Civil Aircraft Register Update

Three brand new Robinson R22s are listed, one for AA Company who already operates six Robinsons from its Mount Isa base on cattle mustering and general duties, and two for resale through local agents Heliflite at Castle Hill in Sydney. Both Hughes 500s shown, GEO and WLM, have been imported from Japan where they were owned by Nihon Helicopters of Chigasaki prior to coming to Australia. GEO is a 1969 model built by Hughes in the USA which went to Japan during April 1970 whilst WLM is a 1973 model built under license by Kawasaki in Japan.

Cessna 182 Skylane AAU was originally delivered new to Australia in March 1966. It flew here as PLD until August 1975 when it was exported to PNG. There it was locally registered P2-PLD and was owned by Honor Egger Air Transport of Lae until cancelled during February 1994. The Cessna 182 has become a popular mount for Australian private pilots over the years and since AAU was registered three more Skylanes have arrived from overseas to satisfy the local market. N735ZZ and N3193Q, both 182Q models, arrived in Sydney from Honolulu and Pago Pago on March 26 whilst G-BWBV, a 182L, ended its long delivery flight from the UK at Bankstown on April 3.

Cessna U206 TWH was delivered to Penerbangan Mados in Malaysia during August 1976 and flew as 9M-TMI until sold in the Philippines as RP-C1880 in January 1978. It appears that the sale did not go through as the aircraft remained in Malaysia until coming to Australia during December 1985. Originally registered NBD, it was later sold in PNG and became P2-TAZ in July 1992. After almost four years in PNG the aircraft has now returned to Australia based in North Queensland with Les Tenni.

Aviat Huskys MUU and WOF double the number of these Piper Super Cub look-alikes now in Australia with one of these registered with the Australian Ultralight Federation. Two earlier models, built by Christen Industries of Afton, Wyoming, are also resident in this country, one with Hunts Automotive Electrical at Mackay, Qld, and one with Garry Phelps of Wee Waa, NSW.

KJT, YEE, and ZEE are three of the latest Gazelles from the Skyfox production line at Caloundra, Qld. KJT operates from Dave Turner’s property near Goondiwindi, Qld, whilst Fred Loveday has taken delivery of YEE and ZEE. Fred’s fleet of Skyfoxes now stands at six with LOO and LOY being delivered in March, YEE and ZEE during April, and ZEZ and ZOZ in May.

Skydrifter Ballooning has added a third balloon to its operation on the Sunshine Coast with the arrival of Kavanagh BOC. The locally built balloon has a 120 cubic metre envelope and is capable of accommodating six passengers and one crew. The new acquisition fits into the middle of Skydrifter’s range of balloons, the two other envelopes being a 105 cubic metre Thunder and a 160 cubic metre Cameron capable of lifting five and nine people respectively.

The two aircraft shown in the Returning to Register listing have similar histories despite a different time frame. Cessna 172 TMT was delivered new to Australia during November 1976, was withdrawn from use in August last year and returns to the air after only eight months of inactivity. Auster KBY meanwhile was delivered new to Australia during February 1952, was withdrawn from use in March 1976, and returns to the air after 20 years rest. KBY was one of 244 civil Austers imported by Kingsford Smith Flying Services, at Mascot Aerodrome, between 1947 and 1958. It was also one of only 87 J/1B Aiglet models, powered by the Gipsy Major I engine, to be built at Auster’s factory at Rearsby in England.

Australian Austers have been instrumental in the training of many pilots over the years but have also claimed the lives of some. They have also been involved in a few ‘unusual’ situations. It was an Auster that took off by itself from Bankstown Airport in August 1955 and had to be shot down over the sea by RAN Sea Furies to prevent it from crashing into suburban Sydney. Bob Baudin, a famous conman, used an Auster to buzz Sydney during February 1969 to bring attention to his plight to avoid deportation to the USA. It was also an Auster that nearly took the life of Max Hazelton when the J/5F he was flying crashed into wooded and remote country near Katoomba during October 1954. Max survived the impact and after three days managed to walk to safety. The wreck of the Auster, AFK, was never found and recognisable parts of the machine may still be out there waiting to be discovered.

Cessna 195 VH-MWQ has returned to the USA, leaving just three 195s on the Australian register. (Bill Lines)

Unfortunately, almost half of the Deletions listed this month are due to accidents. Most of the details of these accidents are not known at present although it is known that two people lost their lives when Bell LongRanger RHQ crashed into Torres Strait, while the pilot and his passenger died when Baron WMD ditched into Bass Strait whilst on a trip from Bankstown to Flinders Island. Bell 47G WHS has been withdrawn from use and may be returned to the register at a later date. Cessna U206 CRL and Cameron Balloon UAV have been reregistered and details can therefore be found in the New Allocations section under their new identities.

Skyfox APN and Kitfox KFK have been transferred to the Australian Ultralight Federation register along with Druine Turbulent ULI which was first put on the VH register as long ago as November 1963. Six aircraft have been exported including BAe 125 HSP which has been sold to Oberoi Hotels of New Delhi, India. Ansett F28 Fellowship FKC has gone to Canada and is expected to be followed by a second Fellowship in the near future. The elderly jet has joined Canadian Regional at Calgary, Alberta which operates a diverse fleet of Dash 8s, ATR 42s, Shorts 360s, and Fellowships on behalf of its parent company Canadian Airlines. FKC will be the second Australian Fellowship in use with Canadian Regional as it acquired ATE from the CAA during 1988. Nomad DHO and Cessna 150 KOK have been sold in New Zealand with the Nomad departing Darwin on March 28 and tracking via Mount Isa, Longreach, Coolangatta, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Island on delivery to Air Adventures of Parakai. On arrival at Parakai the aircraft took up parachuting duties and general charter work. KOK was shipped out of Australia and was noted being uncrated at Melton on April 11.

Skyfox RCR has also been shipped out of Australia, its final destination being Dundee in Scotland. The Australian-built Skyfox will be used on a demonstration tour of the UK by local agents Anglo-Pacific Aviation and had already been painted as G-IDAY prior to leaving this country. The word “mate” has been added, in small letters, to the registration to form the world-famous Australian greeting “G-IDAY mate”.

After less than six years in this country, Cessna 195 MWQ has returned to the USA leaving only three others of the type still flying in Australia. Over 1000 Cessna 190s and 195s were built in the USA between 1947 and 1954 and with so few left airworthy the type has become a collector’s item. With its large, roomy cabin and powerful radial engine the 195 was produced in three versions, the 195 using a 300hp (225kW) Jacobs engine and the 195A and 195B models which utilised 245hp (185kW) and 275hp (205kW) engines respectively. With the export of MWQ, only three 195s remain in Australia, a 195B model and two standard 195s.

Noteworthy in the Changes of CoR Holder section are the Mobile Carpet Cleaning Factory who has acquired Nomads SNX and WRT from Phil Onis. The Bankstown-based company has also added the only Turbo Beaver in Australia, AAX, to its fleet which now comprises a Baron, a Twin Otter, two Nomads, and the Turbo Beaver.

General Aviation Maintenance has increased its fleet of Aero Commanders to 13 with the arrival of EXY from Skywest Aviation in Perth. The model 500S was used on the Coastwatch contract by Skywest and becomes the 11th 500S based at Essendon with GAM which also operates two of the larger Commanders, a 685 and a 680FL.

Coral Air Whitsunday’s two Beaver floatplanes have been joined by three Lake amphibians at the company’s Shute Harbour base. Coral Air’s origins go back to the 1980s when Air Whitsunday operated Great Barrier Reef sightseeing flights from Airlie Beach. During 1993 the land-based aircraft of the fleet, Islander ISD and Partenavia PNP, transferred to Island Air Taxis while the amphibious component of the fleet, Beavers HQE and SSC, transferred to Coral Air. Lake Buccaneers AWY and SYA, and Lake Renegade JLV have now joined the Beavers although the two Buccaneers have not flown since 1988. One of the 200hp (150kW) Buccaneers will be refurbished and put back into service whilst the second machine may be used as a source of spares. The 250hp (185kW) Renegade, one of only three in Australia, will be reregistered AWD in the near future and Coral Air hopes to take delivery of a second Renegade before the end of the year.

Details of some aircraft recently exported are now known and as predicted Sikorsky S-76s ECS and EMX have joined EMM in the Court Helicopters fleet in South Africa. The three machines fly as ZS-RGX, RHR, and RGZ respectively and are leased to Helinamib for work in neighbouring Namibia. Ansett Fokker 50s FNG and FNF are now with Skyways of Sweden and registered SE-LEC and LED respectively whilst Piper Malibu MOY now flies in Thailand as HS-10O.

Learjet OVS, which was shown in the May issue, is now registered N101FU with Nevada Desert Holdings of Florida and was delivered via Europe and across the Atlantic via Keflavik, Sondre Stromfjord, and Goose Bay during early February. The aircraft was reported at Fort Lauderdale on February 15 still carrying its Australian markings.

Cessna 310B ATQ and Maule M-5 JVR, both in the deletion section last month, are now active in New Zealand. The Maule is owned by T Mead of Wanaka and did not take much signwriting to change it to ZK-JVR, whilst the Cessna 310 is now ZK-JGJ and is for sale through Dennis Thompson at Auckland.

In PNG, where Bell, Aerospatiale, and Hughes types dominate the local helicopter market, Robinson R22 Beta HEE has become only the third R22 to be locally registered. P2-HLA arrived in PNG during November 1988 and P2-MTS during February 1992. Both aircraft have since returned to Australia leaving HEE (now P2-HEE) the only R22 active in New Guinea.

Dassault Falcon 50 PDJ operated in Australia between September 1987 and May 1988 before it was exported to the USA to fly as N157SP. It later changed to N95GC and then spent some time in Italy flying as I-DEGF before recently joining the Cayman Island register as VR-CFI. The Falcon is now owned by the Frank Williams Formula One racing team.

Bell 212 NSU, which was at one time owned by the National Safety Council of Australia, was destined for Spain when it was cancelled from the Australian register during June 1994. Unfortunately it was damaged as it was being loaded onto a ship at Sydney Docks and was thought to be a write-off. However the helicopter has been repaired and is now flying in Spain as EC-FYC. Also in Spain is JetRanger HJG which operated for Helijet between March 1992 and September 1995. Now owned by Sky Helicopteros of Palma, it was given temporary Spanish markings of EC-972 before it graduated onto the permanent register as EC-GEH.

The 1996 Australian Aviation Civil Aircraft Register is now available. This is the only publication that lists registration, type, construction number, and C of R Holder’s name and address in an easy to read tabulated format. Over 10,500 aircraft are listed including those registered with CASA, the Gliding Federation of Australia, and the Hang Gliding Federation of Australia. The register is only available from AustAirData, PO Box 1142, Toombul, Qld 4012 (phone and fax 074 983 757) at a cost of $11.00 including postage within Australia (add 50% for overseas air mail). Credit card facilities are available and the Register is also available on IBM compatible computer disk in ASCII format at a cost of $50.00 or as a complete standalone database program at a cost of $70.00.