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Air Queensland were the first operator in Australia to pit the Metro 11 into service when in late 1978 they introduced a leased aircraft VH-SWN onto their routes. Altogether 8 different aircraft of this type were operated by Air Queensland.

One Air Queensland Metro 11 remains in service in Australia. This is VH-EEF which was leased to Kendell Airlines in August 1983. This lease was expected to terminate in August this year however with the recent announcement that Kendell Airlines will not take delivery of their second SF-340 till the first quarter of 1986 it is expected that VH-EEF will remain with Kendell till then.

Merlin 11B’s Also Disappear From Register

Another aircraft type to disappear recently from the Australian register is the Swearingen Merlin 118. Altogether 5 of these aircraft were placed on the register between November 1968 and September 1970. 4 of the aircraft were ordered for the then Department of Civil Aviation and reistered VH-CAH, CAI, CAJ and CAK, while the fifth, VH-KRG was flown as an executive transport to King Ranch. During 1983 the Department replaced their 4 Merlin IIB’s together with a number of other aircraft in their fleet with 6 Commander 1000’s. The 4 Merlin IIB’s were traded in to Civil Flying Services on the Commanders and by September 1983 they had all been flown to Moorabbin for disposal. The first aircraft to depart was VH-CAJ which was re-registered N4468M before leaving the following month for the United States. The other 3 aircraft remained at Moorabbin while buyers were sought in Australia, however none were forthcoming. In May this year all three remaining aircraft were cancelled from the Register as sold in the United States. VH-CAI became N136SP before departing Moorabbin in June while the following month VH-CAH became N135SP. Both aircraft have been sold to Opex Aviation in California. This leaves VH-CAK awaiting its turn to be flown to the United States.

Dollar Imbalance Sees Export Market for Many Australian Aircraft

The recent tall of the Australian dollar against the United States dollar has resulted in a number of top-of-the-line twin turbine aircraft being sold in the United States.

Air North, Darwin, sold their King Air 200 VH-ANH to the United States in March and it has since been registered N7Q. Lloyd Aviation, Adelaide operated Merlin 111C VH-UZA and this aircraft has also been sold in the U. S. A. It departed Sydney for Honiara on April 25th on the first stage of its Trans-Pacific ferry. Lloyd have replaced VH-UZA with another of the same type – VH-JCB. This aircraft was previously operated by Pacific Aviation. In April Sherrard Aviation at Essendon imported Cessna 441 N4246Z c/n 0102 and it has since been registered VH-OAA before delivery to O’Connor Airlines at Mount Gambier. Another Cessna 441 to arrive in the country was N36951 c/n 0026 which was flown into Cairns from Majuro on June 3rd. This aircraft was on delivery to Flightways Air Services, Radcliffe, Western Australia and it has since been registered to them as VH-FWA. This now gives Flightways three of this type in their fleet as they already operate VH-CCY and VH-KDJ.

Crossing the Tasman on April 18th was PA31-T-2 ZK-PDC c/n 7520028. This aircraft has returned to the Australian register as VH-HMA and is presently being offered for sale by Ian Baillie at Moorabbin.

BAe Having Great Year With More 125 Sales

Carlton & United Breweries have announced an order for a BAe 125-8008 which they will take delivery of in November. This is excellent news for British Aerospace as it is the fourth BAe 125 to be imported in the last 20 months and makes it the best-selling Biz-Jet in Australia over the last two years. The other 125’s to be imported recently are –

VH-JCC BAe125-700 to Pacific Aviation, Sydney in February 1984. VH-HSP BAe125-700 to Westfield Ltd Sydney in November 1984. This aircraft replaced a previously operated Learjet 35A VH-WFP. VH-SCY BAe125-800 to the Queensland Government, Brisbane in December 1984.

The Carlton & United 125 c/n 258040 will be registered VH-IXL and will be painted in the colours of one of their best-known products – Fosters Lager. The 125 will replace the Merlin 111C VH-IHJ which is presently used.

VH-IXL will be the 601st 125 to be produced and at present the 125 is the best-selling aircraft of its type in the mid-sized business jet category having some 34% of the market.

First Qantas 7478’s Depart for People Express Service

The first of 4 Boeing 747-2388’s that QANTAS has sold to People Express Airlines was flown to the United States early in July. The aircraft involved, VH-EBC was withdrawn from Qantas service in Sydney last December and has since remained in a stored condition with the United States registration N747BM. Before delivery it was painted in People Express colours and re-registered N607PE. VH-EBC will be followed in a few months by its sister ship VH-EBD which is presently stored at Sydney as N747BN.

In unusual circumstances, both aircraft flew their last service with Qantas from Sydney to Auckland. On arrival, the Australian registrations were removed and replaced with United States markings before the aircraft returned to Sydney for storage. Qantas performed extensive engineering work on all four aircraft, an order that earned more than $5m in work for the jet base.

A Mallard for Western Australia

Vowell Air Services of Tyabb, Victoria have recently been awarded a 4 year contract to service the oil and natural gas industry on the North West Shelf. The contract calls for the use of an amphibious aircraft and this has resulted in Vowell Air Services leasing a Grumman/Frakes Turbo Mallard from Air Whitsunday.

The aircraft VH-JAW arrived at Perth-Jandakot on June 30th after its ferry flight from Shute Harbour. At Jandakot the Mallard was painted with Vowell Air Services markings before it was flown north to Karratha where it will be based for the duration of the contract.

Domestics Shed the Last of Their Old Liveries

Another era in the history of Australia’s Domestic Airlines has ended with the disappearance from our skies of colour schemes that were introduced by Ansett and TAA in 1969.

In March of that year TAA introduced their ‘New Look for the 70’s’ when DC-9 VH-TJK was rolled out of the overhaul hangar at Essendon. Ansett followed suit the following June when Boeing 727-77 VH-RMD was the first to appear in the new Ansett Airlines of Australia colours. Previously the Ansett aircraft had carried the Ansett-ANA colour scheme.

The last aircraft in the Ansett Airlines of Australia colours was F27 VH-FNT and it entered the Ansett overhaul hangar at Tullamarine in July to appear later in the ‘Southern Cross’ colours. TAA’s last aircraft carrying the ‘New Look for the 70’s’ was Boeing 727-276 VH-TBO and it entered the TAA hangar at Tullamarine in September for re-painting in the new Trans Australia colours.