Civil Register Update

Two more amateur built aircraft are included in this issue, Mr Tym’s Kitfox FCC which takes up a registration worn by an Ansett Friendship between 1976 and 1988, and Cassutt 3M CJP. Mr P Poynton of Toodyay WA, who had already built Pitts IOO, started construction of the Cassutt some years ago and it was to be registered IOP to maintain his sequence, but the project was sold to Mr G Pohlner who resides in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and has registered it CJP.

Quite a large number of commuters, compared with earlier months, appear in the listing this issue, including three brand new Metro 23s. DMI is the first of the type for Cudal based Hazelton Airlines while KAN and KDO are the third and fourth Metro 23s for Kendell Airlines based at Wagga. Incidentally KDO was used on a Cessna 172RG Cutlass for a number of years and has not yet been officially cancelled. No doubt it will turn up in the deletion section within a month or two. Another Metro, NEJ has joined the Tamair fleet, this one a second hand example previously used by the American commuter giant American Eagle as a feeder airliner to American Airlines’ hub at Dallas/ Fort Worth in Texas. Lincoln Airlines of Port Lincoln has added a second Bandeirante to its fleet. LNC is one of three Bandits recently returned to Australia from Rex Aviation in New Zealand and it joins Bandit LNB and two Chieftains on Lincoln’s South Australian route network.

Two helicopters have been imported, both originate from Japan and both join the rescue/medivac fleet in this country. Appropriately registered Kawasaki BK117 SLA is now operating with the Surf Life Saving Association having been used in Japan by Nihon Trust at Honda Airport since new in 1990. Bell 412 HRS was operated by Toyota Motors since it was imported into Japan in 1986 and replaces a crashed Aerospatiale Dauphin from the Hunter Valley region of the SLSA. Conversion to rescue configuration was carried out by Helitech at Brisbane and the machine is reported to be the best equipped rescue helicopter in Australia. After selling DC-3 PWN to New Zealand two months ago, Dick Lang has bought another of the same type from the PNG Defence Force and used the same markings. The second PWN was delivered to the USAAF on September 14 1944 but was diverted to the RAAF on September 30 and became A65-63 with 38 Squadron using VH-CKN as a radio call sign. It was based at Butterworth between 1964 and 1973 and later stored at East Sale pending sale to the PNG Defence Force as P-005. The aircraft was one of six flying machines and one ground trainer used by the PNGDF which are now being sold off. One DC-3 has remained in PNG as a tribute to the aircraft’s military contribution to PNG whilst the rest should now be with new owners in Australia.

Five aircraft have returned to the register during the period covered. DPF is a 1967 “H” model Cessna 172 whilst RBV was built one year earlier as a “G” model. Both aircraft were delivered new to Australia and both were taken off the register during March/April 1992 after sustaining damage in minor accidents. Robinson Beta JZD has also been restored after repairs to minor damage after an accident prior to July 1992. The helicopter was restored by Advance Helicopters of Springsure but ownership was transferred to Mr L Wenham of Mareebatwo days later. Corby Starlet MIW was the nineteenth homebuilt aircraft to be built in Queensland and first flew during May 1981 in the hands of owner builder Mr L Wincen of Edge Hill. The aircraft was taken off the register five years later in 1986 but is flying again, still owned by its builder but now resident at Bayview Gardens.

Between 1961 and 1963 Piper built 1848 Colts. Most of these are no longer flying for various reasons but Australia is fortunate to have 28 of these two seater fabric covered machines still active. The PA-22 Tri-Pacer was a development of the PA-20 Pacer but utilising a tricycle undercarriage and a variety of engine sizes from 125hp to 160hp. It was built in large numbers between December 1950 and August 1960 when it was replaced by the four seater PA-28 Cherokee. Instead of dismantling the jigs and tooling for the Tri-Pacer, Piper decided to use them to produce a two seater training version to know as the Colt. The basic Tri-Pacer fuselage was retained but a smaller 108hp Lycoming engine was fitted, only one wing fuel tank was installed and the aircraft was built with no flaps.

The Colt was a popular training aircraft and was also available on floats, but inevitably the type was replaced in production in 1963 by the PA-28 Cherokee 140. UAB was built during 1961 and was delivered new to Australia during November of that year. It flew regularly for the next 20 years before being withdrawn from use during October 1981. After a long and painstaking rebuild it is once again active and has become the thirtieth Colt still flying in Australia and New Zealand.

With the high standard of aircraft maintenance within Australia and a general shortage of well maintained light aircraft worldwide, aircraft brokers are active in this country securing good buys for overseas customers. As a result two machines can be found in the Deletions section that have been exported to countries not normally destinations for Australian exports. Hughes 500 ADK, which has only been back from Pacific Helicopters of PNG since March, has gone to South Africa whilst Cessna 210 SIX has been sold in Thailand. The 210 Centurion is a 1971 “K” model which was allocated N5788J on the production line at Wichita but was changed to a Cessna export registration N1664C for testing prior to delivery. It was due to be registered UBL on arrival in Australia but instead became SIX in November 1971. UBL was then allocated to a second Cessna 210K which arrived two months later and can also be found in this issue due to it being reregistered CAZ.

The New Zealand export drive continues with another ten aircraft heading across the Tasman this month. Whereas in the past these have been predominantly single engined Cessnas, this issue sees a large cross section of types. Cessna 150 DTQ is a 1968 model whilst IVS is a late model 172N. Ag aircraft include Cessna 188 Aghusky KZI, 1968 built Pawnee SUG and Beaver IDR. The Beaver in fact came to Australia from New Zealand during November 1988 so will probably take up its former markings of ZK-BBX on return to New Zealand. Three twins making the journey east are Cessna 310Q KSC, which has been acquired by Anson Air NZ, and Aztecs PRB and RCI PRB is a 1969 “D” model that came to Australia in 1977 whilst RCI is a 1973 “E” model delivered new. Two aircraft have been exported to the USA, King Air WJT and Squirrel HRZ which joined the Australian register from Japan in January 1992.

Ten aircraft have been deleted due to accident damage the most tragic of which was Navajo WGI which crashed on approach to Launceston on September 17 killing six members of a Victorian football team. Four other members of the club survived as the aircraft hit power lines during a night approach to the Tasmanian town at the start of an end-of-season holiday for the Dandenong club. Four machines have been withdrawn from use including Mitsubishi MU2 NYM which has been derelict at Darwin for some time and DHA Drover FBC which has been acquired by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and will join other historically significant aircraft on display at the museum. Five aircraft have been reregistered including MU2 JEJ which is now on its fourth Australian registration since arriving in this country in December 1987.

Two candidates for export are prominent in the Change of Owner/Operator section this issue. Agusta 109 AUG is now owned by Mr H Haas of Vienna, Austria and has departed already for its new home, and Cessna 210N JQS is now flying with Mapmakers of Port Moresby, PNG. JQS is a turbocharged version of the popular 300hp Centurion and therefore should be well suited to the high altitude work that it will be engaged in for Mapmakers in New Guinea.

Changes to Australia’s third level and charter operator’s fleets include Navajo JMD to Fogarty’s Aviation at Maroochydore, Cessna 402B CEM to Emu Air Charter of Crafers SA and Cessna 404 Titan JOH from Rundle Air Services of Townsville to Vee H Aviation in Canberra. Flight West Airlines has sold all its Baron 55 fleet, USP, XFA and XSM, to Piccolo Airlines based at Qld which increases the Piccolo mixed fleet by almost 100%.

Seven expatriate Australian aircraft were registered in New Zealand during July. Hiller UH-12E FXX and Maule Lunar Rocket OOF, both deleted in the August issue, are now flying as ZK-HIL and ZK-JDT with Helicopters Hawkes Bay of Havelock North and Mr A Todd of Murchinson respectively. Three single engined Cessnas that were shown in the September listing and two that were in the October issue are also now flying in New Zealand. Cessna 180D WOW is ZK-PKM with K MacDonald of Christchurch, two Cessna 182Rs HVQ and JAU are ZK-RRL and ZK-NML with Fielding Aviation of Palmerston North and Mr B Hore of Lumsden respectively. Cessna 185C DJU is now flying as ZK-JHS owned by Mr Stephenson who runs a pharmacy at Whitianga and Cessna 172N FPP, which arrived in New Zealand still with its Chopperline titles, is now ZK-JCI owned by Kilo Industries of North Shore.

Previous German registrations have come to light for the two Grob 115As that appeared in the August listing. JVL was flown as D-EFCG before coming to Australia whilst JVS used the markings D-ELOH. Interestingly D-EFCG was the G-115C development aircraft but was converted back to a G-115A prior to delivery to Australia. D-ELOH has been used on two different aircraft, the Grob and a Robin HR100 Royal which has also come to Australia. The Robin was evident at the annual Murwillum- bah Fly In during August and will join the Australian register as ELO.

The new 1993/94 Australian Aviation Civil Aircraft Register is now available. This year the register has been expanded to include ultralights and powered hang gliders (trikes) but even with the increase in the number of pages we have been able to maintain the same price as last year. This is the only publication available that lists registration, type, number and owner/operator’s name and address in an easy to read tabulated format. Nearly 10,000 aircraft are listed including those registered with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Australian Ultralight Federation and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia. The register is only available from AustAirData, PO Box 1142, Toombul, Qld 4012 (phone (074) 98 3757) at a cost of $10. 95 including postage within Australia (add 50% for overseas air mail). Details are also available on IBM compatible computer disk in ase IV or ASCII format at a cost of $50. 00 and credit card facilities are now available.