ANSETT Flying Boat Operations

[Stationair8]

When Ansett operated the flying boats were the crews employed by Ansett mainline, Ansett NSW or under another company?
Did the crews have a seniority number in Ansett mainline?

[Sand dune Sam]

Ansett mainline.

[Skystar320]

April 1950: Ansett purchases a controlling interest in flying boat operator Barrier Reef Ariways in exchange for financing two Sandringhams which are used for services to Southport and Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour. The first Sandringham was delivered the following month - VH-BRC Beachcomber, the former TEAL ZK-AMH Auckland

1 May 1952: Barrier Reef Airways fully absorbed by Ansett Airways and Ansett Flying Boat Services established to take over its routes.. The Barrier Reef Airways name continues to be used until March 1953

20 May 1953: Ansett Flying Boar services takes over Trans Oceanic Airways which had ceased operations the month before. This plus the earlier Barrier Reef Airways takeover allows Ansett to consolidate its flying boat operations at Rose Bay, Sydney, from which it flew to initially Hobart, Grafton, Southport, Bristbane, Hayman Island, Townsville, Cairns and Lord Howe Island. Frim 1959 Ansett Flying Boat Services was handed over to Airlines of New South Wales

10 September 1974 The final Ansett Flying Boat Services flight, from Sydney to Lord Howe Island by Short Sandringha, VH-BRC Beachcomber. Its stablemate, VH-BRF Islander, had undertaken its final visit to Lord Howe on August 15

[Fris B. Fairing]

I seem to recall one of the Sandringham captains telling me that they also flew the F.27.

Rgds

[Skystar320]

Finally, after eight years of procrastination, a decision was made in May 1968 to constrcut an airstrip on Lord Howe Island. It was to be 4,200 feet [1,280m] in length and suitbale for use by a Fokker F27

[B772]

Lord Howe Island was planned as being suitable for the DHC8. The F27 was never mentioned for Lord Howe. (The F27 did operate to Norfolk Island with a reduced payload and addit fuel) At one time Sir Peter ordered a DHC8-200 at the request of Neville Wran and John Raby of Ansett was appointed project pilot much to the disgust of the Air NSW pilots who complained bitterley to the AFAP. The order was subsequently cancelled.

A factory DHC8-200 demonstrator was showed off to Ansett at Essendon
and the type mooted as a replacement for the F27.

Some pilots in A/NSW flew both the F27 and the Shorts.

Towards the end of the Shorts operation the Ansett seniority list included
all the subsidiary airlines.

[Capt Fathom]

a decision was made in May 1968 to constrcut an airstrip on Lord Howe Island. It was to be 4,200 feet [1,280m] in length and suitbale for use by a Fokker F27Lord Howe Island was planned as being suitable for the DHC8. The F27 was never mentioned for Lord Howe.

Not sure if my history is correct here, but didn't the strip at Lord Howe open in the 70's? The Dash8 didn't fly until the 80's.

The Dash7 however, first flew in the mid 70's, and would fit the timeline!
I recall a Dash7 doing a demo tour around QLD during the late 70's.

[Bedder believeit]

Capt Fathom
I was a controller in Sydney during the '70's, and from what I remember, when the Sandringham's stopped flying from Rose Bay to Lord Howe, then Beech 200 Super King-air's took over (Advance Airlines), and when QANTAS DC-4's stopped flying on the Sydney to Norfolk run, not long after, then East West airlines started operating that route with F-27's. We (Sydney Ground) used to give the airways clearance to the flying boats when they were taxying (?) and co-ordinate with the DCA launches that supervised the departure path. A typical clearance to the flying boats was "Remain not above 500', remain East of the Harbour Bridge, and call Departures on ----- airborne". As often as not the Sandringham's would continue to Lord Howe at either 500' or a Thousand.
I still have sharply imprinted in my mind the sight of one of the Sandringham's thundering across the harbour from Rose Bay at about 6 one summer morning when I was out fishing with some mates, and it passed about 100 metres from us, bellowing like hell, struggling to get on to the step.

[tail wheel]

I must be fortunate having traveled in an Ansett Sandringham as a child and later in a TAA Sunbird Service Catalina!

B772. I'm sure you meant the Dash 7? The DHC8-100 (PW120 or PW121 engines) first deliveries were 1984 and DHC8-200 (PW123 engines) in the 1990s.

Lucky they didn't buy the Dash 7 - it wasn't exactly an outstanding financial success........

[Skystar320]

showing your age now tail wheel, be careful! The kids might get you a walking stick for christmas its only x weeks away :*

[tinpis]

There were ex flying boaters in ANSW in the '80s
One fella was pretty well set up,he lived in his caravan near the staff carpark.:ok:

[Dog One]

At some period between the end of the flying boat operation and the introduction of turbines on the run, Connair had one or two Heron's based in Sydney running to Lord Howe for Ansett.

[walschaert valve]

Not sure about that. My ex's parents lived on Lord Howe and she travelled out there on an Avdev Heron before Norfolk took over, would have been about 1985. There's another thread running about Herons but I think this one came from a merger between Davey Air Transport (who had the Heron) and Advance Airlines, hence Avdev.

[sixtiesrelic]

I'm afraid Sand Dune Sam's wrong!
It was ANSW after Ansett bought it from Stewie Middlemiss who owned Barrier Airways.
The pilots were on the ANSW seniority list till all the Ansett pilots were integrated.
My wife was a hostie on the boats.

[bushy]

I saw an Ansett Sandrinham at Laucala bay in the 50's.

[Stationair8]

Connair Heron operated a route proving flight to Lord Howe Island, photo in the Connair Book published mid 1980's.

[Capt Snooze]

walschaert valve


Avdev = Aviation Developments

Originally setup in Singapore in the mid / late seventies by some senior Airfast people. Subsequently expanded after Airfast's demise. Backed by one of the major banking groups at the time. (forget which)



Snooze

[walschaert valve]

Captain Snooze

Didn't realise that. But Advance was operating to LHI in the early 80s wasn't it? Maybe it was Connair's Heron that flew the ex there per Dog One's and Stationair8's comment, it certainly was a Heron.

So I don't think I'm going mad can someone confirm that Davey's operated Herons too?

[tinpis]

Advance was certainly operating to LHI in 80-81 with B-200's

[Fris B. Fairing]

walschaert valve

VH-KAM in Davey livery (http://www.qam.com.au/aircraft/heron/VH-KAM-5.htm)

[Stationair8]

What did they use as an alternate for Sydney if weather or sea conditions weren't suitable?

To get visual for Rose Bay did they fly the ILS into Sydney and then visually track across to Rose Bay?

[bushy]

They were flying boats into rose bay before there was any ILS.

[F111]

Plus you would have to break of the ILS rather early to pick up the Parra river and the harbour, then duck over/under the Harbour Bridge for the landing.

Me thinks they would have got visual over water to the east and then fly through the heads.

[bushy]

There are no power lines over the sea.