Belfast in Oz

[Hockham Admiral]

G'day. Can anyone out there tell me what's happening to the Belfast that was at Cairns?

[Going Boeing]

Jeez Hockham, that's a blast from the past. The last time that I saw a BelSlow was in 1976 when they were still in RAF service. I heard that when they were retired from the RAF, some of them (only about 11 or 12 were built) went into service with Heavy Lift Cargo. Their large fuselage diameter made them unique for outsized cargo until the Iron Curtain came down and the AN124 became available for the big loads. Was the one that you saw still carrying Heavy Lift markings?

[Worrals in the wilds]

It comes into Brisbane on very rare occasions, usually with military cargo bound for our more unsettled Pacific neighbours...

AFAIK it's still operated by Heavylift, but I haven't seen it in some months.

Worrals

[Green gorilla]

I wonder if some of its work is drying up due to the c17.

[PLovett]

Saw it in Darwin last year for about a week and then departed very slowly for parts north. I think it was climbing due to the curvature of the earth as it departed.

Given that it had been parked on the RAAF side of the airport I assume it had defence stuff loaded.

[Capt Claret]

I'm sure I saw in on the apron driving past CNS apt this arfternoon.

[Jamair]

Can confirm that Hevilift do indeed still operate the Belfast and are in fact now operating two of them, plus the ol 727s.