A Vast Array

Of the helicopters, Eagle Copters Australasia has imported a 1996 Bell 412EP from Japan where it was operated by Hokkaido KaihatsuKyoku. Eagle Copters provides fleet management, sales, leasing and parts supply in the Australasian area and specialises in converting large twin-engine Bell helicopters to single-engine machines giving performance improvements, weight savings and reduced operating costs, so it is likely that the 412EP, now registered VH-DPU, will be next in line for the conversion. Another Australian Army Bell Kiowa, recently sold at auction, has joined the civil register – A17-018 becoming VH-CLL with Helifan at Newmarket, Queensland. Avanova at Broome has imported a new Bell 505, which is now VHJRX. The 505 Jet Ranger X was designed as a replacement for the 206L LongRanger 4 and, although a clean sheet design, it does have some common components such as the rotor head from the 206L. It is of metal and composite construction and fitted with a French Turbomeca Arrius 2R turboshaft engine.

As usual Robinson helicopters feature prominently in the listing, with a new R66, VH-ESJ, going to Eric Saacks at Port Macquarie, two new R22s, VH-FUF and VHFUS, for local agents Heliflite at Bankstown and an ex-New Zealand R22 for Wooroona Helicopters at Mount Isa. The Wooroona aircraft, now registered VH-IWS, was last owned by CJK Consulting of Greymouth, New Zealand, and flew as ZK-IJL. MKR Choppers at Bombira, NSW, has imported two Bell LongRanger IVs from Japan where they were used by the National Police Agency and were registered JA31MP and JA33MP. They are now VH-HEH and VH-HOZ, respectively. 

Three Eurocopter EC135s have joined the local register – all different models. VH-MXW is a T1 fitted with two 582shp Turbomeca Arrius 2B engines, VH-NVF is powered by two 667shp Pratt and Whitney PW206B2 engines and is designated a P2 model, while VH-XUY is a P3H with two 660shp Turbmeca Arrius 2B2 turboshaft engines. To complete the helicopter section, McDermott Aviation has obtained an Aerospatiale Twin Squirrel, VH-STU, from Spain, and Leader Aviation Services has imported a Bell JetRanger, VH-XBQ, from Indonesia. VH-STU was used in the US, Ecuador and Germany before Spain, while VH-XBQ has a less interesting history being operated in only America and Indonesia before coming to Australia. 

Only one new type is shown in the listing this issue, it being a sub-type of the very popular Diamond DA40 Diamond Star. During 2006, the XL and FP models were released with the XL replacing the DA40-180 constant speed propeller version and the FP replacing the fixed pitch propeller model. The FP also has a carburettor instead of fuel injection and a more basic interior making it ideal for pilot training. Only one year after the FP was introduced the model was replaced by a deluxe version, the XLS, and a more basic model, the CS. With only one year of production of the DA40FP not many were built before the introduction of newer models so it is not surprising that we have not seen more FPs in Australia. VH-FQE and VH-FQJ were the eighth and 14th off the production line and join the ever-increasing number of Diamonds in the Flight Training Adelaide fleet. There are currently 78 DA40s of various models flying in Australia and a further 16 in New Zealand, with the largest operators being Flight Training Adelaide and the University of NSW at Bankstown, and the Massey University School of Aviation at Palmerston North in New Zealand. 

National Jet Express has added another DHC-8 Dash 8 VH-IYH to its fleet, it being a 2016 built model having its first flight from DHC’s Downsview, Canada, factory on 7 November of that year. It was delivered during December to Air Berlin and was marked as D-ABQT before being obtained by General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), the Irish-American aircraft leasing giant, which leased it to Eurowings carrying the same registration. After a short time on the Austrian register as OE-IIQ it has now been leased to National Jet Express at Adelaide. 

Air Affairs/Gojet has added another Learjet 36A, VH-LJA, to its large fleet based at the Royal Australian Navy aerodrome at Nowra, NSW. They now have 14 x Learjet 35s, three x 36s, two x 60s and a single 31, as well as three Beech Super King Airs. VH-LJA must qualify for the Australian aircraft with the most previous identities, being delivered new during June 1978 to Pervinca Anstalt in Liechtenstein as HB-VFV. Two more Swiss owners followed and then no less than 11 US operators, including World Jet at Fort Lauderdale, Florida (N902WJ); Patumb Aircraft Sales (N110PA); Ruscon Supply and Transport (N70UT); Air Chariots (N500SV); Atlantic Air Ventures (N72AV); and Astro Aerospace (N82GG). Finally, it was transferred to Gateway Air Centre at Merced, California, for its delivery flight to Australia. 

Only one aircraft is listed as being Restored to the Register this issue. Robinson R44 Astro VH-ZWT was delivered new to Japan during 2000 and registered JA01TN. It came to Australia in August 2002 and was initially operated by Heliwork WA at Kununurra until it went to PNG as P2-ZWT during March 2019. It has now returned and taken up its previous markings VH-ZWT, this time with Dash Helicopters at Jimboomba, Queensland. 

Sixty aircraft are listed in the Deletions section this issue with half of those being re-registered, and can therefore be found in the New Allocations section, or have been withdrawn from use and therefore may be brought back on the register after extended periods of maintenance. The only aircraft to be cancelled after damage is Cessna R182 Skylane VH-JXX, which suffered a hard landing at Bathurst, NSW, after a flight from Broken Hill on 1 April 2017 with the wrecked fuselage being noted at Tamworth early last year. 

Most of the other deletions are exports to various destinations including New Zealand, the US, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, San Marino, France, UK, Austria, China and Canada. Aerospatiale Squirrel VH-AFO, Vans RV-6 VH-COB and Cessna T188 Aghusky VH-LCP are now flying in New Zealand with the Squirrel becoming ZK-HDB, the RV-6 is now ZK-SJC with SJ Chilcott in Auckland and the Aghusky is now with Enfi eld Enterprises at Oamaru flying as ZK-RJB. Cessna 152s VH-BTF and VH-IJW have gone to Thailand where they have become HS-BSX and HS-BSY, respectively, while Embraer Phenom VH-LWZ has joined the San Marino register as 7T-PET. Four Aerospatiale Super Pumas, VH-ZFB, ‘ZFC, ‘ZFK and ‘ZFL, are now in China, two other helicopters, Sikorsky S-92 Helibus’ VH-ZUV and ‘ZUW, have gone to Canada as C-FKNN and C-FKKF, respectively, and Cessna 152 Aerobat VH-KKU is now flying in Malaysia. Ex Austrian Fokker One Hundred VH-UQP, which was only registered during August last year, is now back on the Austrian register as OE-IMX and is probably unlikely to have even come to Australia; Beech Bonanza VH-KAA is now in the Philippines; Airbus Super Puma VH-NWJ has gone back to its birthplace France; and Hawker Fury VH-SHF has been exported to the UK. 

Catching up on some Australian aircraft still extant around the world, with the most interesting being Hornet Moth VH-USM. First registered on 2 January 1935 and cancelled on 20 August 1955 due to deterioration of the wooden airframe, the aircraft was moved to Gympie, Queensland, in January 1973 to be used as spare parts to keep Hornet Moth VH-BAH flying. Eight years later the remains went to the Challinor brothers at Murwillumbah for restoration but that was only partly competed, with the half-finished project going to the UK during February 2015. The classic antique has now been registered G-CLSM to Dave Reid at Oaklands Farm, Havingland, Norfolk, although it is not known if the aircraft has actually made a post-restoration flight yet. 

BD-700 Global Express VHDNK, which flew in Australia between October 2009 and June 2015, was exported to the Cayman Islands but has now moved to the UK and is flying as G-OMTX with OMTX Aviation at Douglas, Isle of Man. GippsAero GA8-TC VH-EHH, which was exported to the US in July 2013 as N211AV and has since seen service in Canada and Iceland, is now in Germany where it was originally registered D-EADK but was very quickly changed to D-EFAJ for some unknown reason, while the very rare Royal Iraqi Air Force Hawker Fury VH-HFG has recently arrived in Germany and has been registered D-CRZY. It was exported to the US during October 2006 where it flew as N97SF but is now in Germany with Meier Motors at Bremgarten. Another rare aircraft now in Germany is Cessna TU206G Stationair VH-SUL, which was converted to turbine power by fitting a Soloy engine. It was exported to Switzerland in March 1989 and has since seen service in Germany and Denmark before recently returning to Germany to become D-EGGO. Two helicopters on the move are Sikorsky S-76 C-GIML, the former VH-LYO, which is now in Korea, and G-CLGH, ex VH-ZUO, which has now moved to Nigeria with Bristow Helicopters. Two Eurocopter BK117s, VH-SYB and ‘SYG, have been exported to an unspecified country and six aircraft have gone to the US. SAAB 340s VH-BCP and ‘BYS are now N378CL and N459CL with their owners hidden behind a trust with the Bank of Utah at Salt Lake City. Cessna TU206G Stationair VH-CZR is now flying as N28LZ with Starfighter Aviation at Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, while also in Florida is Beech 400A VH-MGC with Aviation Resource Group at Fort Lauderdale marked as N997RK.