Posted: 23 Dec 2006, 06:33
OK,all's gone quiet so here is the answer to the Christmas Puzzle (to
the best of my knowledge) on the last commercially operated Heron.
Heron Airlines, based in Sydney, Australia, purchased two Herons.
One (VH-NJP) was a 2C ex-Royal Navy (the other an ex-Fiji 2D) and
this was flown out there in 1993 by the founder of Heron Airlines,
John Ives. The first claim to fame is that he believes this was the last
four-engined piston airliner to follow this "kangaroo" route. It took
98 flight hours and 100 gallons of oil.
The Herons flew all over Australia, mostly on tourist flights, but also
made forays into the Pacific, the furthest destination having been
the Cook Islands but poor availablility of AVGAS in the Pacific
caused these workings to cease.
VH-NJP made its last flight was in the middle of 2003, operating on
their Northern Affordable Air Tour over the following route:
Sydney/Bankstown
Charleville (fuel)
Longreach
Mt Isa (fuel)
Adels Grove
Borroloola (fuel)
Katherine
Cooinda
Darwin
Kununurra
Halls Creek (fuel)
Broome
Yuendumu
Alice Springs
Ayers Rock
Coober Pedy
Marree
Broken Hill
Sydney
Quite a trip! This and other excursions are today operated by
Fairchild Metroliners.
After that it was sold to the United Arab Emirates where it is
preserved under another identity. The ex-Fiji example survives
in Australia in a museum.
Apparently consideration was given to converting the aircraft to a 2D
but they didn't bother in the end. With a stock of about 80 (!) spare
Gipsy engines, I'm not sure why it was even considered.
He says the single-lever arrangement for the engines made the 2B such
a dream to fly and with the exception of his Gulfstream G159 it was
the best aircraft he ever flew. He felt that (his words) it was a shame
the British couldn't come to terms with using a modern American
engine in the Heron, otherwise he feels we would have seen as
many Herons around the world as there are now Twin Otters.
So there you have it. Apart from preserved aircraft flying pleasure
trips and charters, I don't think any other permutations of the the
Heron could have been operating after that date.
Quite frankly, the date of 2003 stunned me. I wish I had known when
I was in Australia in 2000 . . .
Best wishes,
John
the best of my knowledge) on the last commercially operated Heron.
Heron Airlines, based in Sydney, Australia, purchased two Herons.
One (VH-NJP) was a 2C ex-Royal Navy (the other an ex-Fiji 2D) and
this was flown out there in 1993 by the founder of Heron Airlines,
John Ives. The first claim to fame is that he believes this was the last
four-engined piston airliner to follow this "kangaroo" route. It took
98 flight hours and 100 gallons of oil.
The Herons flew all over Australia, mostly on tourist flights, but also
made forays into the Pacific, the furthest destination having been
the Cook Islands but poor availablility of AVGAS in the Pacific
caused these workings to cease.
VH-NJP made its last flight was in the middle of 2003, operating on
their Northern Affordable Air Tour over the following route:
Sydney/Bankstown
Charleville (fuel)
Longreach
Mt Isa (fuel)
Adels Grove
Borroloola (fuel)
Katherine
Cooinda
Darwin
Kununurra
Halls Creek (fuel)
Broome
Yuendumu
Alice Springs
Ayers Rock
Coober Pedy
Marree
Broken Hill
Sydney
Quite a trip! This and other excursions are today operated by
Fairchild Metroliners.
After that it was sold to the United Arab Emirates where it is
preserved under another identity. The ex-Fiji example survives
in Australia in a museum.
Apparently consideration was given to converting the aircraft to a 2D
but they didn't bother in the end. With a stock of about 80 (!) spare
Gipsy engines, I'm not sure why it was even considered.
He says the single-lever arrangement for the engines made the 2B such
a dream to fly and with the exception of his Gulfstream G159 it was
the best aircraft he ever flew. He felt that (his words) it was a shame
the British couldn't come to terms with using a modern American
engine in the Heron, otherwise he feels we would have seen as
many Herons around the world as there are now Twin Otters.
So there you have it. Apart from preserved aircraft flying pleasure
trips and charters, I don't think any other permutations of the the
Heron could have been operating after that date.
Quite frankly, the date of 2003 stunned me. I wish I had known when
I was in Australia in 2000 . . .
Best wishes,
John