AUSTRALIAN AIRLINERS 1960s - 2


Ansett-ANA Convair 440 VH-BZM parked in the rain at the Ansett maintenance hangars at Melbourne-Essendon in May 1962.
A week later it departed on delivery to USA to Allegheny Airlines as N8422H.



Ansett-ANA's final two Convair 440s VH-BZF & VH-BZN continued in service for the rest of the decade with subsidiary
Airlines of SA.  VH-BZF at Adelaide Airport in July 1963.



Fokker F.27 VH-FNH at Adelaide in August 1962 in the original Ansett-ANA Friendship scheme.



VH-FNI departs the Essendon terminal Ansett-ANA northern ramp in May 1964. F.27s and DC-3s jostled for parking here.



Airlines of NSW F.27 VH-FNG at Nyngan in far west NSW during September 1968.


TAA F.27 VH-TFG at Essendon in May 1962, prior to fitting the weather radar nose radome.



East West Airlines F.27 VH-EWG at Albury NSW in September 1965.  At the time it was their newest, delivered from Schiphol
to Tamworth in January that year.



VH-EWK at Albury in March 1969 in a later East West Airlines scheme.



TAA Sunbird Services in Papua New Guinea took over four Qantas DHC-3 Otters. VH-SBT was at Bankstown in July 1967
in a colourful scheme of blue and white, dayglo orange rudder and wing tips, yellow bird of paradise. Named Kerowagi.



Ansett-Mandated Airlines in New Guinea, known as Ansett-MAL, operated four Piaggio P.166s. VH-GOA was down in
Melbourne in November 1967 in the graveyard parking area, with most airline titles painted over. However it was recalled to
New Guinea the following year for the renamed Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea.



Ansett-ANA Piaggio P.166 VH-PGA at Adelaide in October 1964, while flying tourist services from Alice Springs NT.



Piaggio P.166B Portofino VH-PQA at Essendon in January 1964. It had arrived here from Italy on delivery in late December
and was being prepared for Ansett-ANA subsidiary Queensland Airlines.



The same Piaggio P.166B VH-PQA, but now with Airlines of NSW. It was at Griffith NSW in July 1967.



Both TAA and Ansett-ANA had Bell 47 helicopters for charter work. Here's Ansett-ANA Bell 47J Ranger VH-INE visiting
Adelaide Airport in October 1963.



TAA Bell 47J Ranger at Essendon in January 1964, fitted with floats for landings on the Yarra River helipad in the city.



Ansett-ANA purchased the Sikorsky S-61N VH-BRI Coral Islander for tourist services at Proserpine and Hayman Island on the
Great Barrier Reef.  It was shipped to Melbourne in November 1964, and prior to delivery to Prosperpine for the next southern
winter tourist season, made a promotional tour. Seen here at Adelaide in January 1965.



Bass Strait oil drilling rigs off the Victorian coast generated much helicopter support work. Ansett-ANA Helicopter Division
imported two Sikorksy S-62As in 1967 for a contract. VH-AND had a short life in Australia, arriving at Melbourne in July 1967. 
I caught it at Bairnsdale, Victoria the following month, only days before it was lost in an accident on 24 August while landing on
the oil rig Glomar III.  It was forced to ditch in the sea alongside the rig, but the 9 on board were rescued.



In 1967 the Government finally approved Third Level air services in Australia, allowing the main airlines to drop unprofitable
routes to be taken over by charter companies using smaller aircraft. Among the early starters was Jack Masling's Masling Aviation
at Cootamundra NSW, which formed Masling Airlines with Cessna 402s.  VH-MWG at Griffith NSW in September 1968 on
a scheduled service to Sydney.

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