Traffic

Perhaps most have forgotten that New Zealand housed the last two AT L Carvair aircraft in our region. ZK-NWA and ZK-NWB have been static at Hamilton for a number of years, while being offered for sale (refer NZ News). After a number of false alarms a new home has been found for them in Hawaii. On May 19th ZK-NWB departed Auckland for Honolulu and Hawaii Pacific Airlines. As VH-INK and VH-INM respectively the two aircraft were imported as Douglas DC-4s by AnsetVANA in the mid 1960s. After conversion to Carvairs VH-INK and VH-INM were sold for operation in SE Asia before heading for New Zealand.

It would appear that the only DHC-3 Otter on the Australian register, VH-T LS has been sold overseas. VH-T LS was an amphibious Otter operated for Tangalooma Air Taxis on flights out of Brisbane. Last December it was damaged there by gale force winds. On May 20th VH-T LS was noted being packed in a container at Brisbane Airport.

Pacifica Air Metro 11 ZK-MES has been sold in the United States. On April 28th ZK-MES departed Auckland on the first stage of its trans Pacific ferry to the US. Arriving in Auckland from Australia on May 24th was GAF N24A VH-PGW. The Nomad, which had previously been static at Moorabbin for a number of months, was on delivery to a New Zealand based company. It is interesting to note that VH-PGW was ferried without any external registration markings. The only means of identity being the manufacturer’s serial number 117, which was painted on the fuselage. Former Royal Navy Sea Devon XJ324 arrived at Essendon on June 1st after being shipped from the UK. After assembly XJ324 will commence charter work out of Essendon along with Doves VH-DHD and VH-JGZ. Meanwhile, DHC-6-300 VH-NIO of Norfolk Pacific Aviation has returned to Honiara and service with Solomon Airlines as H4-SiA. T he Twin Otter was imported in June 1989 to service a contract from Cairns to Kidston.

Friendships for Sale

For years the dominant aircraft type on country routes in Australia was the Fokker Friendship. Today we see only six of this popular type still flying while another 11 are parked awaiting sale.

Australian Regional Airlines operate the only two F27s still engaged in RPT work in Australia. F27-600s VH-TQS and VH-TQT operate flights from Cairns to Bamaga, Thursday Island, Townsville and Weipa. At Tamworth, East-West Airlines F27-500 VH-EWP is undergoing a major conversion prior to flying on the Navy LADS contract. Also based at Tamworth is the CSIRO’s F27-100 VH-CAT, while stored there are East-West F27-500s VH-EWU, VH-EWV, VH-EWW, VH-EWX, VH-EWY and VH-EWZ. Charter Cruise Air operate their two Friendships from their Sydney base. F27-100 VH-NLS was the first production aircraft to come off the line, while F27-700 VH-JCC began life with TAA.

At Tullamarine, Ansett have five Friendships stored awaiting sale. F27-200 VH-MMS is painted in an all white scheme after a major overhaul while F27-200 VH-MMR still carries the colours of Airlines of South Australia. An airline which ceased operations in June 1986. Also in storage are F27-200 VH-MMV and F27-400 VH-FNO in Ansett colours. The final aircraft is F27-400 VH-FNQ which returned to Melbourne on May 21st after completing a lease to Safe Air in New Zealand. Ansett did have a sixth Friendship stored at Tullamarine, F27-200 VH-MMO, however in late May this aircraft was broken up for spare parts.

Regional Airline News

Flight West Airlines took delivery of the first EMB-120 Brasilia in Australia on May 30th, when VH-XFW arrived in Brisbane. The Brasilia entered service a few days later mainly operating from Brisbane to Longreach and Mt Isa and between Mt Isa and Townsville. Flight West have also added a third EMB-100P1 Bandeirante to their fleet. P2-RDP msn 41O was previously operated by Talair. It was delivered to Brisbane in early May and has since entered service as VH-XFH.

Eastern Australia have terminated the lease on Jetstream 31 VH-LJR. T his former Netherlines aircraft was leased from British Aerospace in September 1989 to cover capacity requirements till delivery of Eastern’s fourth Jetstream VH-TQM, and also planned maintenance in the Eastern fleet. VH-LJR was handed back to BAe on June 4th. A few days later it was ferried to Tamworth for storage while a decision is made on its future.

Australian Regional Airlines have taken over the operation and routes flown by F27-600s VH-TQS and VH-TQT. The two Friendships flew with Air North for the last time on May 21st and the following day started flying for Australian Regional.

Sunbird Airlines second BN28-21 VH-INO was noted at Bankstown on May 18th. Later delivered to their Cairns base, the Islander replaces in service BN2A-21 VH-OCH which has been traded in to Monarch Aviation. Air Moorea BN2A-8 F-OCMN flew into Auckland on May 22nd after ferrying down from Tahiti. It is believed that F-OCMN has been traded in on one of three new BN2B-26s recently delivered to Air Moorea.

Airlines of Tasmania have added PA31-310 VH-CFE to their fleet. Previously operated by Par Avion, VH-CFE was noted at Essendon in late May carrying Airlines of Tasmania titles. PA31-350 VH-TAS is the first Airlines of Tasmania aircraft to be painted in the new colour scheme introduced by Short 360 VH-TAO. After overhaul and repaint by Hawker Pacific at Essendon VH-TAS was delivered to Launceston in late May.

Flinders Island Airlines ceased operations on May 25th due to financial problems thus grounding their fleet of nine PA31s at Moorabbin. Torres Air commenced operations in June flying between the Torres Strait Islands and Cairns. Initial equipment used are aircraft leased from Falcon Airlines.

Propjet News

Norfolk Pacific Aviation have sold four of their Cessna 441s to an operator in the United States. First to depart was Sunbird Airlines’ VH-KDJ which flew out of Canberra on May 9th as N442WS. This was followed by VH-NIF which departed Canberra on May 17th as N443WS. Both aircraft were ferried to the US by Aviation Services International of Fairfield, California with their eventual destination believed to be in Colorado. By the time this is read VH-NIE of Sunbird and VH-CCY of Flightways should have left the country. To fill in for the loss of these aircraft King Air 200 VH-AAZ of Norfolk Pacific was transferred to Sunbird Airlines.

King Air 200 N200T K msn 88-660 was a welcome import being noted at Bankstown on June 1st and Moorabbin on the 14th. MU-2L N71DP, which was previously operated by Essendon based interior as VH-MVU, finally departed for Cairns and the US on May 27th. N71DP will join the fleet of Heetco Jet Charter,Quincy, Illinois.

Bizjet News

T his section of the industry is still extremely quiet at present with very little news to report.

Fleet Support P/L, an associate company of Sherrard Aviation at Essendon took over the Defence Forces support contract from July 1st. To service this three Learjet 35As have been acquired to date, VH-WFE and VH-WFJ from Norfolk Jet Aviation and VH-FOX from Airtex Aviation. T he contract was previously held by Lloyd Aviation who operated Learjet 35As VH-HOF, VH-LGH and VH-SLJ and Learjet 36 VH-8I8.

Falcon 20F VH-FAX, which was operated by ABE Jet Charter out of Sydney departed Brisbane in early May on sale to a company in the United States. North Broken Hill Citation 501 VH-BNK, which was replaced in service earlier this year by Citation 560 N26643, was delivered to an Adelaide based company in mid June.

Airline News

Australian Airlines took delivery of their second Boeing 737-476 at Melbourne on June 10th, when VH-T JF flew in from the United States. T he Boeing originated its ferry flight from Fairchild International Airport, Port Angeles, Washington and from there VH-T JF flew to Melbourne, via Honolulu and Nadi. VH-T JF ‘Brolga’ entered service on June 14. Australian Airlines have resumed services on the Perth/Cocos/Christmas Island/Perth route. T his weekly charter, which is operated on behalf of the Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories, was last operated by Australian in August 1989 prior to the pilots’ dispute. T he first flight on May 29th was operated by 8727-276 VR-T BN, however it is the Boeing 737-376 that Australian now use on the route.

Boeing 767-204 ZK-NBI flew into Auckland from Djakarta on May 21st on completion of its delivery flight to Air New Zealand. T his former Britannia Airways aircraft has. been leased for ten years and will be converted to ER standard before entry into service with Air New Zealand. ZK-NBI arrived in Auckland wearing Britannia colours but with Aero Peru titles and named ‘Pachacutec’ thus reflecting the previous leaser of the aircraft. When ZK-NBI enters service Boeing 767-205ER ZK-NBD will be withdrawn from the ANZ fleet. After preservice overhaul ZK-NBD will be delivered to Air Pacific as DQ-FJA. T he 767 will replace in the Air Pacific fleet Boeing 737-2X2 DQ-FDM, which has been sold to Japan Fleet Services in Singapore.

Ansett Boeing 737-377 VH-CZO was redelivered to them in Melbourne in late June. VH-CZO was one of three 737-377s leased to America West last October. While in service with America West, VH-CZO was registered N114AW.

By the time this is read four more Boeing aircraft will have been delivered to airlines in our area. These aircraft are Boeing 737-476 VH-T JG and VH-T JH for Australian, Boeing 747-438 VH-OJG and Boeing 767- 338er VH-OGF for Qantas.