Old Eastern and Southern Australia routes

[Michael R]

Was just wondering if anyone can help in regards to which routes were flown by the Cessna Titan and Jetstream aircraft used by Southern and Eastern Australia back in the day.

[Steve Jones]

I recall ADL-Renmark-Mildura on the Southern Cessna Titan.

[Rob R]

Eastern Routes
Titan's operated all stops up the cost from Sydney to Brisbane. They also operated into Tamworth. The same route was also operated by the Bandits.

The Jetstreams operated SYD-NTL, SYD - TRE, SYD - CFS, SYD - GRAFTON, SYD - CBR ?, SYD - TMW, SYD - NBR/ MOR

Southern Routes
The Titans also operated Mildura - Melbourne. They also operated all over Victoria under the Air Ambulance contract.

[MarkR]

I recall ADL-Renmark-Mildura on the Southern Cessna Titan.

And Mildura Broken Hill.

The Air Abulance OPs have a nice page here: http://colacambulance.com.au/Cessna%20404.htm

[Michael R]

Thanks for the info guy's.

[Grahame Hutchison]

From February 1982 at Sydney Airport, East Coast Cessna 404 Titan

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VH-TMX NFTN-19820200-001.jpg

[Michael R]

I was only a kid Grahame but I still remember going to the airport and seeing East West airlines, Air NSW, and my favorite the Tamair metroliners.

[Paul M]

Geez Graham, I shudder to think how many gigabytes of photos you must have !! :)

[Glennm]

I worked for Eastern Australia at Newcastle Airport in the mid 80s...then a tin shed. Oh how its changed. i recall the 404 Titans being flown to Sydney and Sydney via Maitland. Also direct to Canberra. They flew a daily milkrun from Willy to Brisbane via Taree, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and Coolangatta.
Also to Tamworth And Armidale I think. I flew on them many times in the right hand seat with the cheap staff ticket. The Bandits flew Willy to Sydney.
Some of the regos for the titans I recall were ARQ DLF TMX TMZ UOP.
The 3 Bandit regos were HVS WDF and WDI. I used to do a 2 minute weather report from the airport on 2hd including the latest flying conditions of one of our planes. The good old days.

[Michael R]

Thanks for all the info guy's. It's surprising that in all of regional aviation that no one has really serviced the Gippsland region of Victoria, unless I'm mistaken. Possible Sharp Airlines in the future.

[Steve Jones]

Rex has trialled Traralgon in a couple of occasions - I recall a SYD-CBR-TRG service not so long ago. It never survived.

[Grahame Hutchison]

This was VH-WDF in January 1981 on what is now the DOM 5 Apron at Sydney Airport.

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VH-WDF NFTN-19810100-001.jpg

And this is VH-WDI, also on the DOM 5 Apron At Sydney Airport.
http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VH-WDI NFTN-19810100-001.jpg

Swearingen SA226-T Merlin III VH-UBB taxiing on Charlie with the old (small) International Terminal in the background.
http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VH-UBB NFTN-19820000-001.jpg

[Rob R]

Hazelton Airlines operated the Saab340 for a short period from either Latrobe or West Sale to Sydney in the 90's

[Grahame Hutchison]

VH-OLM at the Hazelton Hangar at Sydney Airport in 1998.

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VH-OLM NFTN-19980000-001.jpg

[MarkR]

Hazelton Airlines operated the Saab340 for a short period from either Latrobe or West Sale to Sydney in the 90's

Hazelton did LTV for awhile, milk run to Sydney via Moruya, Brindabella and AusAir also did LTV from Canberra and Tassie. Rex took Hazeltons routes after the Ansett collapse but it died. Victoria doesn't have much of a regional airline scene thanks to the lack of government funding and small state size.

[Michael R]

Not sure if I'm correct but did Sunstate operate Twin Otters up in North Queensland for a while?

[MarkR]

For a long while, they only left when the Island assets were sold in 1998 while OPs commenced in 1984. VH-ZKF (formerly TZF) is a former Sunstate bird whose past ownership is notable for a who's who of twin otter OPs, including Aeropelican, Noosa Air and Flight West. Now with Seair gracing SEQ skies again.

[Nigel C]

Some of the regos for the titans I recall were ARQ DLF TMX TMZ UOP.

Good old ARQ. It used to do curfew Canberra-Sydney-Canberra freight runs from Bay 19 at the turn of the century.

[Michael R]

Mark were they scheduled RPT services or only charters out to the island's.

[MarkR]

Good old ARQ. It used to do curfew Canberra-Sydney-Canberra freight runs from Bay 19 at the turn of the century.

Now known as VH-VEA with Corporate Air.

[MarkR]

Mark were they scheduled RPT services or only charters out to the island's.

The island Ops were from two separate origins, Whitaker Air which originally did charters to Lady Elliott and Fraser. The other one was from the roll up of the former Australian Regional Airlines in TSV, which did Dunk, Lizard and Brampton RPT ops in Oct 93.

An old PPrune post provides some interesting material that references a resource now gone :

http://www.pprune.org/archive/index.php/t-105958.html

At one stage the launch transfers to the islands had flight numbers, even got QFF points in 2002 for a trip on the boat LOL

[Michael R]

Thanks for the info Mark much appreciated.

[Glennm]

Not sure if I'm correct but did Sunstate operate Twin Otters up in North Queensland for a while?

I remember sometime in the mid 80s i flew on a Sunstate Twin Otter routed Brisbane Maroochydore Noosa Heads Brisbane.
The airstrip at Noosa is still there located on the shores of Lake Weyba. Not used for RPT flights anymore as far as I know.