Civil Register Update Service

With all the third level airlines gearing up for deregulation it’s no surprise to find several larger commuter aircraft in the listing. Kendell have added another Saab 340, EKT, to its fleet, as have Hazelton with OLG, which is their second. Eastern Australian have received another Dash 8, TQQ, and Aus-Air an ex British Bandit, OZF. T his aircraft was built for Air Wales and after being allocated G-YMRU (Cymru being Welsh for Wales) it eventually became G-BGNK with the same company. Three years later it became G-DATA with Air Ecosse and was used extensively on charter to the British Post Office in a pillar box red paint scheme. After a short time in the USA as N110PJ it returned to England, this time with National Airways in whose colours it was delivered to Aus-Air. OZF is a P2 version whereas the other two Bandeirantes to join the register, SBH and XFH, are both P1 variants with the large cargo door. SBH was built in 1980 for Imperial Airlines who at that time were operating a mixed fleet of Bandits and Cessna 402s from Imperial, California. XFH was built in 1983 for Talair and has been used by them since then.

With the recent troubles that Talair have been having with the PNG government some of their aircraft have been transferred to their associate company Flight West and XFH is one such aircraft. With several more Talair aircraft resident at Brisbane and more due, we can expect to see the Flight West fleet increasing while the Talair fleet decreases.

Three more Piper Navajos join the register, IHA, LDW and UC, and each is a different model. The Navajo was Piper’s first attempt at a cabin class business twin and was originally to be called the Inca but the name was changed to Navajo before production was begun. IH A was one of 210 basic aircraft that were built at Piper’s Lock Haven plant during 1968, the second year of production. In 1974 Piper transferred all Navajo production to its Lakeland plant and one year later introduced the 310C and 325CR models. LDW is a 325CR model with 325hp Lycoming engines and counter rotating props and was the 32nd such aircraft built in 1979. Production of the Navajo ceased in 1983; however twelve years earlier Piper had developed the Navajo Chieftain with a two foot fuselage extension, two extra cabin windows, large cargo door, strengthened floor and two 350hp engines in a bid to compete with the Cessna 402 and Beech 99 in the commuter market. UC is a 1976 built Navajo Chieftain and was the 173rd aircraft off the production line that year. The name Navajo was dropped in 1980 and all further aircraft were known simply as Chieftains. Production of the PA-31 ended in October 1984 although the type was developed into the T-1020 which toured Australia during 1981 and the design lives on in the form of PA-31P Mojava and PA-31T Cheyenne.

The sudden influx of ofTobagos and Trinidads is due to the large orders of the type by the Hawker de Havilland owned Australian Aviation College at Parafield. LOA to LOG have been reserved for the TB20s and XYA to XYN for the TB10, with the first of both types being found in the listing.

Of the helicopters, probably the most interesting are the three licence built Bell 47Gs. HLG, LDP and LDQ are all Kawasaki built Bell 47G-3B-KH4s which were produced in 1969, 1968 and 1970 respectively. AMT Helicopters’ machine, HLG, was used by A sahi Koyo at Yao, Japan while the two Heli-Muster machines, LDP and LDQ, saw service with Toho Koku at Chofu and Tok yo. Lloyd Helicopters’ Bell Longranger, LHP, was built as N1084D but moved to England in December 1982 to become G-UII indicating it is a Longranger 3. It was sold in April 1983 to J C Bamford, makers of backhoes and other digging equipment and changed to the more appropriate G-CJCB before coming to Australia seven years later.

Six aircraft have been restored to the register this issue. Cessna 210 MUC has been off the register since August 1984 and Tiger Moth BAV since October 1965, both for extensive rebuilds. Cessna 172 UWD has been repaired after damage at Quilpie on 22nd November 1985 and Bellanca SLO after damage at Bankstown on 12th October 1986.

Boeing 737 CZP returns after service with America West Airlines asN115AW. The other two Ansett 737s that went to America West as a result of the pilots’ dispute late last year are also expected to return shortly.

The restoration of Nomad DHQ is a surprise as the aircraft was sold to Air Safaris of New Zealand as. ZK-NMD in October 1985. Two years later it crashed on approach to Lake Tekapo, Air Safaris’ base, and one month later another N24A DHU was obtained to replace the crashed aircraft, this too becoming ZK-NMD. The last the author heard was that the wreck of the crashed aircraft was stored alongside the Air Safaris hangar and being used for spares.

The deletions section this month is made up of 38 aircraft, 12 having crashed or been damaged, 12 sold overseas, eight withdrawn from use and six reregistered. Of the aircraft that have been withdrawn from use most can be expected back on the register after maintenance or rebuild with the possible exception of DMD and RUG, two very early production Barons and OZI, the prototype Mosquito which has been dismantled.

The changes of registration is a growing trend and something that the old DoT stopped some time ago as it got out of hand. An example of this was a Queensland aero club which had all its aircraft registered in one block. When they decided to sell one of their Cessna 150s they changed its registration, however one week later it was decided not to sell the aircraft and it reverted to its old markings. Two weeks later another change of mind by the club resulted in another change of registration for the Cessna which had now had four changes and three registrations in three weeks. A change of policy by the CAA has enabled aircraft owners to personalise their markings again making additional work for the CAA and aviation historians alike.

Cessna 172N RWQ was destroyed after suffering a partial power loss shortly after takeoff from Lake Evelia, NT. The aircraft crashed into trees with only one occupant surviving the fire that subsequently gutted the aircraft. Cherokee Six WSZ is based at American River and has been damaged there twice in the last five years. The first time was 19th June 1985 and more recently on 6th October 1989. Cessna 172 BJS andNavajoHSI were also damaged, along with eight other aircraft, when a storm ripped through the Brisbane area damaging aircraft at Eagle Farrri, Archerfield and Redcliffe. HSI was overturned atEagle Farm and BJS was blown upside down onto Grumman Tiger SZI at Redcliffe. Another aircraft damaged in the same storm was Otter TLS which had a float ripped off and the port wing buckled and has now returned to Canada for rebuild or for use as spares. No details are at hand of the crash of Mooney WCK although WCT, another Mooney, is known to have crashed atMittagongNSW on 6th May. Could this be the same aircraft?

Unfortunately there is no change of ownership section this issue due to a small problem with the computer printout from the CAA. We hope to cover all the changes since the complete register was published in Australian Aviation in the October issue. Meanwhile, we take this opportunity to look at some aircraft that left our shores some time ago and are still extant.

Airliner sales around the world recently included five Friendships with Australian connections. TOP was delivered to TAA during December 1968 and sold to the Scandinavian operator SAS during July 1984. This machine has now moved on to British Air Ferries as G-FEAD and will be operated on behalf of Federal Express, as the registration implies. A second SAS machine has been sold to Farner Air Transport of Basel, Switzerland as HB-ISJ. This is ex TFM, originally delivered to TAA in June 1967 and sold to SAS 17 years later.

Pakistan International Airlines has recently added two more Friendships to their 11 strong fleet. The aircraft were bought from Rio Sul of Rio de Janeiro who acquired one direct from TAA and the second one via Air Niugini in 1982. The two aircraft involved are FNA, delivered to Ansett in 1959 and TFW which was added to the TAA fleet in 1972. FNA went toAir Niugini during July 1976 after seventeen years of service in Australia and then on to Brazil after a further six years in PNG. TFW spent ten years with TAA before being sold to Brazil in 1982. They join two other ex Ansett Fokkers in the PIA fleet, FNP and FNM.

Islander RTV, which went to Sunflower Airlines of Fiji during February 1985 as DQ-FEA and then moved on to Doveair of Vanuatu in August 1987 asYJ-RV19, remains in the Pacific area operating now withAspiringAir ofWanaka, New Zealand. The aircraft has become ZK-EVT and replaces another Islander, ZK-EVK which Aspiring Air lost when it crashed into Mount Cunningham on 8th August last year. The seven GAF Nomads that were sold to the US Customs last year were all given US identities during April and the serial number/Australian registration/American registration tie ups are 159/HWB/N6302W, 160/HTG/N6305U, 161/HQC/N6313P, 162/HVY/N3225F, 163/HVZ/N6328, 164/HMZ/ N5056D and 165/JQM/N6338C.