Civil Register Update

Protec Sassy PTF is the third of this type to fly in Australia under VH registration although the machine is light enough to be registered by the Australian Ultralight Federation who maintain their own marking system using numbers instead of letters. Stoddard Hamilton Glasair THK is the first model 2SFT to fly in this country whilst XAZ is the eighth Viking Dragonfly. Another American designed homebuilt aircraft, the Dragon-fly looks very muchlike the Quickie range of canard configured fibreglass types. It first flew in June 1980 and received the much coveted “Outstanding New Design” award at the Oshkosh EAA show during the same year. Three Dragonfly basic models are available, the Mark I with the main wheels housed in spats built into the front wing, the Mark II with a more conventional main undercarriage and the Mark III utilising a non retractable nosewheel undercarriage.

Consolidated Press Holdings Falcon 200 N702SB was expected to retain its US markings whilst based in Australia however this aircraft has joined the register as CPE.

Surprisingly only two production built helicopters are listed this month, an early model Robinson Beta KIS, and a Hughes 500 AKV, previously operated in Japan by Royal Koku of Kazo. Most Japanese helicopters have been delivered new so it is interesting to note that this particular machine saw service in the USA and Canada before going to Japan.

Maule Super Rockets AEL and AGX are from a batch of Maules imported by Adams Aviation during 1989 which have beenstored at their Bankstown hangar awaiting sale. The basic design was developed by Belford D Maule at Jackson, Michigan where his company produced light aircraft ventilation systems and tailwheel assemblies. Only one prototype of the M-1 and M-2 models were built but the M-4 became very popular with people who preferred a conventional fabric covered aircraft to those all metal designs which were starting to appear from the Piper and Cessna factories. In fact the M-4 was covered with “Razorback” fibreglass material and was therefore more dura- ble than the traditional fabric covered types. Since then the Maule has been developed using a variety of more powerful engines and STOL features into the M-7 current production model. The MX-7 model is a combination of the short span wings of the M-5, the fuselage of the M-6 and the ailerons and flaps of the M-7. The 235 model number indicates a 235hp Lycoming 0-540-J1A5D powerplant and the “C” suffix indicates that a starboard rear cargo door is fitted.

Flight West Airlines Twin Otter XFH has been transferred from the company’s PNG associate Talair of Goroka where it has been operating as P2-RDH since January 1981. A second batch of eight new TB-10 Tobagos, YTI-YTP, has arrived for the British Aerospace/Ansett flying college and join the first batch of eight, YTA-YTH, delivered during February 1992. Even though some of these aircraft appear to be in storage in the company’s Tamworth hangar, the flying college have a further batch of eight on order for delivery next year and registrations YTQ-YTX have been reserved.

Two aircraft of historical importance are Moree based Tiger Moth BGH and Malcolm Long’s Hudson KOY. The Tiger Moth was first registered as a civilian aircraft on December 23 1947 after a training career in the RAAF. It crashed at Cunderdin WA on September 11 1964 but has now returned to the air after a meticulous rebuild. It was unable to take up it original mark- ings as a PA-28-180 is currently flying as BGA so has settled for the similar BGH.

There are three Lockheed Hudsons in Australia, Bob Eastgate’s AGX/A16-122 has been restored to static display status only and Malcolm Long’s AGP/A16-105 is in a museum making KÖY/A16-112 the only flying example in this part of the world. It is a major step forward in the preservation of Austral- ian aviation history and no doubt will be a big draw card at future air shows.

Three entries are shown in the Aircraft Returning to Register section, a Maule, a Tripacer and a Cessna Stationair. The Piper Tripacer MGB and Cessna U206G Stationair SHO were both delivered new to Australia during 1969 and 1977 respectively. MGB was withdrawn from use during September 1985 whilst the Stationair Amphibian somersaulted and sank after a landing on rough water at Somerset Dam north west of Brisbane on December 31 of the same year. Both machines have been rebuilt and are flying again after eight years of inactivity.

Super Rocket JLU was one of the batch of Maules mentioned earlier imported by the agent Adams Aviation in late 1989. Due to the downturn in aircraft sales at that period it remained unregistered until November 1991 when it joined the register as JLU. According to CAA records it was exported to Thailand one month later but it seems that the sale fell through as the aircraft remained stored at the Adams Aviation facility at Bankstown until late last year when it was fitted with floats and undertook a short demonstration tour of northern Queens- land. Neil and Maree Rutherford of Bundaberg Seaplane Tours saw the aircraft and decided it was ideal for their operation working from the freshwater reaches of the Burnett River on tourist flights mainly to Lady Musgrave Reef for snorkelling, fishing and picnics.

The majority of entries in the Deletions section are aircraft that have been sold overseas, unfortunately the second largest group is the result of aircraft being destroyed or damaged.

Bellanca Decathlon, VH-CCC crashed at Schofields after hitting power lines as long ago as May 1991 but has only just been officially taken off the register and Turbo Arrow IWJ crashed at Evans Head with the loss of two lives. The Arrow is the second aircraft to crash carrying the markings of IWJ as a Westwind with that callsign was lost at sea after departing Sydney on October 10 1985.

Three emergency services helicopters have been lost recently during rescue operations, two of which are listed this month. Surf Life Saving Association Dauphin LSR crashed during a bushwalker rescue in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney and NSW Police Squirrel PHM was swamped by a large wave while rescuing a fisherman from rocks just north of Sydney. The Squirrel was later recovered by a Russian built Kamov KA32 helicopter although salt water immersion usually precludes a rebuild after this sort of accident. With the danger to rescuers lives and possible loss of expensive equipment during these types of rescue surely some sort of compensation should be sought from the sometimes foolhardy “rescuees”.

Of the aircraft that have departed these shores four have gone to PNG, three to New Zealand, three to the USA and one each to Austria, Thailand and the Philippines. Cessna 172 BFO joins a growing number of 172s and 182s to be exported to Kiwiland recently, while Squirrel NLR returns to Rural Aviation of Auckland after its lease to Helicopter Resources of Tyabb. The Squirrel was used for Antarctic support work along with three other Squirrels HBB, SRB and HRR.

Cessna Chancellor CBT, Stationairs SAJ and SFW and Super King Air TLX have all gone to PNG with the Chancellor and Super King Air, now P2-CBS and P2-MBM respectively, still being registered to their Australian owners although P2-MBM is probably being used in the Milne Bay Air fleet. Stationair SFW has become P2-MAX and joins the large Cessna 206 contingency in PNG operated by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship at Mount Hagen. Gulfstream Commander LTN is the third of four CAA Commanders to go to the USA while Dash 8 FNQ has been returned to GPA Leasing in the USA after Sunstate Airlines took delivery of its replacement TNX. The departure of three Beech Dukes in one month, one each to New Zealand, Thailand and the USA, is notable. Seventeen Dukes have seen service in Australia over the years from a total production of 553 model 60s, A60s and B60s and the loss of these three machines reduces the numbers of this type still flying in the country to eleven.

Seven aircraft have been withdrawn from use during the period covered many of which can be expected to return to the air after lengthy maintenance, although Cessna Golden Eagle SEV and Beech King Air ICV officially shown as withdrawn are believed to have been sold overseas.

In the Change of Ownership section Bellanca Citabria CTX has gone to an owner in Hong Kong so this aircraft is probably a candidate for the deletions section in future months. Three commuters change hands, Bandeirante BWC from Sunstate Airlines to Eastern Australia Airlines, Amphibious Nomad BRQ from Aquatic Airways of Palm Beach NSW to Straightline Air Charters at Townsville and Cessna 402 EVF has gone from Penair at Essendon to Aeromed of Noosa Qld. The four Ayres OCR, OKI, OLT and OPS have all been repossessed by AGC Finance and were to be auctioned by Pickles (the same auctioneers that are handling the RAAF CT-4s) at Bankstown during April. The aircraft are only a few years old and the auction is a sad reminder of the plight of Australian farmers and their associated aviation industry.

Following up on some Australian aircraft that have been exported recently, Beech Baron JDN and Bonanza PAD, both shown in the March issue, are now flying in the USA as N34DD and N130WB respectively whilst Cessna 172N UZG is now flying in New Zealand as ZK-MJM with Dennis Thompson at Auckland’s GA airport Ardmore. Also active in New Zealand is Hiller UH-12 ECQ which was listed in the April deletions. The Hiller was expected to take up its old Kiwi markings of ZK-HCS but instead became ZK-HHO with Te Anau Deer based on the South Island on venison recovery.

Super King Air NIH was the twelfth of its type built and was delivered to building giant Theiss Brothers in October 1974. Ownership passed to the National Safety Council in 1986 who used it as a search aircraft before their much publicised demise whereupon it went to Norfolk Airlines. After the collapse of Norfolk Airlines the early model Super King Air was sold in the USA in January of this year where it now flies as N193GA.

British Aerospace 125 VH-III came to Australia during July 1986 after a short career as the series 800 demonstrator. It returned to the UK in January 1993 and has since taken up its old markings of G-DCCC (DCCC are the Roman numerals for 800) flying with Corporate Jets which is the new name for the 125/1000 marketing division of British Aerospace. Twin Otter AQB was damaged at Dunk Island on November 18 1988 and was thought to be a writeoff, however the rugged twin has been rebuilt and is now flying with Talair in PNG as P2-GVL Also in PNG is Bandit FCG which is now registered P2-NAB although ownership remains with Asia Pacific Airlines of Adelaide.

Two aircraft that have seen service in several countries since leaving Australia are Bell Jetranger BIQ and Boeing 727 TBL. The Jetranger was sold in America during June 1990 and flew for a while as N6606M before moving on to England where it flew as G-BTHY with R & M International Helicopters at Dereham. The globe trotting Bell has recently been sold in Hungary where it now flies as HA-LFD in the Hepta Top Air Transport fleet. Hepta Top commenced operations in 1991 using two Cessna 421C Golden Eagle aircraft and the former BIQ is its first venture into rotary winged operations. Boeing 727TBLoperated with TAA/Australian between April 1975 and April 1987 before being phased out in favour of 737 equipment. It was sold in Iceland where it was used by Icelandair as TF-FLK however this was only a short term measure as Icelandair had new Boeing 757s on order. When the 757s were delivered the ex-Australian 727 was sold to Shannonair Leasing who promptly leased it to Aviogenex of Yugoslavia who registered it YU-AKO. Equipment updates again caught up with the 727 recently when Aviogenex took delivery of more modern 737 aircraft. TBL has now returned to Iceland where it is in service with Atlantic Island Air of Reykjavik.

A small number of 1992/93 Australian Aviation Civil Aircraft Registers are still available showing types, serial numbers and owner/operators of all “VH”registered aircraft. This 104 page reference book can only be obtained from AustAirData, PO Box 1142 Toombul Qld 4012, phone (074) 958 -496, at a cost of $10. 95. The data is also available on IBM compatible computer disk at a cost of $50. 00 and the details can be kept up to date each month using the information contained in the Register Review so be sure to obtain your current register and take out a subscription to Australian Aviation.