Skyforce

“What we are trying to achieve is a niche market business that does not step on anyone’s toes. We are looking to carve out a business in areas that traditionally have not had such services,” said Steve Ferris, major shareholder and Chairman of Skyforce, the 146’s new operator.

“Our aircraft have been chosen for their capabilities in challenging environments and due to the type of cargo – ugly or dangerous, the remoteness of the strips, strips that are unsealed and short and so on.”

The first of what will initially be two BAe146s in Skyforce’s fleet arrived at the company’s Bankstown base in April and a second is due in November. The aircraft will enter service in July and December respectively and each will be immediately pressed into service wherever demand takes them.

“We would never turn away any work!” Ferris said with the same optimistic character that has seen him become a quiet achiever in the industry.

In 1983 he set up International Air Parts (IAP) and in the late 90s launched Horizon Airlines, operating HS748s and Metroliners on freight and passenger services. In April 2002 he acquired Aeropelican, the once Ansett-owned commuter airline based in Belmont on the NSW central coast, bringing it from the point of collapse in the more that followed Ansett’s collapse and moving the operation’s base to Newcastle Airport. Ferris built up Aeropelican into a credible, sustainable and growing airline before selling it on in 2008.

This year, as he celebrates the 30th anniversary of IAP, Ferris is beginning another chapter in his long and colourful experience in the industry.

But given being in the background making a success of his businesses is more Ferris’s style, he handed Australian Aviation to Tim Duller, Skyforce’s business development manager, who explained the rationale behind Skyforce and what opportunities lie ahead.

“We have become experts in the carriage of both non-dangerous and dangerous goods and have become known as experts in this field,” Duller said in opening, pointing to the niche that Ferris is looking to fill.
“Skyforce Aviation’s current focus is on freight and cargo operations with its existing Convair CV580 fleet. Market forces and commercial demands brought out this paradigm shift some three years ago and to date we’ve carried more than 1.6 million kilograms of freight and cargo. The majority of this was into and out of Papua New Guinea.”
Skyforce – formerly Pionair – operates predominantly in Cairns, Brisbane, Port Moresby, Rabaul, Mt Hagen, Manus Island and Lae, with an engineering base in Cairns. Head office is in Bankstown, from where Skyforce personnel manage what will be a fleet of 4 aircraft by the end of the year, operating across a diverse range of tasks.
“Our main clients now include, but are by no means limited to Air Charter Brokers, the Australian government, the Australian Defence Force and various mining companies,” Duller explained.
The future of Skyforce Aviation is now looking very promising indeed, he added, noting: “The acquisition of two owned BAe146-200QC aircraft, the first one already in Australia and the second one due to arrive in November 2013, will open doors for Skyforce that till now were closed.

“We are once again actively looking at the FIFO market as well as the passenger charter market. With our formidable experience in this area of aviation, we are sure to once again become a premier passenger carrier in the not too distant future.”

The arrival of the 146s will present a step-change for Skyforce. The versatility of the jets will lead the company’s ambitions for the foreseeable future.

“We suspect the two BAe146s will become the primary aircraft within our fleet and will become fully utilised within a short period. Having applied for freight carriage rights from Australia to Noumea and Australia to PNG, the 146 is the perfect aircraft to maximise these routes for us.

“The reason for this is simply due to the fact Skyforce bought the QC models of the 146 and as such these aircraft can be flown in a multipurpose role carrying both passenger and freight at the same time as well as individually.

“The beauty of the QC is the time required to convert the aircraft from a freight configuration to a passenger one – 60mins is all it takes! This then gives us the ability to provide our clients with a tailored solution no matter their requirements – passenger or freight or a combination of both.”

Skyforce’s existing fleet of CV580s will remain within the fleet performing their niche freight roles flying between Australia and PNG carrying dangerous and non-dangerous goods as well as to those ports in Australia unsuited to jet currently capable of accepting large turboprops.

Acquired in 2007, the CV580s fly around 75 hours a month hours with the company and are expected to further develop this market.
“Our current Convair CV580 fleet will not be phased out. We have proven their value and will be looking to expand their operation in the coming years.”

The 6,000kg payload of the venerable aircraft is useful for carrying equipment, components and consumable items to mining sites in PNG due to its large cargo door which allows for the loading of very long and bulky items. Recently Skyforce completed a contract for Air Niugini during which the aircraft carried more than one million kilograms of freight over 468 flights covering some 267,100nm. And despite the intensity and complexity of missions – and the aircrafts’ age – a dispatch reliability of more than 98 per cent was achieved.

Skyforce will be showcasing its capabilities at the upcoming Australian and PNG Mining Expo in Cairns during June “where our major focus will be our Convair CV580 fleet,” Duller explained.

As to where else Skyforce might operate, Duller said: “What the market demands Skyforce will provide. This short and simple statement sums up our future plans.

“We have investigated the current market place and have ascertained that the BAe146-200QC is the perfect aircraft for our needs. However, as we hold a high capacity AOC and a FAOC, we are able to provide a unique service to all our current and would-be clients.”

Each of the 146s will carry 9,622kg of payload as each has a hot galley and other comforts – this is three and a half tonnes more than the CV580s, or can be configured for up to 80 or more passengers depending on layout. The QC capability of the aircraft also allows combi configurations to be used, making the 146 particularly versatile in the FIFO market and offering a distinct point of difference other operators can’t offer.

“What the market demands Skyforce will provide. This… sums up our future plans.”

Maintaining the fleet will be done by Skyforce. Line maintenance for scheduled services will be performed in Brisbane and Cairns, while heavy maintenance will be conducted exclusively at the company’s facilities at Bankstown Airport.

“We currently and historically have always maintained our own aircraft and the 146s will be the same. We are at present tooling up and recruiting LAMEs for this exact operation.”

In addition to Skyforce looking for supplementary LAMEs, the company is also looking for five flight attendants to meet the safety and service requirements of its 146s when operating passenger services.

“We are looking for people that possess the care factor”, Duller said. “These people, after all, will become the face of Skyforce Aviation”.
Skyforce is growing, and to capitalise on its growth, is also building up its third party maintenance work at the Bankstown facility. In this instance focus will be on supporting turboprops for other operators. As such, it represents a deviation from the traditional airline model, but one that not only provides self-sustainability operationally but which diversifies the business’s revenue streams.

The small management team, Steve Ferris (Chairman), Brian Esplin (Chief Executive Officer), Alastair Johnston (Managing Director), Michael Lee (General Manager), Gabe Mihalas (Operations Manager), Tim Duller (Business Development Manager) and Cameron Mountford (CPA) are fully committed to develop and grow this unique and emerging carrier.