Yester Year

• The US Department of Defense announced on April 12 the proposed sale to Australia of 11 surplus USAF F-111s, 130 excess TF30 engines and ALR‑621 radar systems.

The aircraft will be used as spares support for the RAAF’s F‑111C and F-111G fleet.

• Defence Minister John Moore announced on April 20 that the Agusta A129 Scorpion, Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow and the Eurocopter Tiger are now the three remaining contenders under consideration for the new armed reconnaissance helicopter (ARH) for the Army under Project Air 87.

• In what may have been the last commercial flight for the type, Channel Express retired its Super Dart Herald G-BEYE after it had operated its last revenue Bournemouth-Guernsey-Gatwick- Liverpool-Bournemouth service on April 8/9. The only remaining operator of the Herald is Aerovias SA of Guatemala City which has had its sole example stored for some time.

25 Years Ago

• As part of the continuing modernisation of the Turkish armed forces, the US Congress has received Pentagon notification of the sale of a further 15 former USAF F-4E Phantoms at a cost of US$70 million.

• The RNZAF is to have its nine A-4K and three TA-4K Skyhawks undertake a structural, avionics and weapons upgrade to extend their useful lives to at least the end of this decade, and has been authorised to obtain further Skyhawks.

• The first USN squadron to be equipped with the Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk developed to meet the LAMPS Mk. III requirement is HSL-41 based at North Island, San Diego.

Seahawks will serve aboard USN destroyers and frigates.

• British Aerospace has confirmed it will begin full-scale development of the Advanced Turbo Prop (ATP) 64/72- seat airliner derived from the HS. 748. Service introduction is planned for 1987.

• Dublin based Hibernian Dakota Flight Ltd has been established to operate a DC-3 on the international air display circuit. The company has acquired the Argentine registered DC-3 LV-GYP, originally built in 1939 for Eastern Air Lines. Recently ferried from Buenos Aires to Dublin via Rio de Janeiro, Natal, Cape Verde Islands and Tenerife, the DC-3 is being overhauled in Dublin before a repaint in its new 1950s style Aer Lingus livery.

• A request for proposals has been issued by the USAF for three new or used Boeing 747s to be converted to heavy strategic airlift aircraft for operation by the Air National Guard with the C-19A designation.

50 Years Ago

• Naval Aviators Lt Col John H Glenn, USMC, Lt Cdr Walter M Schirra, Lt Cdr Alan B Shepard, Jr and Lt Malcolm Scott Carpenter, with USAF officers Col L Gordon Cooper, Lt Col Virgil I Grissom and Maj Donald K Slayton were selected on April 9 as prospective astronauts under the Project Mercury Program for the development of space exploration and manned orbital flight.

• The last Boeing B-52F Stratofortress has been delivered by the company’s Wichita factory.

The only model now in production is the B-52G, with the first example undergoing climatic and flight testing at Eglin AFB, Florida and Eielson AFB, Alaska.

• There have been recent reports that competing interests are vying to use some of the RAAF’s recently delivered Lockheed C-130A Hercules. While the RAAF is keen to use them mainly for freight, in particular to support commitments in Malaya, the Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition (ANARE) will investigate if ice conditions in Antarctica could support Hercules flights. If this proved satisfactory, ANARE has suggested two RAAF Hercules could be ski-equipped for supply flights between Australia and Antarctica.

• Qantas Empire Airways has announced July 29 as the date its Boeing 707s will commence a twice-weekly service across the Pacific to London via San Francisco and New York, completing the 13,939 miles journey in 38hr 20min flying time. Two additional 707 services a week will begin from August 12 with the San Francisco to London sectors operated by BOAC Bristol Britannias.