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Australia Asia Airlines commenced operations on 11/10, when Boeing 767-338ER VH-OGA operated IM835 from Sydney to Taipei. Initial schedules show Australia Asia operating a twice weekly return service, Friday and Sunday, from Sydney to Taipei with the Monday southbound flight via Brisbane. For the remainder of the week VH-OGA will operate for Qantas. The new Taiwanese carrier on the route is Mandarin Airlines, whose Boeing 747SP N4508H was first noted in Sydney on 17/10.

Former PanAm Boeing 747-212B’s N724PA and N727PA were ferried into Sydney from Honolulu on 06/10 as a result of Qantas successfully tendering for a major maintenance contract on these aircraft. Both Boeings are now owned by the Potomac Capital Investment Corp of Washington, DC. For the ferry N724PA used the callsign ‘Papa Charlie India One’ while N727PA was ‘Papa Charlie India Two’.

Airline News

Ansett Airlines Boeing 737-377 VH-CZM returned to Brisbane on 07/10 on termination of its lease to America West Airlines. The all white Boeing 737-377 ferried in from Phoenix via Honolulu and Nadi as N113AW using the callsign ‘Cactus 3802′. After repainting in Ansett Australia colours VH-CZM returned to service in late October. VH-CZM was the last of three Ansett Boeing 737-377’s to return to Australia after being leased to America West Airlines as a result of the 1989 pilots’ dispute. Detail of these leases were: VH-CZM departed Melbourne on 27/10/89 for Phoenix, where it entered service with America West as N113AW. T he aircraft returned to Brisbane on 07/10/91 as noted above: VH-CZO departed Brisbane 19/10/89 and operated as N114AW before returning to Melbourne on 28/06/90: VH-CZP departed Brisbane on 19/10/89 and operated as N115AW before returning to Melbourne on 30/04/90.

Australian Airlines Boeing 737-476 VH-TJG also returned to Melbourne on 03/11 on termination of its lease to Malaysia Airlines. Still carrying Malaysian colours and registered 9M-MLE the Boeing ferried Kuala Lumpar, Darwin, Melbourne as MH5402. Originally delivered to Australian Airlines on 07/07/90 VH-T JG commenced its lease to Malaysia Airlines on 18/10/90. Australian Airlines will take delivery of Boeing 737-476 VH-TJL in late 11/91 and Boeing 737-476 VH-T JM in late 12/91. Delivery and entry into service of VH-TJG, -T JL and -T JM will bring Australian Airlines combined Boeing 737-376 and -476 fleet to 24 units consisting of 16 -376 and 8 -476.

RAAF Boeing 707-368C A20-103 was destroyed on 29/10, when it crashed into Bass Strait off Woodside Beach, Gippsland, Victoria. A20-103 was one of three ex Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 707-368C’s delivered to the RAAF in early 1988. Two of the three N1987B and N7486B entered service with the RAAF as A20-103 and A20-261 respectively, while the third N1486B was purchased as a source of spares and is now used as a ground training aid at Richmond.

Regional Airline News

Sunstate Airlines (Queensland) have sold their last DHC-6-300 VH-TNS to Islands Helicopter Services of Rabaul, PNG. VH-TNS was withdrawn from service shortly after Sunstate terminated flights to Noosa in 08/91. In 07/91 Sunstate sold DHC-6-300 VH-TNM to Islands Helicopter Services as P2-IAA.

Other Twin Otter news concerns the former Cook Islands Airways Dash 300 ZK-KHA, which transited Auckland on 17/09 enroute to Blenheim and a pre-service overhaul prior to entering service with Mount Cook. Solomon Airlines Dash 300 H4-SIA was written off on 27/09 when it crashed shortly after departing from Honiara. H4-SIA was originally built on order for Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea as VH-PGT and was delivered to them in 02/70. In 11/73 VH-PGT was sold in Canada as CF-JJI. Since returning to the South Pacific region with Solomon Airlines the Twin Otter has operated again on the Australian register being leased to Norfolk Pacific as VH-NIO.

Kendell Airlines took delivery of their sixth Saab 340A in late 11/91. Registered VH-KDB this aircraft was previously operated by KLM Cityhopper as PH-KJK.

King Island Airlines added a fifth PA31-350 to their fleetin 10/91 when VH-JIC was delivered to Moorabbin.

Brisbane based Jetcraft who operate Metro ll’s VH-UZQ and VH-UZY on a Security Express contract have added a third Metro II to their fleet. Registered VH-UZS the Metro was first noted at Cairns on 10/10 and is the former VH-EPB of Eastern Pacific Airlines, an aircraft which was imported to Australia in 07/89. Metro II N605AS msn AC-494 of PLM Transportation ferried into Sydney in 05/91. T he Metro remained there until 06/09 when it departed for Auckland and onward delivery to Eagle Airways, Hamilton.

Air North DC-3 VH-MMA was noted at Darwin on 11/10 with its Air North titles removed and replaced with that of parent company the Henry-Walker Group. Another DC-3 in the news is VH-CAN of Flight Australia, which was noted at Albury on 20/09 shortly after being delivered to local operator Splitters Creek Airlines.

Flight West EMB-110P1 VH-XFH departed Cairns on 24/09 on return ferry to Talair, where it has reverted to P2-RDP. In 07/91 Flight West purchased EMB-110P1 VH-OZG from Aus-Air. The Bandeirante entered service still carrying Aus-Air colours but with the addition of Flight West titles. In 11/91 the Bandeirante was painted in Flight West colours and reregistered VH-XFJ.

Heron Airlines Commence Operations

Heron Airlines are a new operator based at Kingsford-Smith Airport offering tourist and charter flights with their newly delivered DH-114 Heron. Heron Airlines have in fact purchased two Heron’s from Fiji Airways with the first DQ-FED arriving in Sydney on 27/10 on completion of its ferry flight from Suva. DQ-FED departed Suva on 24/10 and ferried to Sydney via Nadi, Tontouta, Magenta, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. Since registered VH-NJI the Heron has been christened ‘Arthur Butler’ in honour of the owner of Butler Air Transport who imported the first Heron into Australia nearly 40 years ago. DQ-FED itself was built in 1955 for Turkish operator Devlet Hava Yollari, while in 1967 it was fitted with Lycoming engines by Riley Aeronautics. Heron Airlines are planning to take delivery of Fiji Air Heron DQ-FEE in 03/92.

Meanwhile, Rudge Air Dove VH-DHI was damaged in a landing accident at Launceston in early 09/90. T he Dove was then dismantled for shipment back to Essendon, where it will hopefully be rebuilt. VH-DHI was the former Royal Navy Sea Devon XJ324, which first arrived at Essendon in 06/90 from the UK. Still retaining its Royal Navy colours, but now registered VH-DHI, this immaculate looking aircraft made its first flight from Essendon in late June this year.

Bizjet News

Consolidated Press changed the registration of their DC-8-62 at Sydney on 19/10 from the US N8970U to the Bermudan VR-BMR. For a country of its size Bermuda has an extraordinary large fleet of executive aircraft as a number of large corporations use it as a flag of convenience.

IEPL Aviation based at Wellington were planning to take delivery of Falcon 900 N104FJ msn 104 in early 12/91. IEPL will then trade in their previously operated Falcon 900 N42FJ. T he former Bond Corporation Falcon 900 VH-BGV, which sat at Sydney Airport for over a year, while awaiting sale, has been purchased by Brunner and Lay of Chicago and registered N800BL.

Daikyo Australia Gulfstream 1V N23SY returned to Cairns in late 09/91 after repainting in a new blue and white colour scheme. An unusual visitor to Darwin in late 09/91 was Citation S550 B-4101 msn 0049. Operated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences the Citation sat at Darwin Airport for nearly three weeks.

Freeport Indonesia are now using Boeing 737-247 PK-OCF and Boeing 737-293 PK-OCG on flights between Cairns and Timika though their BAC 111/401AK PK-PJF still remains in residence at Cairns.

Ferry Flights

Gulfstream 1 VH-JPJ, which was previously operated by International Business Jets, Sydney has been sold to an operator in Indonesia. VH-JPJ was initially delivered to Indonesia in late 04/91 however it returned to Essendon in late 06/91, where Associated Airlines have since undertaken a major refit and repaint of the Gulfstream. VH-JPJ finally departed Essendon in late 11/91 for Indonesia. Meanwhile the future of Gulfstream 1 VH-FLO of National Jet, which is the last of its type in Australia, is not looking bright. VH-FLO, which is missing many components, is presently parked in a darkened, locked hangar at Essendon, while a decision is made on its future.

Beech 99 N220RH msn U-68 arrived in Auckland on 05/09 after completing its Trans-Pacific ferry flight from the US via Apia. The Beech 99 was on delivery to Chatham Islands Air, who have since registered it ZK-CIB.

Cape York Air Services took delivery of BN-2N3 P2-DNP at Cairns on 13/10. P2-DNP has previously seen service in Australia as VH-BSP with Bush Pilots Airways. Other Trislander news concerns the Wellington based operator Skyferry who ceased operations in late 09/91 with their two BN-2N3’s ZK-SFF and ZK-SFG being placed on the market.

Meanwhile, Great Barrier Airlines based at Mechanics Bay, Auckland have sold the Grumman G-21A Goose ZK-DFC to an operator in the United States.