Slattery Auctions - DirectAir

[AussieNick]

Anyone going down the Darwin airport on Monday for the auction of direct's aircraft?

We got the pamphlet at work,

C404 x3 - VH-BUY/SKJ/SKW
C441 x1 - VH-OCS
C402C x3 - VH-NMQ/AZO/CYT
C310 x6 - VH-HEC/TFJ/XXT/JZW/BPI
C210 x3 - VH-SGX/WRD/RQD
PA-31 x2 - VH-TOT/JCH

Also on that list is PA-31 VH-CYV, but they reckon its in Bankstown.

One of those 310's is that shell from Weipa Air, over near AV8.

Thinking there may be some bargains had...

[baron_beeza]

Slattery Auctions Darwin Aircraft 2013 - YouTube

Slattery Auctions : Aircraft Auction - Darwin NT (http://www.slatteryauctions.com.au/online.php?action=dai&mode=dap&aid=1224&aucnum=2716&auc=Aircraft%20Auction%20-%20Darwin%20NT&aps=display&snd=1)


I felt a little sick watching that. My old fleet that I worked on not that long ago.

Is it a good time to be selling aircraft ? I am sure there will be some bargains. Not a good look coming so soon after Alligator.

[rioncentu]

Saw all them in the Trader. What happened?

Some tidy looking aircraft there.

[RatsoreA]

Speaking of Alligator, and fire sales and bargin A/C...

I know of one that went from this -

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u545/FSAirways/item_1345532779_zps91624c4a.jpg

and

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u545/FSAirways/34252_zps1e29de4a.jpg

To -

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u545/FSAirways/DC11871_zpse24faaba.jpg

For 90k, including the actual cost of the plane itself.

Plane, return to airworthy service and G500/GTN650/GMA350, new carpets, a little paint, a few plastics, some odds and ends and some leather cleaner for the seats.

Goes a treat. There are good things that can come from fire sales. Just have to do your homework before hand and have a little luck on your side!

[compressor stall]

SGX and WRD two of my old favourites. SGX in particular.

Mind you that was back in Batchelor days. ;)

[The Green Goblin]

What happened to VIG?

[Lasiorhinus]

So TOT is up for sale? In as-is condition, I wonder?

Saw it a couple of weeks ago.

http://i.imgur.com/DWMGGTn.jpg

[Lasiorhinus]

Goblin: VIG is with Av8, apparently.

[AussieNick]

IIRC TOT is still looking like that.

[baron_beeza]

I can recall doing a reasonable skin repair up in that wheelwell of TOT. I remarked to the apprentice that it was not going to be the among the first items on the aircraft to fail. The aircraft was not going to last another 40 years all said and done.

It may not last 4 judging by those pics. A real shame.

[PLovett]

I have time on a few of those regos', especially a couple of the 402s'.

Didn't realise they had a 441 or 404s' in Darwin. Knew they had a couple of 441s' in Perth that dated back to 2006 but they had nothing like that in Darwin when I was there.

When I heard recently that one of the founding directors had left the company a few years ago I was not surprised that it collapsed. I seriously doubt it would have happened if he had remained with them.

[Ejector]

What happened to direct air?

[Lasiorhinus]

TOT suffered a wheels-up in the run-up bay a few months ago, and then when Direct Air went bankrupt, was never repaired. Sadly the windscreen was also removed along with all the avionics, and then the aircraft left open in the monsoon rains, and is a mouldy mess inside.

[gutso-blundo]

From what I heard, TOT was never going to fly again after that gear collapse anyway... Something about a bent spar, or spar carry-through. So being left out in the rain is neither here nor there!

[Hot High Heavy]

Wouldn't be surprised to see TOT sporting AV8 stripes soon. Just gotta buff out those dents and further cannibalise PDN for bits. It'll be the pride of the fleet :}

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

VH-TOT, operated by the late Terry Burns on night freight between Launceston and Essendon around about 1986/87. Terry's son Peter flew it for a while before moving onto Ansett. In its day was pretty quick Pa-31, I think when they did the freight run they had an oxygen set up so they could get up in the mid flight levels to avoid ice. Not like the brave warriors in the Heron stuck down in the ice, while crossing Bass Strait withthe papers.

TOT was also the flagship for Malcom Catts Lincoln Airlines when it started up in late 1987.

[Fantome]

A trawl through the photo archives of THE MERCURY (Hobart) would bring up a pic of Terry and son Peter sitting at TOT's controls , turning around beaming at the camera. Terry organised an AOC for a freight company, Readair - (Graham Reading). After TOT they had two Nomads. Also had PA31P VH-DRE (originally Dr Geoffrey Edelston's After that Terry went off to the States to collect a Falcon 20 (ex Federal Expess) . Readair went tits up not long after Abeles and Hawker Pacific at Mascot put the Falcon in their hangar and pulled her apart.

OLD MATE was promised check out and job on the Dassault. Fat chance. When he saw what the trumps were he said "They're all a bunch of kuntz anyway. . Promise you the world and all you end up with is Mount Druitt or Rooty Hill."

Dr E started off with PA31 VH-SIN. Paul was his first pilot. Used to clock up big night hours Sydney-Walgett-Sydney. repeater.

[RatsoreA]

Also had PA31P VH-DRE (originally Dr Geoffrey Edelston's

Why did he sell it? Was it because it wasn't airbag equipped?! :E

[Jamair]

I have plenty of happy hours in SKJ & SKW when they were Skytrans; BUY was originally Vic Polair IIRC, then bought by Qld Ambulance for the Bundy base (ergo 'BUY'), went to RFDSQLD as a spare when they took over the air ambulance gig before being sold to a Darwin operator. These were 3 of the nicest, best equipped 404s in Aus, sad to see them ending up like this.

[Horatio Leafblower]

BUY is in a million bits, I am told, and SKW and SKJ were pretty rough when I saw them 12 months ago in Townsville.

[Dash8capt]

Anyone have a number on the conquest?

[Ixixly]

Anyone know what some of the Aircraft went for? In particular VH-BUY? or the other 2 404s?

[baron_beeza]

Would I be alone in guessing that they probably sold for half their value.
I really do believe someone must have picked up some bargains today.

It will be interesting to see the results.

Would TOT fetch much more than $60,000 as it is ?

[Jamair]

SKW, SKJ and BUY in happier times.....

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p271/jamair_photos/0809071436-01640x480_zps3ed95e69.jpg

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p271/jamair_photos/A-1497-Photo07640x480_zps43ffd30e.jpg

[OpsNormal]

I have plenty of happy hours in SKJ & SKW when they were Skytrans; BUY was originally Vic Polair IIRC, then bought by Qld Ambulance for the Bundy base (ergo 'BUY'), went to RFDSQLD as a spare when they took over the air ambulance gig before being sold to a Darwin operator. These were 3 of the nicest, best equipped 404s in Aus, sad to see them ending up like this.

If my memory serves me right BUY was being used by Northern Air Charter in mid 2005. I'm not sure who actually owned it at the time but do remember it spent a great deal of time in Matt Overell's hangar.

Regards,

OpsN.;)

[Horatio Leafblower]

You can still see the Skytrans logos on the side of the fuselage on SZA and SKV :hmm:

[Jamair]

Horrie - where are those two these days? :confused:

Disregard, spotted at Scone.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Scone *cough* I am led to believe. :8

[rifdas]

404 SKJ $80K, 404 SKW $70K, 441 OCS $660, 402C AZO $90K,
310 R JZW $55K,402C CYT $65K, 310R XXT $40K, 310R BPI $85K,
210N SGX $80K, 210M RQD $87.5K, 210M WRD $10K, 404 BUY $215K
350 CHIETAIN TOT $14K, 402C NMQ $50k, 310R HEC $1K, 310R TFP $20K

These prices are second hand info, some bargains ????

Regards

Rifdas

[that guy]

Will be interesting seeing who took what..

[compressor stall]

What was (wasn't) wrong with WRD to only go for 10K? Poor old Dick Skinner would be sorry to hear that.

[AussieNick]

I think, think, WRD was basically a freshly painted white airframe sans everything, no engine, avionics, interior, just the airframe.

[Dash8capt]

$660 For the Conquest was right where I pegged it. Hopefully its a good buy for someone. At a glance it seemed so anyway. WRD if it's as Aussie Nick says would have been another good one to pick up under the right circumstances.

[lostwingnut]

Wow $1000 for a 310! Even a complete wreck would have to be worth more than that, just an intact panel, cowl or even a seat or piece if interior trim would have to come close.

[terminus mos]

I have fond and sentimental,memories of aircraft I have flown over the last 35 years but things move on and many of my previous steeds have gone to the crusher.

Most of those junk aircraft should have gone straight down to Sims Metals. When will the GA industry start to re equip with newer aircraft?

It is very hard to charter even a decent 20 year old turboprop in WA or NT (we have a 25 year age limit). All I can find is single pilot GA 35 year old aircraft. I am sorry, they are not much better than scrap. There is work in the NW for decent turbine aircraft properly operated with 2 pilots by a credible operator who can pass an audit.

[AussieNick]

@lostwingnut: HEC was the fuselage shell only, no wings, tail plane, don't even think it had anything inside by way of interior or avionics either. The shell had been sitting on that airport back when I started my PPL in 05

[Clearedtoreenter]

Most of those junk aircraft should have gone straight down to Sims Metals. When will the GA industry start to re equip with newer aircraft?

Absolutely. One of the reasons why the industry is the way it is. Who'd get in a in a scruffy clapped out Kingswood taxi of that age in that condition?

[Horatio Leafblower]

I have heard Chartair picked up all the C400s... anyone care to confirm?

Had SKW and SKJ received any TLC post-Westwing? :confused:

[PLovett]

HL, wouldn't surprise me. They have the engineering capacity to overhaul them. They essentially did the first SIDs on a 402 back in 2003.

[compressor stall]

Now HL, what was that line you once used to describe a girl (not yours) that made reference to a C400 SIDS program. :D

[Horatio Leafblower]

Rumour is that a Qantas type purchased the world's oldest Navajo and a J31.

"Interesting"!

Comp Stall, I saw some hilariously funny things but they get lost in a ruby red haze. Could you lift the Cabernet Curtain and remind me?:O

[Jamair]

When will GA re-equip with modern aircraft? When the end-users are prepared to pay the genuine costs of new airframes, career GA pilots, top-shelf engineering support and appropriate training & checking. In other words, no time soon!

[outnabout]

Just got around to reading the verdict by Justice Murphy in the CASA vs Caper Pty Ltd (Direct Air) Appeal, handed down on 2 November 2012.

As I understand it:

Travel agent takes money from Joe Public, and charters an aircraft to fly Joe Public from Point A to Point B, have a look at some stuff, and return to Point A. Travel Agent wants to attract punters and so publishes a schedule as understandably Joe Public wants to know what he's getting before he parts with his hard-earned coin.

The aircraft operator then gets caned (and canned) for operating a Regular Passenger Transport service without being suitably certified, which departs from set locations according to a published schedule, even though the aircraft operator didn't set the schedule or advertise the service, and is only receiving payment for the flight from one entity, the travel agent.

Am I missing something? Isn't that a closed charter?

I heard recently that any guvvie department would kill to have the powers that CASA have. I didn't actually believe it until I read this judgement.

Or, does this judgement mean we are all screwed, royally? :sad:

[Horatio Leafblower]

I'm not sure how this works but we shut part of our operation in response to it.

I discussed it with an FOI who told me that a scenic flight around Menindee Lakes is an open charter type Scenic flight, but a Scenic flight around Lake Eyre booked and "ticketed" (forgive the expression) in exactly the same way "is probably a bit far to be a scenic flight", and would be considered RPT.

I asked if there was an arm of the definition in 206 that mentioned distance and he told me that everything would be made clear in the new regs, sorry for the mess :hmm::ugh:

3 less starting jobs for young fellas now. :*

[outnabout]

So have I got this right?

The judgement is flawed, the system is so over-regulated that it is almost impossible to make a quid, CASA (or that particular FOI at least) is aware that it is flawed, the regulations are being changed.

Maybe. In 12 months time. Or so.

In the mean time, don't do anything wrong, otherwise under the existing law, they'll pingya. Even though, in 12 months time, the law may change.


:ugh:

[PLovett]

outnabout, I believe the judgement is flawed and that President Fisk of the AAT actually got it right. In fact, it is not only flawed but it is a shocker. However, the Federal Court's decision is now precedent and to get it overturned someone will need to take a case up to the Federal Court of Appeal. That, obviously, will not be Directair so it will be up to some other poor sucker who gets the rough end of CASA. :uhoh::*

The problem lies in that the current regulations are such a mess that they can be made to say anything that someone thinks they should say. Whether the new regulations (that are approaching, what, 25 years old now?) will rectify anything I don't know. But, for pity's sake, should distance be a deciding factor as to whether a flight is a closed charter or not? :ugh::mad: