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VH-EWV. Fokker F.27-5293 Friendship. c/n 10633.
Was also registered as: PH-FSO; G-JEAE; EI-SMF; 5Y-BTX.
This aircraft was originally ordered by Air Zaire but it was not taken up A secondary sale was not taken up by Air Sinai or Polar Airways Entered onto the Dutch Aircraft Register as 'PH-EXC' - February 11, 1982 Registered to Fokker BV, Holland First flown as 'PH-EXC' - May 25, 1982 It was placed in open storage at Woensdrecht, Holland The aircraft was sold to East-West Airlines, Australia - 1983 Cancelled from the Dutch Aircraft Register - August 26, 1983 Entered onto the Dutch Aircraft Register as PH-FSO - August 30, 1983 Accepted by East-West at Amsterdam (Schiphol) - August 30, 1983 Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia as EW8797 - August 30, 1983 It arrived at Tamworth on completion of the delivery flight - September 05, 1983 Flight crew: Captains B. Gillespie, C. Holt; F/O Thompson; F/E Mackie Cancelled from the Dutch Aircraft Register - September 07, 1983 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EWV - September 07, 1983 Registered to East West Airlines (Operations) Ltd, Tamworth Operated first revenue service - September 16, 1983 The aircraft was named 'City of Tamworth' at Tamworth - September 17, 1983 Withdrawn from service and stored at Tamworth - August 23, 1989 Leased to Spirit Air (subsidiary of Air Cruising Australia) - October 03 to October 21, 1989 Leased to and then sold to Jersey European - December 10, 1990 Departed Tamworth on the ferry flight to England - December 10, 1990 It arrived at Exeter on completion of the ferry flight - December 16, 1990 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 27, 1990 Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-JEAE (CofR G-JEAE/R1) - January 02, 1991 Leased to Channel Express (Air Services) Ltd - January 31 to May 1994 Sold to BAC Express Leasing and then leased to BAC Express - October 1999 Entered service with BAC Express - November 1999 It was converted to freighter configuration - 2000 Leased to Channel Express Air Services Ltd for 2 years Operated its final Channel Express service Bournemouth - Channel Islands - Bournemouth - October 10, 2002 Withdrawn from Channel Express service - October 10, 2002 Delivered to Edinburgh in the standard BAC Express livery - October 22, 2002 Sold to Air Contractors Ireland - July 2004 Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - ? Entered onto the Irish Aircraft Register as EI-SMF - July 19, 2004 Registered to Air Contractors (Ireland) Ltd It was damaged whilst taking-off from Stansted Airport - September 08, 2004 The aircraft began deviating to starboard during the take-off roll and the take-off was aborted Investigations uncovered that the port engine turbine had burnt out and the nose-wheel steering had problems Repaired and returned to service Reportedly leased to Kenyan operator - March 2006 Cancelled from the Irish Aircraft Register - ? Entered onto the Kenyan Aircraft Register as 5Y-BTX - April 18, 2006 Registered to Knight Aviation Ltd, Kenya It was observed stored at Nairobi (Wilson) Airport without engines and in basic BAC livery - September 21, 2009 Aircraft was still listed as being part of the Air Contractors' Fleet - October 2009 Current status - ? |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1985. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-697.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 21, 1985. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1993-275.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Coolangatta Airport, January 1986. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-712.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 11, 1987. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-698.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, June 1987. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-274.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1988. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-145.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery with additional 'Spirit Air' titles at Cairns Airport, October 1989. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-699.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - 'City of Tamworth' in the final livery with additional 'Spirit Air' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, October 1989. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-746.) |
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VH-EWV. East-West - in the basic livery at Tamworth Airport, September 1990. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-715.) |
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G-JEAE. Channel Express - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, August 1994. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-700.) |
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G-JEAE. BAC Express - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, July 2003. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-814.) |
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EI-SMF. BAC Express - in the standard livery at Hamburg Airport, May 2006. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-128.) |