Yesteryear

A ceremony was held at Krakow-Balice on September 8 for the handover of the first two EADS CASA C-295Ms for the Polish Air Force. Eight C-295Ms have been ordered for Poland incorporating the installation of self-protection suites, while two of the aircraft will be equipped with refuelling probes to provide for an inflight refuelling capability.

The number of customers electing to install the performance-enhancing Aviation Partners Boeing’s Blended Winglets as a standard item on new production 737-700s has been steadily increasing. In addition, the attraction of fitting the winglets to existing aircraft was highlighted by a recent order from Aloha Airlines to similarly upgrade its fleet of 12 737-700s. Aloha operates some the longest stage lengths operated by 737-700s including Vancouver-Honolulu 2350nm (4355km) and Honolulu-Rarotonga 2555nm (4734km) and will benefit from the improved payload/range advantages gained from the winglets.

Air France and KLM confirmed in a joint statement on September 30 they expect to conclude an agreement to form a single airline group under a new holding company Air France-KLM through a share exchange offer by Air France for KLM common stock.

An “official” formal first flight of the Chengdu FC-1/JF-17 prototype 01 took place at Wenjiang Airport, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on September 3, staged primarily for the Chinese press. The event was arranged following the actual maiden flight in August 25 at the same location. The aircraft had been assembled at the Chengdu Aircraft Industrial group’s Chengdu State Aircraft Factory with a rollout on May 31 earlier this year. The aircraft is intended to serve with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force and Pakistan Air Force, with 50 per cent of the aircraft’s development financed by Pakistan.

25 Years Ago

Qantas’s first 767-338ER, VH-OGA *City of Whyalla**, arrived in Sydney on September 1 on its delivery flight from Everett via Los Angeles and Honolulu. It’s the first Qantas aircraft with General Electric powerplants.

The Boeing 737-400 received its FAA certification on September 2 after the completion of 535 hours of flight testing by the first two aircraft. The 737-400, which was launched on 4 June 1986 with an order from Piedmont Airlines is the longest version of the 737 family. The first 737-400 delivery to Piedmont, a subsidiary of USAir, took place on 15 September.

On September 28 the first of five prototype Ilyushin II-96-300 wide-body transports, CCCP-96000, had its maiden flight from the Ilyushin Design Bureau at Moscow to the Zhukovskii test establishment north of the city. With a 300-passenger capacity, the II-96 has been designed for Aeroflot as a II-86 successor.

A significant chapter closed on September 30 when the USN’s last operational reciprocating-engined aircraft, the Grumman C-1A Trader, was retired from active service and transferred to the Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Florida. The aircraft had been based at the air station providing carrier onboard delivery support to the USN’s training carrier, USS *Lexington**.

The Fokker 100 has been selected by Braniff to expand operations from its Kansas City hub with 12 obtained from leasing company GPA, in addition to six options. The aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Tay 650 engines will have 107 seats. Delivery will take place between September 1989 and December 1990.

An interesting addition to the US Customs Service is the prototype Lockheed P-3 Orion AEW&C aircraft now registered N91LC, flying on anti-drug smuggling patrols and given the nickname of *Blue Sentinel**.

Flight-testing began on September 7 of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 S/MTD (short takeoff and landing/manoeuvering technology demonstrator) intended to operate from a 1500ft (457m) runway in bad weather or at night. Among major changes are controllable two-dimensional nozzles on the engines, two canard foreplanes and wings skinned with a stronger and lighter aluminium-lithium alloy.

In a move to deter aggression from North Korea, USAF E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft accompanied by fighter escorts flew sorties over the 1988 Summer Olympic in Seoul, South Korea held from September 17 to October 2.

50 Years Ago

An order for three Concorde supersonic transports has been placed by the US domestic operator Continental Airlines for use on internal routes, reducing flight time between Los Angeles and Chicago to less then two hours. To avoid noise on the ground, the Concordes will fly subsonically up to 40,000ft before climbing to the normal supersonic cruising altitude of 50,000 to 60,000ft.

The second order for the forthcoming Douglas DC-9 has been placed by Bonanza Airlines for three aircraft plus three options. The aircraft are expected to enter service in early 1966 on high-density routes from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Reno and Salt Lake City. The first flight of the DC-9 has been scheduled for March 15 1965.

The New Zealand government has authorised Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) to purchase three Douglas DC-8 Series 50s for delivery in 1965 taking DC-8 orders to 208, with deliveries standing at 186. The government has also approved the immediate purchase of three Lockheed C-130Es for the RNZAF and approval in principle has been given to acquire five maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The RNZAF’s present equipment includes Handley Page Hastings, Douglas DC-6 transports and Short Sunderland flying boats.

KLM plans to modernise and standardise its fleet by withdrawing DC-3s and DC-7Cs, selling seven 10 Convair 340s with the remaining three transferred to the West Indies. European services will be operated by Electras and Viscounts with DC-8s on other routes. By early 1965 the airline’s fleet will comprise 16 DC-8s, 11 Electras, nine Viscounts and four DC-7F Freighters.

In what was the first flight under the Sydney Harbour Bridge by more than one aircraft at the same time, 10 Westland Wessex helicopters took off from HMAS *Melbourne** in Sydney Harbour on September 4. They then separated into two V formations of five each and passed under the Bridge twice during a flight which passed over Cockatoo Island. The event marked the return of seven warships from exercises off the Queensland coast.

Air Force Week displays were held at RAAF bases around Australia during the month. Highlights at Richmond on September 14 were No 75 Squadron’s Sabres conducting aerobatics ending in a bomb-burst, two Vampires mounting an attack on Neptune A89-301 during a simulated attack on the base and a mass flypast of 12 Canberras.