Bye Bye Aeropelican

[Belmontboy]

It would seem that one of Australia's longest continuously running Airlines is about to slip from sight almost with out being noticed !

I noticed that the last 3 aircraft on the Aeropelican AOC (Australian Aviation Traffic section) have been registered to the Brindabella Airlines , effectively leaving Aeropelican an airline with no aeroplanes.
It's a sad demise for an iconic name in Australian aviation to slip away without being noticed.
It would appear Brindabella have been the big winners out of the Aeropelican-Brindabella merger.

I no longer have any direct contact with anyone at the duck, I wish you all the best.
I will miss hearing "Pelican" on the airwaves next time I fly into SY.

[Rod Chapman]

Yes Belmontboy, it will indeed be a sad occurrance if what you say is true !
It was only 4 weeks ago, we had a wonderful reunion of present and former staff of "the Duck" with 120 people returning to relive great memories and renew old friendships.

Aeropelican was a unique operation where the staff were like family and very few left because it was such a wonderful work environment with great pride and loyalty to the Aeropelican name. I feel priveleged to have been associated with Aeropelican and those I spent many years working with.
It was quite poignant that we had the reunion, for I had heard that it may not be too long before "Aeropelican" would disappear from the Australian aviation scene - I did not make mention of it at the reunion for it would have been a negative on what was a most enjoyable weekend.

It was 1959 when a man of great vision and determination (Keith Hilder), began cutting the airstrip out of the Pelican swamp, and in 1962 made the first flight from the strip.
1971 saw, I think, the first "Reg.203" licence in Australia granted to Aeropelican and in 1976, Aeropelican was the first "Supplimentary" airline to introduce turbo-prop aircraft to it's operation ; VH-MMY a former MacRobertson Millar 100 series Twin Otter.

So it is that 54 years of an iconic brand down the drain - so very sad.

[fritzandsauce]

June 24 no more Aeropelican

[OpsNormal]

Aeropelican as Rod described it ended with the great pineappling of 2010. The few good people who remain there now deserve better than the uncertainty they have had since then. :=

Memories of the good people I worked alongside during my almost 4 years there by far outweigh the memories of the others... You guys and girls may still have the same owners at Brindabella but at least you will now have a strong, competent direction from a good, capable and decent man as your CP. :ok:

[Belmontboy]

What's happening on 24 June ?
I assume D day has arrived for all concerned. Best wishes to all !

[boaccomet4]

Was not Brindabella purchased by the company that owned Aeropelican? Can anyone explain why they have decided to sacrifice the Aeropelican brand when in fact Aeropelican has a long and stable history dating back to the 1970's and once Ansett took over its culture was enriched by the Ansett years of RPT experience in RPT Operations. Yet Brindabella was started up by people with a GA background and culture. Stastics show (for reasons that have not been published) that compared to Aeropelican, Brindabella has had a high turnover of pilots/staff since it commenced RPT operations. I wonder why? Yet Aeropelican has experienced a longer term of service from it's pilots and does not employ cadet pilots with no commercial experience. Even Geoff Boyd complained during the Federal Government Enquiry that he was frustrated by the fact that shortly after a pilot had been checked to line as a Captain they would move on to another company (usually Medium to Heavy RPT).Must have cost him a fortune in training costs. Why not dispense with the Brindabella name and call it all Aeropelican?

[boaccomet4]

Oh - has a new Chief Pilot been employed at Brindabella?
Who is the dedicated man. Hope he is a team player.

[TheExpatPilot]

Regardless, it's a shame to lose such an iconic NSW brand (and fantastic livery!). However here's hoping both companies thrive and survive in their new arrangement.

[Fluke]

Geez mate, why not go the whole hog and call it Ansett .

[chimbu warrior]

once Ansett took over its culture was enriched by the Ansett years of RPT experience in RPT Operations

Hmmm.........maybe not.

[LeadSled]

-----the first "Reg.203" licence in Australia granted to Aeropelican and in 1976

Rod,
Not so, not even close, by about 10 years. A string were granted in the mid 1960's, many will remember Maslings.
The very first, not well known, was to Comet Air Services, a trading name of Comet Overnite Transport Pty Ltd.
But I remember well all Hilder's fights with Sir Donald Anderson, who was patron of RNAC. As long as Anderson was DG/DCA, nobody got a flying school license to compete with RNAC. Once he retired, Hilder finally got a flying school license and started a school.
Tootle pip!!

[boocs]

Ask ENURPP... He will know.

b.

[tail wheel]

1971 saw, I think, the first "Reg.203" licence in Australia granted to Aeropelican

1971 was quite late in the ANR 203 game. Maslings, Talair and a number of other operators received ANR203 dispensations (not licenses) from approximately 1966.

[Horatio Leafblower]

The Duck was owned by Maslings, was it not? :8

The Ansett culture certainly enriched some elements of Aeropelican, but the starvation years post-ansett meant there was barely enough human capital to keep the place running at all.

When I knew the place there was no admin assistance of any sort for the Chief Pilot/Head of C&T who worked himself to the bone just to achieve the bare minimum for the 24 pilots in the operation, while the commercial department (employed directly by the current owners) would launch last-minute changes of schedule and new Ports without consultation demanding that it be achieved within a matter of weeks. Screaming and terse Skype exchanges with Scotland would follow when told it was not possible.

A great team who achieved the impossible with not enough on a daily basis and only ever treated like cattle by the Pommy owners. Sad. :(

[RENURPP]

The Duck was owned by Maslings, was it not? for a few months.

[Alien Role]

RENURPP; only for a few months.

Yes , Maslings was a failing operation and Ansett wanted desperately to get there hands on Aeropelican to secure the large interstate on-carriage that "the Duck" provided.
It was nothing more than a strategic bye by Masling who saw it as a way of offloading his own failing operation; he did this by acquiring Aeropelican and immediately taking the on-carriage to the opposition, aka Australian Airlines.
He bought 3 new Otters to ensure there was no taxable profit, then went to Ansett to offer the whole operation to Ansett. To get their hands on Aeropelican, they had to bye the Masling operation also.
After the byeout, Ansett then offloaded the Masling division, very quickly - probably almost gave it away to rid themselves of it ?

The "DUCK" then became a "jewel in the crown" for Sir Peter !! He called it the "money machine".

Role on.

[OpsNormal]

boaccomet4 wrote:

Oh - has a new Chief Pilot been employed at Brindabella?
Who is the dedicated man. Hope he is a team player.

No. The incumbent Chief Pilot remains at Brindabella, a person whom I have worked for there and have much respect for.

Horatio most clearly refers to the previous Chief Pilot at Aeropelican (up until 2010), a person of high standing in the industry and whom I and many others will always consider to be a hard working true gentleman.

The Frog certainly made some "interesting" decisions which ultimately cost more than it was worth.

The European owners however did make it very clear from the beginning they had no empathy for the name of Aeropelican or indeed for a Newcastle base for the crews employed. The result has been predictable and Rex have made life very hard for them but the guys and girls still at the Duck are doing the best they can with what they have left. A top effort there!:ok:

[gcpilot]

Quite a shame that "pelican" won't be heard on the airwaves ever again after Sunday evening.

[Horatio Leafblower]

Horatio most clearly refers to the previous Chief Pilot at Aeropelican (up until 2010), a person of high standing in the industry and whom I and many others will always consider to be a hard working true gentleman.


Actually everyone I knew in the Operations side of Aeropelican management gave their all to achieve the best they possibly could, in spite of the indifference they received from above.

Everyone brings both their strengths and weaknesses to any organisation. The art in recruitment is building a management team with complimentary skills. Despite pleading for more support, the Chief Pilot and the Head of C&T were denied the backup they really needed to make the improvements required and the die was cast in early 2010 when the (secret) Brindabella deal was done. If FQ does it cheaper why keep improving OT?

Eventually the indifference took its toll.

[fritzandsauce]

OT5020 tonight is the last OT designated flight for NTL-SYD

"Sydney to Narrabri, Newcastle, and Mudgee services will commence operating under the Brindabella Airlines brand and FQ flight number designator with effect from Saturday 22nd June 2013."

[pistinaround]

Will they still be using the J32 or are they gone as well ?
Just new flight numbers and callsigns ?

[Horatio Leafblower]

I believe the 32 will continue until the 41 takes over - that was the direction they took under the previous Managing Director anyway.

The (former) CP of Pelican and one of the more senior guys went to the USA for a 41 endo earlier this year I believe :8

[BPA]

The first of 4 more J41's arrived in CB from South Africa over the weekend.