flight 401 is at 9 pm and the two Electras should be on the ground together in Sydney for approximately 30 minutes whilst unloading loading and refuelling take place. Flight 401 then departs Sydney at 11. 30 pm and heads for Melbourne, Adelaide and a four-hour flight to Perth, returning to Melbourne directly from Perth at 5. 30 pm. After flying from one end of Australia to the other, the aircraft is then given a “rest” on the Launceston run, 431 and 435.

And this pattern is repeated so that each aircraft gets the same number of hours. This leaves one aircraft in Melbourne during the day for some TLC (tender loving care), one in Brisbane on Tuesdays when the Cairns flight returns straight to Brisbane or en route from Weipa the other days, and the third aircraft is returning from Perth to take up the Tasmanian run; and so on ad infinitum.

Major servicing is done during weekends when two aircraft are at Tullamarine and the third is at Brisbane. Both centres are major maintenance airports. On Fridays the Brisbane Electra does a return flight to Sydney, arriving Sydney at 11. 40 pm and returning at 2 am. On Sunday one of the Melbourne Electras makes a return trip to Launceston.

Recently in the US, an Electra lost its entire fuel load in one wing through cracks. Ansett’s Electras were grounded; cracks were found in two of the aircraft and repaired, but during the Christmas break of 1981-82, the three were due to have wing modifications done at the Tullamarine base.

Most maintenance is done in Melbourne, and many parts are manufactured in Ansett’s own workshops.

The recent discovery of the wing cracks meant some 14 days out of service for AMA and RMB, whilst AMC was found to be crack-free. During that time F-27s were used, the freight being carried on the passenger seats.

Twenty-one crews fly the three Electras, with 38 pilots including Check Captains and 19 Flight Engineers; 12 crews operate out of Melbourne and five crews from Brisbane.

Flight time Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth is 260 minutes, whilst Perth-Melbourne is 293 minutes. Flight crews fly about 12 hours each week, but this figure shoots up to 58 to 60 hours at work when one adds the time away from home base.

Before a flight can commence, freight has to be loaded in accordance with the Electra Freighter Load and Trim Sheet, a complex collection and compilation of data including Basic Index; Load and Trim Sheet filled out by the loadmaster, the Index for pallet 1 through to pallet 9; the forward belly locker, the aft belly locker extra crew, with differing scales for each position on the fuselage floor.

The final line drawn through each pallet position must fall with the load envelope for correct gross weight, trim, C of G position and % MAC (Mean Aerodynamic Chord).

A typical load for an Electra between Sydney and Melbourne was carried by RMB consisting of nine pallets – two for Perth, two for Adelaide, one for Melbourne/Tasmania, one Melbourne, one Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth, one Melbourne, one Adelaide-Perth, with a total weight uplift of 13,458 kilos.

Vital Electra statistics include a basic weight of 25,860 kilos; zero fuel weight of 39,318 kilos (maximum allowable 40,823); fuel load of 5443; ramp weight of 44,761 (max 51,390); burn-off of 2767; and landing weight 41,994.

Quite often, because of a large volumetric cargo, the aircraft is unable to carry its maximum allowable weight, and so capacity is dependent on weight and volume.

During the week I spent on the Electras, the good news was that the decision to purchase the 727QC aircraft had been shelved and that the Electras would carry on until 1984. If the 727 had replaced the Electra, it could not have flown during curfew hours out of Sydney or Brisbane. Maximum cargo carried by the 727 would have been 16 tonnes compared with Electra’s 13 tonnes; the 727 would have burnt 10,000 lb of fuel/hour, taking 70 minutes to Melbourne, the Electra taking 90 minutes to Melbourne with a 6000-7000 lb fuel burn.

The 727-100 Series all-freight model, however, would be able to carry between 17 and 18 tonnes, an increase of 33. 3 per cent in cargo capacity over the Electra.

Now that we have looked at the operation and the specifications of the aircraft, come with AADR aboard a flight to Melbourne from Sydney for a unique experience in a pilot’s aeroplane and an aircraft still well ahead of its time. On a rather wet evening, Flight 401 calls the freight office on the company frequency with details of fuel uplift out of Sydney and approximate ETA Sydney. In the darkness south of the airport, the landing lights of AMC pierce through the cold and wet night for short finals on runway 34; the landing is followed by the melodic roar of reverse pitch, then an ever-increasing crescendo of four Allison turboprops as AMC takes taxiway right, crosses runway 07, taxis ahead, then next taxiway right then next left to the freight apron on the right. Following the lead-in lines, AMC is marshalled outside the cargo shed under the guidance of the Supervisor. The time is 10. 30 pm and AMA, which has arrived at 10 pm, is parked behind AMC so that the two aircraft are together in Sydney – not always a common sight. Arrivals during curfew on runway 16 require a special DME localiser approach with a touch-down near the runway intersection; a 34 departure requires a noise abatement procedural turn. Strangely enough, the F-27 does not require this DoT noise abatement rule.

As soon as the engines are cut there is a whirl of activity; a power cart is plugged into the nose, a start trolley on which two large bottles of compressed air are plugged into the rear underbelly, and a scissors· hoist is brought alongside the rear cargo door. A set of stairs is pushed to the forward door and, at the same time, the supervisor opens the forward door of the aircraft by activating the remote control and the electrically powered door rolls up out of the way. Loading and unloading by way of the scissors commence, and small freight “trains” drive up with pallets or take pallets away.

At the same time the fuel tanker drives up and the aircraft is refuelled through a central point located to the rear of the No 3 engine nacelle beneath the wing. Refuelling is by means of a large-diameter hose, and around the fuel nozzle are five electric switches, one for each tank and the fifth for the selection of fuelling or refuelling. Selection of fuel quantity is by means of switch position and tiny gauges indicate fuel quantities in each tank.

The crew of 401 this evening was under the command of Captain John W. Bland, who had only recently moved into the left seat. First Officer Colin Duffey occupied the right seat, and Ansett Senior Check Flight Engineer Frank Cox occupied the centre seat. Frank was checking out Flight Engineer Graham McClusky, and Graham was riding back to Melbourne in a supernumerary position. While introductions were being made and I settled into the jump seat, Frank pointed out emergency exits and oxygen masks, and John Bland completed checking the Load Sheet with the loadmasters. Within a matter of 20 minutes, loading was complete and AMA, with engines running, was preparing to taxi out for runway 16, and Brisbane. Before our door was closed and all auxiliaries removed, the L188 Loading Check List was handed to the F/O for verification of the load of each pallet as described on 1he Load Sheet, pallet stops checked as locked up and pallets loaded in positions as shown on the pallet tag. At 11. 20 pm the ground engineer held up the tail pole for verification that It had been removed. (When loading a freighter the tail pole is inserted in the rear of the aircraft and supports the rear while the aircraft is out of trim.

Prior to start, 55 checks were made in the cockpit from the illuminated moving scroll, and cross-checked by the three crew members. Captain John Bland calls the ground engineers for a start on No 3 engine. Frank selects No. 3 on the panel above the windshield, and the procedure is as follows:

Captain calls start No 3. F/E replies select No 3, firing No 3, RPM 2000, 3000 light off, 4000 paralleling light, 5000 oil pressure-right. 6000 check low oil pressure warning, 7000 turbine inlet temperature (TIT) 700-800°C to a max of 830°C 8000 start button out, 9000 paralleling light out, stabilise engine: between 9900 and 10,300 low rpm.

Engine start sequence commences; first No 3 then No 2; RPM OK. TIT (Turbine Inlet Temperature) reaches 770°C,! ignition off and the temperature reduces to 630°C. Next engine start 1s No 4, followed by No 1. All engines are running. Now an after-start check is carried out by the crew. Take-Off data has been worked out by F/O Colin Duffey and, from graphs of weight, temperature and wind, the following data has been set up:

Runway 16, wind light and variable, QNH 1030 temperature 12, cloud 2/2000 3/3000 showets in area.

VI 116 knots, Vr 118 knots, V2 125 knots, Vcl 156 knots, flap 10° BRW 42,000 kilos MAC trim 23 per cent.

John calls for taxi clearance on 121. 7 – the time is 2. 09 am. A groun? The engineer waves us clear and we taxi out for runway 16, following the green lights set into the taxiway lead-out line.

Frank sets our trim on the trim meter at 41. 8 – 41,800 kilos – as we taxi out on low rpm, and the 16 pre-take-off checks are carried out. All the time John is guiding AMC along the green-lighted taxiway, steering with the small steering wheel on his left.

He calls for airways clearance and is given 16 Wollongong one departure cruise FL230, but the controller changes it for a 16 Marulen one departure. The crew acknowledged this between themselves. The sound of the Electra is magical, and in taxiing it has a distinct tail waggle.

We are cleared for take-off and are to call 127. 0 on departure. Frank moves the RPM switches to high RPM and the engines change from 10,000 rpm to 13,500 with a deep and loud resonance as we approach the 16 threshold. The mass of lights near the threshold lies before us in a blaze. John lines up the aircraft, then shoves the throttles up for a maximum of 3900 hp 1nd1cated. The feeling of power and the tremendous torque from the engines delivering 15,600 hp is something to be appreciated after flying light aircraft. The runway lights flash past, VI is reached in about 3000 ft, Vr is called and John eases back on the control column and AMC leaps into the air. Colin selects gear up on the call, then back to neutral.

Fuel flow is 2150 lb per hour, per engine = 8600 lb per hour total. Departure frequency identifies us, at time 2. 17 am. John flies AMC manually to the top of the climb and trims out the stick force the on rudder and elevator. AMC could be on autopilot, but flying the aircraft manually keeps the pilot proficient. Through 5000 ft the ride is quite bumpy. At 7000 ft we are on top of the clouds, and above is a clear, moonlit night.

Climbing up to FL 230 John calls Control on 125. 6. At 23 am we pass Wollongong on our left, a bright island of lights in a of black. The aircraft is on a heading of 240 degrees and our ETA Melbourne is 3. 55 am.

After take-off, Frank has reduced power to climb power indicating 2300 hp on each engine, TIT is 895°C, rpm 13,820 – being a constant-speed engine, the same rpm as we had before take-off. The outside air temperature is -8°C and We are climbing at 1500 fpm indicating 210 knots. At FL 230 John levels off and selects autopilot. DME Canberra is 59 miles, and at the top of climb our IAS is 230 knots, our best speed at ambient temperature in the cruise.

Graham serves tea and, although it is well past our bedtime, it makes a pleasant break.

Frank selects cruise power 1900 hp at 13,820 turbine rpm and then selects the props at 1020 rpm to synch to get the horsepower steady, then back to phase. When in synch the propeller tips pass each other at the same time, creating a bumpy ride and droning sound. Back in phase, the prop tips pass each other like meshed gears. The four Allison 501-D13s are now settled down in cruise.

On the airwaves, VH-PDI calls for identification, and VH-DSY calls at 11,000 ft and is instructed to track to SYD from Wee Jasper.

When timed out over 36 seconds the DME indicates our ground speed as being 310 knots with a 25-knot headwind.

Oil temperature is 70°C and moving up to 75°C, so Frank opens the oil cooler flaps.

At time 3. 16 John commences the descent for FL 170 under the direction of Melbourne control. The throttle levers are brought back and in descent, our speed builds up to 275 kts indicated, which is normal descent speed. On our journey south we have been following route Blue 80, with waypoints MRLN, CNBR, Corryong, Eildon Weir, Kinglake and MEL. As each beacon is interrogated by the VOA, the next one is tuned in by John on the channel selector and so the aircraft tracks to the next beacon with miles to run shown on the DME indicator.

The approach plate has been written out by Colin in readiness for our Melbourne arrival. Settings being calculated from manuals, as Runway 27, QNH 1031, wind light and variable, temperature 1°C, cloud one octa/3500. The flap to be selected is 18° and the bug speed is 126.

Bug speed is that setting around the airspeed indicator which is selected alongside a small plastic bug that is movable around the instrument dial. Gd-around data reads V2 126 Vcl 155 AUW 39,400 kilos Vref 18-126.

At 20,000 ft power is reduced further to 800 hp on each engine.

DME now reads 45 miles to MEL, and the aircraft is descending at 2500 fpm. In the distance, the lights of Geelong can be seen past Melbourne. A pre-landing checklist is carried out, with 13 items to be checked. Approach is called on 124. 7 at 30 miles and we are requested to descend to 3000 ft, not below DME steps. The time is 3. 29 am. At 8500 ft power is hauled right off. We are No. 1 to land and are to call the Tower on 120. 5. Another Checklist is carried out. Speed is 180 kts, John calls for gear down, Colin moves the gear lever down, three greens light up, and our IAS is now 150 kts. The runway lights are now becoming closer, poised in the centre of the windscreen from my position, the airspeed decays to 120 knots as we flare over the threshold and AMC makes firm contact with the tarmac. John hauls back on the levers for reverse pitch, the engines give a deafening roar and with firm braking speed retardation is immensely rapid and short. We have landed. Time is 3. 36 and John lets her roll down the runway for the first taxiway left, and after a landing check consisting of 10 items, AMC takes the first taxiway left for runway 34 then the next taxiway right for the Ansett freight apron, to be m. arshalled in for shutdown opposite the northern end of the building. Frank cuts the switches located on the roof panel, and RMC’s engines wind down to zero revs, spinning slowly to a stop.

Our flight time to Melbourne took 85 minutes, while the time from start to stop was 96 minutes.

RMC will now be unloaded and loaded, refuelled, and with a new crew will continue on to Adelaide and Perth for a five-and-a-half-hour flight, tiring for the crews, as the night stretches out flying west and daybreak comes a few hours later. When RMC returns from Perth she will then go on the Melbourne-Launceston-Melbourne-Launceston-Melbourne run. But with the time now 4 am our thoughts turn to warm beds, but before we can leave the car park the ice-covered windscreens of our cars have to be scraped clear. The 1°C air temperature is quite a different from Sydney a few hours before, where ice-covered windscreens in the metropolitan area are a rarity. Before settling down for a few hours’ sleep at Travelodge across the road, I glance outside as RMB taxis up to the freight apron at 4. 30 am returning from Tasmania, so that for the next 30 minutes both RMC and RMB stand under the blazing lights of the cargo area, nose to tail.

After a few hours of sleep, a look around Essendon and Melbourne, and some stimulating conversations with the directors of Setair and over the Travelodge bar, a famous watering hole, it was time to return to the Ansett cargo area at Tullamarine for the return journey to Sydney.

At 5 pm RMC returns from Perth direct. Outside the Tullamarine freight area, it is joined by RMB which has spent the day in the Ansett maintenance hangar after returning from Tasmania the night before. When I arrived at the freight despatcher’s office, Flight Engineer Phillip Walsh had just arrived to prepare RMB for the flight to Sydney and Brisbane. The despatcher’s office is attractively decorated in an unusual and “different” wallpaper that completely covers both walls and ceiling – it has been painstakingly put together using centrefolds from Playboy and Penthouse.

Captain Ron McCrystal is in charge of Flight 400, and the First Officer is Leon Murtagh who has come across from the 727 fleet. We exchange greetings and I am impressed by the spontaneity and friendliness of the crews. Ron points out the emergency procedures and oxygen masks in case of depressurisation, and the crew carry out their pre-flight checks. RMC is now loaded and starts up for its flight to Launceston. By 9 pm it is taxiing out for runway 27. Our final pallets are being loaded, and the la?t one, No 1, has two racehorses travelling to Brisbane with their handlers – Silver Lightning and Apollo Lei, and bags of lucerne to eat on the way. Whilst for the crew Ansett catering has supplied tea, coffee, sandwiches and desserts.

The ATIS reads – runway 34, wind light and variable, QNH 1031 temp 3 CAVOK.

For take-off 3620 hp will be selected for each engine, and fuel flow will be 2130 lb derated. Brake release weight 44,900 kilos, VI 116 Vr 119 V2 126 Vcl 161.

The centre panel, which is the engine instrument section, comprises four rows of four gauges – one for each engine – and from the top indicates reduction gear oil pressure in psi, engine oil quantity, oil temperature, and on the bottom row oil flap cooler position, per cent open. Below this are the fuel gauges showing fuel quantity in thousands of pounds. Total fuel is 12,000 lb for a fuel burn of 5800 lb to Sydney, in the following tanks 4000 + 2000 + 2000 + 4000.

Brake release weight height is 44. 9, mean chord 24 per cent, landing weight 42,400 kilos, nine pallets with two horses and attendants. Zero fuel weight 39,611 kilos (max 40,823), taxi allowance 300 kilos.

Leon calls up for airways clearance, and we are cleared 34, Strathbogie 5, Flight Level 210, time 11. 38. The pre-start checklist is carried out. The electric door is closed, and the ground is called for a start on the No 3 engine. The time is 11. 38 pm. Ron briefs the crew on procedures for an engine failure after take-off. They will climb to 900 ft, turn left 240 degrees, climb to 1200 ft, clean up, dump fuel and circle back for a landing on 34. At 11. 43 RMC lands back from Launceston.

Engine starts on Nos 3, 4, 2 and 1 are carried out in succession as described on the earlier flight, and RMB is now alive and ready to go. Leon calls for taxi clearance, we are cleared to taxi, the low rpm switches are on, Phillip does a weight and balance computation on the meter and the results are 44,600 with 20. 4 per cent MAC.

As we taxi away from the terminal the pre-take-off checks are done, and flight controls and instruments are checked, . 10 degrees of flap are selected, and we are cleared for take-off at 11. 55 pm.

Crossfeed is switched off, and take-off horsepower will be 3800 per engine. Ron steers RMB right onto the runway threshold, lines up and, without pausing, pushes the power levers fully forward. Romeo Mike Bravo responds, now in high rpm, and with a loud crescendo leaps forward, charging down runway 34.

VI is called, then “Rotate”, and Rori, one hand on the throttles and the other on the control column hauls back and RMB is airborne, climbing on full power as the end of the runway disappears below. The radar is switched on, the landing lights off, gear up, and power is reduced to 300 hp as we climb out at 21O knots, on a heading of 360 degrees at a climb rate of 1800 ft/minute. Melbourne Control advises us to report leaving flight level 170. We are now heading 040 and each engine is now delivering 2500 hp while rpm indicates 13,900.

At 12. 09 am RMB reaches FL 170 and Leon calls Control. Calculations on the clock and DME give us a ground speed of 300 knots. At 12. 13 am we are over Strathbogie VOR, FL 203. Albury VOR is our next waypoint on a heading of 040 and at 12. 15 am we are at FL 210, taking some 20 minutes to reach the top of the climb. Our indicated airspeed is 245 knots.

In front are the twin cities of Albury-Wodonga, islands of light floating on a dark sea.

The crew now do their cruise checklist. One of the VORs is not functioning on the co-pilot’s side. A check with the manual indicates that it is permissible to fly in this condition until the next terminating flight check. The company and DoT safety regulations are very strict and faults in flight instruments are normal operating contingencies which occur from time to time on any aircraft, hence the duplicity and in some cases triplicity of instruments essential for safe flight.

RMB’s ground speed is now 336 knots, and a glance at the turbine inlet temperature indicates 848°C, while we traverse the VORs commencing at MEL, SBS, AY (MARMI 32 DME north of Albury is a position report for Sydney Control) WJS BIK and finally SY. As each beacon is passed the VOR spin around pointing From, and Ron then dials the next frequency on the channel selector.

Control now clears us directly to WJS-SY, Wee Jasper directly to SYDNEY. Somewhere out there in the dark, RMA calls Control on his way to Melbourne. The time is 12. 42 am, and we are on a heading of 047 degrees. The ATIS for Sydney is information Alpha – Runway 34 wind light and variable, downwind component two knots, QNH 1029, temperature 5, cloud one octa 3000. After Tullamarine’s one-degree temperature, Sydney’s five degrees was a marked contrast. Everything is relative.

Leon calls Sydney that he will be requiring an extra 3909 kilos of fuel for the flight to Brisbane. He then prepares the landing placard. Flap 18, bug 130 (30 per cent above the stall with 18 degrees flap). AUW 42. 4 Vref 18-130 V2 125 Vcl 157. Outside, the NSW skies are clouded over, and Control clears us to descend to 7000 ft.

Time is 1 am and the descent checks are carried out. Crossfeeds off, and horsepower is brought back to 800 as Ron pulls Back on the power levers. TIT is 603, IAS 280 knots, and descent is at 2000 ft per minute.

Control then requests us to call Approach on 127. 0 and the time is 1. 02 am. “Good evening Romeo Mike Bravo, descend to 5000, runway 34 turn right heading 060 direct to left base, you have five zero track miles to run. ” The pace is now on. We are descending at 2500 ft per minute, and rpm is 13,900, virtually the same as when we were climbing flat out. The constant-speed engine is an amazing piece of machinery. The approach calls again: “Descend to 3000, turn left 070 and you have 30 track miles to “run. ” Ron has his hands full now getting down to the assigned altitude and we are descending at 4000 ft per minute in cloud, and it is becoming bumpy.

“Descend to one five zero zero,” and power levers are brought right back. Time is 1. 09. “Make a visual approach left base runway 34, call the Tower 120. 5. ” The DME shows 12 miles to run. Speed is 200 kts. Runway 34 is now in sight ahead and to our left. Gear down is called, and Leon moves the lever to lower the landing Three greens are indicated, the speed is 160 knots, an 18-degree flap is selected, and we are waiting for landing clearance. RMB is descending towards the runway at 140 knots indicated, and Ron increases power as we descend closer, the threshold fills the windscreen. We are over it and Ron closes the throttles, RMB gets firmly onto the runway and Ron engages reverse pitch on the props by lifting the power levers over the detent, and the aircraft roars, and shudders, rapidly decelerating with added assistance from the brakes. We are back in Sydney. The time is 1. 14 am. We are directed to cross runway 07, take the next taxiway right, second left, and then right for the freight apron. A series of after-landing checks are now carried out, then parking checks when we have been marshalled to a position in front of the cargo shed. The time is 1. 20 am. RMB has arrived in Sydney.

After refuelling, and taking on cargo for Brisbane, RMB and her crew continued on to Brisbane by way of runway 16, at about 2. 30 am. As this writer climbed wearily into bed, RMB could be heard flying north, above the Sydney coastline, a fitting finale to an Electra sojourn. Ron Leon and Phillip would be feeling tired by the time they reached Brisbane, and they would spend most of the day sleeping at Lennons Hotel for their crew rest. Later the next day they would shower, have dinner, and bring RMB back to Melbourne via Sydney, after her day’s run to Weipa and back via Cairns and Townsville.

The service and reliability of these magnificent aircraft have been proven in Australia, time and time again, as passenger aircraft and now as freighters, a tribute to the advanced design and mechanical complexity o Lockheeds L-1888 designers and builders.

On the night of May 27, Flight 401 from Brisbane arrived on time at Mascot at 2240 with RMA. At 2330 RMB landed Flight 400 from Melbourne. In order to check some information, I was able to interview the crews of these flights and another unique set of conditions became evident. As fog was forecast for Brisbane, the captain ordered an extra 2000 lb of fuel for alternates, Horses were carried on this flight, and the captain picked up a sealed box from the despatcher’s office. In it, under lock and key, was a . 38 calibre revolver with six rounds of ammunition. In case a horse should become beserk in flight, and could not be quietened, and it was endangering the lives of everybody on board, then the captain would have to shoot to kill, as a last resort. As it was, one of the horses being loaded showed his bad manners before the flight and was promptly taken off, to travel by road.

The captain of 401, a Brisbane-based pilot, said that a lot of the crews on the 727s think that the Electra crews are a weird mob, only flying at night, hence their nickname Wombats. But what could be better than a Monday to Friday job, with no weekends, holidays every December-January including public holidays, and you are flying a sophisticated and fast aircraft?

When asked about the new direction for a two-man crew, on the new-generation Airbus and 767, the crews were unanimous in their affirmation of the three-man concept. The extra pair of eyes, the extra crew member to take over when handling an engine failure, such as No 1, when a full aileron is required to maintain level flight, leaving the captain and first officer to fly the aircraft, while the Flight Engineer monitors engine performance and systems control. An integrated and coordinated crew improves safety.

In the light of present-day developments, new aircraft deliveries and changes to the corporate structure of Ansett Airlines of Australia, the Electras are flying through turbulent times. The new management has had a close look at the economics of the Electras and found that the modifications required to bring a US-registered 727QC to Australian standards would not be economically feasible, notwithstanding the curfews at Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, and the marginal operating advantage that a multi-million-dollar 727 would have over an already written-down Electra. And so it has been decided that the Electras will soldier on until 1985. Regrettably. RMG was sold, because now there is plenty of work available in the night freight operation, and the extra aircraft would be available for charter work, of which there is also plenty. The Electras are well suited to Australian conditions, they have proven themselves as airliners, and now as freighters.

It is to be hoped that RMA, RMB and RMC will wear the new Ansett colours, and in doing so will gain a new lease of life, and continue to serve Australia with distinction.

The writer would like to thank the various crews who helped with this article, mostly on dark, windswept freight aprons in the wee small hours, and especially the Sydney Ansett cargo ground staff, and Electra Check Captain Frank Clarke of Brisbane, for their valuable assistance.