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An Unusual Recent Visitor to Australia Was the Kuwait Air Force's Md-80 Vip Transport Seen Here at Canberra. The Kuwaiti Mo-80 Is the Only Md-80 in Military Service, and Was Acquired to Replace a Dc-9-30 Which Was Destroyed During the Gulf War.
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Electra For Charrak Air
Charrak Air was due to take delivery of Lockheed Electra L-188CF freighter N340HA at Avalon in October. N340HA was to ferry across the Pacific under the command of Captain Neville Baker with the remainder of the crew being Captain Robert ‘Spike’ Jones and F/E Alan Graco. The Charrak Air Electra was to originate its ferry flight at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, Michigan with enroute stops to be made at Wilmington/Delaware, Austin/Texas and Camarillo/California before the Electra commenced its Pacific crossing via Honolulu, Pago Pago and Auckland. Charrak Air will operate its Electra on contract to Tassal P/L, carrying its export Atlantic Salmon between Hobart/Melbourne and Hobart/Sydney. Though the Charrak Air Electra was delivered as N340HA it was registered VH-CHD before entering service. Lockheed L-188C Electra msn 1109 came into being in September 1957 when Pacific Southwest Airlines of San Diego, California placed an order for three aircraft with msn 1109 being the second of these. On November 21 1959 the Electra now registered N172PS made its first flight from the Hollywood/Burbank Airport in Los Angeles. N172PS entered service with Pacific Southwest early the following month operating primarily on intrastate routes within California. In March 1969 N172PS was withdrawn from service by PSA and placed in storage at the Hollywood/Burbank Airport. In July 1970 the Electra was sold to California Airmotive Corporation then one of the largest dealers of used aircraft in the United States, who in turn sold N172PS to another dealer Bill Murphy Buick Inc, in December 1970. In June 1971 the Electra was leased by Holiday Wings of Los Angeles to be used for travel club operations however Holiday Wings never became operational. By October 1972 N172PS had entered passenger service with Flamingo Airlines who were based in Nassau in the Bahamas. In May 1974 N172PS was purchased by American Jet Industries and the following month by MCA Leasing. In October 1974 the Electra was converted for freight operations by the ESCO Service Company of Miami, Florida and this in turn led to N172PS being leased in February 1975 to Guyana Airways of Georgetown, Guyana for freight operations out of Miami to various Caribbean ports. The next lease for N172PS was in June 1975 when the aircraft entered service with Aerocosta of Bogota, Colombia. During 1976 N172PS was converted to an L-188CF with the fitment of a rear cargo door. In December 1976 the Electra was sold to LACSA, Costa Rica with the aircraft being registered TI-LRN and named ‘Cocori’. LACSA mainly used the Electra freighter for operations between San Jose and Miami. (It is interesting to note that LACSA operated a second Electra freighter TI-LRM ‘Camaquire’ an aircraft which had been built on order for Qantas who operated it between October 1959 and June 1967 as VH-ECA ‘Pacific Electra’.) In July 1977 LACSA sold TI-LRN to International Air Leases with the Electra once again being registered N172PS. In February 1978 N172PS was sold to Hawaiian Air Cargo who later reregistered the aircraft N340HA. Hawaiian Air Cargo used their Electra freighters for mainland based operations on contract to the United States Air Force/Military Airlift Command. Finally in September 1980 the Electra was sold to Zantop International Airlines of Detroit, Michigan who operated a fleet of some 25 Electra freighters. From their base at Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti, Michigan, Zantop mainly utilised its Electra freighters on the uplift of automotive components throughout the United United States.
Regional Airline News
Airlines of Tasmania Metro III VH-NEL returned north to Tamworth in mid August for a planned maintenance layup with Tamair. As a replacement, Airlines of Tasmania initially operated Metro III VH-NEJ which carried Tamair colours. Later the all white Metro III VH-NEM was operated by Airlines of Tasmania. VH-NEL had returned to Airlines of Tasmania service by early October. PA-31-310 VH-CFE was retired from Airlines of Tasmania service in late September. Airnorth Regional took delivery of a second Metro 23 on September 12 when VH-ANW msn DC-873B arrived at Darwin Airport on termination of its ferry flight from San Antonio, Texas. To allow its new Metro 23 to take up the markings VH-ANW Airnorth reregistered its Metro II VH-ANW as VH-CUZ. Airnorth took delivery of the Metro III VH-ANW/CUZ which they leased from Fairchild Industries in August 1994. Aus-Air has sold its PA-31-350 VH-OZQ to Eastland Air at Toowoomba with the aircraft being reregistered VH-MKK. Eastern Australia Airlines announced on September 5 that it had ordered a Dash 8-200 for delivery in January 1996 and that options had been taken on a further three Dash 8-200s. Eastland Air withdrew from service its PA-31-310 Navajo VH-SJQ in August with the aircraft being sold to a Moorabbin based operator. In turn PA-31-350 VH-OZQ was purchased from Aus-Air with the Chieftain later being reregistered VH-MKK. Flight West Airlines added DHC-6-300 Twin Otter VH-FNY to its fleet in early September with the aircraft being noted at Cairns Airport. VH-FNY was previously operated by Talair as P2-RDM and was one of a number of aircraft recently taken out of storage at Mareeba. Flight West has leased EMB-110P1 VH-XFJ and EMB-110P2 VH-XFL to the Australian Army which brings to four the number of leased Bandeirantes operating with the military. Geelong Flight Centre continues to operate its twice weekly service from Geelong/Grovedale to King Island. PA-31-350 Chieftain VH-AYP and PA-31-310 Navajo VH-SGQ can still registered ZK-REZ crossed the Tasman again has been noted recently flying its services. transitting Brisbane, Townsville and Port Moresby enroute Kendell Airlines withdrew its Metro II VH-KDQ from to the Mariana Islands where the aircraft was registered service on August 24 after the aircraft operated flight N501TA to the Lemon Family Properties on Tinian Island. KD236 from Melbourne to Wagga via Albury. By the time In January 1994 N501TA was sold to Pacific Island Aviation of this is read Kendell will have also withdrawn from service Saipan and they reregistered the Caravan N501P the follow and sold Metro II VH-KDR. This aircraft holds the distinc- ing May. In November 1994 N501P returned to the US where tion of being the first and last Metro II in the Kendell fleet. it was sold in May 1995 to Wipaire Inc, of Inver Grove Unlike the other six Metro II aircraft previously operated by Heights, Minnesota. Kendell both VH-KDQ and VH-KDR were delivered new. Skywest Aviation took delivery of Metro 23 VH-SWM Kendell operated its first Metro II service in February msn DC-875B at its Perth base on September 12 after the 1979 when it leased VH-BPL from local Swearingen dis- aircraft ferried in from Honolulu, Majuro and Townsville. distributors Stillwell Aviation. The following month Kendell Skywest will base its Metro 23 in Alice Springs where it will announced that it had placed an order for this new regional replace a King Air 200 on a resources contract. airliner. On May 17 1979 Metro II N5659M was delivered to The delivery of VH-SWM brings to 17 the number of Metro 23s in our the Stillwell Aviation hangar at Essendon and later that region — Kendell/7, Hazelton/4, Airnorth/2, Air Post/2, Skip- month it entered service with Kendell as VH-KDR. In April pers/1, Skywest/1. 1980 Metro II N1007G arrived at Essendon and the follow- Also of interest is that Metro 23s serial numbering ing month it was delivered to Kendell Airlines as VH-KDQ. DC-870B thru DC-875B inclusive have all been delivered KentiaLink Airlines is operating PA-31-350s VH-SVN to Australian operators — DC-870B VH-DMO/Hazelton, and VH-SVV on charter flights out of Lord Howe Island and DC-871B VH-HCB/Hazelton, DC-872B VH-KEX/Kendell, is the new operating name for Seaview Air. DC-873B VH-ANW/Airnorth, DC-874B VH-WAI/Skippers Port Douglas Air took delivery of EMB-110P1 VH-BWC and DC-875B VH-SWM/Skywest. in late September with the company planning to operate the aircraft on RPT services between Cairns and Port Douglas.
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Caravan Floatplane For Nautilus Aviation
Nautilus Aviation in Townsville took delivery of Cessna 208FP N501P on August 3 after the Caravan ferried in from the US via Honolulu, Majuro and Honiara. Later registered VH-OPH the Wipaire floatplane Caravan, which is the first of its type on the Australian register in this configuration, entered service with Nautilus Aviation connecting Orpheus Island with Townsville and Cairns. VH-OPH has replaced in service Nomad N22BFP VH-BRQ which Nautilus Aviation plans to sell overseas. It is interesting to note that VH-OPH has previously seen service in both Australia and New Zealand. As N9733F the Caravan was first noted in Australia in February 1990 when imported as a demonstrator by Pacific Aviation. On October 29 1990 the Cessna 208 was registered VH-PSR to Pacific Aviation however after less than three weeks on the register VH-PSR was sold in New Zealand. On November 14 VH-PSR crossed the Tasman on delivery to Rex Aviation to whom it was registered ZK-REZ. In late May 1993 the Caravan still registered ZK-REZ crossed the Tasman again transitting Brisbane, Townsville and Port Moresby enroute to the Mariana Islands where the aircraft was registered N501TA to the Lemon Family Properties on Tinian Island. In January 1994 N501TA was sold to Pacific Island Aviation of Saipan and they reregistered the Caravan N501P the following May. In November 1994 N501P returned to the US where it was sold in May 1995 to Wipaire Inc, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.
Biz/prop News
Gulfstream IV VH-NCP msn 1108 was registered to News Ltd on July 4 however it was late August before the Gulfstream arrived at its Sydney base. Gulfstream IV msn 1108 was a 1989 production aircraft which was initially registered to Gulfstream Aerospace as N17584. In October 1989 the Gulfstream became N410GA on its sale to General Electric Capital Corporation of Atlanta, Georgia, however in March 1990 General Electric reregistered the Gulfstream N114AN. In February 1992 came another registration change to N522AC reflecting the lease of the aircraft to the Amway Corporation of Michigan. BAe 125-400F VH-PAB which was operated by Asia Pacific Air has been sold in the United States. After pre-service maintenance by Pacific Aviation in Brisbane VH-PAB departed the country in late September. VH-PAB has been part of the Bizjet scene in Australia and SE Asia since being imported to Sydney in late November 1989 as N125MD. Cessna 650 5B-CSM of the Columbia Ship Management Company was noted at Brisbane on September 14. King Air 350 N80663 which was imported by Hawker de Havilland in December 1993 has been sold in Taiwan. N80663 departed Bankstown on September 8 on delivery to the Taiwanese Council of Agriculture/Department of Forests with whom it has since been registered B-13153.
Shrike Commander Ferry
RC-500S N801AC arrived at Essendon on August 25 on termination of its ferry flight from the US. The Shrike Commander which was on delivery to the Moorabbin based company Barrett Burston International was ferried across the Pacific by Southern Cross Aviation. Shrike Commander N801AC msn 3158 was a 1978 production aircraft which was initially registered in the US as N9244N before being exported to the UK in the September of that year as G-BBLI. In December 1980 the Commander returned to the US as N801AC and at the time of its purchase by Barrett Burston Industries it was owned by the Classy Car Company of Green County Airport, Xenia, Ohio. Ferry specialists Southern Cross Aviation are based at Camarillo, California and from there N801AC was flown across the Pacific via Honolulu, Pago Pago and Norfolk Island to Melbourne/Tullamarine. There the Commander cleared Customs before taking the short hop across to Essendon. It is interesting to note that the Honolulu to Pago Pago stage of the ferry at 13.9 hours was slightly more than the Camarillo to Honolulu stage at 12.7 hours. At Essendon N801AC had its post delivery maintenance carried out by the Commander specialists General Aviation Maintenance and they placed the aircraft on the Australian register as VH-MDW. Other interesting ferry flights in this period include the delivery from the UK of PBN-2B-20 Islanders G-BVSG and G-BVSH to Surveillance Australia. G-BVSG which was later registered VH-ZZX and G-BVSH later VH-ZZY arrived in Adelaide on August 2 and 19 respectively. PBN-2A-21 N7071M was noted at Archerfield on September 11. N7071M is one of a number of Defender aircraft purchased by Hawker Pacific from the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force in September 1993. Saab 340A 9M-NSB of Nusantara Airlines was noted at Maroochydore on September 10 along with Lloyd Helicopters EMB-110P1 VH-LHW which previously had been based in the Philippines. Cessna 402C VH-TAM which was sold by the South Australia Police Air Wing in July has found a new home in New Zealand. On August 23 VH-TAM transitted Norfolk Island enroute to Wellington and Christchurch. Finally Beech F33A CS-AZI arrived in Brisbane on August 23 from Darwin, however a few days later the Beechcraft departed on a Pacific crossing.
Ansett Fleet Changes
Ansett Australia took delivery of VH-HYO its 13th Airbus A320-311 at Melbourne on September 3. The delivery routing taken by VH-HYO from Toulouse to Melbourne is worthy of mention as to my knowledge it is the first time aircraft ferrying from Europe to Australia have come this way. On August 31 VH-HYO departed Toulouse for Dubai where the aircraft remained overnight. The following morning VH-HYO headed south for the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean then east for Perth and Melbourne. The planned block times for the Toulouse to Dubai and Dubai to Mauritius sectors were 6 hours 40 minutes while from Mauritius to Perth it was 6 hours and 30 minutes. Ansett Australia plans to take delivery of their third Boeing 747-312 at Singapore on November 4. To be registered VH-INK the Boeing 747-312 will be leased from Singapore Airlines to whom it was delivered in 1983 as N117KC. The addition of a third Boeing 747-312 to its fleet will allow Ansett to commence a twice weekly service from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur on November 9 and a twice weekly service from Sydney to Taipei on November 11. Ansett Australia F28-1000 VH-FKC was planned for withdrawal from service in mid October which is the anniversary of the aircraft’s 25th birthday. VH-FKC departed Amsterdam on October 17 1970 on delivery to MacRobertson Miller Airlines with the aircraft arriving in Perth on the 20th. The withdrawal of VH-FKC will then leave Ansett Australia with one F28-1000 VH-FKE in service and that aircraft is planned for retirement before the end of 1995. Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services has leased three McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft to Trans World Airlines with the aircraft being delivered in late August/September and October respectively. Ansett Worldwide previously leased four MD-83s to Trans World between July and September 1987. The delivery of the three MD-83s to Trans World brings to 15 the number of this type AWAS has purchased from McDonnell Douglas. Australian air Express BAe 146-100QC G-BSTA arrived at the National Jet hangar in Adelaide on September 3 on termination of its delivery flight from Woodford, England. Later registered VH-NJV the BAe 146-100QC entered service on September 11 on the Melbourne to Hobart route. Mount Cook Airline/Air New Zealand Link took delivery of ZK-MCX msn 464 the first of seven ATR-72-210 aircraft on order at its Christchurch base in early October. Details of the other six aircraft which are planned for delivery between now and February 1996 are ZK-MCC msn 453, ZK-MCL msn 454, ZK-MCQ msn 458, ZK-MCS msn 460, ZK-MCW msn 463 and ZK-MCY msn 465.
Pacific Island News
Air Marshall Islands Saab 2000 V7-9508 was demonstrated to a number of Australian regional airlines at Brisbane on September 14. Air Tahiti ATR-42-300 F-ODUC transitted Cairns on September 10 while enroute from Nadi to Darwin and Toulouse where it is reported the aircraft will be offered for sale. Islands Nationair took delivery of Kamov Ka-32s RA-71576 and RA-71577 in late July after the aircraft flew into Nadzab on termination of their ferry flights from Seletar. The mention of these aircraft in Traffic/October as being on delivery to Hevi Lift should therefore be disregarded. Sunflower Airlines took delivery of its first Shorts 330 DQ-FIJ at its Nadi base in September. DQ-FIJ was earlier noted ferrying from Darwin to Mount Isa and Brisbane on September 1. Western Pacific Air Services PA-23-250C Aztec H4-WPA was noted ferrying from Cairns to Maroochydore on August 29.
Australian Aviation November 1995
Australian air Express has based newcomer BAe 146-100 VH-NUS (left) at Hobart. This 146 served for many years as a BAe demonstrator and came to Australia in military freighter configuration in 1988 (refer Traffic p75 Oct ’95 AA). (right) Pacific Air Freighters DC-4 flew its inaugural freight service to Noumea carrying mixed freight on October 1. The DC-4 is pictured here arriving at Brisbane from Archerfield the day before the first freight run.
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