Issue 23: Have Searchmaster Operators Been Taken for a Ride?

This did not deter some operators as the Searchmaster was, and is, an excellent aircraft for the littoral (or close in) beach crawls that are part and parcel of a routine EEZ patrol. A lot of money was invested in acquiring Searchmasters in place of smaller aircraft on the basis that the stated government policy of the day would be valid for at least a reasonable period, say five to seven years in terms of required equipment policy.

That policy went out the window early last year when the first two Nomads were withdrawn from the Darwin operation in favour of Shrike Commanders. Now, as at May 1, the last remaining Searchmaster, operated by Airesearch out of Townsville, had been withdrawn in favour of the Shrike.

To say that the commercial operators in each case have been financially disadvantaged is an understatement; everyone in the industry knows the real market value of a second-hand Nomad, regardless of its equipment fit. Furthermore, the Minister responsible for this decision, Special Minister of State Mr Mick Young, has made this decision against the recommendation of the inter-departmental committee that strongly urged the retention of the Searchmasters.

Loss of the Searchmasters from the littoral patrols could well increase the intrusions into our EEZ in addition to losing a valuable SAR (Search and Rescue) capability. Airesearch are justifiably proud in claiming that more than three quarters of the SAR missions performed in the Great Barrier Reef region over the three-and-a-half yearsof operation were successfully accomplished with assistance from their Search master. Additionally, of the 13 illegal trawlers arrested in that period 11 were identified by the Searchmaster.

Primary difference in capability terms between a Searchmaster and the Shrike is traced to the radar fit in each type. The Searchmaster uses a sophisticated Litton radar of 360 degree coverage. This will pick up trawler-sized vessels at ranges out to 50 nm, additionally the Search master can then maintain covert surveillance beyond the horizon while RAN patrol boats make the interception and arrest before the poaching trawler can realise his plight and flee the zone. On the other hand the Shrike has only a small SLAR (Sideways Looking Airborne Radar) unit which strobes a limited 30 degree field abreast of the aircraft. Literally it could overfly a flotilla of illegal vessels in adverse weather conditions without becoming aware of their presence. Additionally, the Shrikes are not equipped for night work whereas the Searchmasters were We feel that there are certainly questions raised by this decision.

Firstly, why were tenderers misled into buying an expensive aircraft type that, at the whim of a government committee, was rendered an expensive liability, and secondly, why has the important EEZ littoral patrol requirement been downgraded by the employment of less capable aircraft?

This episode certainly does not serve to boost the confidence of those who invest considerable amounts of money in winning and servicing government contracts on a long term basis.

Ansett’s Gamble in the West

Ansett subsidiary, Airlines of Western Australia, has taken a calculated gamble in its marketing strategy aimed at outflanking rival Skywest at its own game.

Following approval for Skywest to operate equipment in direct competition against AWA, who have traditionally had no real competition till now, and the farmer’s purchase of East West Airlines last December, AWA opted for a policy of better cabin service in an effort to retain their market share in the years to come.

Basically speaking, they have ordered British Aerospace 146-200jets, to eventually replace their entire fleet of Fokker F. 28 Fellowships and to rival those of Skywest. AWA’s ace in the pack is that it will operate these 109 seat aircraft in a 75 seat five abreast business class configuration. Out the window goes seat kilometre viability but in comes unprecendented, and unmatched, comfort for AWA’s passengers. The move is dynamically simple in that much of AW/\s traffic is composed of youngmen travelling from the various resource areas to Perth and back at regular intervals. If you have ever been on an AWA sector you wouldn’t have missed the point that these men are not dwarfs, and questioning whether or not they would prefer to travelin business class standards or mere economy would no doubt gain some obvious answers.

No doubt, AWA will cream this market as the passenger preference is hardly in doubt now that AWA have laid their cards on the table. How will Skywest retaliate? They could up their own standards of seating, though the F. 28-4000 is not as well suited for this as the much larger 146. On the other hand they could introduce fare discounting, say a standard 40% discount off the regular economy rate which would line up nicely with similar discounts offered by East West in the eastern states. One thing for sure though, is that Skywest will, more than ever, be offering itself as the ‘local’ boy in the eyes of the Westralian. This strategy has a lot of emotional appeal in an area where anything east of Adelaide carries with it a certain degree of distrust! Airlines of Western Australia, which could well be known as Air West by the time this issue is published, is also to refine its image, scrap its recently (1982) introduced localised livery and opt for the all-white Ansett scheme in a move that will only help Skywest reinforce its local image.

The outcome certainly bears watching; AWA will need very high load factors to break even while Skywest will have to follow suit or discount dramatically to counter the obvious passenger appeal of the 146. Who is right will be better left to the history books in the latest skirmish that characterises Australia’s emerging semi-independent airline structure that may well be a portent to the future in a less regulated environment.