Friday 9 December 2011

Fokker F27 Friendship Mk 600 ZK-RTA

Friendship c/n 10315 was built built as PH-FKI and registered in Amsterdam on 13-12-1966. It first flew on 16-12-1966 and was delivered to Ansett ANA in Australia later that month and became VH-FNQ. It remained with Ansett (in its various forms) until being withdrawn in July of 1988. On 07-12-1989 if ferried from Sydney to Woodbourne via Norfolk Island and Auckland on lease to SAFE Air through until May of 1990. It went back to Ansett, leaving Auckland for Norfolk Island on 20-05-1990.
It returned to NZ on 08-1-1990, flying into Wellington to join the NZ register as ZK-RTA2 for Rex Aviation (NZ) Ltd on 26-11-1990.
The top photo shows her at Christchurch in Rex Titles on 05-12-1990.
It then did some time with Tranzair and then appeared under Ansett Airfreight titles. Photo below, also at Christchurch, taken on 28-03-1994.
On 31-03-1996 it departed Auckland for Norfolk Island and then on to Coffs Harbour and Melbourne the following day.
It rejoined the Australian register as VH-WAN on 22-05-1996 with Independent Air Freighters out of Tullamarine and then moved to Aircruising Australia Ltd of Mascot on 17-04-2001 only to be withdrawn at Tamworth later in the year.
It made its way to the Queensland Air Museum (QAM) in about August 2008 and is seen below in shots taken recently by ZK-CMM.
Not visible in the above photo is the fact that it wears both its VH-FNQ (on fuselage) and VH-WAN markings (on fin fillet).

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