Traffic

Due to an Australian Government ban South African Airways operated their last flight out of Australia on October 27th. The service was flown by 747-244B ZS-SAN on the route Sydney, Perth to Johannesburg.

Arriving in Sydney on November 14th was Hapag-Lloyd 727- 2K5 D-AHLT. The Boeing stayed until the 17th when it departed with its load of tourists as HF957 for Alice Springs. Also visiting Sydney on the 17th was the Argentine Air Force 707-387B T-96. The Boeing flew in from Canberra and departed the same day for Singapore. Worldways Canada brought in a load of tourists on November 13th when their DC-8-63 C-FCPP arrived from Auckland using callsign WC001. The DC-8 departed on the 15th for Denpasar.

DC-8-73CF N792FT of Rosenbalm Aviation flew from Auckland to Melbourne and return on October 19th with a load of horses. On October 23rd the normal FTO77 from Los Angeles to Sydney and Melbourne was operated by Boeing 747-2R7F LXDVC. Though carrying a Luxembourg registration the aircraft was wearing the colours of Flying Tigers. Previously operated by Cargolux the Boeing was sold in September to the GPA Group and they in turn have leased it to Flying Tigers.

Perth based Flightways Air Services are operating a BAC 111 on a regular service between Singapore and Christmas Island. This aircraft is BAC 111/401AK N172FE.

Amann Commanders

Though Amann Aviation have for the moment lost the right to operate the Coastwatch contract their Commander aircraft have been active at a number of airports around Australia. The eight aircraft initially imported were registered VH-NYA through VH-NYH (refer p102 Nov AA). VH-NYA, VH-NYB, VH-NYD and VH-NYE have taken up residence at Bankstown while VH-NYF has been operating out of Brisbane. VH-NYC has not moved from Essendon since arriving there in early September. This aircraft still retains its Coastwatch titles while all others have had their titling removed but stili carry Coastwatch colours. VH-NYG was noted recently in Cairns with many parts missing while VH-NYH is believed to be in Darwin. These aircraft have been doing a variety of charter work. VH-NYA was noted at Brisbane on October 27th operating a Lloyd Aviation commuter flight to Thangool, Blackwater and Emerald while on November 3rd VH NVF operated another Lloyd flight to Gladstone. Since late September VH-NYB has been operating a Bank courier run on the route Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Coolangatta, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Bankstown, Sydney.

Since importing these 8 Commanders, Amann Aviation have brought another Coastwatch aircraft into the country. Noted at Adelaide on September 22nd was Commander 681 N420MA c/n 6039. It is believed that another two Commander 681’s will be imported- N2725B c/n 6006 and N9097N c/n 6040.

Flight West Airlines took delivery of King Air 200 N771HA c/n BB-327 at Brisbane in late September. The aircraft has since entered service as VH-XRP. Noted at Parafiald on October 24th was another King Air B200 destined for the Australian register. This was N5FW c/n BB-1019. Another King Air 200 returning to Australia is the National Safety C-GYSK c/n BB-12. Whether this aircraft reverts to its former registration VH-NSS remains to be seen.

Mohawk in Service With Lloyd

After numerous delays the Mohawk 298 entered service with Lloyd Aviation in early November. VH-HEI operated the first commercial Mohawk 298 service in Australia when it flew from Brisbane to Gladstone on November 10th. Lloyd will be pleased to see the Mohawk in service after a number of delays due to certification problems. Over the preceding weeks Lloyd were chartering any aircraft they could use including Amann Aviation Coastwatch Commanders.

Sunstate Airlines have meanwhile imported a Shorts 360 and Bandeirante to add to their expanding fleet. Arriving in Brisbane on October 9th from Norway was Coast Aero EMB-11OP1 LNFAP c/n 110-261. After overhaul by Jetcare, this aircraft will enter service with Sunstate as VH-BWC. Shorts 360 9M-KGN c/n SH-3651 arrived in Maryborough on November 10th. Previously operated by the financially troubled Malaysian Air Charter the 360 will be registered VH-BWD and is expected to enter service by late December. The entry into service of these aircraft will see Sunstate operating a fleet of 15 turbine-powered aircraft. Another Bandeirante imported to Australia flew into Brisbane on October 30th from Honiara. This was EMB-11OP1 N212EB c/n 110-407 which still carried the markings of its previous operator Trans North Air of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.

Bizjet News

In spite of the recent fall in the stockmarket, the Australian and New Zealand Bizjet fleet continue to expand at an increasing pace. Pacific Aviation took delivery of BAe 125-7008 VH-LMP at Essendon on October 26th, after the aircraft flew in from Singapore and Port Hedland. VH-LMP c/n 257178 was previously operated in the Yemen Arab Republic as 4W-ACM and was traded in to British Aerospace as G-BMYX. This 125 replaces in the Pacific Aviation charter fleet BAe 125-700B VHJFT, which was sold to the Department of Transport and Communications. Presently in the UK being outfitted, VH-JFT was due back at Essendon in late November. A fourth BAe 125- 800B was also added to the New Zealand register in this period. ZK-RJI c/n 258082 departed Hatfield on October 16th on its ferry flight to Robert James Investments. It is believed that a fifth BAe 125-800 c/n 258008 will be imported to New Zealand in the near future.

Citation Ill N133LE c/n 133 completed its Trans-Pacific ferry on November 3rd when it arrived in Sydney from Honiara. N133LE will be based in Sydney with International Equities and will remain on the US register. IEL already operate the only Citation Ill in our region, N106CC from their Wellington base. N106CC flies under the operating name of Farmers Travel. In late November a third Citatiori Ill c/n 144 will be delivered to a Wellington-based company. Arriving in Australia in late October was Cessna 550 N57MB c/n 0042. It is believed that this aircraft has been imported for a prospective buyer. Aerospray at Moorabbin had Rex Aviation Cessna 550 VH-TFY in for a paint job in early October. The aircraft is now operated by Australian Jet Share P/L. Flightwest Cessna 550 VH-WNP also visited the Aerospray hangar at Moorabbin in mid-November. It is believed that the aircraft has been sold to an Essendon-based operator.

Fokker 50 Enters Service

After many months delay the Fokker 50 has entered service with an Australian airline (refer story elsewhere this issue). The first commercial flight by the Fokker 50 in Australia was made on November 16th when VH-FNA of Air NSW operated flight 900 fmm Sydney to Dubbo. On November 3rd Air NSW took delivery of their second Fokker 50 when VH-FNB arrived in Sydney after • its ferry flight from Amsterdam.

With the entry into service of the Fokker 50 Air NSW have already started to dispose of their F27-500 fleet. VH-FCC was transferred to Ansett Airlines operations in Late October and is now based in Melbourne. In the Ansett fleet VH-FCC has replaced veteran F27-200 VH-MMS which was withdrawn from service at Melbourne on October 19th. At time of retirement, VHMMS had flown 69,982 hours and made 64,393 landings, which is probably more than any other F27 Originally built on order for TAA as VH-TFL, the F27 was transferred to MacRobertson Miller Airlines as VH-MMS ‘RMA Swan’ before delivery in December 1959. VH-MMS was later ferried from Tullamarine to Essendon where it now remains in storage awaiting sale.

Two Air NSW F27-500’s have been leased through Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services to Linea Aerea del Cobre (LADECO) of Santiago, Chile. The first aircraft to depart was VHFCD, which flew out of Melbourne on November 20th, to start what must be one of the longest ferry flights undertaken by an Australian registered airliner. VH-FCD was routed through SE Asia and the Middle East to Europe. Then across the North Atlantic via Iceland and Greenland before heading south through Canada, the United States, Central and South America to Santiago. F27-500 VH-FCB was planned to leave Australia on a similar routing in late December.

Present plans show that by next April Ansett will have only two F27 aircraft remaining in their fleet. These aircraft will be VHFNO and VH-FNQ.

Meanwhile, Fairchild F27F PK-VFM which has been part of the Australian aviation scene since 1970 is presently stored at Sydney Airport awaiting disposal. As N228X the F27F arrived in Darwin in 1970 to commence operations with Freeport Indonesia. Later registered PK-VFM with Dirgantara Air Services its base was moved to Cairns. Earlier this year it was replaced in service by BAC 111/401AK N117MR.

Airline News

Air New Zealand took delivery of their leased 767-205 ZK-NBD at Auckland on October 28th, when it flew in from Honolulu as TE76. The Boeing still wears the blue cheet line of its previous operator Varig of Brazil. The tail is all white while Air New Zealand is painted on the forward cabin roof. ZK-NBD will remain in service with Air New Zealand till September 1988 when it will be replaced by 767-219ER c/n 24150 which will be leased from ILFC.

Qantas have sold 747-238SCD VH-ECA to Air Canada. The Pratt powered Boeing is presently being refurbished in Air Canada configuration at Sydney Airport and when delivered in early December will be registered C-GAGC. VH-ECA ‘City of Sale’ was the first Boeing 747 combi delivered to Qantas. It arrived in Sydney on October 31st 1977 after operating QF4 from San Francisco via Honolulu and Nadi. As forecast in the last issue of ‘Traffic’ 747-238B VH-EBB was painted in Air Pacific colours before re-entering service with Qantas on October 2nd. Meanwhile, Qantas will wet-lease a 747-100 from Tower Air to help clear a back log of traffic over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. The aircraft is believed to be 747-131 N93117 which was originally built on order for Trans World in 1970. It is presently owned by GATX Leasing and has been operated by Tower Air since April 1987.

On October 31st N93117 positioned into Townsville empty from Honolulu and departed the following day for Nadi and Honolulu. On board were 430 United States Army troops who had been training in North Queensland. A second load of 338 troops was uplifted by N93117 on November 2nd.

Ferry Flights

Star attraction for this period was Bristol Freighter ZK-EPD. Previously operated by Hercules Airlines, the Bristol was noted at Honolulu on September 24th en route from New Zealand to Canada. There the Freighter has entered service with Trans-Provincial Airlines of Prince Rupert, BC as C-GYQS. The Northern Districts Aero Club in New Zealand have purchased one of the N-22B’s that have been static at Bankstown for some years. P2-IAC previously operated by Provincial Air in New Guinea was the aircraft selected. As VH-HHW it departed Bankstown on October 20th for Lord Howe, Norfolk lsland and Auckland.

Noted at Essendon on November 2nd was PA31-350 N61404 c/n 7405447. Another PA31-350 imported to Essendon was N4105A c/n 8252026. This aircraft has since been registered VH-MJA. PA-31 N888SG flew Pago to Christchurch on October 17th. At Moorabbin PA31-310 N7600L c/n 7401216 was noted on October 12th now registered VH-RMT. PA-32 N8095Q ferried Honiara to Melbourne on October 21st while PA32R-300 N5439F c/n 778009 ferried Norfolk Island, Melbourne to Warrnambool on October 14th. Two PA34-200T’s inbound to Australia were N6495C on October 7th and N7554C on October 12th.