Traffic

DC-3 VH-BAB, which has been part of the Malcolm Long collection on display at Chewing Gum Field on the Queensland Gold Coast was recently flown south. VH-BAB was moved by road to Coolangatta Airport and after assembly departed there on July 18th for Mudgee. The aircraft remained there overnight before continuing on the following day to Corowa and Wangaratta. There VH-BAB will be displayed in the Wangaratta Air Museum.

Ferry Flights

Piper and Cessna dominate this report though it is good to see a variety of types ferrying across the Pacific.

PA31-350 N27756 c/n 7852149 flew from Tarawa to Townsville on August 22nd. PA31-310 N7600L arrived in Melbourne on July 23rd from Honiara and Brisbane and this aircraft is presently hangared at Moorabbin. PA60-601P N601VC flew Noumea to Brisbane on July 17th, while PA-30 C-FGYE arrived in Cairns from Honiara on July 23rd. Single-engined deliveries were PA32R-301T N8386D Norfolk Island to Melbourne on August 17th and PA-28 N82218 Honiara to Brisbane on August 7th.

Cessna 402 N5187J was ferried across the Pacific by Southern Cross Air and arrived in Brisbane on August 29th from Honiara. After clearing customs the Cessna 402 continued on to Parafield. Cessna 310R N310CE c/n 2123 flew Honiara to Brisbane on July 23rd while Cessna 21ON N4770Y c/n 64006 arrived in Melbourne from Norfolk Island on August 16th. Finally Cessna U206 N756NQ diverted into Rockhampton with engine trouble on July 19th while en route Honiara to Brisbane.

Air Tungaru Casa 212 T3-ATA arrived in Brisbane on August 29th for maintenance by Jetcare. Meanwhile, Foundation Cousteau brought their Cessna 206 amphibian N6508Z into Brisbane from Noumea on August 31st.

Bizjet News

Once again an extremely active period in this part of the marketplace. Highlights include the delivery of a Falcon 50 to Ariadne (Australia) and a Westwind 2 to Bougainville Copper.

Ariadne (Australia) P/L. , accepted delivery of Falcon 50 VHPDJ c/n 176 at this year’s NBAA convention in New Orleans. The Falcon 50 will replace Ariadne’s Falcon 200. To allow the Falcon 50 to take up the registration VH-PDJ, which was previously allocated to the Falcon 200, the latter aircraft became VH-HPJ in late August. Other Falcon news concerns the former Skywest Falcon 50 VH-SFJ. In May this year, it was registered N211EF to interject Inc. , of Addison, Texas.

Bougainville Copper Westwind 2 N400YM c/n 315 flew into Brisbane From Majuro on August 18th on completion of its transPacific ferry. N400YM was previously operated by American Industries & Resources Corporation. The Westwind entered service with Bougainville Copper in late August registered VHBCL. Other Westwind news concerns the former Skywest aircraft VH-SQH. After refurbishing and repainting by Aerospray at Moorabbin it was rolled out in late July now registered VH-LOF. The Westwind will be based at Essendon where it will be operated by Beauwood Investments.

The reregistration of aircraft in Australia is apparently on the increase and while there may be an occasional case for this practice already it is increasingly being abused. Earlier this year Consolidated Press Learjet 35A VH-CPH became VH-CPQ. This was to allow the markings VH-CPH to be carried by a newly imported Sikorsky S-76A. Now the Learjet VH-CPQ has had another change of registration to VH-TPR. First noted at Essendon on August 18th, Learjet 35A VH-TPR is operated by New World Properties of Sydney.

In Perth the Boeing 727-76 N727RE which is operated by the Bell Group has also changed its identity. In early August the Former N727RE was registered in the Cayman Islands as VRCCB.

Pacific Aviation will take delivery of a BAe 125-700 in mid October. The aircraft concerned c/n 257178 was previously operated in the Yemen Arab Republic as 4W-ACM by Shaher Traders Company. Last year it was traded in to British Aerospace on a BAe 125-800. In November, 4W-ACM was registered GBMYX to British Aerospace. I believe that Pacific Aviation will register their new BAe 125-700 VH-JFB. It replaces in their fleet BAe 125-700 VH-JFT, which is presently in the UK being prepared for delivery to the Department of Transport & Communications. When delivered in November it will replace in service F28-1000 VH-ATE which will become part of the Ansett fleet.

King Air Movements

Flight West Airlines continue to add King Air 200’s to their fleet.

In ‘Traffic’ September we mentioned the delivery of c/n BB-533 NB0RG which Flight West had purchased in Norway. In actual fact this King Air was delivered as N87RK and not as shown. Registered VH-XDB the King Air, still carrying the colours of its previous operator Partnair, entered service in mid August. In prospect is yet another King Air 200 which has been purchased in the United States. N771HA c/n 88-327 will become VH-XRP when it enters service with Flight West, though at time of writing

there were still no reports of this aircraft arriving in Australia. Noted at Essendon in early August was King Air F90 VH-WJT.

This aircraft was previously operated by Caterpillar dealer Waugh & Josephson however since being repainted it has lost its distinctive markings. It is believed that VH-WJT has been added to the National Safety Council of Australia fleet.

King Air 200 VH-IBC was noted at Brisbane on September 9th in the colours of Norfolk Island Pacific.

King Air 8300 N7235Z c/n FA-63, which transited Darwin on July 12th was on delivery to New Zealand. There it will be registered ZK-MGP with the Mag Also heading for New Zealand is the former provincial Air N- 228 P2-IAC. This aircraft, which has been stored at Bankstown for sometime, has been sold to the Whangerei Aero Club by Monarch Aviation.

Second Dove for Penguin Express

Essendon based charter operator Moloney Aviation have added a second DH-104 Dove to their Penguin Express Fleet. Arriving at Essendon on August 30th was N711BK c/n 04416. Though shown on the US register as a Dove, 6BA N711BK is in fact a Riley conversion with a swept fin and powered by Lycoming engines.

Penguin Express expect N711BK to enter service in early October registered VH-NBM alongside their other Dove VHABM. Main work for both these aircraft, which are fitted in an 11 seat configuration, will be to carry tourists from Essendon to Phillip Island to view the penguin parade.

N711BK spent its early life in Mexico as XB-TEZ before being registered in the United States as N5553V. At a later stage it became N711BK with its last registered owner being Mr HW King of Harbour Island in the Bahamas. The Dove was ferried from the United States to Australia by Southern Cross Air of Santa Paula, California. The Pacific crossing originated in Camarillo, California with a 17 hour flight to Honolulu. From there en route stops were made at Tarawa, Honiara, Brisbane and Coolangatta.

In prospect is another Dove for the Australian register. To be imported by a Sydney based company, (refer Warbirds this issue) the Gypsy engined Dove has been purchased in the UK and is due to arrive in Bankstown during the currency of this issue.

Other De Havilland news mainly concerns products from Canada. The former Bureau of Mineral Resources Twin Otter 200 VH-BMG has been purchased by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship. Still carrying its Australian registration, the Twin Otter was noted in mid-September outside the Mafair hangar at Ballarat. VH-BMG had just returned from Tocumwal after painting in Mafair colours. It is expected that VH-BMG will be ferried to New Guinea where it will join Mafair’s other Twin Otter P2-MFR.

Transiting Cairns For Honiara on August 31st was Twin Otter N239Z. Also reported inbound to Honiara on August 28th was another Twin Otter N9070Z. This aircraft was believed on delivery to Solair. At this stage identities for these aircraft are unknown.

In ‘Traffic’ September we mentioned that DHC-3 Otter amphibian C-GOPP was a candidate for the Australian register. This has proved to be the case as it was recently noted at Archerfield now registered as VH-TLS. The Otter will enter service with Tangalooma Air Taxis operating flights from the Brisbane River to the Tangalooma Resort.

Air Whitsunday have purchased 3 DHC-2 Beaver floatplanes in the United States and they are presently being added to their fleet. The aircraft are VH-OCW c/n 436 ex N47005, VH-HQE c/n 298 ex N88757 and VH-JDX c/n 970 ex N67110. Finally in ‘Traffic’ September we mentioned the arrival in Brisbane on May 25th of Grumman G-44A Widgeon ZK-AVM. This aircraft has since been appropriately registered VH-WET and delivered to a Cairns based operator.

Airline News

Delivery of the first Fokker 50 to an Australian operator, plus additional Boeing aircraft for Ansett New Zealand and Qantas are the highlights of this report.

Air NSW took delivery of their first Fokker 50 when VH-FNA using call sign Ansett Five Zero flew into Sydney on September 10th. Originally planned for delivery in late 1986 the Fokker 50 is not expected to enter service with Air NSW till early November.

Qantas took delivery of their seventh Boeing 767-238ER at Sydney on August 30th. VH-EAQ c/n 23986 ‘City of Launceston’, using call sign Qantas 7677 was flown from Seattle to Sydney by way of Honolulu.

Arriving in Sydney on July 17th was Air Lanka Boeing 747- 2388 4R-ULG. Using call sign Qantas 129D the aircraft was flown From Singapore by a Qantas crew. Previously operated by Qantas as VH-EBB the Boeing left Sydney in October 1985 to commence its lease to Air Lanka. At time of writing the Boeing was being prepared for return to service in late October though it appears it will be painted in Air Pacific colours.

Meanwhile, Ansett New Zealand took delivery of their fourth and final Boeing 737 at Christchurch on July 17th, when 737-130 N709AW c/n 19770 flew in from Pago Pago. Later registered ZK-NED the 737 entered service with Ansett New Zealand on July 30th.

Air New Zealand are to add a fourth Boeing 767 to their fleet in late October. The Boeing will be leased until they take delivery of a sixth Boeing 747 (a -400) in late 1989. For the first twelve months the 767 to be leased will be c/n 23058, which was built on order for Braathens as LN-SUW. Braathens then leased the 767 back to Boeing in September 1986 as N767BE It was then leased by Boeing to Varig as PP-VNM later that month. While with Air New Zealand the 767 will operate in the colours of Varig so it should certainly stand out at airports in our region.

The second Mohawk 298 for Lloyd Aviation N29811 c/n 42 was noted at Brisbane on September 9th. It is expected that this aircraft will enter service with Lloyds as VH-HEJ.

. Metro II N65SA c/n TC-231 flew from Pago Pago to Christchurch on August 15th on the final stage of its delivery flight to Pacifica Air. Previously operated by Air Midwest,the Metro is believed to be the first of two purchased by the. Nelson based Pacifica Air.

Amann Coastwatch Commanders

Over the last few months much has been written and said about the awarding of the Coastwatch contract to the little known Amann Aviation.

In his successful tender, Amann specified the Grand Commander as their equipment to operate the Coastwatch flights. This was later changed to the Turbo Commander and delays have occurred which have led to Amann being given several extensions to his start up date.

With no Commander aircraft of his own in Australia, Amann Aviation have purchased all their aircraft in the United States. This has been done through an established Commander dealership, Northeast Air, who are based at Portland International Jetport, Portland, Maine. The Commanders were painted in Coastwatch colours by Downtown Airpark, Oklahoma City. Ferry route for the Commanders from the United States to Australia has been via the North Atlantic, Europe and the Middle East.

The first two aircraft, Commander 690A N42MM and Commander 681 N9087N flew into Darwin on August 16th. N42MM remained in Darwin while N9087N flew south to Essendon for attention by Hawker Pacific.

To date the following are the known Amann Coastwatch Commanders: N42MM Commander 690A c/n 11152 to VH-NYA; N690NH Commander 690 c/n 11039 to VH-NYB; N9226N Commander 690 c/n 11026 to VH-NYC; N9087N Commander 681 c/n 6034 to VH-NYD; N121SP Commander 681B c/n 6047 to VH-NYE; N9024N Commander 681 c/n 6026 to VH-NYF; N740ES Commander 681 c/n 6004 to VH-NYG; N444JB Commander 681 c/n 6016 to VH-NYH.

Registrations VH-NYI, NYJ and NYK have been reserved for further Commanders with two of these aircraft being Commander 681’s N420MA c/n 6039 and N9097N c/n 6040.

Amann Aviation finally commenced limited Coastwatch operations on September 12th however at time of writing the Federal Government have withdrawn their contract (refer Newsdesk).

Bizjet Census

The business jet market has certainly been awash with new sales these past few years following a general upsurge in economic activity and the deregulation of much of the financial markets both here and in New Zealand. To record the number and types of bizjets presently in operation in the region, we have commenced a special census which will be a regular feature of Traffic from time to time. The data below is current as at September 1st and lists some 73 corporate jet aircraft.