Traffic

Cessna 500 VH-OIL, which has been static at Moorabbin for the best part of twelve months, was flown out to an unknown destination in mid March. VH-OIL was operated by the Perth based Corpair, who ceased operations in 07/90. Cessna 500 N70454 was imported in 08/89 by Aeromil for operation by Neilsen & Moller P/L, out of Bankstown. Registration VH-NMW was reserved for the Cessna 500, however it has continued to fly as N70454 and it was noted as suchat Sydney as recently as mid March. By the time this is read however N70454 will have been registered VH-NMW.

Ferry Flights

Baron 58P ZK-NWY was noted at Essendon on 14/03 on delivery to a local owner who will operate it as VH-ZMD. Another arrival at Essendon in March was Commander 500S VH-TWS of Skywest Aviation. The Commander, which carried the green and yellow colours of Coastwatch was on delivery to General Aircraft Maintenance. Based at Essendon, GAM now operate a fleet of 7 Commanders on contract to Security Express. It is expected that VH-TWS will be reregistered VH-UJI before entering service.

In Traffic/March we recorded the delivery of Commander 500U N374JP and Commander 500S N70343, however to date we have been unable to track down an owner or operating base for these two aircraft. N374JP was noted at Cloncurry in mid 02/91 still carrying its US registration. Noted at Moorabbin in mid March was Aus-Air PA31-310 VH-OZO. This was not a new aircraft in the Aus-Air fleet but a reregistation of their VH-RTO. PA31-350 VH-WGI, which was flying with King Island Airlines, had its titles removed in mid March. King Island Airlines have adopted a very attractive red/gold colour scheme, which is already carried by PA31-350s VH-KGN and VH-WGF. The third PA31-350 in the King Island fleet, VH-PWA, has yet to be painted in the new scheme.

British Aerospace ATP G-BRLY was noted at Brisbane on 03/03. The ATP was en route to New Zealand, where it was evaluated by Mount Cook Airline as a replacement for their fleet of BAe 748s. G-BRLYreturned to Australia in April to continue its demonstration tour of the region. Also destined for New Zealand was Sempati Air Transport F27-200 PK-JFN msn 10242. The F27 transited Brisbane on 25/02 en route to Christchurch for overhaul by Air New Zealand. The same company recently completed work on Boeing 737-212 N161FN, which had arrived in Christchurch in 11/90. Previous operator of N161FN was Eagle Air, Iceland, however on rollout the Boeing carried the markings of US based Carnival Air. N161FN flew out of Christchurch on 02/02 bound for Apia and Ft Lauderdale, Florida.

Bristol Freighter Fleet Update.

The removal from Archerfield of Bristol Freighter VH-TBA to a local scrap yard has reduced Australia’s population to three.

Former TANSunbird Services Bristol Freighter 31 VH-TBA has been part of the Archer field scene since 09/68, when it was flown in from Lae to be used as a spares aircraft by Air Express. Latterly the fuselage of VH-TBA was moved to the far side of Archerfield to be used by the airport fire service as a training aid. On 07/02 VH-TBA was cut into two parts and removed to the Wanless Scrap Metal Co in nearby Oxley. Sister aircraft VH-TBB is used by the Melbourne Airport Fire Service and has been parked at the end of RW 27 since being moved by road from Essendon. VH-TBB still carries the faded colours of Air Express, who were the last to fly the type in commercial service in Australia.

VH-ADL is another ex Air Express Bristol that still survives. After retirement VH-ADL was initially parked at Essendon, however in 06/86 it was moved by road to a museum in Deniliquin. At a later stage VH-ADL joined the Drage collection at Wangaratta.

Resident at Point Cook, Victoria is former RAAF Freighter Mk. 21 A81-1. This Bristol was one of 4 operated by the RAAF between April 1949 and May 1967. On retirement from the military it was registered VH-SJG and saw service with both Jetair and Air Express. VH-SJG then became part of the Malcolm Long Collection and once again was painted in RAAF colours. In January 1980 A81-1NH-SJQ was flown from Essendon to Coolangatta, where it became part of the Chewing Gum Field Air Museum. A81-1 was moved by road from the Gold Coast to Point Cook in late 07/88.

Norfolk Irlines Group Cea Ses Operations.

The Norfolk Airlines Group of companies ceased operations on 01/03 due to financial problems.

The operations of the group covered a number of companies flying some 28 aircraft. In the group were three regional airlines – Norfolk Airlines/UG based in Brisbane and Sydney; Sunbird Airlines, Cairns who last November also became known as Norfolk Airlines, however they retained the Sunbird airline code of SF; and Queensland Pacific Airlines/OJ based in Brisbane. Charter operations were flown by Norfolk Pacific Aviation out of Brisbane and Cairns and Flightways out of Perth. Aircraft operated by the different divisions of the group were as follows: Norfolk AirlinesDHC-8-100 VH-NID; Cessna 441 VH-TFW. Sunbird Airlines – EMB-110 VH-FCG, -FCK, -KIQ; King Air 200 VH-NI A, -NIB; Cessna 421 VH-CSF, -SBJ, -TWH; Cessna 404 VH-SBG, -TMU; Cessna 310R VH-FOA, -TDS; BN-2B lslander VH-INB, -INO. Queensland Pacific Airlines- Mohawk 298 VH-HEI, -HIX, -HKS, -HKT; King Air 200 VH-IBF. Norfolk Pacific Aviation – King Air 200 VH- A AZ, -IBD, -NIC, -NIH. Flightways-EMB-110 VH-MWX; Cessna 441 VH-FWA; Cessna 404 VH-SBV.

Airline Fleet Changes.

Ansett Australia took delivery of their 11th A320-211 VH-HYK msn 157 at Melbourne on 14 March. Like VH-HYI and -HYJ, the two previous A320s delivered to Ansett, VH-HYK was ferried from Toulouse to Melbourne via North America due to the Gulf crisis.

Ferry route for VH-HYK was from Toulouse to London Gatwick then across the Atlantic via Santa Maria in the Azores to Bermuda. From there VH-HYK continued its ferry to Melbourne via Phoenix, Hilo and Nadi. VH-HYK was delivered in an all white scheme with no airline titling. Before entry into service with Ansett Australia it was painted in their colours. Australian Airlines’ 7th Boeing 737-476 VH-TJK ‘Ibis’ arrived in Melbourne on March 3rd on termination of its delivery flight from Seattle. Shuttle Airlines are presently working towards a third quarter start up on operations out of Moorabbin. Equipment to be used will be two late production B Ae 748-2B aircraft that were previously operated by S ATA- Air Azores. With the recent delivery to S ATA of three B Ae ATPs the two 748s CS-TAP msn 1782 and CS-TAQ msn 1790 were retired from service. In January they were ferried from Oporto to Manchester for storage with CS-TAP arriving on the 22nd and CS-TAQ on the 16th. Meanwhile Shuttle Airlines EMB-110P1 VH-FCE continues to operate for Australian Cargo out of Tullamarine.

Ansett NT leased EMB-110P2 VH-MWV from Skywest Aviation in 09/90 to operate a twice daily service between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. In early 03/91 this charter was terminated and VH-MWV returned to Skywest operations based in Darwin.

Air New Zealand have also leased a Boeing 747-219B to Malaysia Airlines. Boeing 7 47-219B ZK-NZZ was painted in Malaysia colours and registered 9M-MHH before departing Auckland for Kuala Lumpur on 01/03.

Propjet News.

Mitsubishi MU-2K VH-MWZ, which was operated by Sky Venture P/L, of Frankston and based at Essendon, has been sold in the US. The MU-2 departed Moorabbin in mid March as N4186Y on ferry to the US A.

VH-MWZ spent most if its life in Australia based at Essendon and it was there that it was delivered to lnterair in 10/82 as N61DP. By 05/83 the MU-2K was noted carrying a dual registration N61DPNH-MWZ, though it continued to sit in the interior hangar. Strangely, in 02/84 the US registration was changed to N61DX, while it was 07/84 before VH-MWZ finally started flying with lnterair. While on the subject of MU-2s and Essendon we might mention that lnterair MU-2Gs N771DP and N881DP which are ex VH-JER and VH-JES respectively, are still very much part of the local scene in spite of previous reports to the contrary.

International Business Jets were advertising their Gulfstream 1 VH-JPJ for sale in the overseas press in February. For most of March VH-JPJ has been static outside Associated Airlines at Essendon, and it is believed that this very smart looking Gulfstream 1 could be destined for an operator in SE Asia. VH-JPJ, which was previously operated in the UK by Rolls- Royce, was delivered to International Business Jets in 07/88. The departure of VH-JPJ would see VH-FLO of National Jet as the last remaining Gulfstream 1 on the Australian register.

Tamair Turbo Commander 681 VH-NYG was destroyed in an accident at Tamworth Airport in early March. VH-NYG was one of nine Turbo Commanders imported to Australia in 1987 by Amann Aviation for operation on the Coastwatch contract.

Beech King Air 350 N56800 msn FL-30 was registered to Hawker Pacific Inc, Sun Valley, California in 12/90 though to date we have had no report of the King Air’s delivery to Australia. Heavylift (PNG) P/L, based at Mt Hagen, have added King Air 200C P2-HCN msn BL-22 to their fleet.