Civil Register Update

Of the helicopters AQR is a brand new Squirrel whilst ALC is an early production Robinson R22 Beta. Robinson upgraded to the Beta model at about serial number 500 and therefore ALC is around the 230th Beta produced of a production run which has now almost reached serial number 2500. Bell 47G ATU was licence built by Kawasaki in Japan during 1970 and was operated by Royal Koku at Kazo prior to coming to Australia. Also originating in Japan, although travelling via New Zealand is Helicopters Australia’s Jet Ranger WCQ. The Bell 206 was delivered new to Japan during June 1987. It was operated by Kuji Jyuki of Sapporo before being acquired by Helicopters New Zealand in February of this year. It was registered ZK-HJU on February 21 but was quickly transferred to the company’s Australian subsidiary, Helicopters Australia, based in WA.

Another helicopter with Kiwi connections is MD 520N Notar NTR. The revolutionary machine was delivered new to Flightline Aviation in Auckland as the company demonstrator, and as such completed a comprehensive tour of New Zealand before coming to Australia to do the same this side of the Tasman. The aircraft maintained its Kiwi identity whilst performing in Australia (refer Airtest p62 Mar ’94 AA) but has now joined the local register after being sold on the Gold Coast. JetRanger JWD was originally imported new during June 1982 when it became AUV: It was sold to Rotor Work in PNG two months later and has been operating in that country as P2-AHC for the 12 years prior to its return to VH markings.

The majority of aircraft operated in PNG have been acquired from Australia so it is interesting to note that Cessna 180 UIA was delivered new to PNG during January 1981. It was damaged in August 1985 whilst operating as P2-UIA and came to Australia for repairs. After a protracted rebuild by Narromine Aero Technical Services the Skywagon is now on the Australian register. Interestingly the aircraft has always been quoted by the PNG DCA as a Cessna 180J serial number 53003 although its Australian Certificate of Registration shows Cessna 180K serial number 53004.

Super King Air MYO was traded in to Hawker Pacific on a new Super King Air and in order for the new machine to become MYO, the older aircraft was changed to MYU. This aircraft was then prepared for export to the USA and indeed was cancelled from the Australian register and allocated US markings of N71GA. However before the long ferry flight started a new local owner was found and so the King Air has remained in this country now marked as YNE.

Piper Comanche ELM is not new to Australian skies being first registered BIL on October 4 1962. It changed to BIE on August 30 1963 and was withdrawn from use during March 1964. It came back onto the register, this time as GGL, on September 30 1965 but was again withdrawn during June 1979. It returns to the air, this time as ELM, at a time when considerable interest is being shown in the Comanche in Australia due mainly to the forthcoming Comanche Convention at Coolangatta later this month.

The prototype Comanche, N2024P, and the test aircraft, N6000D, both flew for the first time during 1956 and both were powered by a 180hp (135kW) Lycoming engine. Full production began in 1958 and by this time Piper had installed a 250hp (185kW) engine in N2024P as a proof-of-concept aircraft. The company was pleased with the performance of the higher powered machine and offered the larger engine as an option in the Comanche from serial number 105. By 1964 very few 180hp powerplants were being fitted and Piper introduced another option, a 260hp (195kW) engine. During 1967 the company experimented with a 300hp (225kW) Comanche but only one aircraft was produced, N9300P, and the type did not go into production.

Another Comanche variant that did not reach production status was the 380hp (285kW) engined version. Two prototypes were built in 1961, N8380P and N7511P, but unfortunately N8380P was damaged in a forced landing on July 11 1962 and was not repaired. N7511P went on to become the test bed for the PA-24-400 Comanche utilising a 400hp (300kW) Lycoming engine. Only 148 Comanche 400s were built and over the years these aircraft have become almost collectors’ items. Of the thirteen 400s that have been resident in Australia only six remain along with seven 180 models, 26 250s, and 29 260s.

BMJ is the second Fatman for Moore’s Airspray of Innisfail who are obviously very pleased with the performance and capabilities of the much developed Pawnee based machine. ATO meanwhile was built in 1981 and was the 108th Nomad off the production line at Fishermans Bend, Vic. It was immediately exported to New Caledonia as F-ODMX where it replaced a BN2A Islander in the UTA fleet based at Noumea. It returned to Australia via Rarotonga, Niue and Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands during mid March.

Five aircraft return to the register, four of which have only just been deleted. Stinson BPS and Flight West Airlines Brasilia XFZ have been off the register for less than a month while export paperwork was sorted out in their country of origin. Cessna 170 BUX was damaged at Ballarat, Vic on February 7 1987 whilst the pilot was being checked out on the type. During the final landing the aircraft veered to the right and the left main gear collapsed. It appears that the machine was repaired and back in the air by October 1991 however, for some reason the official paperwork has only just filtered through.

Although the Deletion section contains 28 entries six of these are reregistrations and can be found in the New Allocation section under their new markings. Another eight machines have been sold in New Zealand including DC-3 CAN and Airtourer MUM. CAN is now flying as ZK-AMY with Vincent Aviation at Wellington who was involved in a legal battle over a Heron which it bought from Rarotonga two years ago. The Heron was found to have excessive corrosion in the airframe and Vincent was forced to lease another Heron, KAM, from Airlines of Tasmania to remain solvent.

The airline has been dormant since the return of KAM to Tasmania last year but with the delivery of the relatively low houred DC-3 the company is optimistic of recovering its place in the charter market. The elderly DC-3 was ferried Lord Howe Island/Norfolk Island/Auckland/Wellington on April 7 crewed by new owner Peter Vincent and previous owner John Love. Zero houred US overhauled engines were fitted prior to the flight and a complete airframe overhaul, additional lighting and exit markings and a change to the seating arrangements to conform with New Zealand CAA aisle requirements are planned before the aircraft enters service with Vincent Aviation.

Airtourer MUM, which has only been in this country for a short time, returned to New Zealand via Norfolk Island on March 31 in the hands of Ray Ekins. The ex-RNZAF machine now carries the personalised registration ZK-WBW of Wendy and Brian White and is on line with Wellington Flight Training.

Meanwhile, Grumman Widgeon WET has been sold in PNG, BAe 125 NJM has joined the growing number of Australian bizjets to find a new home in the USA and Cessna Golden Eagle BUR has been sold in Thailand. Also reported as being sold in Thailand is Cessna 182R MAB, however the sale must have fallen through as the aircraft was put back on the Australian Register the following day as can be seen by the entry in the restoration section.

Six aircraft have been deleted due to accident damage including Tiger Moth UNA which was the subject of a much publicised crash at Luskintyre, near Maitland in the Hunter Valley. The Tiger was being used as an aerial platform for a wing walker to entertain a group of children when the engine lost power. Unfortunately an amateur video caught the whole scene on film as the aircraft plummeted to the ground and exploded killing the pilot and wing walker.

A lot luckier were the pilot and five passengers in Cessna 206 RDR which crashed near Nowra NSW on March 7. The aircraft lost power shortly after taking off from the RAN base at Nowra for a parachute drop. The nose wheel was ripped off and the aircraft overturned during the crash landing and the pilot, Ian Payne, and his five passengers sustained minor injuries.

With the takeover of Oxley Airlines by the Impulse group some time ago, the NSW airline has now changed its name to Impulse Airlines and as a result the company’s aircraft are listed in the Change of Owner/Operator section this month. The aircraft involved are Beech 1900s AFR and SMH and Beech 99s OXB, OXC, OXD and OXE and the two Beech King Air 200, OXA and OXL, that were leased from Hawker Pacific have been returned. Another recent change of operating name has been Frank Young’s Navair, one of Australia’s largest flying training schools, which has been renamed Navair International Flying College. The name change, which better reflects the schools international status, has affected five Cessna 152s, eight Piper Warriors and two Piper Arrows previously registered to Navair or Frank Young.

The four Nord Mohawks, HEI, HIX, HKS and HKT, purchased at auction earlier this year by Rick Wright, are now listed under the name of Majestic Airways. Bill Johnstone of Christchurch, New Zealand has purchased Cessna U206G IBI which is noted as an ownership change this month. The aircraft was ferried Lord Howe Island/Norfolk Island/Auckland on March 28 and so can be expected to appear in the deletion section next month.

Following up on some Australian aircraft that have been exported recently, Tiger Moth ALC, which appeared in the September 1993 deletions is now flying in Germany as D-EAJO whilst the two Helicopter Resources Squirrels, HRJ and HBD, have taken up their previous Canadian markings of C-GNPU and C-GYHT respectively, as we predicted. Three recent New Zealand exports have been Cessna Agwagon BOA which is now ZK-JCR with J Harding of Wanganui, Cessna 182Q KKM now flies with Grant and Clulow of Kaukapakapa as ZK-PFS and Squirrel NLR has again returned to ZK-IWJ with Helicopter Services of Taupo. Mitsubishi MU-2 MIT became N3UN during late April and as such was ferried through Brisbane on its delivery flight to the USA on May 3. Friendship FNO, which has been in storage at Exeter, England, for some time was painted as HZ-KA8 and departed on delivery to Almabani of Saudi Arabia on January 15.

Bell 212s HVX and NSU have been sold to Heli-And of Spain and therefore can be expected to be listed in the deletions section in the near future. The first machine to go, NSU, was ferried to Sydney on April 10 for preparation for its trip by ship to Europe. Another local aircraft on the move is Casa 212 TEM which was noted on the Marseilles/Glasgow/Reykjavik route during March and heading for Canada. At this stage it is not known if the Casa has been exported or to be used on a survey contract in Canada.

Last month we reported that Beech Super King Air SWC had been exported to Vietnam and whilst we do not know its new registration yet, we do know that it is working for Vietnam Air service, a state owned company active in charter, calibration and aerial photography. SWC joins a mixed fleet of Casa 212, BN2A Islander, Antonov An-30, Mil 8 and Mil 17 types based at Ho Chi Minh City Airport.