Traffic

A380-842 VH-OQL, which had been in Manila for maintenance since October 16 (Traffic/December), ferried from Manila to Sydney as QF6010 on December 6.

747-48E VH-OEB operated QF117 from Sydney to Hong Kong on November 5 and after unloading it entered the HAECO hangar for planned maintenance. On completion of its maintenance check VH-OEB departed Hong Kong for Sydney on November 27 as QF6014.

747-438ER VH-OEE, which had been in Hong Kong for maintenance since September 16 (Traffic/November), returned to service on November 5 when it departed Hong Kong for Sydney as QF118.

A330-303 VH-QPG operated a charter to Honduras with the aircraft carrying the Socceroos for a World Cup qualifying match. VH‑QPG departed Sydney as QF6031 on November 9 for Honolulu and San Pedro Sula before it returned to Sydney on November 12 as QF6032 from San Pedro Sula and Honolulu.

737-838 VH-VYI operated QF978 from Brisbane to Townsville on November 30 and subsequently entered the Flying Colours hangar for repainting in the new Qantas Livery.

737-838 VH-VZF Ballarat, which has seen all its operations to date with the Qantas Group as ZK-ZQA with Jetconnect (Traffic/December), entered service with Qantas on November 10 as QF651 from Brisbane to Perth.

737-838 VH-VZO operated QF71 from Perth to Singapore on November 16 before ferrying the same day to Seletar as QF6006 where it was repainted in the new Qantas livery. On November 29 VH-VZO ferried from Seletar to Townsville as QF6005 before returning to service on December 1 when it operated QF969 from Townsville to Brisbane.

737-838 VH-VZW, which arrived in Singapore on November 3 for painting (Traffic/December), returned to service on November 16 when it operated QF72 from Singapore to Perth. QantasLink ferried Fokker 100 VH-NHV from Seletar to Port Hedland and Perth on November 28.

Dash 8-Q315 VH-SBG ferried from Brisbane to Townsville on November 5 as QF2429 and on arrival it entered the Flying Colours hangar for repainting. Now named Kiama VH-SBG returned to Brisbane from Townsville as QF2459 on November 17.

Dash 8-Q315 VH-SBJ operated QF1421 from Brisbane to Townsville on November 17 and on arrival entered the Flying Colours hangar for repainting. Now named Griffith VH-SBJ returned to Brisbane from Townsville as QF6710 on November 29.

Jetstar ferried Dash 8-Q315 VH‑TQM from Auckland to Norfolk Island, Brisbane and Tamworth on November 17 for maintenance.

Dash 8-Q315 VH-TQL was ferried from Brisbane to Norfolk Island and Auckland on November 16 after completing maintenance at Tamworth (Traffic/December).

Airline News

In this issue we report the delivery of a 787-9 to Air New Zealand, a 737-800 to Samoa Air, a Fokker 100 to Alliance and an ERJ-145LR to JetGo, plus the withdrawal from service of a Cobham/National Jet BAe 146‑300.

Air New Zealand took delivery of 787-9 ZK-NZM in Auckland on November 23 after the aircraft ferried in direct from Charleston as NZ6094. The 787 entered service on November 30 when it operated NZ101 from Auckland to Sydney. 777-319ER ZK-OKQ ferried from Auckland to Singapore as NZ6013 on November 1 for maintenance before returning to Auckland on November 30.

777-219ER ZK-OKA, which had been in Singapore for maintenance since October 30 (Traffic/December), returned to Auckland as NZ6003 on December 2.

Air New Zealand Link/Mount Cook withdrew ATR 72‑500 ZK‑MCW from service on November 26 after the aircraft operated NZ5337 from Wellington to Christchurch. Air Niugini ferried Fokker 100 P2-ANE from Port Moresby to Darwin, Denpasar and Seletar as PX4390 on November 12/13 for planned Maintenance.

Alliance Airlines, which took delivery of Fokker 100 VH-UQD in Brisbane on October 30 (Traffic/December), placed the aircraft into service on November 9 when it operated QQ880 from Brisbane to Trepell.

Fokker 70 VH-QQY has operated a charter to New Zealand. On November 11 as ‘Alliance 557’ VH‑QQY departed Cairns for Brisbane and Auckland before continuing to Rotorua on November 12. It departed Rotorua on November 14 for Queenstown, Auckland and Brisbane.

Fiji Airways ferried 737-8X2/W DQ-FJH as FJI2009 from Nadi to Cairns and Seletar on November 11 for planned maintenance. DQ-FJH returned to Nadi from Seletar and Cairns on November 15 as FJI2008.

A330-243 DQ-FJV ferried from Singapore to Nadi as FJI2004 on November 14 after completing planned maintenance.

JetGo took delivery of its first ERJ-140LR, N16999 msn 145307, at Brisbane on November 5 after the aircraft ferried in from Merauke and Townsville. The Embraer was registered VH-JGR to JetGo on November 16 and entered service on November 26 when it operated JG038 from Brisbane to Wagga Wagga.

ERJ-140LR N14923 msn 145318, which reportedly will be registered VH-JGK, was planned for delivery to JetGo in December.

National Jet Express has withdrawn BAe 146-300 VH-NJL from service with the aircraft planned to be reduced to spares.

Pionair Australia placed BAe 146-200 msn 2148 ex G-ZAPK on the Australian register as VH-SAZ on November 27.

Samoa Airways has leased 737‑86N I-NEOS from the Italian carrier NEOS and on November 9 the aircraft departed Milan/Malpensa for Muscat, Singapore, Cairns and Apia where it arrived on November 12. I-NEOS entered service with Samoa Airways on November 14 as OL731 from Apia to Auckland.

Virgin Group News

In this issue we report the delivery of a 737-800 to Virgin Australia and the departure to storage of two ATR 72-500s of VARA.

Virgin Australia took delivery of 737‑800 VH-YWD Tiramirakura at Brisbane on November 19 after the aircraft, which was operating as VOZ9940, ferried in from Seattle/ Boeing Field via Kona and Nadi. VH-YWD entered service with Virgin Australia on November 30 when it operated VOZ916 from Brisbane to Sydney.

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines/VARA withdrew ATR 72‑500 VH-FVX from service on December 3 after it operated VOZ664 from Sydney to Canberra. On December 5 as VOZ9948 VH-FVX departed Canberra on ferry to Nelson where on arrival it was placed in Storage.

ATR 72-500 VH-FVI was withdrawn from service on December 3 after operating VOZ646 from Sydney to Canberra. On December 7 as VOZ9946 VH‑FVI departed Canberra on ferry to Nelson where it was placed in storage.

Fokker 50 VH-FNA, which was parked at Nairobi, has been registered XA-UZN. The Fokker departed Nairobi on December 2 for Khartoum and Heraklion and onward stops to Mexico on delivery to MAYair.

Regional Airline News

In this issue we report the delivery of an ATR 72-600(QC) to PNG Air, a Cessna 208B to Milford Sound Flights and a Cessna 208A to Air Milford. Departing the region was a Dornier 228 of GAM, while Air Chathams scrapped a Convair 580 and a Metro III.

Air Chathams has had Convair 580 ZK-FTA and Metro III ZK-POB parked at Auckland for some months while the two aircraft were gradually broken up for spare parts. The Convair was cancelled from the register on November 6 while the Metro was cancelled from the register on November 29.

Air Milford took delivery of Cessna 208A N253PV msn 208‑00605 at Queenstown on December 4 after the aircraft ferried in from Wichita via Colorado Springs, Merced, Honolulu, Apia and Auckland. Fiji Link is planning to add DHC‑6‑400 C-GVSW msn 961 to its fleet in January.

GAM Air cancelled Dornier 228‑202K VH‑VJD from the register on October 24 (Traffic/December) and on November 22 the aircraft was noted at Essendon now carrying the Kenyan registration 5Y-CHZ. On November 23 the Dornier departed Essendon for Ayers Rock and Broome before continuing to Christmas Island on November 24.

Heavylift (Australia) ferried ATR 42-320 VH-YWH ex P2‑KSR from Cairns to Brisbane on November 23.

PNG Air took delivery of ATR 72‑600(QC) P2-ATF at Port Moresby on November 16 after the aircraft ferried in from Ujung Pandang.

Tropicair ferried DHC-6-300 P2-TBM from Cairns to Port Moresby on November 24 after the former Southwest DHC-6-300, then registered P2-SWE, finished its planned maintenance and repaint (Traffic/November).

Vortex Air of Moorabbin cancelled Cessna 208B VH-IOV 208B-1174 from the register on October 31 after the aircraft was sold to Pacific Air Holdings of Shawnee, Oklahoma as N842PH. However, as of early December N842PH was reported still to be at Moorabbin. Vortex Air became the registered operator of Cessna 208B VH-LWA on October 26.

Ferry Flights

In this issue we report the delivery of a Cessna 208B to Milford Sound Flights and a Cessna 208A to Air Milford and the departure of a P-750XL to the Chinese Sport Parachute Industry.

Cessna 208B ZK-MCI msn 208B‑1019 was registered to Milford Sound Flights of Queenstown on November 22. The Grand Caravan, then registered N578AZ to Southern Wings Aircraft Sales of Oklahoma City, had ferried into Dunedin on November 13 from Merced/ California via Honolulu, Apia, Auckland and Ardmore.

Cessna 208A N253PV msn 208A‑00605 was delivered to Air Milford at Queenstown on December 4 after the aircraft ferried in from Wichita via Colorado Springs, Merced, Honolulu, Apia and Auckland. Cessna 208B ZK-PDZ 208B-0250 ex VH-SFX was registered to Skydive Queenstown on December 5 (Traffic/December).

CGG Aviation (Australia) Cessna 208B VH-ZKG arrived at Broome from Denpasar on November 1.

Avia Spirit Sentosa Cessna 208B PK‑FSG arrived at Cairns from Merauke on November 6 before it returned to Merauke on November 8.

Cessna 182T VH-KHW departed Latrobe Valley for Port Macquarie on November 5 before continuing the following day to Lord Howe Island, Kerikeri and Tauranga. On November 28 the Cessna was placed on the New Zealand register as ZK-RHW.

Cessna 182F VH-CDN arrived in Darwin from Halim on November 16.

P-750XL ZK-KDN msn 209, which was on delivery to the Chinese Sport Parachute Industry, departed Hamilton on November 9 for the Gold Coast, Longreach, Darwin, Manado, Laoag and Taiyuan Wusu where it arrived on November 18.

P-750XL ZK-KDJ msn 207 has been parked at Darwin since December 3 ’16 after arriving there from Hamilton. On November 21 the P-750XL departed Darwin for Longreach, the ferry flight then continuing to the Gold Coast, Lord Howe Island, Auckland and Hamilton where it arrived on November 23.

Cockles of Albany PA-31‑325 VH-OOI departed Albany on October 19 for Jandakot, Kalgoorlie, Ceduna, Adelaide and Bankstown where it arrived on October 24. VH-OOI then departed Bankstown on October 25 for Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and Kerikeri where it arrived on October 28.

PA-46-310P VH-JVX departed Mount Gambier for Hobart on November 13 before crossing the Tasman to Queenstown on November 14. The Malibu was then placed on the New Zealand register as ZK-ORZ on November 24. PA-34-200T VH-DIG arrived at Darwin from Davao City on November 18 before continuing to Emerald and Bundaberg on November 19.

Commander 500S N9116N msn 3086 arrived at the Gold Coast on December 4 after its trans-Pacific ferry from Santa Maria, California via Hilo, Christmas Island and Pago Pago. The following day N9116N continued to Ballina, Gunnedah, Albury and Essendon.

TBM 930 SP-TBM arrived in Darwin from Lombok on November 13 during a round-the-world flight. The TBM then continued to Jabiru, Cairns and Sydney before crossing the Tasman to Christchurch and Hamilton where it arrived on November 22.

Fire Attack

Conair RJ85 C-GVFK ‘Bomber 391’ arrived at Avalon on December 4 from Abbotsford via Oakland, Honolulu, Majuro and Honiara.

Erickson Air Crane Sikorsky S-64E N189AC Gypsy Lady arrived at Essendon from Sydney on November 11 and has since taken up residence for the 2017/18 bushfire season. N189AC was later fitted with a tank showing that the aircraft was being operated by Kestrel Aviation as Helitak 341.

Kestrel Bell 206 L3 VH-KHQ Firebird 308 has taken up residence at Essendon as the support aircraft for S-64E N189AC Erickson Air Crane Sikorsky S-64E N957AC Ichabod arrived at Moorabbin from the docks on December 1. It was later fitted with a tank showing that the S-64E was being operated by Kestrel Aviation as Helitack 342.

Kestrel Bell 206 L1 VH-JOW Firebird 309 has taken up residence at Moorabbin as the support aircraft for S-64E N957AC.

Erickson Air Crane Sikorsky S-64E N218AC/734 Elsie arrived at Essendon from the Melbourne docks on December 1. Elsie, which was still at Essendon on December 7 reportedly will be ferried to Brukunga, South Australia where it will be based for the fire season.

Erickson Air Crane Sikorsky S-64E N154AC Georgia Peach was unloaded from a ship in the Fremantle docks on November 23 before being moved to its base at Serpentine.

Coulson Helicopters shipped Sikorsky S-61N C-FIRX into Melbourne in November with the machine road‑transported to Avalon where it was re-assembled. Now designated Helitack 347 C-FIRX was later ferried to Colac where it will be based for the bushfire Season.

Coulson also shipped Sikorsky S-61N N161CG, which is the former C-FMAY, to Melbourne in November and as Helitack 348 it has taken up residence at Mansfield.

Wildcat Helicopters Bell 412SP C-FWTQ was flying at Camden on November 13 while Wildcat Bell 412SPs C-GBND and C-FWTY were noted at Camden awaiting assembly.

Valhalla Helicopters Bell 212 C-GLFT/251 was noted at Albion Park on November 15 in company with Valhalla Bell 205A C-GRUV/253. Helimax Aviation of Sacramento Boeing CH-47D N948CH arrived at Essendon from the Port of Melbourne on November 11 and the following day departed on ferry to its base at Camden, NSW.

Timberline Helicopters Sikorsky UH-60A N563DJ Thing 2, which will be operated by Pays Air Service, arrived at Scone on December 7 after being shipped into the Country.

Heavy Metal

Luftwaffe A310-304(ET) 10+23 as GAF384 transited Cairns on November 20 while en route from Singapore to Noumea. The A310 again transited Cairns on November 22 while en route from Noumea to Singapore.

Italian air force A319-115(CJ) MM62209 as IAM3160 arrived in Canberra from Singapore on November 26 before continuing to Adelaide on November 27. It departed Adelaide for Singapore on November 29.

Antonov Airlines An-124 UR-82009 as ADB2192 arrived in Adelaide from Honolulu and Brisbane on November 14 and departed to Johor Bahru as ADB280F on November 16.

Antonov Airlines An-124 UR‑82029 as ADB2218 arrived in Darwin from Mattala on November 27 carrying H175B VH-NYI msn 5027 Inga Bergstrom and H175B VH-NYJ msn 5028 Christmas Jones on delivery to Babcock Offshore Services Australasia. As ADB396F the An‑124 departed Darwin for Sharjah on November 28.

Spectrum Air Basler BT‑67 ZS-ASN arrived at Jandakot on November 12 from Denpasar and Broome. It is conducting survey work while in Australia.

Vim Airlines 777-212ER VP‑BDR arrived at Alice Springs from Moscow/Domodedovo and Kuala Lumpur on November 17 to be placed in storage.

La Compagnie 757-256/W F-HTAG as DJT600 arrived in Melbourne on November 18 from Charles De Gaulle, Keflavik, Las Vegas, Honolulu and Nadi during a round-the-world flight. It departed to Darwin and Siem Reip on November 20.

737-73Q/BBJ N977JG arrived in Sydney from Halim and Canberra on November 7 and departed to Halim on November 10.

737-7BC/BBJ N666ML arrived in Sydney from Beijing and Cairns on November 6 before continuing to Melbourne on November 9. It departed Melbourne for Brisbane on November 12 before continuing to Cairns on November 15 and Beijing on November 17.

Intera Holdings 737-7HZ/BBJ P4-NGK arrived in Perth from Halim on November 8.

Sino Jet Management 737-7CG/ BBJ P4-SJM arrived in Melbourne in the early hours of November 13 from Macau and departed to Cairns on November 23 and Beijing on November 24. It arrived in Brisbane from Shanghai on November 27 before continuing to Melbourne on November 28 and Auckland on November 29.

737-7KK/BBJ VP-CAM arrived in Sydney from Macau on November 21.

US Navy 737-7AF/C-40A 165834 as ‘Convoy 7125’ arrived in Melbourne from Guam on November 11 before returning there on November 13.

US Navy 737-7AF/C-40A 166695 arrived in Melbourne from Guam on November 4 before returning there on November 6.

Deraya Air Taxi BAe ATP(F) PK-DGC arrived in Cairns from Merauke on November 16 before returning to Merauke on November 16.

Volga Dnepr Airlines Il‑76TD‑90VD RA-76952 arrived in Perth from Jakarta as VDA4104 on November 23 and departed to Nanjing as VDA3101 on November 25.

JASDF Kawasaki C-2 68-1203 as JF102 arrived at RAAF Amberley from Guam on November 26 before departing to Christchurch on November 27. The C-2, which was being demonstrated to the RNZAF, continued to Wellington on November 28 before departing for RAAF Richmond on November 29 and Guam on November 30.