Virgin Australia's VH-8IA

Virgin Australia is taking delivery of their first 737-8, VH-8IA "Monkey Mia" (c/n 65045, l/n 8604) today. It's making its delivery flight segment from BFI to BNE, via KOA and NAN, as VOZ9947, and will overnight at KOA. It was scheduled to make their delivery flight yesterday, but was postponed to today.

N599MB

Paradise Helicopters has leased a Cessna C208B Grand Caravan, N599MB (msn 208B5547), for ad hoc inter-island charter flights. Their website does not mention the service, but their Instagram account has a post featuring this Grand Caravan. This C208B is being leased from Mani Hana AC N599MB [West Hollywood, CA].

Operation Centennial Contact

Four KC-135Rs from the Hawai‘i Air National Guard's 203rd Air Refueling Squadron participated in Operation Centennial Contact this morning. It is the commemoration of 100 years of aerial refueling, that many of the US Air Force and Air National Guard refueling units participated in. The four KC-135Rs, flying as TANKER61, performed the flyover with refueling booms lowered, after a refueling training mission. The route took the tankers over Kalaeloa, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i, and the National Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). 

The four Stratotankers seen in the photos above in order, in the flight were :

63-8030 "Mākaha" (c/n 18647, l/n 686)

63-8883 (c/n 18731, l/n 714)

59-1499 (c/n 17987, l/n 402)

61-0290 "Hōkū Lele" (c/n 18197, l/n 512)

We also shot a video of the Stratotankers on final approach for Runway 8L following the flyover.

C-FSRJ

Summit Air (Canada) has acquired C-FSRJ (msn E3331) from Cobham Aviation. This RJ100 is ferrying from ADL to YZF, via BNE, HIR, HNL, and YVR.

E3331's History:

Aug 1998: Delivered to CityFlyer Express as G-BZAV, and operated for British Airways, with a "Chelsea Rose" tail art.

Mar 2007: Tail art reverted to the standard British Airways.

May 2010: Acquired by BAE Systems Asset Management.

Sep 2010: Leased to National Jet Express as VH-NJY, and operated for Cobham Aviation.

Jly 2011: Sold to Falko, and lease transferred.

Jan 2016: New livery for Cobham Aviation.

Mar 2018: Purchased by National Jet Express.

Jun 2022: Withdrawn from service, and stored at ADL.

May 2023: Purchased by Summit Air as C-FSRJ.

TNI Angkatan Udara's A-1340

Lockheed-Martin is delivering A-1340 (msn 5963) to TNI Angkatan Udara (Indonesian Air Force, IDAF). This C-130J-30 Super Hercules is flying from MGE to HLP (via SAN, HNL, MAJ, and GUM) as LAC5963, and is making an overnight stop at HNL. It's also wearing a temporary US registration, N5101Q. This is the TNI-AU's second of five C-130Js to be delivered of the five that was ordered.

QantasLink's N934QQ

Alliance Airlines is taking delivery of N934QQ (msn 19000034), painted in the QantasLink livery. This ERJ-190AR is making its delivery flight from SJO to BNE, via SDM, OAK, HNL, and NAN. Its being flown by Southern Cross International as SXI2325, and will overnight at HNL from OAK.

19000034's History:

Jun 2006: Delivered to Copa Airlines as HP-1557CMP.

Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at SJO.

Jly 2021: Acquired by TVPX Trust Services for Alliance Airlines.

RP-C4156

Cebu Pacific is taking delivery of a white-tail A320-214, RP-C4156 (msn 3896), leased from DAE Capital. It’s flying from MEX to MNL, via TUS, HNL, and MAJ. The telltale sign this A320 is destined to Cebu Pacific, is the yellow wingfence. From HNL, it will fly on as CEB4156.

3896's History:

May 2009: Delivered to Bahrain Air as A9C-BAT, under lease from ALAFCO.

Apr 2010: Leased to Turkish Airlines as TC-JPU "Salihli".

Dec 2013: Aircraft name changed to "Aksaray".

Oct 2015: Sold to AWAS, and lease transferred; active for a year, then stored at SAW.

Jly 2017: Leased to Viva Air Colombia as HK-5221.

Aug 2017: Sold to DAE Capital, and lease transferred.

Mar 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at MDE for three months, then ferried to BOG for storage.

Jun 2021: Re-entered service.

Feb 2023: Withdrawn from service, and stored at BOG, then ferried to MEX a month later.

NASA's N522NA

NASA's Gulfstream G-IV, N522NA (msn 1199), is making a stop at HNL while on its way from LFI to PPG as NASA522, with other stops at BJC and MRY.

28 June 2023 UPDATE

N522NA returned to HNL before returning to LFI (seen above).

01 July 2023 UPDATE

NASA522 departed for TUS early this morning.

N157TS

The Wilmington Trust Company is ferrying N157TS (c/n 30517, l/n 1224) from TNA to DHN, via GSN, HNL, and TUS. This 737-89L appears to be headed for freighter conversion.

30517's History:

Oct 2002: Delivered to Air China as B-2657.

Jly 2018: Withdrawn from service.

Aug 2019: Returned to service.

Mar 2022: Withdrawn from service and stored at CGK.

Jly 2022: Ferried to TNA for storage.

Hawaiian Airlines Acquires Four 717-2BLs

Hawaiian Airlines acquired four 717-2BLs from Boeing Commercial Capital (BCC), and are currently in storage at VCV. It's not known what Hawaiian will do with these 717s.

In honor of Michael Carter's passing several days ago, the photos in the links to the Midwest Airlines photos were taken by our late friend, and fellow aviation photographer.

N728BC (c/n 55172, l/n 5122)

Aug 2003: Delivered to Midwest Airlines as N908ME, under lease from BCC.

Oct 2008: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCV.

May 2010: Leased to Mexicana Click as N908ME, and painted in the Mexicana Go livery the next month.

Aug 2010: Withdrawn from service, and stored at GDL, then ferried to VCV four months later.

Jun 2012: Leased to Volotea as EI-EXA.

Aug 2019: Withdrawn from service, and stored at ARN, then ferried to VCV three months later.

Mar 2020: BCC registers it as N728BC.

Jun 2023: Acquired by Hawaiian Airlines.

N825BC (c/n 55174, l/n 5124)

Oct 2003: Delivered to Midwest Airlines as N910ME, under lease from BCC.

Sep 2009: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCV.

Jun 2012: Leased to Volotea as EI-EXI.

Jan 2021: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCE, then ferried to VCV.

Jly 2021: BCC registers it as N825BC.

Jun 2023: Acquired by Hawaiian Airlines.

N826BC (c/n 55183, l/n 5140)

Feb 2005: Delivered to Midwest Airlines as N921ME, under lease from BCC.

Oct 2008: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCV.

Aug 2009: Leased to Mexicana Click as N921ME.

May 2013: Leased to Volotea as EI-FBL.

Oct 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCV.

Feb 2021: BCC registers it as N826BC.

Jun 2023: Acquired by Hawaiian Airlines.

N883BC (c/n 55190, l/n 5149)

Oct 2005: Delivered to Midwest Airlines as N924ME, under lease from BCC.

Oct 2008: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCV.

May 2009: Leased to Mexicana Click as XA-CLD.

Jan 2011: Withdrawn from service, registered as N799BC, and stored at VCV.

Jly 2013: Leased to Volotea as EI-FCU.

Oct 2020: Withdrawn from service, and stored at VCE, then ferried to VCV two months later.

Feb 2021: BCC registers it as N883BC.

Jun 2023: Acquired by Hawaiian Airlines.

All Nippon Airways' JA894A

All Nippon Airways' 787-9, JA894A (c/n 34517, l/n 605), painted as their new Pokémon logo jet, made a stop at HNL as ANA186 from HND today. It will return to HND this afternoon as ANA185.

JA894A spent over a month at TPE getting the Pokémon characters painted across the fuselage.

N154TS

N154TS (c/n 30515, l/n 1165), a 737-89L owned by Aviation Trading and Leasing LLC Trustee, is stopping through HNL as it ferries from TNA to CNW, via MFM, SPN, and HNL.

30515's History:

Jun 2002: Delivered to Air China as B-2671.

Jun 2018: Withdrawn from service, and stored at PEK for 14 months, then reactivated.

Feb 2022: Withdrawn from service, and stored at TNA.

Mar 2023: Sold to the Wilmington Trust Company as N154TS.

Jun 2023: Sold to Aviation Trading and Leasing LLC Trustee.

07 Jly 2023 UPDATE

Sold to Falcon Aviation Holdings, and ferried from CNW to CWF, via ICT.

25 Jan 2024 UPDATE

AirlineVideos caught N154TS in a new livery at LAX. Falcon Aviation Holdings is linked to SpaceX, as they share the same registration address.

Aloha ‘Oe Michael Carter

The HNL RareBirds team expresses their condolences and prayers to the family of aviation photographer, Michael Carter, who passed away yesterday morning.

Mike was an internationally published writer and photographer, with works published in Airliners, Airways, Airliner World, and other publications. He specialized in airliner photos at the SoCal airports, Las Vegas, and Anchorage. He also ran the Aero Pacific Flightlines blog, and was a staff photographer for Airliners Gallery. He was also a long-time employee of Southwest Airlines. Prior to working for Southwest, Mike lived a few years on Hawai‘i Island.

I got to spend time with Mike several years ago, on one of his vacations here, where we spent a day plane spotting at HNL. We also messaged each other regarding airliners, most recently with Southwest's "Imua One", which stopped at LGB, before heading here.

The aviation photography community lost a great photographer yesterday. Fair winds and blue skies, Mike. 

Pacific Air Charters To Assign P2012s

CH-Aviation reports that Pacific Air Charters will assign its two Tecnam P2012 Travelers on order to its new subsidiary in American Sāmoa, called Pago Wings.

Pago Pagoʻs KVZK reports that Pago Wings is owned by the Alofa family.