VH-FND Fokker F27-050

VH-FND. Fokker F27-050. c/n 20129.

Was also registered as: D6-MOH.

This aircraft was originally ordered new by Corsair but the sale did not proceed

The order was taken up by Ansett to replace F27-050 c/n 20109 that was not accepted due to delays and faults

This was in fact the last Fokker F27-050 to be delivered to Ansett

The temporary export registration 'E-940 / PH-EXB' was reserved by Fokker Aircraft B.V. - July 04, 1988

First flown at Amsterdam (Schiphol) as 'PH-EXB' - August 16, 1988

The aircraft was cleared for export to Australia - August 26, 1988

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-FND - August 26, 1988

Registered to JL Leasing Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan

Leased to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd as the registered operartor

Accepted by Ansett at Amsterdam (Schiphol) - August 27, 1988

The aircraft was configured to seat 50 passengers

Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia as AN50 - August 29, 1988

It arrived at Melbourne (Tullamarine) on completion of the delivery flight from the Netherlands - September 03, 1988

Delivery route: Amsterdam - Athens - Cairo - Dubai - Karachi - Calcutta - Bangkok - Seletar - Denpasar -

Darwin - Alice Springs - Melbourne

Flight crew: Captains C. Harrold, L. Campbell, G. I. Hickey; LAMEs C. Amse, D. Hamstra, M. McCarthy

Operated its first revenue service Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Devonport (Captain L. Campbell) - September 15, 1988

Withdrawn from service and placed in storage at Melbourne (Tullamarine) - August 23, 1989

Returned to service with Air N. S. W. - January 01, 1990

Air N. S. W. was renamed Ansett N. S. W. - March 01, 1990

It was used mainly on the Sydney - Canberra - Melbourne shuttle services - April 1990

Ansett N. S. W. was renamed Ansett Express - November 28, 1990

Aircraft had flown 7,606 hours with 8,709 cycles - June 30, 1993

Transferred to Ansett Australia when Ansett Express services were merged with the parent airline - October 30, 1993

Leased to Flight West Airlines - June 29 / 30, 1995

Operated its final Ansett revenue service Sydney - Albury - Sydney (Captain P. Eccen) as AN584/585 - July 29, 1995

Ferried Sydney (Kingsford Smith) - Melbourne for maintenance - July 30, 1995

Leased to Flight West Airlines - August 21 to September 01, 1995

Returned to Ansett Australia - September 1995

Ferried Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Perth for lease to Skywest Airlines - December 08, 1995

Registered to Skywest Airlines Pty Ltd - January 12, 1996

Operated its final Skywest / Ansett revenue service Albany - Perth as AN6350 - September 13, 2001

Ansett suspended all operations due to bankruptcy - September 13, 2001

Returned to service under administration Perth - Kalgoorlie as AN7657 - September 24, 2001

Skywest Airlines was sold to Airline Investments Ltd - February 21, 2002

This aircraft was the last Fokker F.27-050 to be repainted into the standard Skywest livery - September 2005

The aircraft was named 'Shire of Shark Bay'

Virgin Australia announced its intention to acquire Skywest Airlines - October 30, 2012

Virgin Australia finalised the acquisition of Skywest Airlines - April 11, 2013

Skywest Airlines was officially renamed Virgin Australia Regional Airlines - May 03, 2013

Operated its last revenue service Esperance - Perth as VA2631 - January 09, 2016

The aircraft was withdrawn from service and stored at Perth having flown 50,491 hours with 45,036 cycles

Ferried Perth (11:29 WST) - Alice Springs for storage - April 19, 2016

Total flight time: 4 hors 41 minutes

Ownership transferred to Aero-Pioneer Group - August 2016

Registered to APU Investors LLC, Delaware, U.S.A. - September 20, 2016

Leased to JMC Investments Pty Ltd, Hamilton, Victoria as the registered operator

Departed Alice Springs on the ferry flight to Zanzibar as SYU1605 - November 10, 2016

It arrived at Zanzibar on completion of the ferry flight - ?

Ferry route: Alice Springs - Darwin - Kupang - Seletar - Colombo - Male - Zanzibar

It was offered for sale with 'VH-FNI' via SkyQuest International LLC, Winston-Salem, NC - December 20, 2016

It was reported that 'VH-FNA; VH-FNB; VH-FND; VH-FNH' had been sold to Mayair, Mexico - September 25, 2017

It however was still at Zanzibar and adverstised 'for-sale' by SkyQuest International - March 23, 2018

The quoted sale price was $US 1,500,000

SkyQuest advised that the aircraft had been removed from the market by its owner - September 05, 2018

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - November 10, 2020

Entered onto the Comoros Aircraft Register as D6-MOH - March 2021

Operated by Kush Air, Juba, South Sudan as the registered operator

Current status - ?

VH-FND. Ansett - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 06, 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1997-316.)

VH-FND. Ansett Express - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, September 25, 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1997-010.)

VH-FND. Ansett Express - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 15, 1990.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1997-009.)

VH-FND. Ansett Express - in the 'Southern Cross' livery at Brisbane Airport, January 1991.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-094.)

VH-FND. Ansett Express - in the 'Union Jack' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, March 1993.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1997-105.)

VH-FND. Ansett Australia - in the 'Union Jack' livery at Brisbane Airport, June 1994.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-013.)

VH-FND. Ansett Australia - in the 'Starmark' livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 16, 1995.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1997-012.)

VH-FND. Skywest Airlines - in the Ansett 'Starmark' livery at Perth Airport, March 1998.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-264.)

VH-FND. Skywest - in the Ansett 'Starmark' livery at Perth Airport, January 2002.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-014.)

VH-FND. Skywest - in the partial Ansett 'Starmark' livery at Perth Airport, December 2004.

(G. Wood Copyright Image 1997-081.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, August 2008.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-199.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, March 14, 2010.

(R. Shaw Copyright Image 1997-889.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, March 16, 2010.

(R. Shaw Copyright Image 1997-109.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 11, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-294.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 11, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-393.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 11, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-295.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 11, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-296.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, September 20, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-289.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, September 20, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-290.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, September 20, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-291.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, November 19, 2010.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-292.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, July 16, 2011.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-293.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, December 04, 2011.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-390.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, March 22, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-170.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, March 24, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-389.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 03, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-391.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 03, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-392.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, May 19, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-171.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, December 14, 2012.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-387.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, February 19, 2013.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1997-169.)

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' inside the cockpit at Perth Airport, February 23, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Perth Airport, March 13, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, March 15, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, March 21, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 03, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 18, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, April 20, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, May 12, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, May 15, 2013.

VH-FND. Skywest - 'Shire of Shark Bay' in the standard livery at Geraldton Airport, May 16, 2013.