Register Update Service

The Sport Aircraft Association of Australia is represented by a Pitts, which will no doubt gain notability from its registration more than anything else, and two Rands. The design that prompted Rand’s original concept was the Taylor Monoplane but the end product was a lighter and more streamlined aircraft with the wings modelled after the aerofoil of the Supermarine Spitfire. These taildragger aircraft sit very low when on the ground and both are the two seat KR2 models.

Eleven helicopters join the register including the second Robin- son Mariner. Hellite imported the first of these amphibious R22s last year and had no trouble placing it in operation on the back of a cruiser on the Gold Coast. With sales prospects high the Castle Hill based company received another example, Ne61FR, which was on show at Rotortech at Canterbury Race Course in Sydney last November and promptly placed that with a Roseville resident as Hill. A third aircraft is now in Australia, N26224 and we can expect to see many more of this variant of a very popular helicopter.

In Queensland, Sunstate Airlines have added ex Coast Aero Centre (Norway) Bandeirante BWC to their fleet, Helitrans at Cairns have reregistered their Chieftain EME to SBN in keeping with their other aircraft in service with Sunbird Airlines and the Queensland Ambulance Transport Brigade have received Cessna Titan BUY which will be based in Bundaberg to replace Cessna 402C WBQ which was destroyed in a fatal crash on the 21st June.

Ariadne have purchased a new Falcon 50 and in order for it to be registered PDJ they have had their Falcon 200 changed to HPJ. Independent Air Transport of New Guinea received three GAF Nomads in 1976, 1977 and 1980 and painted each aircraft in a different colour. Independent changed its name to Provincial and eventually went out of business and the three Nomads were stored at Madang for some time before being brought back to Australia by Noel Vinson and offered for sale. The younger of the three, the bright red P2-IAT was quickly sold to the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority, whilst the other two have remained at Bankstown. Now a second aircraft has been sold in New Zealand through Monarch Aviation and was registered HHW for the ferry flight. Having made the Tasman crossing on the 20th October via Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands it was deleted from the Australian register on the 20th November.

Hazelton Air Services have another Chieftain MZI in use and Airtex Aviation have added Chieftain HJE to their fleet. Unfortunately this has not increased the number of aircraft they operate due to the fatal crash of Aerostar IGV at Cassilis NSW three days before Christmas. Woodger Aviation have bought the ex Bougainville Copper Mines Westwind JPW and operate it out of Sydney in a very bright green colour. Five more Rockwell Commanders, NYD to NYH appear under the Amann Aviation name and as there are still more in the country using American registrations, Amann having reserved through to NYL for these. A rare British built aircraft arrived late last year in the form of DH104 Dove OBI. Built in 1961 and exported to Ireland in 1967 it was operated by the Irish Air Corps using serial number 201 till October 1980 when it was flown back across the Irish Sea and restored as G-ARSN. On the 15th June 1983 it again changed markings to G-LIDD and was used by Acme Jewellery of Baginton. It arrived in Sydney during December in an all over yellow colour and will be used for pleasure fights as well as charter and air show work.

Most of the aircraft returning to the register are flying again after minor damage or prolonged maintenance, the Tiger Moth BCC after being grounded for eleven years. The exceptions are the four National Safety Council machines which have all spent the last six months or so working overseas (refer Traffic this issue). The NSCA has an exchange agreement with Frontier Helicopters of Canada which see aircraft each year transfer to Canada for their bush fire season and then return to Australia for our high risk season. The two Bell 206’s, NHA and NSH are two such aircraft while Bell 212 NSB went north to New Guinea For Australia’s off season. Super King Air NSS was exported to the USA last year but it too found its way to Canada and now returns to the NSCA fleet.

Deletions not covered previously include an Air NSW Friendship to Chile, this type being replaced in service by the Fokker 50s as they arrive, a Cessna 180 to New Zealand and two damaged aircraft. The two Bell Longrangers HHY and HIV only spent about a week on the register before being cancelled to New Guinea.

At a time when it is usual for airlines to register their aircraft in consecutive order it is interesting to note that Lloyd Aviation have reserved HKS and HKT for their third and fourth Mohawks whilst the first two were HEI and HIX. In contrast Qantas have reserved OGA to OGZ (except OGL and OGR), OJA to OJZ, OQA to OQZ and XQA to XQZ. One wonders why, for even if they reregister all their aircraft and include the present Australian Airlines fleet they would not need the 102 registrations reserved.

Other interesting reservations are EXX and XWG for Eagle X-Wing aircraft, HOX and LHI for Oxley Airlines Chieftains, IPH, IPI, IPK and IPL for Ipec Aviation and BVV, FVV, JVV, LVV and XVV for five ex-Singapore Air Force AESL Airtourers.