Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-FGB Charter Flight into Rockhampton Airport - Plus Two Fokker F-70 Jets in Special Colours Coming Soon!

On Saturday 10 August, the spectacular looking Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-FGB was spotted on the ground at Rockhampton Airport.  It appeared to be operating a closed charter flight, arriving from Townsville as UTY3381, possibly carrying the Townsville Blackhawks Rugby League team to Rocky to take on the local Central Queensland (CQ) Capras Rugby League team in the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) Intrust Super Cup competition.

After the game was complete, the triumphant Blackhawks then flew back to Townsville with VH-FGB operating as UTY3382.

As we’ve mentioned previously, VH-FGB is adorned in a very attractive livery celebrating the 90th anniversary of the first trans-Pacific crossing completed in 1928 by four aviators including Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in his Fokker F.VIIb/3m Trimotor named "Southern Cross".

And of interest, Alliance Airlines is soon to take delivery of a pair of attractive Fokker F-70 logo jets in special colours.

Alliance Airlines is continuing its partnership with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) by operating a special themed Fokker F-70 in full BCNA colours - supporting Australians affected by breast cancer.  The 'Pink Lady' coloured F-70 is designed by Lila Design and will wear the registration marking of VH-NUU.  It is due for delivery into Australia shortly.

https://www.liladesign.com/

VH-NUU will surely attract some attention during its work flying around regional Australia.  More about BCNA at:  http://www.bcna.org.au

While Alliance Airlines' final Fokker F-70 jets due for delivery which will be registered VH-NUY will be painted into a livery to commemorate a significant Australian aviation event.  The livery will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first aerial flight from England on 10th December 1919.

https://www.liladesign.com/

VH-NUY will reportedly fly to Darwin from Europe in December this year in a livery designed by the world acclaimed Netherlands design house Lila Design.  It will recreate the route from London to Darwin and touch down exactly 100 years to the minute at 3:40pm on December 10 2019.

At 3:40pm on December 10 1919, Ross Smith landed the "Vimy" at Port Darwin’s Fannie Bay airfield - exactly 27 days and 20 hours after departing Hounslow airfield in London. The Great Air Race had been won, as had the 10,000-pound Australian Government prize. The crowd at Fannie Bay was overcome with excitement!

https://www.greatairrace.com.au/

Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness, representing the Australian defence department, were the first to officially welcome the four airmen.  On 16 November 1920 Fysh and McGinness with grazier Fergus McMaster founded Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (QANTAS). No doubt inspired by the heroic achievements of the Vimy crew, the previous year.

The crew of the aircraft - Captain Ross MacPherson-Smith, Lieutenant Keith Macpherson, Sergeant Walter Henry Shiers and Sergeant James Mallett - are commemorated on the Ross Smith Memorial at Fannie Bay in Darwin.

UPDATE!  Fokker F-70 VH-QQW was in fact re-painted into the commemorative livery described above.  It is pictured below arriving back into Australia from overseas via Perth in late September following maintenance and the re-paint.  VH-QQW has since entered service in Western Australia and has been rumoured to be one of the main attractions at the RAAF Base Edinburgh Air Show in South Australia in early November.  Hopefully it will then come over to the Eastern Seaboard!

Finally, it's worth noting that Alliance Airlines took delivery of its latest Fokker F-70 VH-NUO at Perth Airport in Western Australia in late June this year - as pictured below.  It has been operating out of Perth on mostly Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights around the state and other parts since early July.  We hope to see it on the East coast of Australia soon!

Alliance is Australasia’s leading provider of contract, charter and allied aviation services currently employing in excess of 590 full time staff. The business currently operates a fleet of 23 Fokker F-100, 10 Fokker F-70LR jet aircraft and five Fokker F-50 turboprops with additional fleet units scheduled to enter service during the remainder of 2019. Alliance has world leading operational performance, a key attribute sought by its customers. The Company has operational bases in Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and Rockhampton.

Photos taken by 'IAD' and David Eyre  ©