Aerorescue (AMSA - Australian Maritime Safety Authority) Dornier 328-100 VH-PPV at Mackay Airport

Over recent days I've noticed that usually Cairns-based Aerorescue (AMSA - Australian Maritime Safety Authority) Dornier 328-100 VH-PPV "Rescue 441" has been in and out of Mackay Airport. I assume that it may be to do with Tropical Cylone Ita as it travels down the Central Queensland coast dumping heaps of rain and producing damaging winds with associated sea swells.

File photo

Live flight-tracking website Flightwaware (http://flightaware.com/) suggests that VH-PPV first called into Mackay on Friday 11 April from Cairns. Interestingly, the previous day it was 'scheduled' to call into Hamilton Island but returned to Cairns. VH-PPV returned to Cairns from Mackay on Sunday 13 April. It was 'scheduled' to call into Mackay again on Monday 14 April, but after flying off the coast abeam to Mackay, VH-PPV returned to Cairns.