January 2012

Undertaking a rescue demonstration for the Australia Day air display.

Photo © Matt Hayes

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight QF582 to Sydney at 13:57.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

“Auscal 02” landing on runway 03 at 14:21 after a flight from Forrest, Western Australia. Forrest is near the state border with South Australia, 1,161 kilometres east of Perth.

This aircraft is specially -equipped to conduct flight inspection services.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight DJ564 to Sydney at 15:11.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

About to land on runway 03 at 15:18 as flight MH125 from Kuala Lumpur.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight DJ1843 to Port Hedland at 15:32.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight QF718 to Canberra at 15:40.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight SQ226 to Singapore at 16:16.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Taxying along taxiway A3 for takeoff from runway 03 at Perth as flight DJ694 to Melbourne at 17:14.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 17:26 after a flight from Mount Magnet, which is 460km NE of Perth.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 17:43 after a flight from Kalgoorlie.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 17:45 after a flight from Wiluna.

Formerly registered N29995, then N819BE Business Express (operated for Delta Airlines) from 1986-1997.

It was then based in Perth as VH-IYP with Great Western Aviation from 1997-2007, then went to South Africa as ZS-NAV, before returning to Perth as VH-VOA with Ad Astral Aviation in October 2011.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 17:47 after a flight from Lawlers Airport, near Lawlers gold mine, located near the town of Leinster.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 17:48 as flight EK420 from Dubai.

Emirates has been using 777-300ER aircraft regularly on this service recently, in place of the usual 777-200LR. The airline has announced that the -300ER will be used on all EK420/EK421 services from 25 March 2012.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

Holding before lining up for take off from runway 03 as flight NZ176 to Auckland at 17:55.

VH-VZC Boeing 737-838 (cn 34197/2649) of Qantas, named “Innisfail”

Landing on runway 03 as flight QF595 from Adelaide.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photo © Les Bushell

The An-124-100M-150 version is fitted with Western avionics.

Landing on runway 03 at 11.29 as flight “ADB2982” from Colombo, Sri Lanka, one of a number of An-124s to visit Perth in the last couple of months.

Photos taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area

Photos © Les Bushell

Arriving at 12:53 from Jakarta-Halim on the last leg of its delivery flight from Europe, using flight number SXI1201 (as it was flown by a crew from Southern Cross International, a provider of aircraft ferrying services).

This is the second of ten Fokker 100 aircraft Network purchased from the Colombian airline Avianca.

It initially flew Bogota (Colombia) – Nassau (Bahamas) – Halifax (Canada) – Keflavik (Iceland) – Woensdrecht (Netherlands) during 15 – 17 October 2011, still wearing its Colombian registration HK-4431.

At Woensdrecht, it underwent a refit with Fokker Services, to upgrade the cabin and navigation systems (including ADS-B), and to make it compliant with air service bulletins and airworthiness directives. It was given the Dutch registration PH-ZFV.

On 17 January 2012, PH-ZFV took off from Woensdrecht for its delivery flight to Australia, flying Woensdrecht (Netherlands) – Samsun (Turkey) – Al Ain (UAE) – Nagpur (India) – Penang (Malaysia) – Jakarta Halim (Indonesia) – Perth, arriving at 12:53 on 20 January 2012.

The aircraft will undergo some more work before it is added to the Australian register as VH-NHQ, making it the fourth Fokker 100 in the Network Aviation fleet.

Photo © Brenden Scott

Arriving on runway 03 at 06:01 as flight SQ225 from Singapore.

Photos © Les Bushell

On final approach to runway 03 at 06:31 as flight CX137 from Hong Kong.

Photo © Les Bushell

The Virgin “flying lady” logo on the nose was changed on this aircraft in July 2007, when it was instead painted with the flag of the South Sydney ‘Rabbitohs’ National Rubgy League team, and the titles ‘Proudly Flying The Flag’.

From October to November 2009, this aircraft wore ‘Mile High Karaoke’ on a black background on the rear fuselage, and ‘Black Eyed Peas’ titles. On 9 October 2009, the aircraft was chartered by the ‘The Black Eyed Peas’ band and 140 invited guests and cruised at 41,000 feet to set a new Guinness Book of Records for the highest karaoke performance. It was then returned to normal Virgin Blue colours, but kept the special Rabbitohs nose markings.

Seen here approaching runway 03 at 06:54 as flight DJ675 from Melbourne.

Photos © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 07:12 as flight CZ319 from Beijing via Guangzhou.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 07:27 as flight SA282 from Johannesburg.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 07:38 as flight DJ549 from Sydney.

Photos © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 08:00 as flight DJ715 from Adelaide.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 08:08 as flight TT182 from Melbourne.

Photos © Les Bushell

Arriving from Newman on runway 03 at 13:56.

First flight 21 Jul 1992. Ex G-BVPE, N889DV (not taken up). To VH-NJL 20 October 1994. Operated for Qantas Airlink from 20 Oct 1994, to National Jet Systems from 10 Feb 2006. Repainted in Adelaide and rolled out with ‘COBHAM’ tiltles 27 Feb 2009.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 as flight DJ685 from Melbourne at 14:08.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

This air ambulance aircraft is seen taxying along taxiway A3 to runway 03 for takeoff at 14:16, on a flight to Barrow Island, off the northwest coast of Western Australia.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Built in 1979. Ex (N2663X not taken up), LN-HOT, VH-LSW, VH-TFY, VH-XDD, P2-MBD, then VH-QQZ.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 14:29 as flight QF1063 from Kalgoorlie.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

This was Qantas’ second 737-800 delivered, and was originally built against an order by American Airlines. However, with a drop in passenger traffic following 9/11, the aircraft orders were transferred to fellow Oneworld Alliance member Qantas. The aircraft was delivered in February 2002.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 as flight DJ717 from Adelaide at 14:31.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 14:56 as flight SQ223 from Singapore.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Landing on runway 03 at 15:53 after a resources charter flight from Newman.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Climbing away after takeoff from runway 21 at 16:07 as flight JQ975 to Adelaide.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Taking off from runway 21 at 16:57 as “Unity 794” to Mount Keith, a BHP Billiton nickel mine about 690km NE of Perth.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Taking off from runway 21 at 17:21 as flight DJ722 to Adelaide.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Taking off from runway 21 at 17:37, as flight TG482 to Bangkok.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

This aircraft first flew on 18 January 2010, but was flown to Bordeaux in March 2010 and placed into storage for a year, reportedly due to issues with passenger seats made by Koito.

On 29 March 2011, it was flown to Hamburg to have the cabin fitted out and seats installed, and was finally delivered to Thai on 12 April 2011.

Photos © Les Bushell

Taxying to the International Terminal after landing on runway 21 at 17:39 as flight EK420 from Dubai.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

This is very new aircraft – it first flew on 28 November 2011, and was delivered to Emirates on 15 December 2011.

Photo © Les Bushell

Climbing away from runway 21 at 17:40 as flight QF1064 to Kalgoorlie.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Les Bushell

Climbing after takeoff from runway 21 at 17:57 on flight XR117 to Geraldton.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

This aircraft is nearly 25 years old.

Photo © Les Bushell

Arriving on runway 21 at 05:55 as flight SQ225 from Singapore.

Photo © Les Bushell

Arriving runway 21 at 06:37 as flight CX137 from Hong Kong.

Photo © Les Bushell

This aircraft was delivered to the airline in March 2005 and spent a couple of years on lease to Jet Airways (India) from June 2005 to July 2007 as VT-JWC, before returning to South African Airways.

Arriving on runway 21 at 07:34 as flight SA282 from Johannesburg.

Perth is the only Australian city served by SAA.

Photo © Les Bushell

This aircraft made its first visit to Perth the previous night (7 January 2012) arriving at 11:41pm as GA728 from Denpasar, and departed back to Denpasar this morning (8 January) at 7.22am as flight GA727.

It is seen here approaching runway 21 on its second visit to Perth when it returned from Denpasar as flight GA726 at 3:51pm.

PK-GMS is Garuda’s newest 737, having made its first flight on 15 October 2011, and was delivered to Garuda on 6th December 2011.

Photo © Keith Anderson

Arriving from Colombo, Sri Lanka and seen on final approach to Perth Airport’s runway 21 at 17:34 as “Polet 4754”.

The aircraft departed the next day as “Polet 4755” to
U-Tapao, near Pattaya, Thailand.

This aircraft also visited Perth on 25 November 2011 – see Les Bushell’s photos below.

We have had four Antonov An-124 visits in the last months or so, all arriving from Colombo:

• RA-82077 of Polet Flight visited Perth on 25 November 2011 (see Les Bushell’s photos below), and also today.
• UR-82007 of Antonov Airlines visited on 4 December 2011 (see photos by Les Bushell and Michael Foss below)
• RA-82075 of Polet Flight visited on 18 December 2011 (photos by Les Bushell below).

Photo © Keith Anderson

Taking off from runway 21 at 17:39 back to Singapore as flight SQ230.

Photos taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo 1 © Keith Anderson

Photo 2 © Les Bushell

The aircraft is named “Northern Xposure” and visited Perth a few times since December 2011 in this new special livery.

Taking off from runway 21 at 17:44 back to Kuala Lumpur as flight D7 233.

Photo taken from Perth Airport Viewing Area.

Photo © Keith Anderson

This fire fighting helicopter was shipped by sea to Fremantle and flown to Perth Airport on 21 November 2011, before being deployed to Busselton Airport to provide firefighting coverage in the South West of Western Australia.

Built in 1976. Ex G-BDKI, N9118Y, G-BDKI, N219AC.

Photos © David Eyre

This 1974 Cessna U206F has been converted for skydiving operations with an upward opening roller door on the right hand side of the cabin, and all seats but the pilot’s seat have been removed, with a small bench seat next to the pilot.

It still bears traces of its former owner’s titles on the rear fuselage – Alligator Airways of Kununurra, based in the far north of Western Australia. They owned it from 1987 to 2010, when it was sold to the current owner.

Ex N1537U.

Photo © David Eyre

This 1977 Cessna 182Q has been converted for skydiving operations with an upward opening door, and all seats but the pilot’s seat have been removed.

Ex N735PJ.

Photo © David Eyre

This firefighting helicopter arrived in Australia on 7 December 2011 aboard a ship from Greece. After offloading at Melbourne Port, the helicopter flew to Essendon Airport on 8 December 2011. It departed Melbourne Port by sea on 15 December via Adelaide to Fremantle, and was flown to Jandakot on 23 December 2011.

It can release up to 9,500 litres of water or fire retardant in a single drop, compared to 4,000 litres for the leased Sikorsky S-61 helicopters or 1,000 litres for the AS350 Squirrel helicopters.

The helicopter was built in 1967 as a Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe (civil designation S-64A) for the US Army and allocated military serial 67-18420. It was delivered to the US Army in August 1967, serving with the following units:

• 273 Aviation Company
• 273 Assault Support Helicopter Company “Superhooks”
• 478 Heavy Helicopter Company “Hurricanes”
• 62 Aviation Company
• 85 Division Training
• NASA, Langley Field (Loaned in 1973)
• 478 Aviation Company (Heavy Helicopter)
• Pennsylvania National Guard – (see a photo of it taken in 1982 HERE).
• ?? – stored at the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Centre (AMARC), at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona

On 8 April 1994 it was sold to Lenair Corp, and registered N22696 on 27 June 1994.

On 23 January 1997, it was re-registered as N544CH to Columbia Helicopters International.

On 2 December 2002 it was sold to Erickson Air-Crane Inc. and reregistered as N243AC on 10 January 2003.

Photos © Keith Anderson

Operated since 1 Dec 2011 for WA’s Fire & Emergency Services Authority (FESA) as an aerial command and control helicopter for firefighting. Fitted with Wescam MX-15i high definition FLIR turret, laser mapper and microwave transmitter.

See Keith Anderson’s earlier photos of this helicopter taken on 19 November 2011, prior to the fitting of special equipment for FESA.

The prototype of the German-designed and produced Bo-105 was first flown in 1967. The type was produced from 1970 to 2001, with a total of 1,406 being built, and some were licence-built in Indonesia, Canada, the Philippines, and Spain.

This example is a 1991 Bo-105LS-A3. This model is powered by two Allison 250C28C engines to provide improved performance in “hot and high” conditions, and was exclusively built by Eurocopter Canada.

Ex N30702, JA6678, N727WW, C-FRIQ.

Photos © Keith Anderson

Operated on power pole inspection duties for Western Power.

Built by Eurocopter Canada in 1993.

Ex (N3072N ntu), C-GERG, N39VA, N404AB.

Photos © Keith Anderson

Normally based at Perth Airport.

This may be one of the oldest Piper Navajo aircraft flying, having been in 1967 – the 41st Navajo built.

Ex N9030Y, first registered 8.2.71.

Photo © Keith Anderson

Normally based at Perth Airport and used on Fly In Fly Out (FIFO) contracts for mining companies. Possibly moved to Jandakot for the Christmas/New Year mining shutdown period.

Built in March 1979.

ex N5657M, VH-BPG, ZK-SWO, N5657M, to VH-WGV Kendell Airlines 17.4.1986, Jetcraft Aviation 3.1994, Airtex 10.1998, Casair 16.3.2007. Reregistered as VH-NGX 16.5.2007

Photo © Keith Anderson