Traffic

On 16/09 Monarch Air commenced closed charter operations on the former Hazelton Airlines routes from Sydney to Coota mundra, Young and Cowra. From 06/11 Monarch offered a full RPT service using Cessna 441 VH-ANJ and PA31-350 VH-SBN. Southem Air are a another operator to benefit from Hazelton withdrawing from a number of NSW country routes. RPT services from Condoblin and Forbes to Sydney commenced on 18/11 using Queen Air B80 VH-AMG and Cessna 414A VH-LAG. Kendell Airlines took delivery of their sixth Saab 340A at Wagga on 03/12. Registered VH-KDB the Saab entered service later in the month in a hybrid colour scheme. Kendell titles were added to the colours of its previous operator Netherlines, who flew the Saab out of Amsterdam as PH-KJK. Oxley Airlines have leased EMB-110P1 VH-FCE from Shuttle Airlines with Bandeirante first noted flying on their routes on 14/12. On 11/1 VH-FCE was grounded as a result of damage sustained while flying in a hailstorm. PA31-350’s VH-JJI and VH-LHI have been noted recently at Sydney and Coolangatta airports carrying Lord Howe Island titles.

Bizjet News Iepl

Aviation took delivery of Falcon 900 N104FJ msn 104 at their Wellington base on 08/12. N104FJ replaced in service the previously operated Falcon 900 N42FJ. Former Pacific Aviation Falcon 20F VH-RRC, which has been in the US for some months while awaiting sale was registered N7WG to O’Leary Inc, of Fairfield, lowa in 10/91. In late 12/91 Esso Exploration moved their Learjet 35A VH-EMP and Cessna S550 VH-EMO from Sydney to their new base at Essendon. The Learjet 35A has been advertised for sale for some months so it was no surprise when it left on delivery to the US early in the New Year.

Also sold overseas was Cessna 550 VH-JVS of Switzerland General Insurance. On 25/11 VH-JVS flew from Corfu to Luton and Cranfield, where it was handed over to its new owner. Of interest is the fact that VH-JVS has returned to the UK from where it was imported in 11/88 as G-JETD. Multiplex Construction, Perth have sold their CL-600S Challenger VH-MXX to Coca Cola Amital in Sydney. The Challenger was noted at Melbourne in late December carrying new registration VH-MCG.

Consolidated Press operated Gulfstream IIB N711SB out of the Australian Jet Charter complex at Sydney from 12/86 until mid 91, when it was replaced by Douglas DC-8-62 VR-BMR. N711SB has itself been registered in Bermuda as VR-BML to Avi- ation Finance Leasing. Operating base for VR-BML is London, Heathrow Airport.

Bandeirante Fleet Update

Australian Embraer agents Aeromil P/L imported four EMB-110P1s in late 11/91 early 12/91. Final destination for these aircraft in Australia was Tamworth, where they were overhauled by Eastem Australia Airlines before delivery to an operator in the Middle East. The first aircraft to arrive was N110SX men 423 of Christman Air System of Washington DC, which ferried into Sydney from Honiara on 28/11. Former Asahi Airlines EMB-110P1S JA8842 msn 386 and JA8843 msn 438 flew into Cairns on 03/12 from Port Moresby. Final delivery was former United Express/ Westair EMB-110P1 N142EM msn 442, which arrived in Sydney from Honiara on 05/12. The four aircraft have since been regis tered VH-LV, -LVH, -LVK and -LVJ respectively.

According to my records this brings the number of Band-N134EM msn 387 ferried into Wellington on delivery to Astral Airl eirantes imported into our region to 48. On 17/06 EMB-110P1 Tranzair as ZK-TRJ. In reality N134EM never took up its allocated registration due to the demise of Astral Air. On 13/12 now registered ZK-TAI the former N134EM departed Auckland on delivery to Air Raratonga in the Cook Islands.

Asia Pacific Airlines are a newly formed subsidiary of National Jet Systems of Adelaide, who have recently been awarded a contract to work with New Guinea operator Nationair. This contract, which was previously held by Skywest Aviation, involves the uplift of mining personnel between Cairns and Tabubil. For their part of the contract Nationair operate EMB-110P1 P2-NAL. while in early 01/92 EMB-110P1 VH-FCG was added to the Nationair/Asia Pacific operation. VH-FCG, which was previously operated by Norfolk Island Airlines, had been static at Cairns since 03/91.

Propjet News

After a very quiet period on the propjet scene it is good to see the arrival of two new aircraft in our region. King Air E90 N250MM msn LW-63 flew into Sydney from Norfolk Island on 11/10, and the following month it was registered VH-ICV to Icena Aviation at Bankstown. King Air B200 F-OGOK msn BB-1408 was delivered to new owners in Noumea, New Caledonie in early 12/91. Stahmann Farms, Toowoomba have sold their Piper PA-31T/1 VH-SJJ in the United States. On 12/11 VH-SJJ was noted on Norfolk Island on the first leg of its transpacific crossing. A second PA-31T/1 to depart in this period was ZK-KPH of Kiwi Packaging. ZK-KPH was cancelled from the New Zealand register on 28/11 on sale to the United States. At the time of writing the Civil Avia- tion Authority have their fleet of six Commander 695A’s VH-LTI, -LTJ,-LTK, -LTM, -LTN and -LTO in storage at Essendon Airport with the prospect of the aircraft being sold. Asia Pacific Airlines commenced operations on 01/01 out of their Cairns base using a King Air 200 appropriately registered VH-APA. This aircraft however is not new in the country but is a reregistration of the former Norfolk Island Airlines VH-NIB. Merlin III’s VH-CAL and VH-CAM have been static at Essendon since 08/86. They were later sold to Opex Aviation, California as N174SP and N173SP respectively but to date they have never carried their US markings. On 19/12 the Merlins, which are presently parked in the open at the base of the tower, were issued with a writ for their removal by the FAC. It will be interesting to see what the future. holds for these aircraft.

Friendship Fleet Update

Ansett Australia have been successful of late in finding new homes for some of the Friendships they have parked around the World.

F27-200 VH-MMS which has been static at Melbourne since 10/87 has been leased to Peruvian operator Expresso Aereo SA as OB-1454. The Friendship flew out of Melbourne on 13/12 on the long ferry to Lima via the Middle East and the North Atlantic. Expresso Aereo commenced operations in 05/91 with F27-500’s OB-1443 and OB-1446. These aircraft were at one time operated by Airlines of NSW as VH-FCD and VH-FCB respectively.

From the UK comes news of former Ansett F-27-600’s VH-FNR and VH-FNT. In 08/88 VH-FNR departed Melbourne on ferry to Europe, where it operated on the TNT air freight network, initially as SE-KGC with Malmo Aviation and then as EC-EUU with Pan Air, Madrid. Sister aircraft VH-FNT departed Melbourne in 03/87 also destined for Europe, however it remained at Norwich, England until 03/88 before it found work with Aviaco as EC-EHG. By 08/91 both aircraft had returned to Norwich, where strangely EC-EUU reverted again to VH-FNR. The two Friendships were then sold to Brooker-Wheaton Aviation of Edmonton, Canada. VH-FNR registered C-GBWC crossed the North Atlantic in mid 11/91 to be followed later by VH-FNT now C-FAFE. At Melbourne F27-600 VH-FNO, which has been static since 07/89 is presently undergoing maintenance prior to being ferried to Europe. The departure of VH-FNO will leave F27-200’s VH-MMR and VH-MMV as the only Friendships in storage at Melbourne.