lpec Jets Ahead

In the cosiness of Philip Petersen’s office and with the anticipated arrival of IPF at approximately 10. 00 hours, Philip told me how the DC-9 was obtained and just how unique it is.

The Australian Department of Aviation was surprisingly ready to certify the operation of the DC-9 without too much difficulty after two years of delays in allowing it in. McDonnell Douglas provided 480 lbs of paperwork at a cost of $10,000 and certification was thus achieved.

Finding the aircraft was no mean feat. Few DC-9s have freight doors, so Philip phoned every DC-9 operator with a freight door and asked them if they wanted to sell. Prices asked by brokers were too high and artificially maintained by a conscious effort on the part of US manufactured airliners to keep second-hand prices up. Alex-Adria in Yugoslavia had one but thought Philip was mad. He was, mad enough to go and see them in Ljubljana and clinch the deal. The aircraft had no modifications to be made and was one of four built for Overseas National Airlines as a convertible freighter to carry passengers, and not the other way round, as is usually the case.

The DC-933F was designed as a freighter, with McDonnell Douglas later adding what was needed to carry passengers. It has its stairs carried beneath the front door and does not have the rear drop-downstairs common to the passenger series. The only setback was the choice of powerplant; the series Dash 9 JT8 Pratt & Whitney engines lack the extra 500 lb thrust that the series Dash 15 engines would have provided. However, Ipec got a good deal from Inex-Adria, and are extremely satisfied with the outcome.

The choice of the DC-9 was the result of a careful examination of the entire spectrum of suitable aircraft. The 727-100 required less capital outlay but has been out of production for the past 12 years, and the 727 has an extra engine to feed, whilst only carrying an extra 4% payload. The latest DC-9-33 was made just six months ago!

The Inex-Adria DC-9 has the right mix of options when compared with similar aircraft in Holland and the US. It works well on the Tasmanian run across Bass Strait, with its short-haul route of 255 nautical miles. The DC-9 with its turbofan engines, does the journey in one-third less time with 50% more freight than the Argosy, and it is cheaper to operate. The cost pressures, however, are enormous and the margins are slim.

The first journey of the night is made from Essendon at 1900 hours. Flights originate from Essendon at 1900. On the return flight to Melbourne Tullamarine is used because of the curfew at Essendon. The third flight goes to Launceston, Hobart and thence to Tullamarine so that time-critical freight can be transported to and from Hobart.

Block time to Launceston is 55 minutes, with 40 minutes flying time. Flight departure times are 1900 ex Essendon, 2200 ex Tullamarine, 0220 ex Tullamarine, and 0710 ex Tullamarine, returning to Essendon with a load of freight at approximately 1000 hours.

There are 6½ crews for the DC-9 and they are all Australians and New Zealanders. DC-9 flights operate Monday to Friday.

Sitting in the background, but not out of sight was Argosy-100 Series VH-BBA in its US registration N37807 awaiting its three months overhaul to get it up to DofA Standards after its several years in Singapore with Kris Air.

BBA is in need of a good overhaul, but when she emerges from the Ipec hangar where she is at the present time, she will be available as a spare aircraft to back up the other two Argosies, and as a cover for the DC-9 when it requires a major maintenance check. As well, it will be available for freight charters around Australia.

The man behind the organisation, Mr Gordon Barton, seldom appears, and the whole operation runs smoothly and efficiently under the control of Petersen and Wareham. In any nationwide organisation, the phones run hot with messages and advice to those staff manning the outposts.

I asked Philip if he thought there were too many people carrying freight, and he answered quite emphatically, NO. On the question of an Argosy replacement, Phil admitted that it is a very difficult one to answer. However, in December of 1982, a shipment of spares will arrive from the UK, which will see Ipec with spares until at least 1989 and beyond.

Ipec’s fuel management economy is to climb quickly to altitude, cruise at a slightly lower cruising speed with the correct angle of attack and to descend quicker. This has helped save expensive fuel, with minimum outlay.

On the question of more DC-9s, Phil replied that one will suffice for the time being, whilst the company consolidates. They have the freight and TAA buys space from them. They were going up the East Coast anyway to move their own freight, so TAA blocked out a lot of capacity that Ipec might have had.

The main concern is to move the prime-time freight, between Tasmania and Melbourne and Sydney, and now with the addition of Adelaide and Brisbane, to concentrate on that area. Townsville is being serviced with a Lear Jet. The strategy is to service the major centres and especially the non-adjacent city pairs, such as Adelaide and Sydney, and Brisbane and Melbourne. There is a certain aircraft that is right for this routing. Fokkers, Ipec claim are a dead loss- their relative costs are high and their load factor is poor.

Philip outlined a basic philosophy of Ipec, that it is cheaper to transport goods by road between adjacent capital cities, say 10 cents per mile by truck and $1 per mile by air. On the road the freight is moving 98% of the time, whilst only 18% by air; the rest of the time is spent waiting for pick-up and delivery.

Now that Ansett is TNT, Philip believes that it is vital for Ipec to have its own philosophy, and they are doing this by-

1. Using better aircraft for moving pure freight. Eighty-five per cent of TAA freight is carried in passenger aircraft.

2. Pure freighters are better for time-sensitive freight.

3. lpec are providing a specialised service, whereas the Ansett service is for a bigger market.

4. lpec have introduced rationalisation.

As have Ansett and TAA who share a 727 cabin-loaded aircraft to Perth on alternate nights in order to position for a passenger load the following morning. It is cost-effective in the current economic climate. With their economic plan and homework, are sure that what is working now will work even better in the future. Philip believes that Australians should invest in their own country and that the merchant banks have millions of dollars to invest. Australia has, however, out-priced itself on the world markets.

With 1000 hours looming closer the DC-9 India Papa Foxtrot is on finals for Essendon’s runway 26. Touchdown is right on the threshold, and with thrust reverse, Papa Foxtrot turns off the last taxiway which is almost opposite the Ipec hangar. The crew complete their shutdown checks, leaves the aircraft shortly afterwards it is towed into the hangar. Unloading begins with the cargo door opening, and a forklift positioned between the aircraft and the loading dock raises its hoist so that the container igloos can be rolled onto the pallet on the hoist, then lowered, and rolled off onto the loading dock.

After unloading, IPF was pushed back outside the hangar, refuelled, and readied for a training flight to Avalon. Takeoff was about 1130 on runway 26 and the return flight at 1530 landed on runway 26. The aircraft was refuelled and loading for the first of the night flights to Tasmania began. By 1845 IPF was ready to push back and start. The wind had turned to the south and the ATIS was giving runway 08, however, the captain elected for runway 26, as the gradient suits a heavy aircraft. Take-off was directly into the sun and the aircraft rotated about halfway down the runway, climbing away to the west. Later that night at Tullamarine IPF was in company with an Argosy, outside the TAA freight apron. At 2230 IPF departed for Launceston and shortly afterwards the Argosy departed for Sydney and Brisbane.

During the night on the VHF frequencies, IPF, and Ansett’s Electras, Air New Zealand’s DC-8 ZK-NZD, TNT’s Westwinds, Air Charter’s Piper Navajo VH-MBY, Setair’s DC-3s VH-MIN and VH-MWQ, could all be heard at Tullamarine around about 0045 hours on various frequencies, doing battle for the cargo dollar.

Before I left Philip Petersen, I asked him if he wanted another DC-9 like IPF, what would he do, as they are so rare. Of the four built, one crashed, and of the other two, one is owned by Ozark in the US, and one by Martinair in Holland. When lpec needs the next DC-9, Philip Petersen said he is sure it can be purchased.

The DC-9 represents a new era in Australian aviation policy, as well, it is the first pure-jet heavy freighter and represents a bold step in the improvement of commercial aviation in this country at a time when we all need the benefits that can accrue from a free enterprise venture.

We wish them well.