Fokker F.27 VH-WAN (ex ZK-RTA & VH-FNQ)
 

I would be interested to hear from anyone who flew this aeroplane with Independent Air Freighters out of Perth from May 1996 until Feb 2001 or with AirCruising Australia out of Brisbane from April 2001 to Sept 2001.

Also anyone who flew it in NZ as ZK-RTA from Nov 1990 until April 1996. More importantly, does anyone in NZ know where the log books for ZK-RTA are. We have all the other logs. The aircraft is on display at the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra.

An email or PM is preferable because I need names for the historical record.

Rgds

Apologies for posting this on the "wrong" forum. I figured they would have moved on to Airlines by now :confused:

Doesn't help you, just a bit of nostalgia - I flew VH-WAN when it was a C-310 for Bassair. That was back in the '70's but seeing the rego brings back some good memories.

Makes you feel a bit wan, huh?

Dr :8

Sorry - hat, coat ............................

In the case of the F.27, WAN stood for Western Australian Newspapers.

and in the case of the Cessna 310D WAN stood for Western Air Navigation.

Fris....what colour scheme and rego will the F27 be painted please.

Aye Ess

Ansett Delta scheme as VH-FNQ.

You approve? :ok:

Hi Fris

I have sent you an email.

Cheers

"and in the case of the Cessna 310D WAN stood for Western Air Navigation. "


OK. didn't know that. Who were Western Air Navigation? A Google search bore little fruit.

Westernair was its trading name. They started off in Charleville in 1960's. It was owned in majority by Bryce Killen who also owned a majority of Helicopter Utilities. Local graziers had minority share holdings. It s colour scheme was red markings on a basically white fuselage. It's business was supporting fledgling oil survey and drilling in SW Qld and MoombaGidgealpa area of SA as well as freight runs, cattle buyer charters and general air taxi work.
In the late 60's it moved headquarters to Brisbane Eagle Farm. Other aircraft were WAB, piper Aztec, WAC, Cessna 205, WAV, Cessna 185, RHT, Cessna 210, plus other aircraft seconded in from Helicopter Utilities. A Beagle twin registration unrecalled was obtained to commence Regulation 203 ( commuter) runs to Eidsvold, Biloela, Theodore etc, in approx 1968. A lot of the work for WAN and WAB out of BNE was taking executives and engineers etc to the budding open cut coal mines of central Qld.
In the late 60's a single engine aircraft was temporarily based in Springsure mainly for aerial buffet grass seeding. In the same timeframe Westernair took over the Rex ( as in Rex Cessna dealer) operation in Longreach which was a one man maintenance operation with the occasional aircraft based there.

Fris:

Are you aware that FNQ was the first Ansett F.27 to wear the overall while/blue tail scheme?

Thanks Fris....Oh, yeah !! I approve !! Thanks. And the other side could be in TAA scheme, and the interior in East West scheme. Imagine the 'appeal' factor? :)

Dora-9

FNQ was also the last to wear the original Ansett-ANA scheme.

Rgds

down3gr33ns

Here is a Westernair timetable from 1969.

Westernair Timetable

Around that time they were operating Cessna 310D VH-WAN, Aztec VH-WAB and the Beagle 206 VH-UNL on third level services out of Brisbane. They were swallowed up by the Jetair juggernaut and that was the end of them.

Fris,

Thank you very much for that.

Do you know what year they ceased ops?

d3g

Western Air Navigation Ltd. was purchased by Jetair Australia on 30 June 1970 and Jetair imploded on 27 November 1970.

Rgds

Remember WAN well, dropped news papers off to us in Hedland for a few years when we were doing night freight.