General news

Jetair Caribbean recently received its airline operators certificate and commenced F70 operations from Curacao to St. Martin on 7 December 2019. Intended future destinations are Kingston, Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo; in a later stage Medellin and Barranquilla might be added. 

Although the Kenyan CAA had lifted the ban for Silverstone Air Services after one week (it appears that only Dash-8 aircraft were involved), the airline has decided to cancel all scheduled operations, while all other operations continue as usual. 

From mid-November 2019 Fly All Ways extended the Paramaribo-Curaçao service to Panama City and Managua, flying with Fokker 70. 

Starting with the current Winter schedule, TUS Airways has dropped all scheduled flights and only operates charters. The airline is in the process of restructuring and will rebrand to ELA Airways for the Summer 2020 program. 

Georgian airline Bravo Air is expected to add Fokker 100 equipment to the fleet soon. Is this perhaps the ex-Trade Air F100 that was previously reported as sold to Flywings Aviation?

Fokker F27, Fokker 50 & Fokker 60

Fokker F28, Fokker 70 & Fokker 100

The world’s oldest Friendship still flying, 59-0259 (10115) of the Philippine Air Force, has this year reached the respectable age of 60 years. The VIP aircraft had operated with the 250^th Presidential Airlift Wing until late 2018 and now belongs to the 221st Airlift Squadron. It was noted freshly painted in front of the paintshop, still with cover paper on some parts; apparently the previous coat of paint that was applied in 2017/2018 did not last long (Ad Jan Altevogt; Surabaya-Juanda, 8 October 2019)

The Merpati Nusantara Airlines boneyard at Surabaya airport comprises no less than 15 F27 Friendships in various states of disintegration. This row has nine Fokker aircraft: seven F27 and one each F28 Fellowship and F100. Two B737 are stored in-between. Leading the row is F27 PK-MFJ (10598), that is in an advanced stage of being parted out (Ad Jan Altevogt; Surabaya-Juanda, 8 October 2019)

Further to the previous edition of Fokkernews, some more news can be presented on the former US Army Golden Knights F27 Troopship 85-1608 (10668). Early November, the aircraft was formally transferred to the new owner, the Stichting Vliegend Nederlands Cultureel Erfgoed (VNCE for short; Foundation for Flying Dutch Cultural Heritage). VNCE not only wants to preserve this important piece of Dutch aviation heritage for future generations, but also provide the interested public an opportunity to fly as a passenger on a Fokker F27, which is otherwise practically impossible nowadays.

Apart from the aircraft itself, the deal included two spare Rolls Royce Dart 7 Mk 535 engines, some 48,000 spare parts and tools as well as 600 kg of documentation. Later a Dutch engineers team visited Laurinburg-Maxton airport for a very thorough technical inspection. They found that the ‘Excalibur’ is in pristine condition and completely ready for making the transatlantic trip to Lelystad, its new home base in The Netherlands. Before the ferry flight can start, the civil aviation authorities have to verify that the military maintenance records meet the civil requirements and only then a Certificate of Airworthiness and a civil registration can be issued. While this paperwork is being done, a US Army engineer will give the aircraft a weekly ‘wake-up’ treatment according to Fokker guidelines, in order to keep the machine in condition. More details and pictures of this unique project can be found on the VNCE website: www.vnce.nl (text in Dutch only)

The pictures show the Troopship in its current status as well as two interior shots: the cockpit and the cabin. Note the many signatures of crews, ground staff and jumpers that mark the 34 year history in US Army service (VNCE; Laurinburg-Maxton, November 2019)

Amapola Flyg had one of their F50 painted into a new livery, simple but well-designed, as SE-LTR (20226) proudly demonstrates. The Amapola.nu website suggests that it is the new name of Direktflyg, a Swedish airline that connects Stockholm-Arlanda with 6 remote domestic destinations (Erwin Stam; Lelystad, 3 December 2019)

After some 25 years of service, all nine F50s that the Republic of Singapore Air Force acquired in the 1990’s are still in use. This picture shows a nice line-up of seven of them, three of the UTA variant and four maritime patrol Enforcers, of which serial 715 (20293) is in front (Simon Bullimore; Singapore-Changi, 27 October 27 2019)

Stored at the premises of Merpati Maintenance Facility at Juanda airport is PK-PRB (20328) in the fading colors of Pacific Royale Airlines, an airline that lived for only six months in 2012 (Ad Jan Altevogt; Surabaya-Juanda, 8 October 2019)

F50 C5-MAM (20335) was noted in all white at the Pelita Aircraft Services platform, so the question is whether it still belongs to the fleet of Sudanese Tarco Air (Ad Jan Altevogt; Pondok Cabe, 1 October 2019)

After Aeromorelos withdrew Fairchild F-27 XA-MOW (087) from use, it was converted into the Flyers Snack-bar at Del Ejido street in Atlacomulco, close to Cuernavaca, Mexico. For some time it had a green and orange cheatline, but is now painted in a livery that is more appropriate for a bar. It is visible at Google Maps 18.893161, -99.209416. (@avionbarcuernavaca at Facebook; off-airport, 22 September 2018)

The hull of F28 Fellowship EP-ASF (11144) that previously served with Iran Aseman Airlines was transported in August to the Toranj Hotel at Kish island, Iran, where it will be sunken for serving as a diving site. (Nasrin Fayegh at Kish Analytical News Database; off-airport, 14 August 2019)

Supposedly all but two Merpati Fellowships have been broken up by now. Of these remaining two, PK-MGK (11188) is definitely in the best condition, it looks to be preserved at the Merpati Maintenance Facility in Surabaya (Ad Jan Altevogt; Surabaya-Juanda, 8 October 2019)

Bek Air has bought another F100, this time former D-AGPH of Avanti Air (11308), which became UP-F1019 (Matthias Becker; Saarbrücken, 29 November 2019)

The next ex-Austrian F100 for Alliance Airlines is being readied for service in Australia. VH-UQG (11520) flew from Bratislava to Norwich for paint prior to delivery (Graham Reeve; Norwich, 18 December 2019)