1980s PERTH AIRPORT VISITORS - MILITARY

A selection of my photographs of visiting military aircraft during the decade


CAAC Boeing 707 B-2406 departs Perth in April 1985. It brought a Chinese delegation from Canton

Canadian Armed Forces Boeing 707 13701 stayed three days in May 1980

Canadian Armed Forces Boeing 707 13705 arrived from Hong Kong in November 1986 and left for Sydney next day.
Shadows from light towers were a problem for early morning photography at the new terminal ramp

German Air Force Boeing 707 10+01 was a rare visitor, carrying the West German Chancellor and senior officials

RNZAF Boeing 727 NZ7272 taxies past the old Tower in March 1985, taking the NZ Prime Minister to Africa

RNZAF C-130H Hercules NZ7002 overnighted in March 1980 enroute Whenuapai to (then) Rhodesia


Canadian Armed Forces CC-130E/NT navigation trainer Hercules 130310 visited in January 1986

RAAF Hercules were regular visitors. Here's C-130E A97-181 in the late afternoon light in May 1985

RAAF C-130H A97-001 in December 1986 in a camouflage scheme

            RAAF C-130A A97-207 was taken out of storage at RAAF Laverton in a political gesture towards Ethiopian famine relief.
            Registered EL-AJM to International Air Aid Ltd, Sydney, it departed in February 1986 in a blaze of publicity to fly Red Cross
            supplies from Addis Ababa, but quietly slipped back to Australia 10 months later, refuelling at Perth on 6 December 1986
         

                     EL-AJM Wizard of Oz about to close up at Perth for departure to Avalon, where it returned to long-term storage.

RAAF Caribou were regulars at Perth Airport. A4-173 in March 1981


Royal Thai Air Force VIP Flight Douglas DC-8-62 60112 brought the Crown Prince of Thailand in December 1985.
Its previous Thai Airways civil registration HS-TGQ was painted on the fuselage sides

Another Royal Thai Air Force DC-8-62 60110 came from Bangkok in July 1987 for a three day visit
RAF Lockheed L-1011 Tristar tanker ZD951 in April 1987

This RAF VC-10 ZA147 flew non-stop to Perth from RAF Brize Norton in England in April 1987 with air-to-air refuelling.
It had been refuelled between Colombo and Perth by the Tristar tanker ZD951

RAF VC-10 XR108 visited in March 1989

RAAF Dakota A65-78 was still in service in December 1985, showing off a new tactical paint scheme


RAAF Pearce-based Dakota A65-102 was retired and ferried to Perth Airport on 1 August 1980, via a farewell flypast over
the city escorted by 5 Macchi jets.  With RAAF markings removed, it was parked until collected by purchaser Geoff Leach of
South Pacific Airmotive and ferried to Camden using tradeplate "VHPTS". It then went to Hawaii as N65388, later VH-SPY

A65-124 was ferried from RAAF Edinburgh SA to Perth, arriving 18 May 1981 when the RAAF crew made a low run across
the airport before the Dakota's final landing. Several weeks later it was moved by road to the museum where it is still displayed

"Flag Ship"inscriptions were added at Edinburgh, acknowledging it was the last of the RAAF's Dakotas A65-1 to A65-124


Back to the Photographs Menu