Yesteryear

• At a May press conference in Geneva, the leader of the Peoples Liberation Forces of the Eritrean Liberation Front, Osman Saleh Sabbe, stated that Soviet transport aircraft had 160 MiG-215, 40 MiG-17s, and 24 MIG-24s into Addis Ababa and they were being flown by Cuban and Yemini pilots. Although Western intelligence sources consider these estimates exaggerated, they said evidence suggests that 100 Soviet fighters have been delivered in Antanov An-225 and Ilyushin -765.

• A licence has been granted by the UK Civil Aviation Authority for Laker Airways to operate a Skytrain type of no booking service between London and Los Angeles. Services will commence on 26 September using DC-10 Series 10 aircraft which will make a refuelling stop at Bangor, Maine. A non-stop service may later be introduced with either DC-10 Series 30 or Boeing 7475.

• A 3000km flight has been made by an RAAF Winjeel from Point Cook to Port Moresby where it was dismantled on arrival at Jacksons Field. It was then transported to the Port Moresby Technical College, reassembled and will be used by students as a training aid. The Winjeel was a gift from Australia under the De ence Cooperation program.

• Saudia has ordered three more Lockheed L-1011-200s powered by RB211-524 engines for 1979 delivery, taking its fleet total of the type to 13. Total TriStar orders and options now stand at 242.

• A Boeing 707 in executive configuration has been delivered to the Government of Iran.

• The delivery of a Learjet 35A to Mollers Maschinenfabrik has taken total sales to 800. The company delivered 102 Learjets in the business year to April in its best ever annual performance.

• An order was announced on 24 May for a further 10 Hawker Siddeley (BA) Sea Harrier FRS Mk1s for the Royal Navy taking total sales of the shipboard VISTOL reconnaissance and strike fighter to 34 aircraft.

20 Years Ago

• McDonnell Douglas’ chairman Mr James S McDonnell has announced the full speed commitment to production of the DC-10 trijet following the United Air Lines order for 30 plus an additional 30 options for the type.

• Qantas inaugurated Australia’s international jet airfreight service with Boeing 707-338C VH-EAE on 3 May with a fight to San Francisco from Sydney. The service will be operated weekly and may soon be extended to New York.

• Some of BEA’s Vickers Vanguards are to be converted to cargo aircraft at an average cost of £128,000 each. They will be renamed “Merchantman’ and five and possibly up to 14 will be modified with a 139″ x 80” freight door and strengthened floor fitted with roller-mat and ball-mat to aid cargo handling.

• Tullamarine saw its first Qantas service on 9 June when Boeing 707-338C VH-EAG made several publicity flights.

• TAA has announced that DHC Twin Otters will replace DC-3s on their mainland routes over the coming months.

• Sir George Edwards, Managing Director of the British Aircraft Corporation has suggested that a future reciprocal agreement could be implemented which would see US manufacturers assist Concorde production while the British industry undertook sub-contract work for an American supersonic transport.

• An announcement on 6 June by the Federal Government has paved the way for the further extension of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport 16/34 north/south runway from 9,100ft to 13,000ft at a cost of $23m. This would be necessary for the Boeing 747, Concorde and Boeing 2707 airliners. It would enable a fully loaded 747 to operate non-stop to Singapore or Manila.

• Textron’s Bell Helicopter Company handed over their 10,000th helicopter, a Model 206A JetRanger at Fort Worth on 15 May. The first delivery was made during December 1946 of a Bell 47B, which gained the world’s first commercial helicopter licence on 8 March 1946.

•TAA has announced a further order for four Fokker Friendships of the Quick Change version of the Mark 600. This takes the TAA Friendship fleet to 16, total Australian orders to 46, and worldwide sales to 465 comprising Fokker 282 and Fairchild-Hiller 183.

• Four of No10 Squadron’s Lockheed SP-2H aircraft based at Townsville flew to Barber’s Point, Hawaii during May to participate in an anti-submarine warfare exercise codenamed Hawaian Tuna’.

• The handover of the first production Beechcraft 99 third level airliner was made to Commuter Airlines of Chicago on 2 May. The aircraft was one of 10 on order by Commuter and the 99 has been ordered by 25 other customers.

30 Years Ago

• The United States Navy has ordered a large number of Lockheed Electras as a Neptune replacement. They will be fitted with a wide range of electronic search and attack systems and will have a 10 man crew.

• The Minister for Civil Aviation Senator Paltridge announced on 23 May that approval had been given for several new airliners to be imported into Australia. They included Lockheed Electras, 2 each for Ansett-ANA and TAA, 4 for Qantas and TEAL will also obtain 3. TAA will purchase 6 Friendships taking their total to 12 and both Ansett-ANA sett-ANA and TAA may acquire such numbers of Vickers V810/840 Viscounts as required. The Cantas Electras will I operate to New Guinea, Japan, Hong Kong, Noumea and the South Pacific and would supplement the Boeing 707s due for 1959 delivery on the Kangaroo Route when necessary. Qantas will retain 2 Lockheed Super Constellations for the service to South Africa.

• Recent first flights were of the first production Caravelle on 18 May, the McDonnell F4H-1 on 27 May, the Douglas DC-8 on 30 May and Ch ance Vought F8U-3 Crusader on 3 June.

• Handley Page are working on a new trans-port project, the HP. 111 based on the Victor bomber, which would have an approximate 550mph cruising speed.

• The prototype of the DHC-4 Caribou has been completed and the first flight is expected soon. Construction of the second prototype should be finalised during August.

• Beech has developed 25 gallon wingtip auxiliary tanks for the Bonanza to extend the normal 755 mile range by about 450 miles.

• The first Boeing B-52G Stratofortress was rolled out during July. A North American GAM-77 Hound Dog air-to-surface nuclear missile will be fitted under each wing

• TAA has said it will have an all turboprop fleet by the end of 1959, comprising 2 Electras, 12 Friendships and 13 Viscounts. The present TAA fleet is made up of 13 Viscounts, 2 Convair 2405, 14 14 DC-3s, 4 DC-3 freighters, 4 DC-45, 4 Drovers and 3 13 Hiller helicopters. As the new turboprops are received, many of the piston engined aircraft will be disposed of but one DC-4 will be retained for freight use and 6 DC-3s will be kept (four as freighters, two for Gulf and Channel Country Services). The Drovers will operate Flying Doctor contracts and the helicopters will continue to perform development airwork roles.

• Pan American World Airways will install a fifth pod on the port wing, between the inboard engine and fuselage of its Boeing 707s and Douglas DC-8s to enable spare engines to be carried to disabled aircraft.

• Although the new site for Melbourne’s international airport is yet to be officially announced, it is believed that Tullamarine, which is located 3% miles beyond Essendon, is the favoured area.