Traffic

Eastern Australia Airlines withdrew Bandeirantes VH-WDF and VH-WDI from service during August. VH-WDI was the first to be withdrawn from service and it operated its last service for Eastern on 12/08. The following day VH-WDI was ferried to Tamworth via Newcastle/Williamtown. Eastem’s last Bandeirante service was flown on 16/08 when VH-WDF operated the TN745 from Newcastle/Williamtown to Sydney. On 18/08 VH-WDF was ferried from Sydney to Tamworth for storage. No announcement has been made as to the future of the Bandeirantes though it does appear as though one could join the fleet of another of Australian Airlines’ regional airlines. The withdrawal from service of the Bandeirantes leaves Eastern Australia with an operating fleet of five DHC-8-100s and four Jetstream 31 s. A profile on Eastern appears elsewhere in this issue.

Kendell Airlines took delivery of the first of two Metro 23 aircraft on order at their Wagga base on 06/08. Metro 23 N30042 msn DC-797B was initially accepted by Kendell at San Antonio, Texas and from there it was ferried to Oakland, California for fitment of long range tanks. En route to Wagga N30042 stopped at Hawaii, Pago Pago, Noumea and Brisbane. Later registered VH-KDJ the Metro 23 entered service with Kendell on 14/08. Kendell accepted delivery of their second Metro 23 N3005U msn DC-BOOB at San Antonio on 31/08 and it followed a similar ferry routing to Wagga, where it was planned to arrive on 05/09. N3005U was then registered VH-KDT before entering service with Kendell later in the month from their Adelaide base. In ‘Traffic’/September we mentioned that the Kendell Saab 340A VH-KDT had been damaged in a landing accident at Devonport on 01/07. At the time there was some doubt as to the fate of the Saab however a decision has since been made to repair VH-KDT and as a result it should return to Kendell service during October.

Oxley Airlines commenced operations from Wee Waa to Sydney via Coonabarabran on 10/08 using PA31-350 equipment. As from 07/09 Oxley will lease the Impulse Transportation Beech 1900D VH-SMH for operation on the Brisbane/ Coffs Harbour to Newcastle/Williamtown route.

Airline News

Air Niugini leased Singapore Airlines A310-324 9V-STU for several days in late August to cover the maintenance lay-up of their own A310-324 P2-ANG.

Air Pacific took delivery of Boeing 737-5YO DQ-FJB ‘Island of Taveuni’ in mid August. The Boeing has since replaced ATR42-300s DQ-FEP and DQ-FEQ that were previously used by Air Pacific on South Pacific regional services.

Ansett Australia flew its last charter for Qantas on the Brisbane/Honiara/Brisbane route on 09/08 when Boeing 737-376 VH-CZC operated the QF471/472. From 11/08 Qantas entered a code sharing arrangement with Solomon Airlines. Two weekly return services are now operated weekly on the route by Solomon using their Boeing 737-4Q8 H4-SOL with Qantas selling 500/4 of the seats.

Ansett Australia Boeing 727-277LR VH-ANA was damaged by an inflight fire on 04/07, while operating AN161 from Brisbane to Sydney. After extensive work on the tail section of the Boeing by Ansett maintenance at Brisbane VH-ANA returned to service in early 09/92.

Ansett New Zealand BAe 146-200A ZK-NZB ferried in to Brisbane from Christchurch on 04/08. The BAe 146 which was withdrawn from Ansett New Zealand service the previous day is planned to enter service with Ansett WA as VH-JJX. In ‘TraffidSeptember’ we made mention of the sale of Australian Airlines Boeing 727-276 VH-TBI to The Memphis Group in the United States. It appears that VH-TBI and the previously delivered VH-TBJ are both to be operated by Aeroeuticos of Monterrey, Mexico.

Indian Ocean Airlines took delivery of its Lockheed 1188A N3209A at Perth on 14/08 when it flew in from Cairns. The ferry flight for the Electra originated in Tucson, Arizona with enroute stops being made in Hawaii, Majuro and Honiara. The Indian Ocean Electra which has since been registered VH-IOB commenced flying from Perth to Cocos Island and Christmas Island during September.

Pacific Express is a new Auckland-based freight operator that has been formed by former executives of Southern World Airlines. The first aircraft to appear with Pacific Express titles was II-76TD SSSR-76493. This aircraft was first noted in our region on 16/06 when it operated from Singapore to Auckland via Melbourne using the flight number PEXlO0. On this occasion, no titles were carried by the Ilyushin. On 25/07 SSSR-76493 now carrying Pacific Express titles flew from Auckland to Sydney as PEX125. On 27/07 the Ilyushin ferried south to Melbourne where it remained on the ground until 26/08 when as PHX761 it departed on a charter to Mombasa for CARE Australia.

In a ceremony held at Sydney Airport on 01/08 the Qantas Boeing 767-338ER VH-OGJ was christened ‘City of Port Macquarie’.

Compass Airlines

During this period the new Compass Airlines took delivery of three MD-80 aircraft. The first aircraft to arrive in Australia was MD-83 VH-LNH which flew into Brisbane on 06/08 before continuing to Melbourne the following day. This is explained by the fact that while Brisbane is Head Office for Compass aircraft maintenance is contracted to the Melbourne Jet Base’. Delivery routing for VH-LNH from Long Beach to Brisbane was via Honolulu, and Apia. Compass took delivery of their second MD-80 VH-LNI at Melbourne on 19/08. The ferry flight for VH-LNI originated in Santa Barbara, California and from there en route stops were made at Oakland, Honolulu, Apia and Auckland. For the ferry VH-LNI used the flight number YM002 and the call sign ‘Compass Two’.

Ever since it was announced that MD-80 msn 53121 was to be leased to Compass by Irish Aerospace there has been a certain amount of confusion whether the aircraft is an MD-82 or an MD-83. A recent examination of the manufacturers plate reveals that 53121 was built on 03/02/92 as an MD-82, however an additional plate shows that on 17/07/93 it was converted to an MD-83.

VH-LNL was the first of three MD-82s to be leased from Scandinavian Airlines to arrive in Melbourne. On 21/08 VH-LNL using call sign ‘Compass Three’ flew in from Singapore and Darwin. VH-LNL originated its ferry flight in Oslo and other enroute stops were made at Istanbul, Bahrain and Madras. At time of writing MD-82 VH-LNK is due in Melbourne on 30/08 and it will be followed by VH-LNJ on 10/09. Therefore when Compass recommenced operations on 31/08 they did so with an operational fleet of three aircraft, MD-83s VH-LNH and VH-LNI and MD-82 VH-LNL.

Ferry Flights

The Royal Aircraft Establishment Comet 4 XV814 visited Australia during August on what appears to have been a world trip. On 05/08 the Comet XV814 using callsign ‘Comet 29’ flew from Darwin to RAAF Edinburgh and on 08/08 it departed there for Brisbane and Nadi. This particular aircraft, which we believe is one of only two of its type still flying, originally saw service with BOAC as G-APDF.

Another De Havilland product to move in this period but in a completely different manner was the Moorabbin Air Museum’s DH-104 Dove VH-CW. On 08/08 it departed Moorabbin by road destined for the Historical Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide.

On 15/08 GAF N-22B VH-AUN was receiving attention at Moorabbin prior to delivery to a new owner in Belgium. Noted at Bankstown on 28/07 was PA34-220T N92199 msn 48020. This aircraft was delivered the following month to the BAe/ Ansett Flying College at Tamworth as VH-YSG. Impulse Transportation took delivery of their second Beech 1900D VH-MML at Cairns on 27/07. The following month VH-MML commenced its contract to Misima Mines when it started flying between Cairns and Misima Island. Also noted at Cairns on 07/08 was Southwest Aviation BN-2A P2-SWB. Whether this is a re-registration of an aircraft based in PNG or a new aircraft in our region has yet to be established.

Airfast substituted BAe 748 PK-OBV on their regular service between Timika and Cairns on 15/08. On 18/07 AS-350B2 ZK-IWI of Rural Aviation departed Ardmore on the long ferry to Laos, where it was to commence a charter to the United Nations. ZK-IWI made the Tasman crossing via Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.

Gulfstream 1 PK-RJA, which was the former VH-JPJ, ferried out of Essendon on 10/08 to Alice Springs and Port Hedland and enroute to a new owner in Indonesia. BIZ/PROPJET NEWS

The Papua New Guinea Government Flying Unit based at Jackson’s Field, Port Moresby presently operate King Air 200 P2-PNH. They are evidently looking at a jet to replace the King Air as during this period two overseas bizjets were demonstrated to the Flying Unit. On 08/08 Cessna Aircraft Citation VI N95CM was noted at Port Moresby and it was followed on 16/08 by BAe125-800B G-RAAR.

Australian Jet Charter Learjet 35A VH-LEQ has finally departed Sydney for sale in the United States. As N239GJ the Learjet flew out of Australia on 23/07 on delivery to the Joda Partnership in St Louis, Missouri.

Another Bizjet to be removed from our list is the Jet Commander N159DP. This aircraft has been part of the Darwin scene since it was imported by Amann Aviation in 07/88. Initially N159DP did some flying in Australia but latterly it lay idle in the Darwin Aviation Museum hangar. In 07/92 a US based spare parts company stripped the Jet Commander of its engines and instrumentation. As a result N159DP will end its days stuck on a pole outside the Darwin Aviation Museum.

MU-2B-30 VH-NYM, which was also owned by Amann Aviation, is also to spend the rest of its days in the Darwin Aviation Museum as a static exhibit. During this period two King Air’s departed Australia on sale to overseas operators. King Air C90 VH-LLS which was registered to Naraka P/1. , has been sold in the United States and on 18/07 VH-LLS was noted at Pago Pago enroute to the US.

Skywest Aviation King Air 200C VH-NSR was canceled from the register in early 07/92 as sold in Denmark. The departure of these two aircraft has been partially balanced by the impending arrival of King Air 350C N8275P msn FM-4. This aircraft was registered to Hawker Pacific Inc. , of Sun Valley, California in 06/92, however to date we have no reports of the King Air’s arrival in Australia. FOKKER FLEET CHANGES

Air Niugini have purchased an F28-4000 for delivery in 10/92. To be registered P2-AND the aircraft concerned is msn 11118, which was previously operated by Air Ivoire as TU-TIJ. In 08/91 Air Ivoire traded the F28-4000 in to Fokker as part payment for a Fokker 100. P2-AND will be the first -4000 to be operated by Air Niugini and it will join 7 -lO00’s presently in their fleet.

In ‘Traffic/September’ we mentioned the disposal of former Ansett F27-200s VH-MMO and VH-MMR and since then further details have come to hand. In the early hours of 10/08 the fuselage of VH-MMR was towed through the streets of Melbourne to the Broadmeadows TAFE, Avondale Heights Campus, where it now resides. At the same time the fuselage of VH-MMO was moved from the Ansett maintenance area to the grounds of the CAA Rescue Fire Fighting Training Centre, which is located near the Control Tower at Melbourne airport.

On 17/07 the RNZAF withdrew their 3 F27-100’s, NZ2781, -2782 and -2783 from service. The 3 aircraft made a final flypast over their home base at Wigram before being put into storage. On 23/07, Sempati Air F27-600 PK-JFI flew from Brisbane to Auckland via Norfolk Island, while enroute to Christchurch for routine maintenance with Air New Zealand.