VH-FNU. de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300. Twin Otter. c/n 286.
This aircraft was ordered new by Air Caledonie, Noumea Rolled out of the de Havilland Canada Downsview, Toronto plant as 'N8286' - October 1970 First flown as 'N8286' at Downsview, Toronto - October 1970 Handed over to Air Capital Inc as the ferry contractor for the delivery flight to New Caledonia - October 28, 1970 Observed at Wichita, Kansas - November 05, 1970 Entered onto the French Aircraft Register as F-OCQD - December 17, 1970 Registered to Air Caledonie, Noumea Sold to Air Melanesiae, Port Vila - July 24, 1975 Cancelled from the French Aircraft Register - August 28, 1985 Entered onto the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-RDI - September 20, 1985 Registered to Talair, Goroka, Papua New Guinea The aircraft was severly damaged as Eas'Aia, Vanuatu - October 29, 1992 Details regarding this accident have not been located but the aircraft was repaired and returned to service The aircraft was placed in storage at Goroka when Talair ceased operations - May 25, 1993 It was painted all-white and named 'The Last Warrior' as it was the last Talair aircraft to depart Papua New Guinea Ferried Goroka - Cairns - September 29, 1993 Ferried Cairns - Mareeba for long-term storage - September 1993 Departed Mareeba on the ferry flight to Brisbane for storage - June 04, 1995 Cancelled from the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register - ? Entered into the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-FNU - November 11, 1996 Registered to Flight West Airlines, Eagle Farm. Brisbane Leased to Transtate Airlines, Archerfield, Queensland as the registered operator - September 03, 1998 Returned to Flight West on termination of the lase - January 2000 Registered to Regional Pacific Airlines, Edge Hill, Queensland - May 23, 2000 Leased to Macair Airlines, Archfield, Queensland as the registered operator - July 18, 2000 Returned to Regional Pacific Airlines on termination of the lease - ? 2000 Sold to Eastland Air, Toowoomba, Queensland - November 2000 Reregistered to FNU Pty Ltd, Maroochydore, Queensland - July 15, 2002 Leased to Regional Pacific Airlines as the registered operator - September 10, 2002 Sub-leased to Air Loyaute, Noumea, New Caledonia as the registered operator - October 2002 The intended French registration 'F-OIAY' was not taken up Returned to Regional Pacific Airlines on termination of the sub-lease - March 2003 Transferred to Island Pacifc Air, Townsville, Queensland - July 2006 Sold to Turbo North Aviation, Anchorage, Alaska - April 06, 2007 Departed Toowoomba on the ferry flight to the United States - May 25, 2007 Arrived Murietta (California) on completion of the ferry flight - May 31, 2007 Ferry route: Toowoomba - Brisbane - Noumea - Pago Pago - Kiritimati - Hilo - Pompona - Murietta Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - June 07, 2007 Entered onto the United States Aircraft Register as N969AC - ? Sold to Aero Coastal, Wilmington, Delaware - September 24, 2007 Leased to NEOS GeoSolutions Inc, Houston, Texas as the registered operator Sold to Gravitas Aviation Inv, Vancouver, BC - November 2012 Ferried Houston - Murietta - November 02, 2012 Ferried San Marcos (Texas) - Joplin (MO) - DeKaib (IL) - July 23, 2013 Registered to Berry Aviation Inc, San Marcos, Texas - July 24, 2013 Ferried Aurora (IL) - Tulsa - R L Jones (OK) - San Marcos (Texas) - August 21, 2013 Current status - ? |
VH-FNU. Macair - in the basic livery at an unknown airport, July 2000. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1920-821.) |