Other Aircraft Movements This Week at Rockhampton and Gladstone Airports

While most of the attention this week has been on the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) movements in and around Rockhampton Airport, local spotters have also enjoyed seeing and photographing a couple of familiar aircraft putting on some spectacular flying displays!

On Thursday 14 June, R-Mach Aviation Ayres S2R-G10 VH-NFF was noted operating in the Rockhampton Airport circuit area.  It made a few close approaches and passes over the airport.

On its last pass, it dumped a load of water over nearby grassland - much to Ben O's surprise!

VH-NFF then landed and proceeded back to the R-Mach hangar on-site at Rockhampton Airport.

While VH-NFF was putting on its 'show', the Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service Sikorsky S-76A VH-JRD made a spectacular departure from Rockhampton Airport to Theodore.

One other chopper spotted by Ben was Robinson R-44 VH-ZZM.  This little Robi is operated by Stock-Air Heliworks in Marlborough.

Meanwhile, down the road at Gladstone Airport, there's been a nice mix of light fly-in fly-out (FIFO) charter and other general aviation traffic.  One aircraft noted was the beautifully presented Coastwings-operated Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-WXC.

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The Super King Air - which wears colours of its previous operator, Titan Airways in England - arrived in Gladstone on Thursday 14 June from Chinchilla.

Other aircraft noted on the ground at Gladstone Airport on Thursday 14 June included Cirrus SR-22 VH-YDM which arrived from Archerfield.  Also, Sunshine Coast-registered Piper PA-46-310P VH-JVX was only on the ground for a short while before departing to Archerfield.  Cessna 402B VH-RLX - which is registered to Papam Pty Ltd - is a frequent visitor to Central Queensland,  and an aircraft that has been sighted at Gladstone previously.  

Finally, another frequent visitor to Central Queensland is another Cessna - this time a Cessna 414A - registered VH-SMX to Shadforth's Civil Engineering Contractors.  This aircraft was noted at Gladstone Airport on Wednesday 13 April.

File photo

A great couple of days!