January 2013

ZK-OKA
Boeing 777-219ER
(cn 29404/534)
Air New Zealand

Flight NZ175 from Auckland, at 1,000 feet just north of Guildford, on final approach to Perth Airport’s runway 21 at 15:42.

Photo © David Eyre

VH-OEE
Boeing 747-438ER
(cn 32909/1308)
Qantas
Named “Nullabor”.

Taking off from runway 21 at 08:20 as flight QF2907 on the second of two Antarctic sightseeing charter flights. (The first was flight QF2906 on 26 January 2013).

The flights included four hours of scenic flight over Antarctica, before returning to Perth.

This flight returned to Perth at 21:08, after a flight time of 12 hours 48 mins. The flights departed used the Qantas Domestic Terminal (Terminal 4), as it wasn’t an international flight.

Photos © Keith Anderson

Eurocopter AS350BA Squirrel performing the Aussie salute and fly-by with a huge Australian flag at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 17:13.

Photo © Matt Hayes

VH-MRI Victa Airtourer 115
(cn 158)
Susan Clarke

&

VH-WWA / A – 106
North American AT-6D Texan (cn 78-7094)
Adrian Thomas

Performing the “Beauty and the Beast” formation aerobatics display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 17:19.

Photos © Matt Hayes

Formation of Cessna A152 Aerobats of the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia, together with a pair of Chipmunks at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 17:30.

Cessna A152 Aerobats of the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia in the formation are (L-R):

VH-BFT

VH-RCF

VH-IBP

VH-RWY

VH-FWM

VH-RWQ

VH-JBX

Two De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 aircraft are:

VH-RHW / WB677
(cn C1/0125)
Glen Caple, in RAF markings and grey colour.

VH-RWI
(cn C1/0164)
Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.

Photos © Matt Hayes

Robinson R22 helicopter performing the “Smoky Chopper” air display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 17:40.

Photos © Matt Hayes

VH-EWA Bell 412EP
(cn 36312)
Department of Fire & Emergency Services
“RAC Rescue”.
Operated by CHC Helicopters.

Performing an air display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 18:05.

Photos © Matt Hayes

A27-10 (cn DT03, ex ZJ634),
A27-15 (cn DT15),
&
A27-16 (cn DT-16)

BAE Systems Hawk 127
RAAF, 79 Squadron, based locally at RAAF Base Pearce.

A27-10 wears an experimental dark grey scheme to assess whether it provides increased visibility in flight.

Performing an air display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 18:15.

Photos © Matt Hayes

BAE Systems Hawk 127 of RAAF, 79 Squadron, based locally at RAAF Base Pearce.

A27-15 (cn DT15)
&
A27-16 (cn DT-16)

Performing an air display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 18:16.

Photos © Matt Hayes

A27-10
BAE Systems Hawk 127
(cn DT03, ex ZJ634)
RAAF, 79 Squadron, based locally at RAAF Base Pearce.

This aircraft wears an experimental dark grey scheme to assess whether it provides increased visibility in flight.

Performing an air display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 18:19.

Photos © Matt Hayes

VH-KIL / 14
CASA 1-131E Jungmann
(cn “295” ex E3B-295 Spanish Air Force)
Bert Filippi

Painted in Imperial Japanese Army Air Service markings to represent a Kokusai Ki-86.

Taking off for a fireboming display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River.

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-DUA/608
Air Tractor AT-802
(cn 802-0366)
Dunn Aviation Pty Ltd
Named “Magic”.

Taking off for a fireboming display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River.

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-DUN/604
Air Tractor AT-802A
(cn 802A-0328)
Aerowest Pty Ltd / Dunn Aviation

Taking off for a fireboming display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River.

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-FID Beech D18S
(cn A-458)
Adamson Holdings Pty Ltd, Geraldton, WA.
Named “Dinky Di”.

Taking off for a display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 15:28.

Although it wears RAAF blue/white WW2 style-roundels, this aircraft never served with the military.

Built in 1948, ex N628B. This aircraft was imported into Australia in 1961 by Flinders Island Airlines (hence the ‘FI’ in the registration), to replace their aging Avro Ansons.

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-ZUZ Culp Special
(cn CS-1947)
Peter Cash

Taking off for their display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 15:27.

Built in 2003, and added to the register on 18 March 2003.
Peter built this aircraft from scratch using blueprint plans – some bits he had to guess. He sourced all parts himself. One of the most difficult parts to construct was making the engine cowlings by “tin bashing”.

It took 6000 hours of construction over 3 years (or 40 hours per week, every week of the year).

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-RHW / WB677
De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10
(cn C1/0125)
Glen Caple.

Built in 1950. Originally delivered to the RAF as WB677 on 16.8.1950, sold 24.9.1956 at No.10 Maintenance Unit, Hullavington.
First regd in Australia 21.11.1957 as VH-RHW by the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia, based at Maylands Aerodrome and then Perth Airport until sold in 1962. It went through a series of owners until purchased by Glen Caple in 1973. On 10.2.1979 it ground-looped on landing at Jandakot and was withdrawn from use, being cancelled from the register 7.3.1981 to 12.11.1981.. It was restored back to flying condition.

VH-MLX
WACO Classic Aircraft YMF-5C Barnstormer
(cn F5C-072)
West Australian Skydiving Academy Pty Ltd.

Built in 1996.
Ex N40113.
First regd in Australia 6.12.1996

Seen taking off for their display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 15:26.

Photo © Keith Anderson

VH-MAN / 232003 / 85 Nanchang CJ-6A
(cn 232003)
S & K Investments Pty Ltd

It wears Chinese Air Force (PLAAF) markings, having been formerly owned by them, and was built in 1962.

The CJ-6 is a Chinese version of the Russian-designed Yakovlev Yak-18A.

Seen here taxying out and taking off for its display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 15:19.

Photos © Keith Anderson

VH-YND / “42-755362 / 362” Boeing E75 (N2S-5) Stearman (cn 75-5362)
Carl Ende

Wears US Navy markings with an incorrect serial painted on the side, based on the aircraft manufacturer’s construction number, not its true military serial number.

It was built as a PT-13D with US Army Air Force serial 42-17199, to US Navy and designated as an N2S-5 with Bureau of Aeronautics serial number 61240.  It is believed to have then gone to owner in Nicaragua before arriving in Australia.

Seen here taxying out to take off for its display at the Australia Day AirBP Air Show over the Swan River at 15:16.

Photo © Keith Anderson

N957AC / 738 Sikorsky S-64E Skycrane
(cn 64-065)
Erickson Air-Crane
Named “Ichabod”
Operated for Department of Fire and Emergency Services

This fire fighting Skycrane is based at Jandakot Airport for the 2012/13 fire season, with its own dedicated helipad. It is seen here near the RAC Rescue helicopter hangar at Jandakot Airport.

Built in Nov 1968 for US Army as Sikorsky CH-54A Tarhe (S-64A), serial 68-18460. Served 295 Aviation Company (Heavy Helicopter), (1160 Aviation Company), Fort Sill, Oklahoma, later West Germany. Preserved at Hunter Army Airfield Collection, Savannah, Georgia.
Sold to Erickson Air-Crane and registered 8 July 1992 as N157AC, converted to S-64E Skycrane. Leased to Canadian Air Crane Ltd in Delta, British Columbia, registered C-GESG on 12 February 1997, and wore the number 749, and later 743. It also flew in the USA, being photographed at LA County Fire Department in September 2008. Its Canadian registration was cancelled on 6 March 2009. Returned to US register with Erickson Air Crane as N957AC on 11 March 2009. Its number was still 743, later changed to 738. Based in Greece in mid-2012 for their fire season, before being shipped to Fremantle.

Photos © Keith Anderson

VH-MPB Vertical Aviation Hummingbird 260L
(cn 0730)
D.M.S. Industrial Services Pty Ltd, Fremantle, WA

The Hummingbird 260L is a kit-built helicopter which uses the airframe, rotor blades, main transmission, and tail rotor drive of the Sikorsky S-52 helicopter, but streamlined with a Bell 206 JetRanger nosecone and windshields. It The Hummingbird is powered by a Lycoming VO-435 piston engine. The kits are produced by Vertical Aviation Technologies of Sanford, Florida, USA.

VH-MPB was registered on 13 January 2012.

The Sikorsky S-52 was developed in the late 1940s, with a total of 93 being built for civilian operators, as well as the US Army, Navy and Coast Guard. It was the first US helicopter with all-metal rotor blades, and is believed to be the first helicopter to have been looped, in 1949. Many former military S-52s were later civilianised by Orlando Helicopters, which was later acquired by Vertical Aviation Technologies.

A photo of the Hummingbird next to an original Sikorsky
S-52 is available here.

Photos © Keith Anderson

ZK-OKB
Boeing 777-219ER
(cn 34376/537)
Air New Zealand

Flight NZ175 from Auckland at 2,300 feet over the Swan Valley, turning onto the approach to Perth Airport’s runway 21 at 16:37.

Photo © David Eyre