Wieland Aviation / McDermott Aviation Group Transall C-160D Transport Aircraft VH-RPR Arrives into the Old Station Farm at Raglan for Storage

On Thursday 30 November, what a sight to see Wieland Aviation / McDermott Aviation Group Transall C-160D transport aircraft VH-RPR photographed at The Old Station Farm at Raglan after arriving from Townsville.

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The Transall is looking resplendent in its new colours after emerging from the Flying Colours Aviation hangar at Townsville.

The ex-Luftwaffe (German Air Force) Transall C-160D was acquired by and ferried from Germany by New South Wales-based Wieland Aviation and is one of three C-160s they hope to bring to Australia.  The planes will become part of the country's National Aerial Firefighting Fleet (NAFC).

VH-RPR (msn D-120) (ex 50+83) flew out of Kiel in Germany during August and September and is planned to be operated from the Sunshine Coast Airport by local operator McDermott Aviation Group.  It flew into Townsville from the Sunshine Coast during October.

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The other two C-160s are registered VH-RFW (msn D-125) (ex 50+88) and VH-TIT (msn D-077) (ex 50+55).  

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VH-TIT was delivered and re-painted first in Townsville during October and November and was photographed ferrying in from Germany (above) in mid-October, and then photographed ferrying out to the Sunshine Coast a fortnight ago (below).

 

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VH-RPR and VH-TIT were manufactured in 1970, while VH-RFW was built in 1971. Rolls-Royce Tyne Mak 22 engines power both engines. It is believed they are the only civilian C-160s anywhere in the world. 

The Luftwaffe had used some of the C-160s as firefighters during the 1980s, equipping two with 12,000 litre tanks. It retired the last of the type in 2021. Wieland's three planes, which each have a payload capacity of 16 tonnes, began the conversion process into aerial firefighters in Germany last year.

Based at a Warnervale Aerodrome, around 90 minutes drive north of Sydney, Wieland Aviation has extensive experience supplying helicopter and fixed-wing capacity to government firefighting agencies.

The NAFC contracts approximately 150 aircraft for Australian state and territory governments. The NAFC supplements the fleet by hiring additional state-owned and state-chartered aircraft to meet peak demand across Australia. In total, over 500 aircraft, provided by over 150 operators, are available for firefighting across Australia. The NAFC is currently preparing for the upcoming 2023/24 fire season.