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Australian Airlines took delivery of their 15th Boeing 737-476 VH-TJS ‘Jabiru’ at Melbourne on 16/04. A sign of the times showed VH-TJS using Qantas flight number QF6900 for its trans Pacific delivery. VH-TJS was flown from Port Angeles, Washington to Melbourne via San Francisco, Honolulu, Apia and Nadi. Over the coming months the Australian Airlines fleet will be painted in the new colours adopted by the Qantas Group, which are in fact the colours of Qantas Airways! The first Australian Airlines aircraft to be painted in Qantas colours, Boeing 737-376 VH-TAK, was rolled out at Melbourne Airport in early May.

Meanwhile, Australian Boeing 727-276 VH-TBQ departed Melbourne in early May for Fort Worth, Texas. VH-TBQ was the second of seven Australian Boeing 727-276s sold to Extex International in the US. In turn Extex have leased all seven Boeings to the Mexican charter operator Aeroejecutivo.

Qantas withdrew Boeing 747-238B VH-EBA from service for a second time at Sydney on 29/03 after it operated QF28 from Hong Kong. VH-EBA then the ‘City of Canberra’ was the first of its type to be delivered to Qantas when it arrived in Sydney from Seattle on 16/08/71. Qantas scheduled their first Boeing 747 service on 17/09 when VH-EBA operated as QF739 from Sydney to Singapore via Melbourne. In 05/84 Qantas sold VH-EBA to Guiness Peat Aviation who in turn leased the Boeing to AirLanka. On 08/06 VH-EBA then registered 4R-ULF departed Sydney for Perth and Colombo on delivery to Air Lanka. In 08/86 Qantas leased its former Boeing from the GPA Group and on 02/09/86 VH-EBA returned to Sydney once again on delivery to Qantas. On 29/10/86 VH-EBA re-entered service with Qantas operating as QF43 from Sydney to Auckland. EASTERN DASH 8 GROUND INCIDENT Eastern Australia Airlines DHC-8-102 VH-TQP was damaged at Sydney Airport on 24/03 when hit by a porter’s tug.

Temporary repairs were made to VH-TQP and the following day it was ferried to Tamworth for further maintenance. The loss of VH-TQP from the Eastern fleet just before the busy Easter holiday period created a headache for Eastern Airlines operations. On 25/03 Eastern leased the Charter Cruise Air F27-100 VH-NLS to operate their TN754/755 from Sydney to Tamworth and return. The Friendship continued in service with Eastern at peak periods throughout the time VH-TQP was laid up for repairs.

Eastern EMB-110P2 VH-WDF, which was in storage at Tamworth, was returned to service on 31/03 when it operated TN731 from Newcastle to Sydney. Eastern also chartered Sunstate Airlines Shorts 360 VH-FCU with the aircraft being ferried from Brisbane to Armidale on 18/04 before operating as TN899 from Armidale to Tamworth and Sydney. VH-TQP returned to Eastern Airlines operations on 23/04 when it operated TN759 from Tamworth to Armidale and Sydney.

Airline News

Air New Zealand Boeing 767-219ER ZK-NBE was withdrawn from service at Auckland on 08/04 on termination of its lease from ILFC. ZK-NBE’Aranui”, which was a new aircraft off the production line, was delivered to Air New Zealand on 29/09/88. ILFC have since leased the former ZK-NBE to Transbrasil and before its delivery flight from Auckland to Sao Paulo in late May the Boeing was painted in Transbrasil colours.

Air New Zealand has also leased its Boeing 747-219B ZK-NZZ to Garuda Indonesia for three months to assist in the annual Haj charters. ZK-NZZ wearing Garuda colours departed Auckland on 22/04 for Brisbane, Denpasar and Jakarta. ZK-NZZ, which will be used by Garuda in a 481 economy seat configuration, will operate Haj flights from Jakarta to Jeddah. In March 92 Air New Zealand leased their Boeing 747-219BZK-NZX to Malaysia Airlines as 9M-MHG. On 27/04 the Boeing returned to Auckland as the MH5411 from Kuala Lumpar on the termination of its lease.

Air Niugini DHC-7-103 P2-ANP was badly damaged at Port Moresby Airport on 13/04 when the aircraft slid into a storm water ditch.

Compass Airlines finally disappeared from Australian skies on 31/03 when MD-83s VH-LNH and VH-LNI, which were leased from Irish Aerospace, departed Melbourne for Darwin and all stops through to Dublin. As a coincidence the Canadian Armed Forces brought one of its new AI A310-304s to Australia and New Zealand in late March with the aircraft concerned being the former Compass Airlines VH-YML. The A310, which now carries the serial number 15003, used the call sign CAF 7392 for its visit. 15003 arrived in Canberra from Hong Kong on 21/03 and over the following week visited Auckland, Melbourne, Ohakea and Sydney.

Polynesian Airlines Boeing 737-3S3QC5W-FAX was leased by Ansett Air Freight from 20/04 for two weeks to cover scheduled maintenance on IPEC DC-9-33F VH-IPC.

Regional Airline News

Air Facilities has added the former Hazelton Airlines PA31-350 VH-MZI to its fleet.

Air Maroochy Airlines, who is a division of the Fogarty’s Aviation Group, commenced regional airline operations on 19/04 between Maroochydore and Brisbane with 12 return services weekly being scheduled. Air Maroochy who use the IATA code QO operate to the Ansett terminal at Brisbane Airport. The Air Maroochy fleet consists of PA31-350 VH-OCF, PA31-310 VH-JMD and P-68B VH-IYJ.

Air North Regional is a new force on the regional airline scene who commenced operations in April. The new airline is a joint venture between the Darwin based Hardy Aviation and the Alice Springs based Skyport Group who together formed a joint venture company named Capiteq. In turn Capiteq has purchased from The Henry Walker Group the route network of Air North International as well as DC-3 VH-MMA, Cessna 404 VH-ANY and Cessna 310R VH-TFP. Air North Regional will utilise a fleet of 31 aircraft over the routes previously operated by Air North International and Skyport to 111 destinations mainly in the Northern Territory.

Coast to Coast Airlines commenced services on 01/93 between Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Brisbane while in 02/93 Armidale was added to its route network. To operate these services Coast to Coast flew Cessna 421BVH-SAM and Cessna 421B VH-CMR. Both these aircraft have since been withdrawn from the Coast to Coast fleet and replaced by Cessna 421C VH-URT and Cessna 402B VH-CEM.

Flight West Airlines took delivery of DHC-6-200 P2-RDG from sister company Talair at Cairns on 24/03 with the Twin Otter later entering service as VH-XFH.

Monarch Airlines leased Metro III VH-UZY from Jetcraft from 05/04 until 12/04 while the type was evaluated on its route from Sydney to Kempsey. The Metro carried small ‘Monarch Air’ titles on the port side only. Jetcraft Metro III VH-UZS was reported badly damaged at Mackay on 15/04 after it over-ran the strip on landing.

Oxley Airlines took delivery of Beech C99 N227BH msn U-238 at Sydney airport on 04/04 with the aircraft entering service later in the month as VH-OXB. A third Beech C99 N240BH msn U-237 was delivered to Oxley in late 04/93 and it will be followed by a fourth and fifth of type in 05/93. King Air B200C VH-AJM was delivered to Oxley on 08/04 by Hawker Pacific and as part payment for the King Air, Oxley has traded in seven of its PA31-350 fleet. Oxley will retain two PA31-350 for freight operations. In due course Oxley will change the registration of the King Air from VH-AJM to one in the VH-OX block. Asia Pacific Airlines King Air 200 VH-APA was leased to Oxley from mid-March until King Air VH-AJM entered service. Southern Pacific Regional Airlines ceased operations on 05/04 with provisional liquidators being appointed to look into the finances of the company. Mohawk 298 VH-HKS has been static at Sydney Airport since 01/02, while it is believed that Southern Pacific’s three other Mohawk 298s VH-HEI, -HIX and -HKT have been placed in storage at Bundaberg Airport.

Sunstate Airlines Shorts 330 VH-KNQ has been leased to National Jet Systems in Adelaide for 12 months with the aircraft ferrying out of Brisbane on 13/04. National Jet in turn has contracted the Shorts 330 as a freighter to Asia Pacific Airlines to operate two return flights each night, six nights per week, between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Western NSW Airlines has added the former Adventure Air Services PA31-350 VH-LIL to its fleet.

King Air Fleet Movements

There have been a number of changes of note recently in the Australian King Air fleet. Australian Beechcraft distributor Hawker Pacific has sold its King Air B200C VH-AJM to Oxley Airlines, where it joins King Air B200s VH-OXA and VH-OXL King Air 200C VH-AJM was delivered to Hawker Pacific in 10/92 as a stock aircraft and as a replacement King Air B200C msn BL-140 will be delivered in 08/93. Hawker Pacific also took delivery of King Air 350 N8246Q msn FL-79 in 10/92 and it appears that this aircraft will shortly be delivered to a Government agency in the South Pacific. King Air 200 VH-LHK, which was previously operated by Oxley Airlines, was traded in to Hawker Pacific earlier this year. In turn Hawker Pacific has sold VH-LHK to Islands Aviation in Rabaul with the King Air being handed over to its new owners at Bankstown on 19/04.

Islands Aviation has also recently purchased a DHC-6-300 from Air Inuit of Kuujjuaq, Quebec, Canada with the aircraft to be delivered to Australia for preservice maintenance. Meanwhile, Bankstown based Icena Aviation has sold its King Air E90 VH-ICV to General Aviation Services, Wheeling, Illinois. VH-ICV registered N808GA departed Sydney on 24/03 for Nor- folk Island and the US. King Air 200 VH-TLX of Skywest Aviation has been sold to Milne Bay Air, Port Moresby. The King Air was noted at Cairns on 26/03 now registered P2-MBM. Skywest Aviation has also been active in trying to move its surplus Bandeirante fleet. EMB-110P2 VH-MWV, which had been static at Sydney Airport since late 1991 has been sold to Milne Bay Air. VH-MWV was noted at Cairns on 29/03 still carrying its Australian registration but painted in Milne Bay Air colours. Another long term resident of Sydney Airport EMB- 110P2 VH-WBI is reported also to be heading for New Guinea while Darwin based EMB-110P1 VH-PGS is reported to have been sold in New Zealand.

Biz/Prop News

Pel-Air Aviation Westwind VH-AJJ has been leased to Air Support in Kenya for six months. VH-AJJ which was painted in Air Support colours before departing Sydney in late 04/93 will be used for relief support work on flights to Somalia either with a 10 passenger or freight interior.

The Consolidated Press Falcon 200 N702SB was noted at Sydney on 26/03 now registered in Australia as VH-CPE. The Paul Terry Group in Albany, Western Australia has purchased a TBM-700 to replace its Cessna 560 N6801H. The Paul Terry TBM-700 VH-PTG has been in our region with Eurocopter International at Bankstown since 06/92. It is interesting to note that the TBM-700, which was previously registered F-OHBH, also carried the taped over Australian markings VH-FIS.

Former CAA Commander 695A VH-LTN now registered N6151X departed Essendon on 03/04 destined for Bush Field Aircraft Sales, Augusta, Georgia. Pilots for the trans Pacific ferry flights for the four ex CAA Commander 695As sold in the US are being supplied by Southern Cross Aviation of Camarillo, California. On departure from Essendon N6151X made its first fueling stop at Norfolk Island and from there the aircraft was routed through Pago Pago and Christmas Island to Honolulu. On arrival in Honolulu N6151X was fitted with ferry tanks for the long overwater leg to Camirillo on the US West Coast. Preservice maintenance for the CAA Commanders destined for the US has been handled by Interair at Essendon Airport. Their hangar has been particularly busy in this period as they have also disassembled and placed in containers a number of Australian Army Turbo Porter aircraft. Between late March and late April Interair despatched A14-653, -661, -684,-687,-701 and -703 to the Pilatus factory in Stans, Switzerland. The departure of these aircraft leave Turbo Porters A14-662, -689, and-693 parked on the grass at Essendon.