Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Choppers Galore and More at Gladstone Airport

Jamie C has sent through some fantastic photos of numerous helicopters arriving and departing at Gladstone Airport on both Sunday 3 June and Monday 4 June.

On Sunday 3 June, Eurocopter EC120B VH-VHJ - which is registered to ABC Brick Sales on the Gold Coast - made a spectacular visit to Gladstone Airport.



As shown in the photos, VH-VHJ wears what can be best described as a 'hyper-colour' colour scheme that changes colour from purple to blue depending on the spotters perspective!


Another Gold Coast registered helicopter in the form of Eurocopter AS.350B2 VH-ICM also passed through Gladstone Airport.  The chopper is registered to Heli Hire.


Also photographed was Eurocopter EC135 P2 VH-ZGZ that flys Marine Pilots in and out of Gladstone Airport to ships that enter and depart the nearby Gladstone Port.


Lastly, Jamie also managed to capture Reid Heliwork Robinson R-44 VH-HZQ.  The brightly coloured 'Robi' was also photographed by Shane T on the Gladstone Airport General Aviation apron.


Another Reid Heliwork Robinson R-44 - this time VH-HIB - was photographed by Jamie on Monday 4 June.


There were a couple of other choppers noted by Jamie on Monday 4 June, with locally-based Australian Helicopters Aerospatiale AS.350BA Squirrel VH-HQO photographed making a spectacular departure from the Airport.


Bell 206L-3 VH-ONI was also photographed.  This chopper wears an interesting colour scheme and is currently registered to Heli Fleet / Aerial Agriculture in Armidale in New South Wales.


On Monday 4 June, Jamie also captured some of the morning's commerical movements, with QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 VH-QOD photographed beautifully with the Bell 206 VH-ONI making its arrival into Gladstone Airport.


Also photographed was QantasLink Dash-8-200 VH-TQX.  The smaller Dash-8-200 is rarely seen at Gladstone Airport nowadays, and this aircraft is believed to have diverted from Biloela / Thangool Airport which was apparently fogged in early on Monday.  VH-TQX was operating the QLK2390 - Brisbane to Thangool morning service.


Other QantasLink Dash-8's photographed on Monday morning were Q400's VH-QOH and VH-QOX.  VH-QOH - which still wears its 'pink' breast cancer awareness colour scheme - was captured departing with spectacular prop-tip vortices as it climbed out of Gladstone's Runway 28.



QantasLink (Cobham Aviation-operated) Boeing B717-200 VH-NXO also visited Gladstone Airport on a scheduled service from and back to Brisbane on Monday 4 June.


Lastly, Virgin Australia (Skywest Airlines-operated) ATR 72-500 VH-FVL was also photographed as it taxiied for departure back to Brisbane.


What a great couple of days plane spotting!

1 comment:

  1. VH-ZGZ is nice to ride in. Got some good shots of VH-HQO doing Auto's.

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