Register Update Service

With the relaxing of the single engine IFR charter rule in Australia we can expect to see more of the big singles in this country and Pacific Aviation have already imported a Cessna 208 Caravan,

FIG, which is ideal for this role.

Gaby Kennard imported her PA-32R-301, GKF, spec1f1cally . . for her solo around the world attempt. T he PA-32R Saratoga was developed from the T-tailed Lance which in turn was developed

from the fixed gear Cherokee Six. The Saratoga had the , tailplane

returned to the conventional position and used the semi-tapered wing initially used on the Warrior. It also had a four foot increasein wingspan, increased fuel capacity and increased cruise and maximum speed. It was produced in two versions, the 301 and the 301T with a turbocharged engine. Gaby’s Saratoga is a normally aspirated, 1981 built machine and she arrived back in Sydney on

November 5th after completing her epic flight. through new

Guinea, North America, South America, North Africa and Asia to become the first Australian woman to fly single-handed around the world.

Five more aircraft join the register from New Zealand. Cessna 172M JCS and Cessna R172Ks JQQ and XPC all come from the Auckland area whilst Arrow EPP comes from Awanui and Cessna 172N JNY comes from Te Puke.

The Beech 1900C which Hawker Pacific have had so many problems with the C A A over has finally been added to the register as JHP. It was of course to go to Hazelton Airlines as MJH but Hazeltons could not wait for the aircraft and acquired a Shorts 360-300 which itself has become MJH. Hawker Pacific are still hopeful of selling the 1900C to Hazeltons (they have leased it for the duration of the pilot’s dispute) as well as additional aircraft In the future.

Cessna 152 JYF is another Texas Taildragger conversion and joins several already in Australia. The conversion enables pilots to combine the performance and comfort of a modern light aircraft with the characteristics of a taildragger at a moderate price.

In1928 C GTaylor designed the Cub and in conjunction with Bill Piper managed to go bankrupt getting it certificated. Piper bought out the remaining interest in the Cub In 1936 and Taylor went on to form his own company and produce aircraft In competition to Piper. Ironically the latest design from the Taylor stable has come to Australia, hopefully, to replace some ageing PA-18 Cubs. Mr Dixon imported a Taylorcraft F-21 some time ago in the hope of selling the type to the Department of CALM who have a fleet of eight, nine to twelve year old Super Cubs which they use for forestry patrol work around WA. The Taylorcraft was to be registered HYA but this is now worn by an Ansett Airbus so the F-21 has become.

The Brisbane based Beech 300 KDV is the first of this type on the Australian register and is the lightweight version of the 300 series Super King Air. It was actually delivered via Honiara as long

ago as 16th November 1988.

Bandeirante LSE was originally delivered to Mid . South Airlines . .

in 1980. It joined one other Bandit and four Navajos in the Mid South fleet based at Pinehurst NC. By 1985 Mid South had gone out of business and the aircraft joined the Atlantic Southeast Airlines fleet in Georgia. During the next year Atlantic Southeast expanded rapidly as they had become a Delta Airlines feeder and by 1986 had a fleet of ten Bandits, five DHC-7a and two DHC-6s. The airline ordered Brasilias in 1985 and by 1988 had 37 of these aircraft online together with 16 Bandits, 8 SD-360s and 5 DHC-_?s. More Brasilias are joining the fleet and LSE was one of the first Bandierantes to be replaced by its larger brother.

The restoration section shows two aircraft returning to the register. Chipmunk ESP was withdrawn from use during May 1975 but now returns after an extensive rebuild and Hughes 500C THK returns after a sojourn in New Zealand as ZK-HQH since July ’79.

Ten aircraft make up the deletions section this issue including the aforementioned Hughes 500 THK which along with a second machine HXC has gone to Sweden. Another GAF Nomad, HWB, has been delivered to the US Customs and the Bond Corp Falcon 200, BGL, has also gone to the USA where it is now operated by the Thompson Company as N522C. Two more Australian DC-9s have also departed for the USA. TJR left Melbourne on 21st August on delivery to Airborne Express of Wilmington Ohio to join four other ex Australian DC-9s, TJK, TJL , TJM and TJN. Airborne Express operate 19 DC-9s, 14 DC-8s and 12 YS-11s in all freight configuration. TJS departed Melbourne on 21st September on delivery to Midway of Chicago to join their fleet of 29 DC-9s including eight ex Ansett and one other ex Australian machine. Midway operate 10 Boeing 737s and 8 MD-87s in addition to the DC-9s.

Bell 47G KHL was destroyed after it crashed and was burnt out at Moorabbin on the 7th January 1989. The aircraft was being used to give a trial instructional flight by a non qualified instructor when the passenger was given the opportunity to attempt to fly the helicopter. The machine got out of control and the pilot was unable to regain control before it hit the ground and caught fire.

Several interesting aircraft have been imported recently for Australian registry. As well as three old agricultural Boeing 75 Stearmans and four ex Thai Police Hughes 269As, the NSCA Bolkow 105S which went to New Zealand to join the Westpac Rescue Helicopter fleet has now returned and should resume its pre vious registration of NSQ. Three more Polish built agricultural aircraft have also been imported, a second PZL Dromader and two more PZL Wilgas. The Dromader is a dedicated Ag aircraft along the lines of the Ayres and the Wilga is a multi purpose aircraft.

East West Airlines have reserved the registrations EWI to EWT presumably for their new British Aerospace 146 fleet and Australian Airlines have reserved T JEto TJZ to keep its future aircraft in their preferred block. Heliflite have reserved JNK to JNT and Helicopters Brisbane, JZO to JZT. As both these companies are Robinson importers we can expect to see many more of these popular light helicopters in Australia soon. CLT has been reserved for Airlines of Tasmania for their Heron to return to the register and CRA has been reserved for an Aerospatiale Puma. Commercial Helicopters operated Puma CRA between 1981 and 1985 when it was sold in South Africa as ZS-HNS so it will be interesting to see if this aircraft returns to become the new CRA.

Some additional information has come to light about several aircraft listed in the November issue. Bell 205As NGI and NGK, reportedly sold in the USA have in fact gone to Canada where they are now operating for Vancouver Island Helicopters as C-GVIZ and C-GVIK respectively and Sikorsky S-76A JEU is now registered N276TC. The Sikorsky was registered in Australia on 16th June but never flew in this country being given its CofA in Canada before going to the USA seven days later.

In the September issue the Melbourne Aircraft Corporation Mamba was inadvertently referred to as a Manta. Apologies to MAC, it seems that I got my snakes mixed up with my fish