Register review

Jim Whalley, owner of Boomerang Aviation, advises that he will probably sell OIX which has relatively low hours on it – just under 6800, and keep OIZ for air shows and potentially warbird adventure flights. Jim is currently seeking permission from the UK to return both aircraft to their original British Army colours and marking.

John Maslin’s Pipistel Virus SWiS DAB is the first of its type on the CASA register although there are four currently on the RA-Aus register. The Virus is a high-wing, cantilever monoplane with pod and boom configuration, a tee-tail, air brakes and a cabin that seats two side by side. It is built in Slovenia of all composite construction and is available from the factory in kit form or fly-away. The aircraft comes with a tail wheel or tricycle fixed undercarriage, short wing (10 metre) or long wing (12 metre) and can be fitted with an 80hp (60kw) or 100hp (75kw) Rotax power plant. DAB is a short wing version with a Rotax 912Is fuel injected engine.

Cessna Grand Caravans TQF and TQV are interesting as they were delivered new to Myanmar Airways during 2013 as XY-AJK and XY-AJL respectively to be used for business and private charters based at Mandalay. Myanmar Airways operate three Airbus A319s and one A320 on domestic and international routes but it appears that their venture into corporate charters was not that successful as both aircraft have been sold to Acena Nominees in Adelaide.

The two aircraft arrived in Perth on October 16 via Denpasar, Bali and Port Hedland with Airflite providing pre-delivery checks – TQF at their Perth facility and TQV at Jandakot.

A Cessna 172 and a Boeing 737 are shown in the Aircraft Returning to the Register section this month. Cessna 172R Skyhawk LWE was part of the Royal Queensland Aero Club/Airline Academy of Australia fleet before they went into liquidation and the aircraft was deregistered on September 14. Less than one month later the aircraft is back on the register with Rapair Aircraft Hire at Archerfield.

VZF was one of eight Qantas Boeing 737s which spent a short time on the local register during August 2009 before going to Jetconnect in New Zealand. Jetconnect, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas have been using the aircraft on their trans-Tasman routes as well as on their New Zealand domestic network before Jetstar Airbus A320s took over the domestic services.

Thirty eight aircraft are shown in the Deletions section this issue although this number is not indicative of a decrease in the number of aircraft in Australia as five have been reregistered and can be found in the new allocations section, two have been transferred to the RA-Aus register and twelve have been withdrawn from use and may re-join the local register at a later date.

Not so for the two elderly Skytrans Dash 8s QQA and QQC as they were broken up at Cairns during October. Of the exports Dornier Do228 VJD has gone to Kenya, Cessna Caravan UTJ and Bell LongRanger IQY to South Africa, AgustaWestland AW169 LHH to the Philippines and Hiller UH-12E ECK is now in Canada.

Closer to home five aircraft have crossed the Tasman including PA-42 Cheyenne 400LS BUR which is now flying as ZK-FIS with Airways Corporation of New Zealand based at Auckland. The departure of the Cheyenne leaves only one other 400LS and two Cheyenne IIIs on the local register.

Fletcher FU24 HVP has taken up its original markings of ZK-EUA and is now with Aerial Spreading at Amberley and Aerospatiale Squirrel LLP is now marked as ZK-ILW flying with Murchison Heli Tours at Richmond.

Gippsland Airvan LPX is now with Southern Lakes Aviation at Queenstown and joins two other Airvans, a Cessna 172 and a PA-32 Cherokee Six in the Southern Lakes fleet. The Airvan is very popular in New Zealand with 25 currently on the New Zealand register. With its large windows and one for each seat it is ideal for tourist flights.

Five aircraft have been exported to the USA including Beech Baron EPO which is now N16BK with Bay Leasing at Richmond, Virginia, and Cessna 208 Super Cargomaster IOV which flies now with Pacific Air Holdings at Shawnee, Oklahoma, as N842PH. Also in America is Beech Super King Air 350 WXC, which came from the UK to Australia during February 2011, and is now marked as N506KB with Aerosolutions Group at Willmington, Delaware.

Only two aircraft have been deregistered due to damage. Cessna T188 Aghusky was damaged by fire at Bronte Park, Tasmania, on October 13 2014 and Liberty XL2 CZX crashed 2km South of Luddenham NSW on September 24 2008. The Liberty was observed by witnesses in a steep, low speed descent before hitting trees. The ATSB report found no mechanical fault with the aircraft, the weather was benign and the pilot had no pre-existing medical conditions. However, traces of cannabis were found in the pilot’s blood although this was not believed to be factor in the crash.