VH-TQT Fokker F.27-6187 Friendship

VH-TQT. Fokker F.27-6187 Friendship. c/n 10458.

Was also registered as: PK-TSL; PK-YYC.

The registration 'PH-FRI' was reserved by Fokker but it was not used - May 28, 1970

Entered onto Dutch Aircraft Register as 'PH-EXB' - April 1971

Registered to Fokker - VFW N.V.

First flown at Amsterdam (Schiphol) as 'PH-EXB' - April 21, 1971

It was painted in the 'blue tail' livery by Fokker before the aircraft was delivered

It was the 18th Trans-Australia Airlines Friendship to be painted in the new livery

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-TQT - April 28, 1971

Cancelled from the Dutch Aircraft Register - April 29, 1971

Accepted by Trans-Australia Airlines at Amsterdam (Schiphol) - April 29, 1971

Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia - April 29, 1971

It arrived at Melbourne (Essendon) on completion of the delivery flight - May 07, 1971

Flight crew: Captains G. Lushey, N. K. Pascoe; Engineer B. Jackson

The aircraft was named 'Thomas Mitchell'

It operated its first revenue service - May 14, 1971

This aircraft was the first commercial airliner to land at Darwin Airport after Cyclone Tracy - December 26, 1974

Arriving as flight TN556 Alice Springs - Darwin it then evacuated 57 people to Brisbane

Flight crew: Captain R. Vuillermin; F/O T. Burgess; Hostesses D. Marker, M. Willis

This was not a record for the total number of people carried in a single uplift by a Friendship

The record for the highest number of people uplifted in a single 36 passenger Friendship flight was set by the TAA

Friendship 'VH-TQN' when it carried 61 people (57 passengers) - January 25, 1974

It was transferred to Air Queensland - September 1986

Registered to Air Queensland Ltd - January 26, 1987

Returned to Trans-Australia Airlines - April 1988

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission, Melbourne - April 30, 1988

Ownership was transferred to Australian Airlines - July 11, 1988

Leased to Air North - October 30, 1989 to December 11, 1989

It was sub-leased to Spirit Airlines - November 01, 1989

Leased to Air North - December 12, 1989 to May 19, 1990

Leased to Australian Regional Airlines (QLD) Pty Ltd - May 19, 1990

Operated its final revenue service Thursday Island - Cairns as TN1507 - April 05, 1991

This was the final commercial service operated by a Friendship for T.A.A.

Ferried Cairns - Brisbane and placed in open storage - ?

Ownership was transferred to Qantas Airways Ltd - December 08, 1993

Sold to International Air Parts - February 13, 1995

The intended lease to Milne Bay Air did not take place - March 1996

The aircraft remained in storage at Brisbane Airport and advertised for sale at $1.4 million

It had flown 36,892 hours with 36,085 cycles

Operated a special Christmas mail flight for Australia Post - December 24, 1996

Ferried Brisbane - Sydney (Bankstown) for maintenance

Sold to Indonesian Air Transport - June 1997

Ferried Sydney (Bankstown) - Tamworth for painting - June 17, 1997

Ferried Tamworth - Brisbane for Indonesian Air Transport - August 21, 1997

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - October 22, 1997

Entered onto the Indonesian Aircraft Register as PK-TSL - October 1997

Departed Brisbane on the ferry flight to Indonesia - October 28, 1997

Ferry route: Brisbane - Charlieville - Mount Isa - Darwin - Jakarta

Withdrawn from I.A.T. service and stored at Jakarta (Halim) - 2003

Sold to Asia Avia - March 2004

Reregistered as PK-YYC - ?

The aircraft was named 'Rengal'

Asia Avia ceased operations when its Operators Certificate was revoked by the Indonesian Minister

of Transport - 2006

The aircraft was stored at Jakarta (Pondok Cabe)

It was observed stored intact at Jakarta (Pondok Cabe) in faded Asia Avia livery - October 26, 2006

It was observed derelict without engines and sitting on its rear fuselage at Jakarata (Pondok Cabe) - December 26, 2008

Scrapped on site - 2009

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Canberra Airport, July 28, 1978.

(E. D. Daw Copyright Image 1999-447.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1980.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-335.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-333.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-334.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1981.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-336.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia Airlines - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1981.

(N. Louis Collection Copyright Image 1993-612.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, August 1984.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-535.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-338.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, December 28, 1984.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-337.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1985.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-339.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-185.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-021.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-302.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 13, 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-963.)

VH-TQT. TAA Trans-Australia - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery with additional 'Americas Cup' titles at Canberra Airport, January 16, 1985.

(R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1993-095.)

VH-TQT. TAA - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-340.)

VH-TQT. TAA - in the basic livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, May 1986.

(G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-341.)

VH-TQT. Air Queensland - in the basic TAA livery at Brisbane Airport, September 04, 1986.

VH-TQT. Air Queensland - in the basic TAA livery at Brisbane Airport, September 22, 1986.

VH-TQT. Air Queensland - in the basic TAA livery at Brisbane Airport, March 29, 1987.

VH-TQT. Air Queensland - in the basic TAA livery at Cairns Airport, October 1987.

VH-TQT. Air Queensland - in the basic TAA livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, October 1987.

VH-TQT. Trans Australia - in the modified livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1988.

VH-TQT. Australian - in the basic livery at Brisbane Airport, date unknown.

VH-TQT. Australian - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, September 1988.

VH-TQT. Australian - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, February 17, 1989.

VH-TQT. Spirit Air - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the basic 'Australian' livery at Brisbane Airport, November 1989.

VH-TQT. Australian Regional - 'Thomas Mitchell' in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, March 16, 1991.

VH-TQT. Australian - in the basic livery at Brisbane Airport, April 1993.

VH-TQT. MBA - in the modified 'Australian' livery at Brisbane Airport, May 1996.

PK-TSL. IAT Indonesia Air Transport - in the standard livery at Brisbane Airport, October 1997.

PK-TSL. IAT Indonesia Air Transport - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, January 1998.

PK-TSL. IAT Indonesia Air Transport - in the standard livery at Jakarta Halim Airport, date unknown.