1990s PROPLINERS
A selection of my photographs of propeller driven airliners taken in Australia in the 1990s

Lockheed L188A Electra N351Q at Cairns in December 1992 during its ferry flight from Perth to USA. It had been registered
VH-IOB with Indian Ocean Airlines, Perth for planned services to Cocos Islands and Christmas Island, but the operation failed.
It was being returned to Electra leasing business JBQ Aviation at Miami, Florida by a JBQ crew.
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In 1996 a new Australian operator Charrak Air based this freighter Electra N360Q at Cairns. Also leased from JBQ Aviation, Miami,
it carried cargo, especially seafood Cairns-Honiara-Brisbane-Cairns. VH-CDK was reserved for the Electra but things did not go as
hoped and it was returned to the USA after a year's operation as N360Q.



NZ operator King Solomon Airways operated this stunning Convair 580 ZK-KSA from Cairns during 1998 on the same fish markets
freight triangle Cairns-Honiara-Brisbane. It is seen having the cabin aired at Cairns in April 1998

A variety of veteran Antonov An-12 freighters with Soviet crews were based at Brisbane Airport during the 1990s, flying ad-hoc charters
for Australian freight-forwarders. Here's Avial's RA-11324 in October 1993. My Cairns-based fellow propliner enthusiast Paul Howard
experienced a memorable ride on this An-12 from Brisbane to Turkey, listed on the crew manfest as "Catering Manager".

Former East-West Airlines Fokker F.27 Friendship VH-EWP was based at Cairns for most of the decade on a Royal Australian Navy
survey project to map the ocean floor around northern Australia. Photographed at Cairns May 1996


New-start freight operator Pacific Air Freighters, Brisbane purchased this Douglas C-54 from Lynch Air Cargo, Montana USA.
Ferried out as N9013V, it reached Cairns 15 June 1995, to become VH-PAF. Seen at Essendon Vic in September 1996.

Two views of VH-PAF departing Cairns in December 1998 after refuelling on its way to Brisbane, after a freight contract in New Guinea



The stirring sight of the magnificent HARS Super Connie on final Runway 15 Cairns in April 1998

Bob De La Hunty, Historical Aircaft Restoration Society founder, flew his restored US Air Force Lockheed C-121C VH-EAG to Cairns
for local celebrations in April 1998. Here Bob and Sandy Howard fire up at Cairns for the long flight home to Sydney.

VH-EAG shows her elegant lines while taxying at Melbourne-Essendon in September 1996

An earlier Lockheed, 1937 model L.10B Electra VH-UZO was built for Ansett Airways, Melbourne and named "Ansertes".
Seen at Cairns in May 1992, soon after owner Laurie Ogle completed his dtermined 15 year restoration of the old arliner.



The Beech 18 series had been used as propliners by many airlines around the word. By the 1990s there were only a few in Australia.
D18S VH-UWG seen taxying at Camden NSW in June 1994 was sold to a US buyer the following month and ferried to Chicago.

John Love of Albury NSW operated his D18S VH-FIE and DC-3 VH-CAN as Splitters Creek Airlines.
Here's the Twin Beech at Cairns in August 1992 visiting on a tourist trip. Note the skydivers rail above the cabin door.

Beech E18S N3781B at Bundaberg Qld in August 1998 after being ferried from Palau, Oceana by its Australian owner Bob Keys.
He also flew E18S N753CW to Bundaberg after operating both as Caroline Pacific Air at Palau. They became VH-CIJ & VH-CII.

Smaller "Propliner"candidates include the many passenger DHC-2 Beavers, with their throaty P&W Wasp Junior radial engines.
More of my photos will be found under the Beaver heading.  VH-IMR at Green Island off Cairms in July 1993.


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