VH-KRY Cessna
401
(c/n 401-0096)
<>
This 401 was first registered on 3 August 1967 as a new import for
Hicks Aviation at Jandakot
It was used for charter as well as their Hicks Airlines scheduled
services to Morowa, Mullewa,
Geraldton,
Yalgoo, Mount Magnet, Cue, Meekatharra, Wiluna and Sandstone with
Cessna and
Beech twins and a leased Skyvan FSG. >The company was founded
in 1964 by Phil Hicks, who
had previously
been an instructor with the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia.
He later
founded Perth
Flying School which was taken over by Perth Piper agents Millard
O'Sullivan Avia-
tion. The Hicks
operation was taken over in 1971 by Australian Transport
Airservices. Seen
above is - KRY at Jandakot in
January 1969 while on long term contract to Mount Newman
Mining Company, one of the major iron ore exporters in the north of
WA. It had many sub-
sequent owners, one of which was
Bill Suhr's Peninsular Air Services, as seen in the shot immed-
iately below taken at Moorabbin in July 1977. Both
afore-mentioned photos by Geoff Goodall.
By the time
Ian McDonell came across it at Cessnock, NSW in September 2009 (foot of
the page)
it
was pretty well derelict, although it must have looked quite sharp in
the latter stages of its career.