Register Update Service

Mostly Cessna, Piper and Beech types, the numbers have been speckled with unusual and classic aircraft such as two PA39 Twin Comanches, two Grumman Cougars and an ex New Zealand SIAI Marchetti SF260 in September and a V35 Bonanza, two Cessna 337s and a Cessna 425 Corsair during October. The first Porsche engined Mooney arrived from Honiara on the 14th October, just in time for the Richmond Air Show together with an ex New Caledonian PA32 on the 27th and an ex Air Melanesia Bandeirante on the 9th.

The new allocations this issue reflect the large numbers of second-hand imports with over 100 aircraft listed for the two month period with only about 20% being new. Air North have added a fifth Cessna 404 Titan ANP to their fleet of Cessna twins and DC-3s. The aircraft arrived at Brisbane as N404MP on the 31st July from Honiara. The RFDS have added Cessna Corsair EGA to their Eastern Goldfields section and Beech King Air FDW to their Queensland operation and Lloyds received another Mohawk in the form of HKT.

This aircraft is interesting as it was operated in Tunisia for most of its life. Originally built in January 1969 as a Nord 262, it was sold new to Tunis Air in April of that year who operated it until April 1979 when it was converted to Mohawk 298 standard by Allegheny Airlines of the USA and then leased to Ransome Airlines in June.

Of the new aircraft to be registered, Ansett’s last Fokker 50, FND, is the largest while the Tuttle T-1 is probably the smallest. Others in this category include two GAF Searchmasters, HMZ and HQC, which of course will soon be exported to the USA Customs Dept. and six Australian made Kavanagh Balloons.

The PA22 Tri-Pacer was produced between 1951 and 1960 and when production ceased to make way for the PA28 Cherokee, instead of dismantling the tooling, Piper decided to produce a cheaper and more basic Tri-Pacer for training purposes. This version was known as the Colt and had no flaps, only one wing tank and was fitted with a smaller 108hp engine. Production started in 1961 and ended on the 26th March 1964 when Piper introduced the PA28 Cherokee 140 two seat trainer. The fourth production Colt has now found its way to Australia in the form of HOM, based in Victoria and it is good to see aircraft like the Colt being imported.

Another classic but locally built aircraft newly registered is Drover FBC. This aircraft was originally built for the RFDS in 1956 and registered FDA on 2nd July of that year. During June 1960 it was converted to a mark 3A and was reregistered LINK on 7th September 1967. On the 22nd January 1970 it again changed markings to LIMA but was exported to New Zealand nine months later where it was used for some time for scenic flights around the islands. It was retired from service a couple of years ago but was restored to flying condition and flown back across the Tasman on 8th May via Norfolk and Lord Howe Island to Berwick Vic. where it was prepared for the round Australia Air Race. The 32 year old veteran had a few minor problems on the trip but still made it to the finish line in Canberra which some of the more modern entrants did not.

Of the thirteen helicopters registered, more than half are Robinsons with Heli-Muster receiving an elderly R22 and an HP model. Forest Air’s Hiller, FOR, was damaged in New Zealand during 1968 and, in an unusual move by Kiwi standards, when the aircraft was rebuilt it was given new markings. At that time in New Zealand aircraft were not allowed to change markings and even when they were returned to the register after long periods of maintenance or damage they were supposed to return to their old registrations.

However this UH-12E returned to the register carrying new markings in 1969, only to be damaged again at Makarora on 30th August 1975. It was rebuilt again over the next four years, this time with a Soloy engine and now takes up Australian markings that were vacated by a Beech Musketeer some time ago so that Forest Air could use the appropriate registration.

Three warbirds are added to the register this issue all of which are familiar to Australian aviation enthusiasts. The CA-17 Avon Sabre (A94-983) has at last been put on the civil register, after flying for some years as a. RAAF aircraft, with the fitting registration PCM (Point Cook Museum). A second Point Cook machine also appears in the listing after a loving rebuild in the form of Vampire HLF. The dual seat DH115 Vampire trainer was a logical development of the DH113 Vampire and first flew in 1950 at Christchurch, England. 110 aircraft were built by HdH at Bankstown (36 Mk. 33s, 5 Mk. 34s and

69 Mk. 35s) with the Mk. 35 having an improved fin and canopy along with larger fuel tanks and anti skid hydraulic brakes. The third warbird is the T-28B Trojan NAW which has been detailed in this issue’s Australian Aviation’s Warbird column.

Seven aircraft were restored to the register this issue, with four of these returning after lengthy rebuilds. Auster KCC and Cessna 182 FMB were withdrawn from use in 1979 and 1977 respectively and Cessna 177 DSF was damaged in Victoria during August 1975. Meta Sokol ENG came from Czechoslovakia in 1960 and is unusual insomuch as it cannot be called a tricycle or tailwheel undercarriage. Whilst the main gear is conventional, the third wheel is a castor type and is located in the centre of the aircraft just to the rear of the cockpit. ENG joins three others of the same type on the register. Although listed as a restoration, Cessna Skywagon MFX has spent all its life in PNG. It was delivered to the Missionary Aviation Fellowship in 1973 when New Guinea aircraft were still wearing VH registrations but changed to P2-MFX when the country was issued with its own nationality markings in 1974. Meanwhile, the NSCA Beech 200 NSE returns from its usual sojourn in Canada as C-GWSQ.

An unusually high number of deletions this issue with seven aircraft going overseas, four aircraft damaged, two withdrawn from use and one reregistered. Ex Airlines of South Australia Friendship FNR has gone to Sweden after work by Air UK at Stanstead England and Ansett Boeing 727 AMP has gone to Federal Express in Memphis, Tennessee to join 69 other 727s in the 258 strong fleet.

Cherokee Six AES has changed to NES to allow the TAA DC-3 to return to its original markings. The crash of Cessna 310 DZH marks a sad end to one of South Australia’s best known pilots. Erno Sopru died after losing his way over largely unmarked country whilst on a charter flight to Emu Junction after dark. After a two day search involving 16 aircraft, the wreckage of the Cessna twin was eventually found by the crew of NSCA Dornier NSZ.

The second crash of an ag aircraft in the same area in as many months involved Transavia Agtruk IVH. This aircraft was the same one that was used in the Mad Max movie and came down in the Willow Tree area where only two months earlier a Fletcher crashed killing the New Zealand pilot.