Albatross gjenoppstår - Australian Aviation

 

HU-16 Albatross Sola Sjø - Fotograf ukjent

After a long and illustrious career with the USAF, US Navy and Coast Guard in addition to the air arms of fifteen other nations, the Grumman HU-16 Albatross is about to enter a new phase of Its life as a commercial amphibian.

Redesigned by Resorts International in conjunction with Grumman Aerospace, with a new designation as the G-111 Albatross, the amphibian is expected to fill a long-existing need for a medium-sized aircraft of its type in commuter airline service. In its initial 28-passenger, plus three crew, configuration, the G-111 is intended for use by the resort’s own two commuter operations – Chalks International Airlines and Antilles Airboats who will be best remembered in Australia for their purchase of the last two Ansett Airlines of New South Wales Sandringham flying boats during the early seventies.

The G-111 will provide a solution to transportation in areas such as the islands of the Caribbean where landplane airports either do not exist or are located in places inconvenient to the needs of the inter-island passenger. In addition, the amphibious characteristic that permits any combination of land and water operation is ideal for providing utility transport for any company having isolated bases where water takeoff and landing areas are available.