Civil Register Update

Kawasaki Hughes 500C FHL is the third of its type to be imported from Japan and refurbished by Chopperline at Caloundra for use on the Gold Coast CAA Chairman and adventurer Dick Smith has also bought a Sikorsky S-76 for a proposed round the world trip which takes up the same marking, SHW, that he used on his Twin Otter between March 1988 and February 1990. Meanwhile, the Fleet Air Arm Museum at RAN Nowra has

acquired a Bell Iroquois from America to add to its expanding inventory of historically significant aircraft Although purchased in

the USA, it was in fact operated by the RAAF as A2-715. It crashed near Pearce on 30 November 1970 and the remains are believed to have been sold along with seven airworthy Iroquois to Joaquin Helicopters of California, Ten airliners areincluded in the new allocations this issue, nine being brand new Boeing products. Australian has received three 737s, Qantas has added three 767s and two 747s to its fleet and Australian Regional has added a Boeing Canada Dash 8 to its North Queensland routes. The only second hand airliner to arrive in Australia is Kendell Airlines sixth Saab 340, KDB is the eighth production 340 and has spent most of its life on short term lease from the manufacturer to airlines such as Birmingham Executive in England, Swedair in Sweden, Bar Harbour Airlines in the USA and Manx Airlines on the Isle of Man, Changes of markings abound in this issue with no less than nine aircraft falling foul of the paint brush. Among them two elderly Aero Commander 500s, EXO and PW O, which Steve Nott has bought to add to his General Aviation Maintenance fleet of Commanders operating from Essendon on contract work around Victoria. Mr Van Vugt’s Twin Comanche CNZ and Uncle Toby’s Cessna Golden Eagle UTC both have New Zealand connections, the Piper having been operated by Mainline Hotels of Nelson as ZK-CNL whilst the Cessna came from Corson Aviation of Gisbourne and flew as ZK-TCS in New Zealand, Homebuilts and warbirds are also evident with three new homebuilt aircraft and five new Warbirds. The Homebuilts include a second Hawker Hurricane Replica, LKY, and another American designed Lancair 320, NCY. The third homebuilt is Rob Wood’s Pitts SpecialLRQ which was the first homebuilt to be constructed in PNG. Rob has now returned to Australia and has brought his immaculatebiplane with him, Three more BirdDogs make up more than half the warbird contingency, LOS, LOX and the appropriately registered YAP, all from Col Pay’s seemingly never ending supply of interesting machines, XNZ, as the registration implies is an ex New Zealand Harvard which has been in storage for many years pending rebuildand LRR is BobDe La Hunty’s second Nep have been sold along with seven airworthy Iroquois to Joaquin Helicopters of California, Ten airliners areincluded in the new allocations this issue, nine being brand new Boeing products. Australian has received three 737s, Qantas has added three 767s and two 747s to its fleet and Australian Regional has added a Boeing Canada Dash 8 to its North Queensland routes. The only second hand airliner to arrive in Australia is Kendell Airlines sixth Saab 340, KDB is the eighth production 340 and has spent most of its life on short term lease from the manufacturer to airlines such as Birmingham Executive in England, Swedair in Sweden, Bar Harbour Airlines in the USA and Manx Airlines on the Isle of Man, Changes of markings abound in this issue with no less than nine aircraft falling foul of the paint brush. Among them two elderly Aero Commander 500s, EXO and PW O, which Steve Nott has bought to add to his General Aviation Maintenance fleet of Commanders operating from Essendon on contract work around Victoria. Mr Van Vugt’s Twin Comanche CNZ and Uncle Toby’s Cessna Golden Eagle UTC both have New Zealand connections, the Piper having been operated by Mainline Hotels of Nelson as ZK-CNL whilst the Cessna came from Corson Aviation of Gisbourne and flew as ZK-TCS in New Zealand, Homebuilts and warbirds are also evident with three new homebuilt aircraft and five new Warbirds. The Homebuilts include a second Hawker Hurricane Replica, LKY, and another American designed Lancair 320, NCY. The third homebuilt is Rob Wood’s Pitts SpecialLRQ which was the first homebuilt to be constructed in PNG. Rob has now returned to Australia and has brought his immaculatebiplane with him, Three more BirdDogs make up more than half the warbird contingency, LOS, LOX and the appropriately registered YAP, all from Col Pay’s seemingly never ending supply of interesting machines, XNZ, as the registration implies is an ex New Zealand Harvard which has been in storage for many years pending rebuildand LRR is BobDe La Hunty’s second Nep few months off the register for extended maintenance. Cherokee RVZ returns after being withdrawn from use during November 1988 whilst the two Squirrel’s HBA and HRX return from a short seven month sojourn in Canada. Australian Airlines Boeing 737 TJG was one of two leased to Malaysia Airlines during October 1990 and is the first to return whilst 737, CZM, has been used by America West Airlines since the pilots’ dispute as N113AW but now returns to its owner, Ansett.

Meanwhile, Robinson CIU seems to be prone to accidents at Haxton Park in Sydney’s west. It was damaged there during August 1985 but was repaired and flying again by July 1986. It again crashed, at the same location, in January 1988 and has again been repaired and is once more back in the air. Trislander BSP was delivered new to the Australian Britten-Norman distributors in February 1975 and was soon sold to Burnett Airways in Brisbane. One year later the aircraft was taken over by Bush Pilots Airways and joined three other Bush Pilots Trislanders at Cairns. The type was never success in Australia and by mid 1983 all four were sold to an American dealer who passed two on to Slocum Air based in Miami, Florida and the other two to Douglas Airways in PNG. BSP was one of the Douglas Airways aircraft based at Port Moresby and continued to work for them as P2-DNP until 1990 when Douglas ceased operations. The 17 year old machine has now returned to Cairns, this time working for Cape York Air Services.

The deletions section this issue shows 44 aircraft, although ten of these have been reregistered and therefore can be found in the New Allocations section. Three aircraft have gone to New Zealand including two Cessna 152s HWK and OWL. The third New Zealand export is long time Archerfield resident Ag-Cat JBB which will be converted to three seat status by Drake Aviation at Christchurch for tourist flying out of Queenstown. Four aircraft have gone to PNG to satisfy the demand for commuters in that country with several new airlines emerging to fill the gaps that the retreating Talair is leaving on the less popular routes. Baron NET and Twin Otter TNM have become P2-IAB and P2-IAA with Island Helicopters at Rabaul and a second Twin Otter, TNS, and a Cessna Titan, TMX, may have gone to the same operator. Three elderly Friendships have also been exported, FNR and FNT to Canada and MMS to Peru. The latter was delivered via Alice Springs on 13 December to Expresso Aereo as OB-1454.

Accidents have claimed six aircraft recently as well as several lives. Turbo Lance ARW crashed in the Murray River shortly after takeoff from a private strip at Paringi killing the pilot and one passenger, and two other people lost their lives when Victa Airtourer MRZ crashed into the sea shortly after take of from Tangalooma Tourist Resort on Moreton Island just before Christmas. Musketeer UAS was lost along with a family of three when it plunged into the sea off the Victorian coast on a flight from King Island to Moorabbin and the pilot of Twin Comanche MCO was killed when the aircraft flew into a hill after encountering bad weather on a trip from Dubbo to Wollongong. The occupants of Cessna 210 JXA were lucky to escape injury when the aircraft lost power on approach to Hamilton Island and the pilot of Tobago JTQ was extremely lucky when his aircraft lost power whilst on a training flight from Bankstown. The aircraft was extensively damaged when it fell into a car park near the aerodrome where several cars were destroyed.

Following up with some information about aircraft cancelled in previous issues, Rene Rivkin’s Falcon 20 RRG ls now flying as N7WG with O’Leary Inc of Fairfield Idaho and Cessna Stationair LOO is now operating with New Tribes Mission at Goroka PNG as P2-NTD. Kavanagh Balloon HKO is now a flying billboard for Kodak, Auckland as ZK-KDK and Grumman ENY now flies with Yellowbirds of Bangkok as HS-TOM.

Meanwhile locally built Skyfox LRD has arrived at Biggin Hill in England after being shipped from Brisbane to Felixstowe and then by road to the famous WW2 Spitfire base. The aircraft will be used by Skyfox Aviation for demonstration purposes to potential European customers.