In Australian Service – DH Heron

The same rugged simplicity evident in the Dove was also a hallmark of the Heron’s design, in some cases, even more so. A fixed tricycle undercarriage was a feature, as operations from simple unsealed airfields for short/medium stage lengths up to 350nm (645km) carrying a 1500kg (3300lb) payload was envisaged. It was felt that the simple construction of a fixed undercarriage would be an advantage despite any performance penalties. The powerplants were four of the rugged unsupercharged, ungeared de Havilland Gipsy Queen 30s driving de Havilland two-bladed variable-pitch propellers. The Heron was a machine from an innovative and unique company where the airframe, engines, and propellers came from the same stable.

Accommodation was provided for 14 passengers at 32in pitch. This could be increased up to 17 if the toilet was not fitted and the luggage area in the aft fuselage end reduced. Seven large windows were fitted on each side of the fuselage giving Heron passengers an almost unrivaled view. The 1.74m (5ft 8.5in) headroom in the cabin also added to an overall feeling of spaciousness. The cost of a Heron was set at £35,000 (comprising airframe £24,700, powerplants £9,200, propellers £1,100) plus £2,200 for a standard radio installation.

Detail design work headed by W. A. Tamblin commenced during 1949, and by 1950, construction of the Heron prototype G-ALZL was underway at Hatfield. Because of the ample size of the windows coupled with the long straight fuselage, some local wags referred to the Heron as “Tam’s Tram”. On May 10, 1950, G-ALZL had its maiden flight at Hatfield, flown by G. H. Pike. During 180 hours of flight testing, the straight tailplane had dihedral added to it, and it later departed for Khartoum and Nairobi for tropical trials. The gross weight of the prototype was 5,675kg (12,500lb). Following testing, the Heron was granted its Certificate of Airworthiness on November 20, 1950.

Production of the Heron at Hatfield terminated with the construction of the seventh aircraft, G-AMTS, which became the prototype for the Heron 2 featuring a retractable undercarriage. Despite a 75kg (165lb) weight penalty, this was more than compensated for by a 17kt (32km/h) improvement in cruising speed, coupled with increased range and reduced fuel consumption. The first flight of G-AMTS was on December 14, 1952, and Heron production was then transferred to Hawarden near Chester, where Wellingtons were built during World War II. The positive benefits of the Heron 2 saw Series 1 production terminated at aircraft number 51.

There were few changes to the design during production. In 1955, two modifications were implemented. The first was a wider chord bulged rudder which was fitted to solve directional problems, while the other was the de Havilland fully feathering propeller. The feathering propeller was first installed on Heron number 82 G-ANCJ, which was displayed at that year’s SBAC Show, and later made available as an option on the 2C.

Powerplant substitutions led to eventual variations of the basic Series 1 and Series 2 Heron. In 1951, a trial installation was made in the prototype with the Gipsy Queen 30-3, this was followed by Gipsy Queen 30-4 in 1956 and later the Gipsy Queen Mk 2. The installation of the Gipsy Queen 30-2, also rated at 250hp (185kW), resulted in the Series 1B and Series 2B. The first production 2B was the 50th Heron, a personal aircraft for Prince Talal al Saud. Other Heron variants were those with a C suffix indicating the installation of optional de Havilland fully feathering propellers and an all-up weight of 5,970kg (13,150lb), those for executive use, also with a C suffix or D version with an AUW of 6,130kg (13,500lb) or an E suffix. Herons for the US market had an A suffix or an X suffix. The “A” identified American standard, and those aircraft were the 2A, 2DA, or 2X. This latter “X” version was a special category in which rubber shock absorber blocks were fitted in the main undercarriage legs in lieu of the oleo legs.

The Heron sales drive was initiated in May 1951 when the prototype was repainted in various liveries. The first production Heron, which first flew on February 19, 1952, was purchased by the New Zealand National Airways Corporation. On April 2, 1952, as ZK-AYV Mataku, it departed from Hatfield for New Zealand, to be joined later by three other 1Bs in the NZNAC fleet. The first commercial Heron flight was made by a Braathens SAFE aircraft on August 8, 1952, between Stavanger, Oslo, and Trondheim.

Heron sales did not reach the levels hoped for, and construction continued at Chester until May 1961 when the 141st aircraft had been produced at that plant. A total of 149 Herons were built, made up of 148 production aircraft plus the prototype. By type, these comprised the prototype, 51 Heron 1s and 97 Heron 2s.

A criticism of the Heron was the performance with the Gipsy Queen 30 Mk 2 powerplants. Compared with the Dove, the Heron had a less favorable power/weight ratio. To redeem this problem, several re-engining projects were set up. The first re-engining of a Heron was carried out by Vest Aircraft de Mexico SA in 1959 using four 340hp (255kW) Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6s. The Heron, owned by the Bank of Mexico, already was registered as XB-ZIP, so one would have imagined the performance, following the re-engining, matched the registration!

Airlines of Tasmania’s Heron 2E VH-CLZ first arrived in Australia in 1975 when it was delivered second hand to Connair. The Tasmanian airline has owned CLZ since 1983, although the aircraft is now out of service.

The first mass re-engining of Herons was arranged by Jack Riley, who in 1966 organized for a prototype re-engining of a Heron by Aircraft Technical Services (ATS) of Van Nuys, California. This saw the substitution of 290hp (215kW) Lycoming IO-540s in Heron N782R with an eventual FAA approval received on March 3, 1967. This gave a significant improvement in performance with a cruising speed increase from 160kt to 217kt (295 to 402km/h). Further Riley Heron conversions were carried out by both ATS and Riley Aeronautics, and a kit was also available to enable customers to carry out the conversion themselves. The cost of a Heron so converted by Riley was US$250,000. Additional Riley conversions were performed in Australia, Sri Lanka, and the UK.

Prinair in Puerto Rico also arranged for the re-engining of four Herons, using four 300hp (225kW) Continental IO-520s. The prototype conversion was carried out by ATS, the remaining three by Caribbean Aircraft Development Corporation at Opa Locka, Florida. One of the converted Prinair Herons, N574PR, was test flown with a 2.82m (9ft 3in) fuselage extension. After extensive flight trials, which continued until 1973, this was not retained. The Heron was dismantled and the registration canceled in 1981. Caribbean Aircraft established a large conversion facility for Herons and by 1977 had modified 25, with others in prospect. Prinair itself developed into the largest commuter airline in the world, and the biggest operator of Herons with around 25 in its fleet at their peak of use. By the early 1980s, it was flying 300 scheduled daily flights to locations in Puerto Rico, to the USA and British Virgin Islands, and Eastern Caribbean. Apart from these mass Heron conversions, others were carried out in Japan by Shin Meiwa Industries near Kobe to six Heron 1s owned by Toa Airways, renamed as Tawrons.

The most radical Heron conversion was the Saunders ST-27 carried out by Saunders Aircraft Corporation in Canada. This saw the four Gipsy Queens replaced by two PT6A-27 turboprops of 715eshp each. The first aircraft converted was CF-YBM-X, which first flew on May 18, 1969. The resulting performance increase saw some major changes in the aircraft’s layout. The passenger cabin was extended by 2.59m (8ft 6in), by adding a 1.68m (5ft 6in) plug forward and a 91cm (3ft) aft of the wing. Passenger accommodation increased from 17 to 23. Some of the other major changes were a 46cm (1ft 6in) nose extension to permit the installation of weather radar and a revised rudder shape. The changes resulted in a cruising speed of 200kt (370km/h) and a ceiling of 25,000ft. A total of 12 Herons were converted to ST-27 configuration. Of the 149 Herons produced, about half were re-engined with more modern powerplants with an extended overhaul life compared with the original Gipsy Queen 30 Mk 2 engines.

The first Australian Heron operator was Butler Air Transport (BAT) of NSW. The forerunner of this company, the Butler Air Transport Company, was founded by the pioneer aviator Arthur Butler in 1935, to fly airmail between Cootamundra and Charleville. It became a public company in February 1946 as Butler Air Transport Pty Ltd, and later became Butler Air Transport Ltd in October 1952. In the intervening period, Butler purchased Aircrafts Pty Ltd in 1948, and as Queensland Airlines Pty Ltd it became a Butler subsidiary. Eventually BAT became part of the Ansett group in February 1958 and in December 1959 commenced operations as Airlines of New South Wales.

Arthur Butler was one of the select group of Australian aviation pioneers. A modest and quiet man, he achieved fame by flying a small, long-range Comper C.L.A.7 Swift, G-ABRE, from Lympne in the UK to Darwin, which was reached on November 9, 1931, in nine days, two hours, 20 minutes. The magnitude of the feat can be put in perspective when one realizes the size of a Swift, a 7.32m (24ft) wing span, length of 5.40m (17ft 8.5in), and a maximum weight of 527kg (1160lb). After a tour of Australia, the Swift was shipped back to England. As one can deduce, although small of stature, Arthur Butler was a skilled and determined aviator.

In 1949, BAT carried 100,000 passengers and by 1950, it was the largest intrastate airline in Australia with a fleet of five DC-3s and four Avro Ansons. Its fleet served 25 ports in NSW. In the early 1950s, Butler Air Transport had six DC-3s and needed smaller aircraft to operate on less well-patronized routes unsuitable for the economic operation of the DC-3s. In addition, some of the country airstrips were incapable of accepting DC-3s. Butler’s investigations led them to the Heron and they purchased two at a cost of £60,000 each, to augment the DC-3 fleet. In 1952, Butlers took delivery of the sixth production Heron 1B in England, registered G-AMUK on September 5. This aircraft was re-registered as VH-AHB the following month and flown to Australia in 11 days by Capts T. Young and R. Baker with Flight Engineer C. Hobday. On November 4, 1952, VH-AHB was placed into service on the Sydney to Temora route. Originally intended as a weekly service, this was soon increased to twice weekly, and by December 1952, there were three flights per week on the route. During the first eight months of operations, it enjoyed an average load factor of 96%, had a daily utilization of almost 7.5 hours, carried 5,959 passengers plus freight, and demonstrated its flexibility by operating on stage lengths ranging from 50 to 225nm (93 to 418km). These were impressive figures by even today’s standards.

On June 30, 1953, the Heron was placed onto one of Butler’s longer routes, from Sydney to Casino and Kempsey, initially three times a week with this being increased to a daily service some months later. This coincided with the delivery of the second Heron VH-ARB in November 1953. The Heron network expanded and serviced communities throughout NSW and into Southern Queensland. Both aircraft were equipped with 14 passenger seats plus a toilet.

An insight into Butler’s Heron operations has been gained from discussions with former Butler Pilot Ted Wills. Ted started flying in 1946 with his initial training on a DH.60. He gained a commercial license and flew in rural areas of NSW to build up hours. He joined Butler Air Transport in 1954, and as there were no pilot positions available to those who had not served with the RAAF, he started with the airline as a Radio Operator on Herons. He later progressed to First Officer positions on Ambassadors, Convair 340s, Convair 440s, and Friendships, and then as a captain on DC-3s, Friendships, and Sandringhams. Ted retired from airline flying in 1983 with a total of 21,000 flying hours. Among his other accomplishments was the construction of the Quickie 200 VH-FMV.

The Butler Herons operated from Sydney to the following destinations in NSW and Queensland: Moruya, Wagga, Parkes, Dubbo, Cootamundra, Temora, Narrandera, Lake Cargelligo, Hillston, Warren, Bourke, Carinda, Coonamble, Walgett, Brewarrina, Coolah, Tooraweenah, Baradine, Collarenebri, Goodooga, Mungindi, St George, Forster, Taree, Kempsey, Evans Head, and Casino. Of these ports, only four or five had NDBs, even at Mascot there was only VOR or NDB, DME had not even been invented.

One of the Heron’s drawbacks was an unreliable radio compass. Often the crew had to give a position to Sydney and were given descent to Sydney on dead reckoning positions. Other complications were dust storms and poor visibility. As Ted said, “Needles to say, we used a lot of common sense in our navigation”. Why was there a radio operator on Herons instead of a second pilot? This was done as a cost-saving measure. The Herons were usually configured for single pilot operation with a radio operator in the other cockpit seat. At times, dual controls were left in position after license renewals had been carried out. Communications were by VHF radio, or HF radio if out of VHF range due to no repeaters. Occasionally, Morse code was used. Messages were sent by “Q” codes, e.g., “QAL-BRE-5” meant “Landing Brewarrina in 5 minutes”.

A typical flight started from Mascot at 7am and landed at Coonamble, Walgett, Warren, and Dubbo. After an overnight stop at Dubbo, the Heron then flew to Parkes and Wagga Wagga where the passengers were transferred to an ANA DC-3, and the Heron then returned to Dubbo via Parkes. It then flew to Warren, Coonamble, and Tooraweenah. A Butler DC-3 would be waiting at Tooraweenah to take on the passengers and fly them to Sydney. A new Heron crew flown on the DC-3 as passengers, then took over the Heron and flew it to Coonamble, Walgett, Brewarrina, and Sydney. The DC-3 flight from Tooraweenah operated five times a week.

The method of consolidating passengers at larger airfields for on-carriage to Sydney in DC-3s was a highlight of how the Herons were utilized. The reverse also applied. Passengers from Sydney were flown to airports where they met Herons for subsequent flights to small airfields closer to their homes. It was a classic case of aircraft used in a most sensible way to serve smaller communities. Apart from the overnight stop at Dubbo, the Herons also overnighted at Bourke.

The Heron was popular with both crews and passengers. In fine weather, a panoramic view through the large windows, at the Heron’s usual 140kt (260km/h) cruising speed and 7,000ft altitude, was a formula for a pleasant flight. If the cloud base dictated, the cruising altitude came down to as low as 2,000ft. The Heron did become quite hot inside on the ground in the summer months. To aid ventilation, the crews opened the storm window in the cockpit to increase the airflow through the cabin. Another problem the Butler Herons did have to contend with were some very rough airfields. Some of these had more than their fair share of mud. The crews became aware of trouble spots and took avoiding action. For example at Bourke, if it had been raining steadily, the crew devised a unique solution. The passengers boarded the Heron while it was parked in a hangar out of the weather. The engines were then started while the aircraft was in the hangar, and the Heron taxied out of the hangar without stopping to prevent it becoming bogged. Another known trouble spot was Warren with a rough airstrip which developed mud areas at both ends, which had to be avoided.

Ted related a few humorous stories about the Butler Herons, which typify the Australian trait of not taking matters seriously, while solving matters in a practical way. One event regarded a cat entered in the appropriate section of the Sydney Royal Easter by its proud owners. The cat was loaded on the Heron in the hold for its journey to Sydney. Unfortunately, at an intermediate stop, the cat escaped and the crew had a dilemma on their hands. This was solved by borrowing a local cat and substituting it for the missing feline. It was then flown on to Sydney and dutifully entered in the Show. Whether it won, or if the substitution was detected by its owners, is not known. No doubt matters are taken rather more seriously 40 years later!

In the final year of Butler’s joint DC-3/Heron operations, the six DC-3s and two Herons carried 158,442 passengers, 2,680 tonnes of freight, and 10 tonnes of mail. By 1956, Butler decided to withdraw the Herons from service and both aircraft were sold overseas in July 1956 to Gulf Aviation and resumed their original British registrations. In Butler service, the Heron, in combination with the DC-3s, proved a winning combination for the airline’s routes.

A gap of almost half a decade then elapsed until the next Heron was imported into Australia. A long-standing association began in May 1957 when Associated Airlines took delivery of the Heron 2 VH-ASH Silver Heron. Owned by its parent companies, BHP and Consolidated Zinc, Associated Airlines operated the Heron as a general purpose and executive aircraft until it was disposed of in June 1968 to Florida Airlines as N210FA.

A further two Herons arrived in Australia in January 1958 on delivery to Southern Airlines. Both were ex NZNAC Heron 1Bs which became VH-GVH Queen of the South and VH-GVI Queen of the Islands. Ceremonies to name the Herons were held at Naracoorte and Flinders Island. The Melbourne-based Southern Airlines used the Herons on routes from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Launceston to destinations within their respective states. Apart from passenger use, they were also employed as freighters carrying such diverse loads as stud sheep and tractor parts. The Herons joined two Doves on Southern Airlines services in which the former had an annual utilization of 2,500 hours and the latter 1,800 hours.

The career of the Herons with Southern Airlines was quite short and in January 1959 they were both purchased by Qantas and were subsequently on-sold to Fiji Airways. With the departure from Australia of the two ex Southern Airlines Herons, the only other Heron remaining in Australia for some years was Associated Airlines’ VH-ASH. This situation changed dramatically from 1963 when a stream of Herons were imported over the coming years.

The arrival of two Herons in 1963 heralded the beginning of the largest association with the type in Australia, the connection with Connellan Airways. In early 1963, Connellan Airways had a varied fleet of 12 aircraft consisting of Cessnas (three 180s, two 182s and a 185) and Beechcraft (three C18S models and three B95s). For Connellan, with its extensive network, a larger aircraft to cope with increasing tourist traffic was becoming a necessity. The availability of Herons came at the right time for this innovative organization. With a route structure extending from the Northern Territory to Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia serving 90 destinations, the Heron was a vital part of the fleet.

The first two Connellan Herons were purchased from the Indian company Banwarilal in March 1963. Prior to Banwarilal’s acquisition, they were previously operated by the Indian Airlines Corporation. The first Heron, VH-CLT (ex VT-DHD) arrived at Alice Springs on April 5, 1963, followed three days later by VH-CLR (ex VT-DHH). On April 13, VH-CLR was flown to Bankstown where Hawker de Havilland carried out an overhaul and incorporation of mandatory modifications. The Heron returned to Alice Springs on July 22 and was used for crew training, route familiarization flights, and charter flights. Connellan’s second Heron was retained in Alice Springs for some weeks for crew training and then initial overhaul and modification work was carried out. On July 6, it also departed for Bankstown where further major modifications were done. These two Herons were the first of nine which eventually flew with Connellan and its successors.

Where the Heron had a deficiency was the performance of the Gipsy Queen engines in hot and high conditions. This led to the establishment of the infrastructure in Alice Springs in the airline’s maintenance shop to carry out an extensive upgrading and re-engining of eight of Connellan’s Herons with Lycoming IO-540 powerplants. The magnitude of the task can be gauged from the procedure, which involved a respar of the wing, in conjunction with the powerplant substitution. The first Heron to be modified was VH-CLT in 1969 at a cost of $100,000 and 2,000 manhours. The cost and effort was well spent because of the substantial performance improvement. The lighter, more fuel-efficient Lycomings conferred many benefits. The cruising speed increased by 35kt (65km/h), takeoff distance with a full load was more than halved from 5,000ft, and payload increased by over 363kg (800lb).

In parallel with the re-engining, Connellan’s other upgrades to the Heron included the installation of lightweight 16-passenger seating, upgraded interiors, a Mitchell Century III Autopilot, replacement of the heat exchanger type air conditioning with a 100,000 BTU Janitrol Combustion Heater installed in the nose, and a separate toilet compartment. Compliance with DoT certification requirements led to the fitting of a two-shot BCF powerplant fire extinguishing system. To comply with the requirements of IFR operations, flight and engine instrumentation presentation was modernized and new radio equipment installed.

Between 1966 and 1977, a further seven Herons were purchased from a variety of overseas sources. This large fleet of Herons played a major role at the time in developing tourism in the Northern Territory. One of the Herons, VH-CLR, was sold in Canada in 1972 to Saunders Aircraft and converted to an ST-27. Another Heron, VH-CLS, was unfortunately lost in an accident at Cairns on October 23, 1975. The Heron had been operating flight 1263 from Alice Springs to Cairns via Mount Isa. While making an instrument approach, the pilot reported a missed approach during an electrical storm and the Heron came down three kilometers short of the runway on Holloway Beach, with the loss of the 11 people on board. In January 1976, VH-KAM was sold to Kendell Airlines, and in addition, they later acquired VH-CLW.

An interesting change of habitat for Connair’s VH-CLV occurred in 1974. Following the final Short Sandringham flight to Lord Howe Island on September 10, 1974, by VH-BRC Beachcomber, Airlines of NSW urgently needed aircraft capable of operating to Lord Howe’s 3,000ft airstrip, constructed by Army engineers in March 1974 as a training exercise. On September 18, 1974, VH-CLV, chartered from Connair complete with crew, was used for a proving flight to Lord Howe Island. A regular four flights a week service then commenced the following day and continued until February 28, 1975, when services then were taken over by commuter operators.

The face of the airline changed several times over the 1970s and beyond. In 1970, the name Connellan Airways was changed to Connair, and in the late 1970s, East-West took over the airline. On June 2, 1980, the name was officially changed to Northern Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd. With each change of name came an associated change of livery. New equipment comprising the Metroliner and Friendship was introduced and this signaled the end of the career of the Heron in the Northern Territory. More changes still came; on January 18, 1981, Ansett temporarily assumed the operations of Northern Airlines’s trunk routes using a combination of Ansett DC-9s, Airlines of WA F28s, and F27s.

In March 1981, Northern Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd advertised several aircraft for sale, amongst which were four Herons, VH-CLV, VH-CLX, VH-CLY, and VH-CLZ. This saw the remaining Herons disposed of to other operators. In addition to this group, the airline’s other Heron VH-CLT was sold to the Adelaide-based operator Southern Airlines in May 1981. Southern Airlines acquired the Heron with the intention of providing charter flights for overseas tourists. In 1988, this Heron was sold to Airlines of Tasmania.

The Wagga Wagga-based Kendell Airlines used its two Herons VH-KAM and VH-CLW for some years on routes within its network, which included Wagga/Melbourne, Melbourne/Cooma, Melbourne/Merimbula, and Melbourne/King Island. During 1980, VH-CLW was leased to Executive Airlines. Both Herons were disposed of during the early 1980s; VH-KAM was sold to Davey Air Services in August 1980 while VH-CLW, after its return from Executive Airlines, was sold to Air Tungaru in Kiribati as T3-ATA in May 1981.

Dubbo-based Davey Air Services had an extensive service to rural areas of NSW. It operated scheduled services to Sydney from Nyngan, Bourke, Brewarrina, and Cobar and from Dubbo to Nyngan and Cobar. In addition, charter and air taxi flights were performed. When VH-KAM was purchased in August 1980, it joined the Davey fleet headed by Bandeirantes supported by some twin-engined Pipers. During the following year, the Mascot-based Avdev Airlines acquired Davey Air Services and renamed it Avdev Airlines Davey. In September 1981, a second ex Connair Heron, VH-CLV was purchased and in 1982 the name reverted to Avdev Airlines. In 1984, both Herons were disposed of; VH-KAM was sold to East Coast Airlines, while VH-CLV was purchased by Air Tasmania, later to become Airlines of Tasmania.

These changes of ownership to the ex Connair Herons saw Airlines of Tasmania emerge as the dominant Australian Heron operator from the mid-1980s. The company was formed on July 1, 1982, from the amalgamation of two Tasmanian companies, Air Tasmania (Commuters) and HC Sleigh Airlines. In 1980, HC Sleigh Airlines’ predecessor, Executive Air Services (Tasmania) chartered Kendell’s VH-CLW for two months to evaluate the aircraft on the service from Launceston to the Bass Strait Islands. They had been using Cessna 404s and needed a 15-seater to effectively operate the run, carrying the required mix of passengers, freight, and mail. The use of turbine-powered aircraft such as the Bandeirante and Twin Otter was ruled out because of cost factors. The success of the Heron trials confirmed its suitability and between 1983 and 1985, Airlines of Tasmania purchased six Herons from various sources: VH-CLT, VH-CLY, VH-CLZ, VH-CLX, VH-CLV, and VH-KAM. The build-up of the Heron fleet led to the eventual disposal of five other smaller aircraft from Airlines of Tasmania’s fleet.

On August 4, 1984, VH-CLY was badly damaged in a landing accident at Launceston after a flight from King Island and Wynyard. This changed earlier plans to use VH-CLX solely as a source of spares for the other Herons. Following the Launceston accident, VH-CLY was scrapped and its wings used in the rebuild of VH-CLX. The Heron fleet of four aircraft acquitted itself well, and in the year to June 30, 1986, 50,000 passengers were carried.

In recent years, the delivery of more modern equipment has seen the Herons withdrawn from use. In 1989, VH-CLT was retired, and as of late 1995, VH-CLV, VH-CLX, and VH-KAM were stored at Launceston Airport awaiting disposal. Of these, VH-KAM is complete while the other two Herons each had one engine removed. VH-CLX is in the previous blue and white livery, while VH-CLV and VH-KAM are in Airlines of Tasmania’s new colors.

The newest Australian Heron operator is the aptly titled Sydney-based Heron Airlines. On October 27, 1991, Heron Airlines’ first aircraft, the Riley Heron 2D/A1 DQ-FED arrived in Sydney from Suva via Nadi, Magenta, Norfolk Island, and Lord Howe Island. In December, the Heron became VH-NJI Arthur Butler, fittingly named after the first Australian Heron operator. In 1993, their second machine, Heron 2 VH-NJP, also appropriately named as E. J. Connellan, departed from Staverton, Gloucester on September 27 and after a 27-stop ferry flight arrived in Australia on October 8. Another Heron was also purchased in the UK, and this had all useful spare parts stripped from it in September 1993 and the remains were donated to the local airport fire service at High Wycombe.

Both aircraft have long service lives ahead of them. The Gipsy Queen-engined VH-NJI has 18,000 hours to run. It is a standard Heron 2 except for metal flaps and disc brakes. The Riley Heron VH-NJP has 2,000 hours left and a spare wing with a 9,000-hour life is available to extend the life out to 11,000 hours. Heron Airlines conducts 40 tours a year within Australia and each Heron accumulates 500 flying hours per year. Apart from a variety of tours within Australia, Heron Airlines conducted a 21-day island hopping tour in 1994 to Samoa. The route taken was Sydney/Lord Howe Island/Norfolk Island/Noumea/Port Vila/Nadi/Suva/Savusavu/Wallis Island/Apia/Pago Pago/Vava’u/Tonga/Nadi/Port Vila/Noumea/Norfolk Island/Lord Howe Island/Sydney. For this flight, the usual 14-seat accommodation was reduced to 12 because of the extra equipment carried for safety and operational reasons for overwater flights. A passenger-carrying flight of this distance must be close to a Heron record.

Of all the Herons in Australia, the most notable is the original prototype aircraft, which first flew as G-ALZL over 46 years ago. It was registered in Australia as VH-CJS on August 23, 1973, by Altair Pty Ltd of Jandakot Airport. This Heron had served with numerous operators and immediately prior to its arrival in Australia, was owned by Geoplan as OY-DGS. Since its arrival in Australia, it has had a rather checkered existence, passing through several hands. In 1975, when owned by Armourcoating, it was leased by Amalgamated Air and operated on a contract passenger and freight service, two or three times a week from Perth to Telfer in the Gibson Desert. Located 720nm (1330km) north from Perth, Telfer was the location of a new goldmine under development. In testing conditions, with temperatures up to 50 degrees Celsius, the Heron operated the run for about 10 months, in an area far removed from its origins in 1950.

The last time VH-CJS flew was in 1976. On September 10, 1976, it was withdrawn from service at Jandakot and parked in the open. Since then, its ownership has been the subject of a long-winded legal dispute. It now lies in a dismantled state and its chances of flying again seem remote. Perhaps this important aircraft’s best chance of survival would be to be placed in a museum in the future.

The remaining two Herons currently flying in Australia are members of a very select band, part of the five flyable Herons in the world as of the end of 1995. Apart from the Australian examples, there are two in the USA and one in the UK. Hopefully, these dwindling examples of de Havilland’s last piston-engined airliner will be with us for some years yet.