Civil Register Update

In Australia 14 Dash 8s are flying, the aforementioned two with Flight West, two with Southern Australia Airlines at Mildura, four with Sunstate in Brisbane and one operated by Skywest on behalf of BHP, whilst TQN joins five others of the type in the Eastern Australia fleet, TOO, TQP, TQQ, TQR and NID although the latter will probably be disposed of once TQN commences operations. On the lighter side three balloons have been registered, two Australian built Kavanaghs and a British Cameron. Interestingly the Cameron, DSE, has been imported by Dick Smith’s company, Australian Geographic. At a time when he is appearing on television telling the public to “buy Australian”, it seems strange that Mr Smith would buy a British made balloon in preference to the Australian designed and built Kavanagh.

Production of Kavanagh balloons has now exceeded 115 with the large majority of these still flying in Australia. At least four are active in Japan and the same number in New Zealand, a credit to the quality and standard of craftsmanship built into these balloons. Good one Oz! Air Tractor AMH is the first new agricultural aircraft to be seen in the listing for several months and is a brand new AT-502 example for Field Air of Ballarat.

Enstrom BJY is the only helicopter shown this month and one ofits first flights was to the highly successful Caboolture Air Show during early May. The F-28 was the first production type from Enstrom Helicopters of Menaminee, Michigan and first flew in May 1962. During 1968 the F-28A became available with an increased useful load whilst later models were the F-28B, introduced during 1970, and the F-28C which utilised a turbocharged Avco Lycoming engine. The F-28 series continued in production as the utility version even when the 280 series was introduced as a streamlined high speed people mover.

Three Enstrom 280Cs have been seen in this part of the world. Of the two delivered to Australia, one IYQ was damaged at Charlotte Pass, near Mt Kosciusko during July 1982 whilst the other, IYT, was sold to New Zealand and became ZK-HVJ. This machine is still active with Patumahoe Aviation of Pukekohe along with the third 280C in Australasia ZK-HSE, owned by Central Airwork of Fox Glacier. Of the ten F-288 that have seen service in Australia, three have crashed and three have been withdrawn from use, leaving BJY as the seventh example still flying in Australia. Four F-28s also found their way to New Zealand of which three are still flying, the other machine going back to the USA. Victoria’s ever expanding third level airline, Aus-Air, has reregistered the last two of their Navajo Chieftains in the OZ block to conform with other aircraft in the fleet which now total eight, comprising of seven Navajos and one Bandit. Two other aircraft have also been reregistered for various reasons so Twin Comanche WDD/HTC and Cessna 182H DOA TXI, along with the two Nava-jos, can also be found in the deletions section.

Skyfox CA22A XTS is the latest aircraft off the Skyfox production line at Caloundra Qld, whilst Monnett ITP and Quickie OMW are the latest projects to be completed by Australia’s growing band of amateur constructors. The Monnett is a Sonerai II, the most popular model in Australia with five others flying so far and many more under construction. The Sonerai was originally designed in the USA by John Monnett as a single seat formula V racer. It flew for the first time in July 1971 and won the “Best in Class” award at Oshkosh in the same year. The design was offered to other amateur constructors and was later developed into a two seater, the Sonerai II.

As opposed to the Sonerai which is of all metal construction with fabric covering, the Quickie Q2 is of all composite structure with solid foam wings. An interesting feature of the Quickie is that there is no bulkhead in the rear fuselage therefore long objects such as skis or fishing rods can be carried in the luggage locker. OMW joins five other Q2s in Australian skies with four examples active in New Zealand.

Two aircraft join the growing ranks of warbirds in this country and although they are not of the noisy variety they are nonetheless interesting machines and are welcome additions to the warbird fleet. MKT is the second of three Australian Army Turbo Porters to stay in this country instead of returning to their maker in Stans, Switzerland. The first, Jim Czerwinski’s ZCZ appeared in the May listing where we mentioned that this would be the only flying Porter to remain in Australia. Since then it appears that more interest has been shown in the type and MKT has been registered and delivered to its new owner in SA. A third aircraft, A14-693, has arrived at Toowoomba for its CofA and is expected on the register shortly. Nineteen Turbo Porters were taken on strength from early 1968 to replace Cessna 180s in the light observation and liaison role and primarily worked with the 1st Aviation Regiment at Oakey Qld.

Since 1968 the Army has lost seven machines for various reasons including one shot down in Vietnam. Of the remaining twelve, one has gone to the Australian War Memorial, two to the Museum of Army Aviation at Oakey and nine were retired to Essendon to await export to the manufacturers facility at Stans. Though only six returned to Switzerland.

The second warbird is AESL Airtourer AMX, one for four recently retired from the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Two aircraft were sold locally, one ZK-JBZ/NZ1762, to the Bay of Islands Aero Club and another, ZK-LDG/NZ1761, to a Wharepapa-based syndicate comprising of Lew Wellington, Don Yates and Gavin Rawson (Lew, Don and Gavin = LDG). The other two were bought by Australian bidders eager to acquire Airtourers that could easily be placed onto the Australian civil register, unlike the RAAF CT-4s that may prove a little more expensive. AMX/ZK-JBX is the first of the two Australian Airtourers to make it onto the register whilst the second, MUM/ZK-JAX, was fitted with long range fuel tanks by Dennis Thompson at Ardmore and ferried to Tamworth for its certification. MUM is owned by aerobatic instructor and former ski champion Janine Blake. Confined to a wheel chair after a truck accident, Janine learnt to fly, obtained her CPL and passed her aerobatic and instructor ratings all after the accident.

Only one aircraft returns to the register this month, Auster J/SP WCL. This Autocar was delivered new to Australia during January 1957 when it was registered BPE. It changed markings to WCL on 25 January 1961 and was withdrawn from use during November 1978. After a lengthy rebuild the old Auster is flying again in the hands of Victorian Mr L Betts.

The tide has certainly changed since we commented nearly two years ago that if Australia continued to import aircraft from New Zealand there would soon be none left in the land of the long white cloud. Over recent months more and more aircraft have been crossing the Tasman heading toward New Zealand and this month provides us with a record 13 in one issue. The majority of these are single engined Cessnas but a couple of twins and four helicopters are included.

Bandeirante SBH is on its second sojourn to New Zealand, it operated for Tranzair between October 1990 and May 1991 as ZK-REU, and is now the first and only aircraft in the Quikmail International fleet. Quikmail offer dedicated freight runs from Auckland to Christchurch, Wellington and Taupo and are also hoping to utilise the Bandit for charters. Another Bandeirante departing these shores is ABD, the fifth aircraft that Aeromil has supplied to the Iranian Postal Service.

Two other aircraft to be exported are Kawasaki Bell 47G AHH and Beech Queen Air FDL, however as their Australian owners have declined to reveal which country they are going to, only time will tell. Four aircraft are bound for the USA including Cessna 421 CSF to R Kirby of Palos Verdes, California and the fourth CAA Gulfstream Commander LTI. Islander FCP has been acquired by Pacific Missionary Aviation of Pohnpei, Micronesia.

Of the six aircraft deleted due to damage, Baron ENC is the only one that we have details about. The smallest member of the Flight West fleet had its nosewheel collapse on landing at Weipa during January and it was deemed uneconomical to repair. Aztec MBX and Baron KSG have been withdrawn from use, the Aztec goingto the ever expanding Queensland Air Museum and the Baron going to the Padstow College of TAFE as an airframe instructional aid. Citation LJK and Super King Air NIC have both been withdrawn from use although its seems more likely that they have been exported.

A couple of aircraft worthy of a mention in the Changes of Owner/Operator section are Cessna 421C CMR and Beech Super King Air LHK. Both aircraft are now registered to overseas interests, the Cessna to a Cambodian Prince and the Beech to Island Helicopters of PNG, and are therefore candidates for the deletion section in the coming months.

A good deal of new information has come to light about aircraft detailed in recent issues of Register Review. Last month Pazmany URR, Cessna U206C LCJ, Cessna 421CSEV and Hughes 300C THE were all officially listed as withdrawn from use. In fact the Pazmany has joined the ultralight register as 28-0839, Cessna 206 LCJ is flying in New Zealand with F Wright of Tauranga as ZK-JCB, Cessna 421 SEV was noted passing through Glasgow, Scotland enroute to the USA and Hughes 300 THE is in New Zealand and expected to become ZK-HAS.

We also now know that King Air ICV is flying in the USA as N808GA. The two Masling Hughes 500Cs, BAG and JDM, listed in the May issue have now become ZK-HIA with Aspiring Helicopter Services of Haast and ZK-HIB with Mangapapa Land of Auckland respectively and Cessna T210N HZI was not withdrawn from use but exported to the USA as N193DL. Three aircraft in the April issue have reappeared overseas, Jetranger FHB and Bellanca Decathlon XUK are in America as N52BH and N6203K respectively and Socata Trinidad LQJ is in New Caledonia as F-ODYQ with Ste NAF of Noumea-Magenta. Also in New Caledonia is Beech Duchess JKE now F-ODYV with Ste Aviazue at Noumea- Magenta.

Going back even further, Super King Air ANH, which was cancelled during 1985 and Friendship TFF and Jetranger SJJ, both cancelled during 1980, have all found their way to France recently. The Super King Air has seen service in Britain and Gabon before becoming F-GIHK with Equitabail of Toussus whilst the Jetranger has been to Britain and Switzerland but is now F-GKYR with Exploitation Heli Ouest at Roissy Les Perches. Friendship TFF went to France via America and then on to Belgium but is now back in France as F-F-WKPX of Burlington Engineering Bureau at Dinard. The F-W markings indicate a temporary test registration so the ex TAA Friendship may be having major work carried out by the Engineering Bureau prior to resale.

There are now very few copies of the Australian Aviation Civil Aircraft Register left so this may be your last chance to obtain the 1992/93 issue of this important reference work. The register is available from AustAirData, PO Box 1142, Toombul, Qld 4012 (074 95 8496) for a mere $10. 95 including postage within Australia.