BRITISH PACIFIC HIGH COMMISSION REGISTER

Compiled by David Wise

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Th British Pacific High Commission was responsible for several minor Pacific territories.

The VP-Pxx Register was allocated in 1929 but not used until 1963. It was divided into three blocks:
VP-PAA to PHZ Solomon Islands & New Hebrides
VP-PIA to PPZ Gilbert & Ellice Islands
VP-PQA to PZZ British Western Pacific

Of these, only the first was used, administered from Solomon Islands.
Following independence, all current VP-Pxx aircraft were reregistered in Solomon Islands as H4-xxx from July 1978, with some moving to the Vanuatu (ex New Hebrides) YJ- register when it was set up in March 1981.

Information collated from a trawl through a set of Air Britain News and recent reports via the internet; also additions from a cross-check with Joe Barr and feedback from Tony Arbon. Posted Jan 2013.

This register is posted as "work in progress". Any corrections or extra information would be welcome. Please e-mail dave.wise@btinternet.com.

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VP-PAA to VP-PZZ

Reg Issue Reg
date		 Type Const
Number		 History
VP-PAA 1 10/63 DH104 Dove 6 04457 ex VH-DHF/G-AOAG (op Megapode Airways> 6/68 Solomon Islands Airways) wfu cx 11/69
VP-PAB 1 1/66 PA-23 Apache 23-470 ex VH-CSD/VH-IAK/VH-TLU/N1415P (op Megapode Airways> 6/68 Solomon Islands Airways) to VH-FAD cx 9/68 >still current 2012
VP-PAC 1 6/66 DHA-3 Drover 5016 ex VQ-FAS/(VH-EAX) (op New Hebrides Airways) wfu cx 7/67
VP-PAD 1 6/66 DHA-3 Drover 5002 ex VQ-FAD/VH-BMU/(G-APPP)/VH-BMU/(VH-CAT)/VH-BMU (op New Hebrides Airways) cr Tanna Island 10/66 cx 3/67
VP-PAE 1 6/66 DHA-3 Drover 5020 ex VQ-FAH/VH-AHZ (op New Hebrides Airways) cx 10/67 to VH-PAB cx 2/68> major restoration rereg VH-DHM 11/86 > airworthy at Illawarra Museum
VP-PAF 1 6/67 DHA-3 Drover 5012 ex VH-FDU/VH-DRF/VH-AZM (op Air Melanesiae) dgd Lemap 3/69 cx 12/72 to VH-FDU wfu early 80's to Wangaratta Museum then to Cabooolture Museum
VP-PAG 1 ?/67 DHA-3 Drover 3A 5019 reservation ntu ex VH-FDA (op Air Melanesiae) ntu cx /67 to VH-UNK then VH-UMA >(10/70) ZK-DDD >(7/88) VH-FBC wfu cx 9/93 pres Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
VP-PAG 2 2/68 DHA-3 Drover 5004 ex (VH-FDQ)/VH-DRA (op Air Melanesiae) cr Longana 11/68 cx 5/69
VP-PAH 1 5/68 Ce 182A 34638 ex VH-SPF/N3938D to Aus cx 7/72 reg VH-SPF 11/72
VP-PAI 1 6/68 PA25-235 25-2342 ex VQ-FBB/ZK-BZL wfu corrosion ?/68 to VH-EVZ cx 1/69
VP-PAJ 1 ?/68 Be95-C55 Baron TE-44 ex VH-MKA/N241W reservation ntu to VP-PAK
VP-PAJ 2 10/68 FU24-950 70 ex ZK-BPZ to ZK-BPZ cx 7/71 to ZK-BPZ >(8/76) VP-PBC >(8/78) ZK-BPZ cr 12/82 cx 1/83
VP-PAJ 3 8/71 DH104 Dove 2A 04393 ex CR-TAH/G-AMXU/G-5-19/G-AMXU/(N1562V) reg ntu
VP-PAK 1 9/68 Be 95-C55 Baron TE-44 ex (VP-PAJ)/VH-MKA/N241W op Solomon Islands Airways) dgd Solomon Is 9/76 to H4-AAB cx 7/78
VP-PAL 1 9/69 DH104 Dove 5 04091 ex VH- RUN/VH-RUW/VH-TDV/VH-FDV/VH-MMO/VH-AWD/VH-AZY (op Solomon Islands Airlines) cx 8/71 to Australia but not rereg
VP-PAM 1 10/70 BN2A Islander 613 ex G-AYAX (op Solomon Islands Airlines) to H4-AAC 7/78 > ditched Bellona Island 10/78 cx
VP-PAN 0       <not allocated>
VP-PAO 1 5/73 BN2A III Trislander 349 ex G-BASA/G-51-349 (op Air Melanesiae) to H4-AAQ cx 7/78 >YJ-RV3 cr Vanuatu 1/90 cx
VP-PAP 1 2/69 DHA-3 Drover 5011 ex VH-FDT/VH-DRE (op Air Melanesiae) dgd on del Vila 5/69 rep to VH-EOO cx 9/70 > wfu 2/75
VP-PAQ 1 11/69 PA23-250 27-2622 ex VH-KJD/N5523Y (op Air Melanesiae) to VH-KJD cx 9/70
VP-PAR 0       <not allocated>
VP-PAS 1 9/70 BN2A Islander 173 ex VH-EQW/G-AYCY/G51-173 (op Air Melanesie) to H4-AAP cx 7/78 >YJ-RV5 wfu cx 12/89
VP-PAT 1 9/70 BN2A Islander 172 ex VH-EQV/G-AYCX/G-51-172 (op Air Melanesie) to F-OCXC cx 8/74 >YJ-RV2 >P2-ISW> YJ-RV2  wfu 9/03 cx (fuselage stored Port Vila 04-09)
VP-PAU 1 9/70 BN2A-26 Islander 605 ex VH-EQZ/G-ASXU to F-OCXD cx 8/74 > YJ-RV6> P2-ISU> VH-XFI >DQ-SLM
VP-PAV 1 5/71 FU25-950M 36 ex ZK-BII/VH-EOR/ZK-BII to ZK-BII cx 5/74
VP-PAW 1 11/73 FU24 55 ex ZK-BOC cr Honiara 11/75 cx (rems to NZ for spares)
VP-PAX 0       <not allocated>
VP-PAY 1 9/70 PA23 Aztec 27-3211 ex VH-TOM/N5027Y to VH-AED cx 10/70
VP-PAZ 1 3/72 PA23 Aztec 27-2970 ex VH-ETJ/N5822Y (reservation ntu) to VH-ETJ 5/72
VP-PAZ 2 11/73 PA23 Aztec 27-4362 ex VH-SDM/N6991Y to H4-AAM cx 7/78
VP-PBA 1 3/75 Lake LA4-200 583 ex VH-ETB/N65644 (to F-OCXH cx 9/75 rest 12/76) to H4-AAD 7/78 cx then DQ-FDO
VP-PBB 1 ?/75 PA22-160 22-6595 ex VH-MGA to H4-AAU cx 7/78 then YJ-RV12
VP-PBC 1 5/76 FU24-950 70 ex ZK-BPZ/VP-PAJ/ZK-BPZ to ZK-BPZ cx 7/78
VP-PBD 1 ?/77 Be A65 Queen Air LC-314 ex P2-GKZ/P2-MKU/VH-MKU/N176/ZS-UAS/N7669N (op Solomon Islands Airways) to H4-AAE cx 7/78
VP-PBE 1 1/78 Be A65 Queen Air LC-277 ex VH-DRV/N7056N (op Solomon Islands Airways) to H4-AAF cx 7/78 then P2-DNQ
VP-PBF 1 2/78 Be E55 Baron TE-820 ex VH-EZX/N9388Q to VH-EZX 2/79 then P2-GKX > VH-USP
VP-PBG 1 2/78 PA30-160B 30-1160 ex VH-CLK/N8076Y to H4-AAV cx 7/78 then YJ-RV7
           
Others Operated in British Pacific Area
VH-UGB     Curtis JN-4D Jenny 2885 ex G-AUGB op by SG Masterman, Tulagi, Solomon Is 10/32 wfu cx 6/34
VH-ULS     Dornier A Libelle 103A cx 5/31 stored in Aus. Shipped to Solomon Is 1935 by SG Masterman, Tulagi crashed on first flight 4/36 cx.
           
<none known>   ?/46 Piper J3C-65/L4-B 9707 ex 43-846 (listed as c/n 9536 which is its fuselage frame no) (op Gilbert & Ellice Islands Colonial Service- no trace of reg though VP-PIA might have been appropriate) to DQ-FAG 5/48 then ZK-ATU
           
           
           
           
           

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