VH-MMS. Fokker F.27-2002 Friendship. c/n 10139.
Was also registered as: OB-1454.
This aircraft was ordered new by Trans-Australia Airlines - 1959 It was allocated the registration of 'VH-TFL' but it was not taken up Entered onto the Dutch Aircraft Register as 'PH-FBG' - November 13, 1959 Registered to NV Kon. Ned. Vliegtuigenfabriek Fokker, Holland First flown as 'PH-FBG' - November 16, 1959 Sold to Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines - December 07, 1959 Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia - December 09, 1959 It arrived at Perth on completion of the delivery flight as 'VH-TFL' - December 16, 1959 Flight crew: Captains A. Whitham (MMA Chief Pilot), S. Goddard, J. Murray; Navigator L. Thrift Delivered in the standard Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines 'Jetstream' livery Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-MMS - December 24, 1959 Registered to Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines Ltd, Perth Operated a promotional flight Perth - Port Headland - Perth - December 28, 1959 The aircraft was named 'Swan' by Mrs Shane Paltridge - December 28, 1959 Cancelled from Dutch Aircraft Register - December 29, 1959 Operated its first revenue service Perth - Broome - Port Headland - Derby - December 31, 1959 Flight crew: Captains S. Goddard, K. Beer; F/O N. Dorrington This aircraft was nicknamed 'The Black Duck' and later 'The Supersonic Duck' by flight crews It was the first Friendship in the world to reach 10,000 hours Withdrawn from service for overhaul - September 03 to October 30, 1962 It was the first Fokker Friendship in the world to achieve 20,000 flight hours Ownership transferred to Ansett Transport Industries - June 08, 1969 Registered to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd, Melbourne - September 29, 1969 Withdrawn from M.M.A. service having flown 41,048 hours - January 1972 Transferred to Airlines of South Australia - January 1972 Transferred to Ansett Airlines of Australia - February 1972 Leased to M.M.A. to cover maintenance of their F28s - July 08 to August 05, 1977 Ferried Perth - Adelaide (West Beach) on return to Airlines of South Australia - August 06, 1977 Leased to Ansett Airlines of New South Wales - May 26, 1979 to March 01, 1980 Operated inaugural Air N. S. W. Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Albury - Melbourne (Tullamarine) service - May 04, 1983 It had logged the highest hours flown by any Australian registered Friendship - April 1984 It had flown 62,817 hours with 57,170 cycles to date Withdrawn from service for repainting into the new Ansett 'Southern Cross' livery - November 1984 Operated final revenue service Sydney - Canberra - Melbourne (Captain L. Campbell) as WX865 - October 19, 1987 Flown to Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Melbourne (Essendon) for open storage - October 20, 1987 It had flown 69,982 hours with 64,393 cycles Estimated to have carried 1,854, 518 passengers during its career Flown Melbourne (Essendon) - Melbourne (Tullamarine) for storage - January 25, 1989 Returned to service and leased to Air Cruising for a Pacific Islands tour - May 06 - 22, 1991 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - December 06, 1991 Sold to Transpacific Enterprises Inc - December 13, 1991 Entered onto the Peruvian Aircraft Register as OB-1454 - ? Departed Melbourne (Tulamarine) on the ferry flight to Peru in an all-white livery - December 13, 1991 It arrived at Lima, on completion of the ferry flight - December 24, 1991 Flight crew: Captain D. Alidga; F/O M. Perochena (son of owner); Engineer J. Falconi Ferry route: Melboure - Alice Springs - Broome - Denpasar - Singapore - Bangkok - Calcutta - Delhi - Karachi - Bahrain - Jeddah - Cairo - Athens - Milano - Preswick - Reykjavik - Sondrestromfjord - Goose Bay - Philadelphia - Miami - Panama City - Guayaquil - Lima Leased to Expresso Aero SA - December 31, 1991 to February 23, 1994 The aircraft was named 'Salcantay' Returned to Transpacific Enterprises Inc - October 1993 Ferried to Santiago, Chile for storage - August 03, 1994 It was cannibalised for parts - but was still relatively intact as of 2003 It had flown 72,020 and 69,478 cycles |
PH-FBG. Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines - 'RMA Swan' in the original livery at Amsterdam, December 1959. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-051.) |
PH-FBG. Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines - 'RMA Swan' in the original livery at Amsterdam, December 1959. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-175.) |
VH-TFL. Mac.Robertson Miller Airlines - 'RMA Swan' in the original livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, December 1959. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-064.) |
VH-MMS. MMA Jetstream Service - 'RMA Swan' in the revised livery at Perth Airport, November 1967. (E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1999-625.) |
VH-MMS. MMA Jetstream Service - 'RMA Swan' in the revised livery at Perth Airport, January 1968. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-024.) |
VH-MMS. MMA Jetstream Service - 'RMA Swan' in the revised livery at Perth Airport, date unknown. (E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1999-427.) |
VH-MMS. MMA Jetstream Service - 'RMA Swan' in the basic livery at Perth Airport, date unknown. (E. D. Daw Collection Copyright Image 1999-415.) |
VH-MMS. MMA - 'RMA Swan' in the Ansett 'delta' livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, January 1971. (G. Bennett Collection Copyright Image 1993-448.) |
VH-MMS. MMA - 'RMA Swan' in the Ansett 'delta' livery at Narrandara Airport, November 1978. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-449.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 29, 1978. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-798.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 15, 1979. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-872.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of New South Wales - in the 'delta' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 27, 1979. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-283.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of New South Wales - in the 'delta' livery at Wagga Airport, November 1979. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-387.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of New South Wales - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1979. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-025.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, November 1982. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-319.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett Airlines of Australia - in the 'delta' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, date unknown. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-450.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 09, 1985. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1993-027.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1985. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-452.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Brisbane Airport, November 1985. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-546.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Canberra Airport, November 12, 1985. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 1999-627.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Canberra Airport, November 12, 1985. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 1999-626.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '150 Years Victoria' decals at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1985. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-805.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Canberra Airport, January 12, 1986. (E. D. Daw Copyright Image 1999-628.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '50 Years Birthday' decal at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1986. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-453.) |
VH-MMS. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery with additional '50 Years Birthday' decal at Adelaide West Beach Airport, April 1986. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-026.) |
VH-MMS. Transpacific - in the 'all-white' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1991. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-454.) |
OB-1454. Transpacific - in the 'all-white' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1991. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-355.) |