VH-EWP. Fokker F.27-5229 Friendship. c/n 10534.
This aircraft was ordered new by East-West Airlines - April 24, 1975 First flown as 'PH-EXW' - July 26, 1976 Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EWP - September 09, 1976 Registered to Pacific & Western Aviation Company Accepted by East-West at Amsterdam (Schiphol) - September 09, 1976 Departed Amsterdam (Schiphol) on the delivery flight to Australia - September 10, 1976 It arrived at Tamworth on completion of the delivery flight - September 16, 1976 Operated its first revenue service - December 01, 1976 It was modified with long range tanks and seating for 44 - 46 passengers for services to Norfolk Island Registered to East-West Airlines (Operations) Pty Ltd - March 09, 1977 The aircraft was named 'Norfolk Island' in the naming ceremony at Norfolk Island - March 30, 1977 Withdrawn from service and stored Tamworth - May 22, 1989. Sold to the Royal Australian Navy as 'VH-EWP' for defence contract work - May 17, 1989 Modified for the Department of Defence for coastal 'LADS' mapping This conversion took some 4,500 man-hours to complete Leased to Air Cruising Australia - October 19 to November 25, 1989 Sold to BHP Engineering - January 20, 1992 Registered to Associated Airlines Pty Ltd - February 28, 1992 Registered to Department of Defence - March 24, 1992 Registered to Associated Airlines - May 05, 1992 Registered to Executive Airlines Engineering Pty Ltd - February 18, 2000 Registered to Department of Defence (Navy) - June 27, 2006 It had flown 43,547 hours with 29,258 cycles - May 31, 2007 Operated its last survey flight from Cairns - September 10, 2009 Ferried Cairns - Adelaide (West Beach) - September 12, 2009 Operated last Royal Australian Navy survey flight off the South Australian coastline - September 15, 2009 The LADS laser equipment was removed from the aircraft at Adelaide Ferried Adelaide - Melbourne (Essendon) for maintenance - September 18, 2009 Ferried Melbourne (Essendon) - Adelaide (West Beach) - November 09, 2009 The LADS laser equipment from de Havilland DHC-8 'VH-LCL' was fitted to the aircraft Ferried Adelaide - Melbourne (Essendon) - December 18, 2009 Registered to Fugro LADS Corporation, Adelaide - January 17, 2010 Returned to service off the Victorian coastline - January 2010 Departed Melbourne (Essendon) on the ferry flight to Qatar - February 2010 Acquired 'Fugro' decals whilst undertaking survey work for Dutch company Funderingstechnieken en Grondmechanica Returned to Australia to undertake survey work in northern Australia - March 2010 Departed Adelaide on a ferry flight to Martinque - April 22, 2010 It arrived atRotterdam on completion of the ferry flight - May 07, 2010 Ferry route: Adelaide - Broome - Denpasar - Seletar -Medan - ? - Rotterdam Ferried Rotterdam - Maastricht for maintenance - May 19, 2010 It was observed at Edinburgh on the ferry flight to Martinique - May 22, 2010 It was observed at San Juan (Puerto Rico) - June 25, 2010 It was observed at Woensdrecht - September 30, 2010 It was observed at San Juan (Puerto Rico) - February 08, 2011 Operated its final survey flight from Guadeloupe - March 26, 2011 As the aircraft required a 'D' check and Fugro were not prepared to cover the expense of returning it to Australia Ferried Guadeloupe - Opa Locka for retirement - March 27, 2011 Sold to International Air Prts for scrapping - March 31, 2011 Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - April 14, 2011 It was observed at Opa Locka being broken up - May 04, 2011 |
PH-EXW. East-West - in the standard livery somewhere over Holland, July 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-083.) |
PH-EXW. East-West - in the standard livery somewhere over Holland, July 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-451.) |
PH-EXW. East-West - in the standard livery somewhere over Holland, July 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-082.) |
PH-EXW. East-West - in the standard livery at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, July 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-257.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - in the standard livery at Tamworth Airport, November 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-043.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Tamworth Airport, November 1976. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-043.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1978. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-206.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-090.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-342.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1979. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-207.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-672.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1980. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-368.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery with additional 'Our 10th Year Flying To The Sunshine Coast' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, April 1980. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1993-574.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery with additional 'Our 10th Year Flying To The Sunshine Coast' titles at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, May 1980. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-209.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1983. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-669.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, January 1983. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-670.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - 'Norfolk Island' in the standard livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1983. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-671.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, November 1984. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-674.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1985. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-673.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - in the final livery at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, January 1985. (R. N. Smith Copyright Image 1999-325.) |
VH-EWP. East-West - in the final livery at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport, July 1985. (G. Bennett Copyright Image 1993-265.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the standard livery at Melbourne Essendon Airport, March 1994. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-675.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, September 1999. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-676.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the standard livery at Cairns Airport, September 1999. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-677.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the standard livery near Cairns, February 2000. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1999-692.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the standard livery at an unknown airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-163.) |
VH-EWP. Australian Navy - in the revised livery at Cairns Airport, date unknown. (R. N. Smith Collection Copyright Image 1993-044.) |