Air Queensland
 

Why did Air Queensland get absorbed into Australian Airlines?

Was the ATR-42 the right aircraft for the QLD coastal routes?

Not sure but I think the Toll ATR42 at YSBK is one of the original Air Queensland ones.

Explained in "Bushies" if you can access a copy but basically I think Ansett wanted it but the on-carriage rights had been signed across to TAA earlier, or something like that! Worked for them for a while but hard to operate C402 a's and b's to Part 121 in the outback. The BN3s to Lizard and night-freight to the Metro in TSV were fun.

Hard to recall full details but Ansett held a binding on-carriage agreement when sold to TAA for a reputed $7 million. Bushies became BPA and on 1 December 1981 BPA became Air Queensland. The Air Queensland name ceased to exist on 30 April 1988 when the airline was absorbed into Australian Airlines (later absorbed into Qantas). The last General Manager was Ron Entsch.

Somewhere in there I think Bushies became or was part of ARAQ - Australian Regional Airline Queensland maybe?

Ron Entsch went on to hold a senior operational position with Ansett whilst Graham McMahon was GM. Ron is retired and lives in Brisbane.

Does anyone know why they got rid of the ATR?

Did they continue operating the DC-3 post being absorbed into Australian Airlines?

The reasons were many and varied. First of type in Australia. No APU (or prop brake on the early ATRs). There were other reasons I vaguely recall.

Yes. They were even painted in Australian Airlines colours.

Air Q
 

like this? (I hope this works; I haven't tried it before)

Left of photo, Ron Entsch, long time General Manager of Bush Pilot Airways, prior to airline being sold to TAA.

After Bushies, Ron went on to be Operations Manager for Ansett Airlines.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psdpxfup48.jpg

Graeme McMahon, Denis Buchanan and the Flight West boys? Is that Brian Peters with the beard?

Standing: Ron Entsch; Sluggo Peters; ??; Nifty Nev Hill; a good guy, I forget his name; ??; and Scott McMillan.

Front: Graham McMahon and Junior Buchanan.

I think that was taken when Flight West signed the Ansett F28 deal?

Graham passed away from cancer aged 74 on 1 July 2014 and Junior passed away from Leukemia aged 68 on 28 August 2001.

Ron is retired in Brisbane.

1 of there ATRs is still Flying
 

Well, who wood of thunk it = AIRFRAME 5 ( ex Air Queensland ) VH-TOX is STILL FLYING in Aust. with a million hrs on it as VH-TOX

Hi Noel (nice name btw).

I don't think the TOX used to be with Air Qld. By airframe number 5 do you mean Serial Number or 5th ATR flown by Air Qld?

VH-TOX is c/n 024

https://www.planespotters.net/airfra...craft-Aviation

Only been in Australia since 2007