Qantas' VH-VZF

Qantas Airways' VH-VZF "Jean Batten" (c/n 34200), a 737-838(W), is making its delivery flight to Australia as QFA6020. It arrived here yesterday afternoon, and is scheduled to depart for NAN at 0700HST. It will go onto their JetConnect subsidiary, and be re-registered as ZK-ZQA.

Sorry, no HNL photo ... though Drewski2112 got a shot of it at BFI.

***Update 09-03-09***
Team member "Aeros" got the above photo of VH-VZF as it taxied for departure to NAN.

Lion Air's PK-LGL

LIon Air's PK-LGL (c/n 35729), a 737-9GPER, is making its delivery to Indonesia as LNI1, and made its brief tech-stop at HNL, before continuing onto MAJ.

Drewski2112 got a shot of it at BFI.

China Eastern's B-5472

China Eastern Airlines' newest 737-89P, B-5472 (36761), is China-bound as CES8472. It's making its island-hopping delivery flight from BFI today, with its first leg completed at HNL.

Sorry, no HNL photo ... though Drewski2112 got it at BFI.

Shenzhen's B-5440

Shenzhen Airlines' B-5440 (c/n 35534), a 737-87L, is making its delivery flight from BFI as CSZ915. It has completed its first leg, and will continue onto MAJ and SPN tomorrow.

China Southern's B-5253

B-5253 (c/n 35383) is China Southern's newest 737-71B, and made a stop at HNL as CSN253.

Sorry no HNL photo ... Drewski2112 got this one at BFI.

Shandong's B-5451

Shandong Airlines' newest 737-85N(W), B-5451 (c/n 36776), is on its delivery flight from BFI as CDG5451. It's wearing extra titles promoting the cities of Shandong and Jinan.

Shandong's B-5351 also wears the "Friendly Shandong" titles in the aft section.

Air Canada To Add Service From YYC

Air Canada will add winter seasonal service from YYC (Calgary, AB, Canada) to both HNL and OGG using 763s.

Here's the link to the Air Canada press release of the official announcement.

Ryan International's N526NA

Ryan International Airlines' 757-236, N526NA (c/n 24796), is in town from LEX (Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, KY), via IWA (Mesa Gateway Airport, Phoenix, AZ) as RYN6709.

N526NA was on lease to AeroSur in 2008, and continues to wear remnants of the AeroSur livery.

RYN6709 brought back female prisoners that were being housed in a prison in Kentucky ... Star*Bulletin article link.



***Update 08.18.09***
N526NA returned to IWA as RYN6710.

Omni Air's N342AX

Omni Air International's new 767-328ER, N342AX (c/n 27136), paid a visit to HNL as OAE901 from ATL, and left for LAS as OAE902.

N342AX was originally delivered to Air France as F-GHGJ, then went onto Air Holland as PH-AHR, and Zoom as C-GZMM.

A big mahalo to team member Aeros for taking the above photo of N342AX at Gate 16.

Xiamen's B-5459

The newest addition to Xiamen Airlines' 737-85C(W) fleet is B-5459 (c/n 35057). It's making it's trans-Pacific island-hopping delivery flights as CXA5459, and is overnighting on the AirService Hawai‘i ramp.

Sorry, no HNL photo ...

CO To Add NAN

Continental Airlines, through its Continental Micronesia arm (CS/CMI), will be adding service between HNL and NAN beginning December 18, 2009 using 737-824(W)s.

Seen above is CO/CS's N25201 (c/n 28958), their 737-824(W), outside the HNL CO hangar, as it awaits repairs to the port side engine, which was removed.

NOAA's N49RF

NOAA's Gulfstream G-IV N49RF is in town to keep tabs on Hurricane Felicia.

Pionair Convair 580

This Convair 580 of Pionair arrived on 8/1/09 around 130 and left on 8/3/09. This aircraft has a long and interesting history. It started its life as a 440 but eventually converted to 580 status in 1960. It served General Motors Corporation from 1959-1995 as N5124 then registered as N8124. It was then sold to Cypress Jetprop Charter in 1995 and entered the Canadian registry as C-GTTE. A year later it was sold to Kelowona Flightcraft Aircharter and leased to Air Chathams in New Zealand. It was once again registered as ZK-KSA. It was leased out and flew for King Soloman and Reef Air-Peau Vava'u Airways. In 2006 it was registered as VH-PDV and flew for Pionair.

It is seen here presumably on its way to the mainland U.S. fate unknown. Sorry for the poor quality as it was taken with my phone.

Omni Air Gets New Livery

World Airline Gallery News reports that Omni Air International is changing their colors with the introduction of the 767-300.

No word was given on when their 757 or DC-10 fleet will receive the new colors, though word is that the DC-10 will be replaced by the 763s.

Lion Air's PK-LGK

Lion Air's PK-LGK (c/n 35728), a 737-9GPER, is due @ HNL around midday ... the tech stop should last only a few hours as LNI1.

Sorry, no HNL photo ... though Drewski2112 got one at BFI.

HNL RareBirds Goes Twitter!

HNL RareBirds has joined the social networking site, Twitter.com! Blog headlines will be "tweeted" alongside the blog entries with direct links.

Visit the official HNL RareBirds Twitter Page.

Magazine Back Issues

I have back issues of Airways from 2000 to 2006, and Airliners from 1996 to 1999 for sale.

Price for the Airways are: $8 / copy

Price for the Airliners are: $6 / copy

If you are interested, please drop me an email ...

Southern Air's N752SA

Southern Air's N752SA (c/n 21255), "William Neff", a 747-228F, paid a visit to HIK from DNA (Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan), via UAM (Andersen AFB, Agana, Guam) today, and it continued on to SUU (Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA) as SOO801. N752SA is seen above departing from the "Reef Runway".

N752SA was originally delivered to Air France Cargo as F-BVPR in March 1976, and acquired by Southern Air in April 2004.

Hainan's B-5481

Hainan Airlines is taking delivery of its second 737-86N(W) in the past four days. B-5481 (c/n 35649) is making its trek across the Pacific from BFI today.

B-5481 is seen above taxiing to the Castle & Cooke Aviation ramp.

China Southern's B-5427

China Southern Airline's B-5427 (c/n 35377), is the airline's newest 737-71B. It arrived this morning from BFI, and continues across the Pacific as CSN527.