JA5139  Beech H-18                                   (c/n  BA-747)

                                  

                                      JA5139 was one of four Beech H18s originally to have been acquired from Japan Air Lines by Trans
                                      West Air Charter of Perth, Australia.   JAL had used several of the type for crew training and executive
                                      leasing.  They were all low hours and in excellent shape.   However, just before their delivery in the early
                                      1970s, Australia's DCA announced that they considered them to be so different from tail wheeled D18S
                                      or UC-45 variants that they required a complete new type certification .       Since this would have been
                                      very expensive for TWAC the deal fell through and the H18s were disposed of elsewhere. This one went
                                      to Indonesia where it became PK-BIF.    The above image is via Wally Civitco.