MacRobertson Miller Airlines
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in late 1927, by pilot Horrie Miller
Horrie Miller (aviator)
Horace Clive "Horrie" Miller OBE was a pioneer Australian aviator and co-founder of MacRobertson Miller Airlines .Miller was born in Ballarat, Victoria....
with the backing of chocolate millionaire Sir Macpherson Robertson
Macpherson Robertson
Sir Macpherson Robertson KBE was an Australian philanthropist, entrepreneur and founder of confectionery company MacRobertson's.-Early life:...
.
The airline's initial services were between Adelaide and Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
. The airline grew rapidly and in 1934 transferred its main base to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, after winning a Commonwealth Government contract for air services to the North-West of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. The airline has a fascinating history despite the hardship and distances it had to endure in the vast state of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Aircraft
Early aircraft used by the airline included Avro Ansons, de Havilland DH.84 DragonDe Havilland Dragon
|-See also:-References:Bibliography ISBN 0-85177-813-5...
s, Lockheed Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
s and Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
s. Later aircraft were Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
, a leased Vickers Viscount
Vickers Viscount
The Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
and a leased Ansett Douglas DC-9, Piaggios, Twin Otters, F28
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
(both 1000 and 4000 series) and BAe 146
BAe 146
The British Aerospace 146 is a medium-sized commercial airliner formerly manufactured in the United Kingdom by British Aerospace, later part of BAE Systems. Production ran from 1983 until 2002. Manufacture of an improved version known as the Avro RJ began in 1992...
aircraft. The airlines Fokkers were amongst the hardest working in the world with some of the highest utilisation rates in the world. MMA's F28s flew the worlds longest twin-jet route at one stage, and certainly the worlds longest F28 flight, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Kununurra. MMA also flew the worlds shortest scheduled air service, from Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Rottnest Island flying the DC-3 and the F27. MMA's first F28 was actually leased from Braathens SAFE of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(VH-MMJ c/n 11013) and returned to Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
as PH-ZAH after the first of the ordered aircraft arrived. VH-FKD was originally purchased for Ansett division Airlines of New South Wales
Airlines of New South Wales
Airlines of New South Wales callsign "NEWSOUTH" was an Australian domestic regional airline that operated from 1959 until its merger into Ansett in 1993. It was formed by Reg Ansett's takeover of Butler Air Transport...
but transferred to MMA when it proved uneconomical on the NSW intrastate routes. Ironically this aircraft returned to Airlines of New South Wales
Airlines of New South Wales
Airlines of New South Wales callsign "NEWSOUTH" was an Australian domestic regional airline that operated from 1959 until its merger into Ansett in 1993. It was formed by Reg Ansett's takeover of Butler Air Transport...
service decades later.
- The first F27, VH-MMS, RMA-SWAN, was the 39th of the Fokker production line, but the first F27 in the world to reach 10,000 hours. This aircraft flew an average of 15 hours a day, five days per week to some of the most remote places in the world.
Corporate history
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. On 8 October 1920, he registered the Commercial Aviation Company. In 1927, the Commercial Aviation Company commenced weekly Adelaide-Mount Gambier services, using Airco D.H.9 G-AUHT.
During late-1927, the MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co Pty. Ltd. was founded by Horrie C. Miller & Sir MacPherson Robertson, the millionaire confectionary manufacturer. It was not registered until 28 May 1928.
In October 1934, MacRobertson-Miller Aviation transferred its main base to Perth, W.A., after it won the Commonwealth Government’s contract for North-West services, previously operated by West Australian Airways
In 1955, MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Co. Pty. Ltd. & Airlines (W.A.) Ltd. were merged, to form MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd., at the request of the State Government. MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. began operations; combining the operations of MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co. Ltd. and Airlines (W.A.) Ltd., over a network of more than 32,000 km, from Esperance in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
On 19 April 1963, A.T.I. purchased Mac.Robertsons Pty. Ltd.’s 62% share in MMA, plus some 8% of MMA owned by Horrie Miller, via Miller Investments Pty. Ltd., to give it 70.49% (654,716 of 953,314 shares) of MMA shares, after MMA, in desperate need of funds for new F.27 aircraft (& planned new jet equipment), approached Ansett to purchase a major share.
On 1 June 1963, MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd. was renamed MacRobertson Miller Airline Services & became a division of Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty. Ltd.
In 1968 the airline adopted the Ansett "Delta" livery for its company image, introducing the new scheme on its leased Fokker F28
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
substituting the name MMA for Ansett on aircraft, vehicles and stationary.
It was renamed Airlines of Western Australia in 1981 using a new red and green colour scheme and a stylised kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw
Kangaroo paw is a common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. These perennial plants are noted for their unique bird attracting flowers...
logo (the floral emblem of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
). This scheme was adopted with the introduction of the first of the new Fokker F28
Fokker F28
The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
4000 series after Sir Peter Abeles and Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
acquired control of the Ansett Group, as part of a restructuring of the local divisions.
Renamed Ansett WA in 1984 and once again it adopted the parent companies livery and image. It was also briefly named Air WA prior to naming it Ansett WA, although this only appeared on a single BAe 146 aircraft which was repainted Ansett WA before entering line service. In 1993 the division was absorbed by Ansett, and any connection with its Western Australian heritage vanished. On 14 September 2001 Ansett collapsed. By the time it became an integral part of the Ansett group, it was Australia’s oldest continually-operating domestic airline, and one of the oldest airlines in the world.
MMA was affectionately referred to by the West Australian locals as "Mickey Mouse Airlines".
MMA operated out of Perth Airport
Perth Airport
Perth Airport is an Australian domestic and international airport serving Perth, the capital and largest city of Western Australia. The airport itself is located in the suburb of Perth Airport....
. The main road leading into Perth Airport's International Terminal 1 is named after Horrie Miller.
MMA usually named it's aircraft after Western Australian rivers, and the last letter of the aircraft registration reflected this i.e. Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
"RMA SWAN" had VH-MMS, "RMA ROBE" VH-MMR etc. One exception was Fokker F27
Fokker F27
The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:Design of the Fokker F27 started in the 1950s as a replacement to the successful Douglas DC-3 airliner...
VH-MMU, "RMA MABUHAY", leased from Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines, Inc. operating as Philippine Airlines, is a flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name...
. The name meant "welcome" in one of the Filipino dialects.
The F28s were named after Western Australian regions (Pilbara, Goldfields etc.), but the F28s' registrations "FK" prefix reflected the aircraft manufacturer, Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
.
Accidents and incidents
- On 1 July 1949, Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
"Fitzroy" on a schedule flight to Darwin and carrying 14 passengers and a crew of 4 crashed after take-off from PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
aerodrome in heavy rain. The aircraft crashed into an area of disused army huts north of the town of Guildford (a town directly in line with Perth Airport's major runway 21/03). It is believed to have been caused by the aircraft being incorrectly loaded.
- On 31 December 1968, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
"Quininup" VH-RMQ leased from Ansett-ANA broke up in mid-air and crashed 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) south of Port Hedland International AirportPort Hedland International AirportPort Hedland International Airport is an airport at Port Hedland, Western Australia. The airport is 14 km from Port Hedland and 11 km from South Hedland and is owned by the Town of Port Hedland Council. The airport has more than 250,000 passengers and 20,000 flights per year.It is...
in the scrub on Indee Station. 22 passengers and the 4 crew on board were killed. The aircraft was originally purchased by TAA.
- Fokker F28Fokker F28The Fokker F28 Fellowship is a short range jet airliner designed and built by defunct Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.-Design and development:...
Flight MH 372 PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
–Port HedlandPort Hedland, Western AustraliaPort Hedland is the highest tonnage port in Australia and largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a population of approximately 14,000 ....
, Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
- 30 July 1971, VH-FKC: During the long late night hop destination and onward airports became blanketed with fog. The F28 became dangerously low on fuel and after circling for some time Captain Harold Rowell considered ditching the aircraft in the ocean. However, he eventually landed the jet on a gravel runway in the isolated town of Fitzroy Crossing, landing with less than ten minutes of fuel remaining. No life was lost and no injury occurred.
- F28s of MMA assisted with the evacuation of DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
after Cyclone TracyCyclone TracyCyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
in December 1974. One F28-1000 carried 128 evacuees, mostly children, on a flight to PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, though most aircraft carried 80, 20 more than the standard 60 passengers. The F28s evacuated 1250 people out of DarwinDarwin, Northern TerritoryDarwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in four days.