Traffic

Trans Media Enterprises Cessna 550 VH-ORE departed Sydney on 31/01 on ferry to the United States. As N108WG this very attractive looking Cessna 550 was imported in November 1987 by Sherrard Aviation at Essendon. North Broken Hill took delivery of Cessna 560 N26643 at their Moorabbin base in February 1990. The Citation remained on the US register, however in 01/91 it was noted at Moorabbin now registered VH-NTH.

Skywest Aviation have taken delivery of Westwind N723R msn 272 at their Perth base. N723R has been converted by Israeli Aircraft Industries to the Seascan configuration. After certification N723R will be one of three Seascan aircraft operated by Skywest on lease to the Australian Customs Department.

Traffic March 91 incorrectly showed Wilson-Neill’s Falcon 10 VH-MEI as being a Falcon 20C.

Qantas Fleet Changes

In this period Qantas took delivery of their tenth Boeing 747-438 and accelerated the retirement and sale of part of their Boeing 747-2388 fleet.

Boeing 747-438 VH-OJJ ‘Winton’ arrived in Sydney on 21/02 after operating QF531 from Vancouver via Honolulu. Disposal of the Boeing 747-2388 fleet continued as follows – VH-EBI departed Sydney on 13/01 as QF501D for Honolulu and Santa Barbara. After overhaul and refurbishment by Tracor Aviation VH-EBI will be delivered to Virgin Atlantic Airways as G-VLAX. Still carrying its full Qantas livery and name ‘City of Ballarat’ VH-EBL departed Sydney on 31/01 as QF501D for Singapore. VH-EBM was planned to depart Sydney on 27/02 also destined for Singapore. VH-EBL and VH-EBM will enter service with United Airlines as N160UA and N161UA respectively, on their recently acquired North Atlantic routes. Boeing 767-338ER VH-OGA was noted in late January operating without the kangaroo on the tail and with the titles ‘Spirit of Australia’ removed. It is believed that this has been done in preparation for VH-OGA to commence services with Australia Asia Airlines. During January and February Qantas chartered National Jet’s Boeing 727-77C VH-TBS to operate a series of animal charters between Australia and New Zealand.

Air New Zealand Boeing 747-419 ZK-NBS was redelivered to Auckland on 31/01. ZK-NBS was the first of three Boeing 747-419s ordered by Air New Zealand and it was originally delivered to Auckland in December 1989. Due to industrial problems the aircraft never entered service with Air New Zealand, being instead leased to Cathay Pacific. Boeing 747-219 ZK-NZZ was withdrawn from service at Auckland on 27/01 in preparation for lease to Malaysian Airlines. Air New Zealand maintenance completed their overhaul on Boeing 737-212 N161FN in early February. It was originally thought that the Boeing was to go to an Alaskan-based operator, however N161FN was in fact rolled out in the colours of Florida based Carnival Air.

Airline News

Ansett Australia have taken delivery of their ninth and tenth Al A320-211 aircraft. VH-HYI arrived in Melbourne on 26/01 and it was followed by VH-HYJ on 20/02. As a result of the Gulf War both aircraft were ferried from Toulouse to Melbourne via the United States. VH-HYI and VH-HYJ arrived in Melbourne with the old Ansett tail colours and an all white fuselage. Considering that Ansett Australia commenced operations as far back as 4 October last year this was most unexpected. By early February VH-HYI had been painted in Ansett Australia colours.

Ansett Express leased Mohawk 298 VH-HEI from Queensland Pacific Airlines from 03/02 for operations on the Sydney to Dubbo route. Ansett Express evidently required an aircraft that would allow them to schedule greater frequency on the route to better compete with Hazelton Airlines. Meanwhile Ansett Express Fokker F50s VH-FNH and VH-FNI have remained static for most of this period outside the Ansett maintenance base at Melbourne.

Australian Airlines’ seventh Boeing 737-476, VH-TJK ‘Ibis’, was scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on 02/03 after its delivery flight from Seattle.

Antonov Airlines made another visit to our region in this period.

The aircraft concerned was An-124 CCCP-82033 ’21’ which was used last December on the record-breaking round-the-world flight from Melbourne. The Antonov still carried Soviet Air Force markings as well as Antonov Airlines titles. CCCP-82033 arrived in Melbourne on 27/01 from Perth. On 29/01 it operated a charter Melbourne/Auckland/Christchurch/Melbourne before departing on 03/02 for Singapore. Air Foyle/Cargolux An-124 CCCP-82008 was reported in Port Moresby on 22/12 after operating a direct flight from Moscow. On board the Antonov were 3 Kamov K A-32Cs for operation by Heavylift (PNG) Ltd. Short Belfast G-BFYU of Heavylift Cargo Airlines arrived in Alice Springs on 15/01. The Belfast was operating on charter to Aerospatiale and was carrying a Super Puma. G-BFYU remained in Alice Springs for 10 days while hot weather trials were carried out on the Super Puma.

Ferry Flights

Grumman Mallard C-FWAF arrived in Darwin on 12/12 after ferrying across the Pacific. It was hoped that the Mallard would stay in Australia joining the two Mallards operated by the Paspaley Pearling Company. Unfortunately this was not to be as C-FWAF flew out of Darwin on 15/02. Though not confirmed it is believed that C-FWAF was destined for Thailand.

Aeromil imported EMB-110P1 N110EA msn 417 in late January.

The Bandeirante was previously operated by Westair Commuter out of Fresno, California. In Darwin former Lloyd Aviation EMB-110P1 VH-PGS was rolled out in mid January in Skywest colours. However a few dayslater VH-PGS was ferried to Cairns, where its markings were changed again in preparation for lease to National in Port Moresby.

Noted at Riddell’s Creek airfield north of Melbourne in late January was Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair NC86811 msn 1172. The Bellanca arrived in Australia last year as an entrant in the Vintage Air Rally from England to Australia. Since then NC86811 has been stored at Caboolture while an Australian buyer was found. Solomon Airlines DHC-6-300 H4-SIB was noted at Cairns on 12/02 while en route from Archerfield to Honiara after a major overhaul. Another DHC-6-300 to move recently was VH-XFE of Flight West Airlines. In December VH-XFE returned to Papua New Guinea where it now operates on short term lease to parent company Talair.

Fairchild Metro Comeback

Recent deliveries of Metro Illaircraft to New Zealand operators Air Nelson and AirPost have increased Metro numbers in our region to 23 aircraft. The present situation shows that Australia has 11 Metro lls and New Zealand 12 of the improved Metro Ill. In February Fairchild Aircraft brought a Metro Ill to Australia to demonstrate the aircraft to a number of operators. The aircraft concerned was ZK-NSS which flew into Melbourne on 01/02. ZK-NSS carried the markings of AirPost though it has spent most of its working life in New Zealand with Air Nelson. It is interesting to note that in August 1981 Fairchild brought Metro Ill N1014T to Australia on demonstration. Due to certification problems with the Metro Ill at the time the type never entered service even though the Metro II was then the market leader in its class in Australia. In 05/75 the forerunner of the Metro, the Merlin IV, was introduced to Australia. Registered VH-CFO, the Merlin IV was operated by Civil Flying Services between Perth and Barrow Island.

The first Metro II in Australia, VH-SWN, was imported by local agents Stillwell Aviation in 09/78. Over the years Merlin IV and Metro II operators in our Region have included Air Albatross, AirPost, Air Queensland, Bush Pilots Airways, Bizjets,

C1v1I Flying Services, Eastern Pacific Airlines, Inter-City Airlines, Jetcraft, Kendell Airlines, Northern Airlines, Opal-Air, Pacifica Air, Skywest Airlines, Solair and Stillwell Airlines. (It is interesting to note how many of these airlines no longer exist. A grim testimony to the difficulty of keeping afloat a commuter airline in Australia. Ed)

In Traffic 03/91 we detailed the delivery of three Metro Ills to Airwork (NZ). These aircraft operate on contract to the New Zealand Post Office in the markings of AirPost. Registrations of the three aircraft are as follows and not as shown: ZK-POA ex D-CABF, ZK-POB ex O-CABG and ZK-NSS.

Dash 8 for Australian Regional

Australian Regional Airlines added a DHC-8-100 to their fleet in late March. Registered VH-FNQ the Dash 8 msn 258 will replace F27-600 VH-TQT which was used on the route from Cairns to Bamaga and Thursday Island. The delivery of the Australian Regional Dash 8 will bring fleet numbers of this type in our region to 10. Ansett New Zealand operate ZK-NEY, -NEZ; Australian Regional VH-FNQ; Eastern Australia Airlines VH-TQO, -TQP, -TQQ, -TQR; Flight West Airlines VH-XFT; Norfolk Airlines VH-NID; Talair P2-GVB.

Australian Regional F27-600 VH-TQS was withdrawn from service at Brisbane on 02/02 after the aircraft was ferried down from Cairns. Both VH-TQS and its sistership VH-TQT are being advertised for sale in the overseas press. The withdrawal of VH-TQS leaves VH-TQT as the last F27 operating scheduled passenger flights in Australia. When VH-TQT is retired from service we will be left with only 4 of this once popular type still flying in Australia – Aircruising Australia VH-JCC, -NLS; CSIRO VHCAT; Eastwest/RAN VH-EWP.