Civil Register Update

Looking at the airliners first, the seventh and eighth Boeing 767s and the ninth Boeing 747-438 For Qantas are listed, from a total order of 12 and 13 of each type respectively. Also the third of eight British Aerospace 146s for Eastwest can be found. The first two Airbuses for Compass also appear and although the airline has reserved the registrations YMA to YMK for its aircraft (YM is the Compass flight code) because these first two are second hand leased aircraft they have been registered at the end of the reserved block to enable its future new aircraft to start at YMA.

Of the commuter aircraft, OLH is the first of Hazelton Airlines’ Saab 340s to be delivered. This is a 340A model and was only used until two new 340B aircraft, OLM and OLN, arrived. OLH has now moved on to New Zealand. Aus-Air have reregistered another of their Navajos. RTO has become 020 in line with company policy of retaining the last letter and changing the prefix to OZ. The Embraer Brasilia first flew on 27 July 1983 and although early orders were received from Lloyd Aviation and Opel Air, both these were cancelled and it has taken seven years for the first aircraft to be delivered to an Australian airline, XFV and XFW to Flight West Airlines.

A large cross section of helicopters are listed from three new Robinsons, AHJ, JNK and LER, to three old Japanese built Bell 47Gs, KIU, LFK and LFL. Also to be found are two new Canadian built Bell Longrangers, LHX and LIA, and a McDonnell Douglas built Hughes 369E that has spent a very short time in PNG with Pacific Helicopters. Bell Jetranger GEO was originallydelivered to New Zealand in mid 1987 as ZK-HYI. Two years later it was sold in England as G-BPTN but after only nine months in England it returned to New Zealand. Instead of reusing its former Kiwi markings it took up a new registration, ZK-HRL before crossing the Tasman in 1990.

On the homebuilt scene the Bowers Fly Baby, YFB, is a new type to Australian skies. The wings are fabric covered and of wooden construction and the fuselage is a conventional plywood-covered wooden structure. The original Fly Baby could be converted between monoplane and biplane in about one hour although it is not known if the Australian example has this feature.

The World Vintage Air Rally which started in London on 25 March and ended at Caboolture on 5 May last year provided some fine examples of antique aircraft. Luckily most, if not all, of the aircraft that arrived will stay in this country. The first of these aircraft to be locally registered can be found in the form of Cessna 170 KLO and Howard DGA. The Howard is one of only a small number of this type still flying worldwide and is the only example in Australasia. It is, by modern standards, quite a large aeroplane seating five. Originally modelled on the Bendix Trophy winner ‘Mr Mulligan’ of 1934, it was first produced in 1939 and used a 450hp WaspJunior ninecylinder radial engine. Not quite in the same category as the Howard is Cessna 340 XGL which also arrived as part of the Vintage Rally. It was used as the official aircraft flown by local aviators Lang and Bev Kidby.

Two other old aircraft that are worth a mention are Tiger Moth XWM and Cessna 195 MWQ. TheMasling owned Cessna takesup a registration which was used for many years by a DC-3 operated by Masling Commuter Airlines. Tiger Moth XWM was built in 1941 byMorrisMotors at Oxford, England, for the Royal Air Force. It was demobbed and became G-ANSL on 10 June 1954. Sixteen months later it wason its way to New Zealand where it flew as ZK-BLQ with Mr J MackieatWaipukurau. After a couple of owners it was bought by the Christchurch Airport Authority in January 1987 and offered as first prize for the Singapore to Christchurch Air Race. The race was sponsored by PDL Industries and the Tiger was changed to ZK-PDL for the occasion. The race was won by Australian Boyd Munro in his American registered, much modified, Colemill Panther Navajo. After a fair amount of legal wrangling over the handicapping system, Boyd was eventually awarded the prize and changed the registration back to the historically correct ZK-BLQ and flew the Tiger across the Tasman. Starting from Ninety Mile Beach on 21st January 1988 and arriving in Sydney five days later via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, Boyd thus emulated the Sir Francis Chichester epic flight of 1931. Some of the advantages that Munro had over Chichester were an Australian Navy survival suit, NDB, smoke generators and three chase aircraft, a Cessna 320, Pather Navajo and a Citation. An advantage for Chichester was no ATC holding at Sydney!

The Piper PA-22Tri-Pacer was a nosewheel version of the popular PA-20 Pacer produced between 1950 and 1954. The prototype flew on 27th May 1950, fitted with a 125hp engine and production began in December 1950 using the same engine. During 1954 the engine was upgraded to 135hp and in 1955 the 150hp engine was installed in all new aircraft. Production continued until 1963 when a total of 9,490 Tri-Pacer variants were built utilising various sized engines up to 160hp engines. Two more Tri-Pacers have recently bean imported. NLM was built in 1954 and was one of the last 135hp engined machines made. NLA was built in 1956 two years before the 150hp engine was changed to the 160hp unit.

An interesting new French design in Australian skies is the Mudry CAP. 10Bs for the HdH school at Parafield, SUD and SZY. Auguste Mudry formed Cooperatives des Ateliers Aeronautiques de la Region Parisienne (CAARP) in 1965 as a design bureau for several well known French designers including Claude Piel. Piel’s most popular design was the Emeraude of which several have been built and flown in Australia, and it was this aircraft which was developed into the CAP. 10B by Mudry. Using a larger nose, taller fin and 180hp engine it entered production during 1970 and the first order was for 26 aircraft placed by the French air force.

Three aircraft return to the register this issue. Pawnee BCE crashed near Jeparit, Vic on 19th August 1974 but has now returned to the air in the form of a Fatman conversion. The aircraft features a two seat side by side cockpit, 260hp Lycoming engine and larger 800 litre hopper. Bede BDA was one of the first BD4s to be flown in Australia but was withdrawn from use in January 1982. It has now been restored, as has BOC, the only Fawcett 120 ever built. The Fawcett was designed by Luigi Pellerini of Transavia Airtruk fame to provide a locally built training aircraft to replace the Austers and Tiger Moths being used at the time. It first flew in 1954 but was withdrawn from use during July 1961. The Fawcett now flies with a 180hp engine and the name lllawarra Trainer on the nose! (Refer p. 12 Dec 90 AA)

The large number of deletions this issue make up for small sections in previous issues and takes us up to the end of 1990. Of note is the large number of bizjets and high performance prop jets leaving the country. The struggle for big business to survive has meant the sale of many executive jets and this is reflected in Falcons BGL, BGF and MIO and Challenger MZL all being sold overseas. The two ex Lloyd’s Lears, LGH and HOF have gone as a result of that company losing its Navy target towing contract, while the ex RAAF Falcon 20s have gone to the USA as was expected some time ago. Paul Terry’s Cheyenne 400LS, PTG, has also been exported as have no fewer than six Mitsubishi MU2Bs. Add to this MU2B, UZD, that was damaged at Eagle Farm by storms during December 1989 and not surprisingly we find the number of Mitsubishis in Australia has decreased significantly over the past year.

Eight aircraft appear that have been reregistered for various reasons. Lance, BRG, has become URG to enable Grollo’s new Challenger to use that marking and Agusta A109A, DMR, has become NWD to enable the NSW Department of Main Roads to use that registration on its new helicopter when it arrives. RFDS Queen Air, FDS, is now LKE so their new Super King Air could use the old markings. The Eastwest Friendships, EWU to EWZ, that were made redundant firstly by the pilots’ dispute and then by Eastwest’s decision to change to an all jet fl. eet have gone to Jersey European Airways to join their mixed :fleet of two other Friendships, Bandeirantes, Shorts 360s and British Aerospace 748s. The Australian Friendships will probably replace the ageing 748s that are being leased from BAC Leasing. A large part of the changes of ownership section is made up of the consolidation of the Sunbird Airlines fleet into the Norfolk Island Airlines fleet and includeCessna441 TFW, Cessna 421s CSF and SBJ, Cessna 404s TMU, SBG and SBV, Bandierantes MWX, KIO, FCG and FCK and Islanders INO and INB.