Nioa Aviation (Avcair) Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 Bizjet VH-NJR Spotted at Bundaberg Airport - Plus More!

On Friday 5 December, Nioa Aviation (Avcair) Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 bizjet VH-NJR was spotted visiting Bundaberg Airport from Brisbane.

https://www.facebook.com/Bundaberg.Aviation.Fuel

It also seems to have visited Bundaberg Airport also from Brisbane earlier in the week on Tuesday 2 December.

And Jampair P/L (Navair Flight Operations) Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300E bizjet VH-NSQ as "Navair 131" arrived into Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport from Bankstown.

UPDATE!  On Saturday 6 December, VH-NSQ "Navair 131" departed Prosie and returned to Bankstown.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 5 December, Townsville Airlines Cessna 208B Grand Caravan VH-NXU completed the East Air flight EA1/2 run to Hamilton Island Airport from and back to Cairns.

Air Link Beech B200 King Air VH-ZOS visited Rockhampton Airport from Brisbane.

New Cirrus SR22 N12AU flew up to Mackay Airport from the Gold Coast and Archerfield. It was then on display at the Mackay Aero Club.

UPDATE!  On Saturday 6 December, the Cirrus SR22 N12AU flew down from Mackay Airport to Caloundra.

And a fan-favourite with Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B VH-SEX arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Toowoomba.

Finally, also on Friday 5 December, Hevilift Aviation (Papua New Guinea) recently registered Bell 412EP P2-DFC arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Redcliffe and then departed to Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport and then Cairns.

Photo taken by James Lake  ©

It seems that the helicopter is on delivery to PNG and was formerly on the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-LWI.

File photo

UPDATE!  Indeed on Saturday 6 December, P2-DFC was photographed (above) as it continued further North out of Cairns.

And over the last couple of days, Heli-Central (Emerald) Aerospatiale AS.350B2 Squirrel VH-ZHM as "Firebird 260" has been operating out of Rockhampton Airport to assist with fighting a few fires in the area.

Nice!

A Couple of Bushfire Fighting Aircraft and Helicopters Operate from CQ Airports to Shoalwater Bay

On Friday 8 October, a couple of locally-based bushfire flighting aircraft and helicopters were noted operating out of some Central Queensland Airports to fight a fire around the Shoalwater Bay area, North of Rockhampton.

https://www.facebook.com/QldFireandEmergencyServices/

The Bundaberg Airport based Canadian-based Conair Aerial Firefighting Dash-8-Q400MR C-FFQE "Bomber 141" flew up from there to the fire zone and back, completing two water-bombing runs.

Agair Logistics P/L Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B VH-LVG "Birddog 273" led the Dash-8, also flying up from Bundaberg Airport to the fire zone before then later flying to Rockhampton Airport for a refuel.  It then headed back to the fire zone and then back down to Bundaberg Airport with the Dash-8.

Also on Friday 8 October, a couple of helicopters noted flighting the bushfire included Stirling Helicopters Eurocopter AS350B3 Squirrel helicopter VH-EUM as "Firebird 429" which flew up from Dululu to Shoalwater Bay before then landing at Rockhampton Airport.

Plus Emerald-based Heli Central Williams Helicopter Corp (Bell) UH-1H Huey VH-UHH "Helitak 468"  flew to Shoalwater Bay, operating from the Hedlow Airfield, North of Rockhampton.

UPDATE!  Both these helicopters operated again on Saturday 9 October.

Finally, on Thursday 7 October, Stirling's Eurocopter AS.350BA Squirrel VH-WHW "Firebird 421" and Heli Central Williams Helicopter Corp (Bell) UH-1H Huey VH-UHH "Helitak 468" operated out of Rockhampton Airport - as shown above.

And locally-based Eurocopter AS 350 B3 Squirrel helicopter VH-XBO was noted operating out of Mackay Airport and flying South to the fire zone.

Photos taken by Steve Vit  ©

More Photos of the Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker ‘Fireliner’ N138CG "Bomber 210" at Bundaberg Airport - Plus More!

As posted below, on Monday 7 December, the large bushfire over on Fraser Island saw the arrival into the region and at Bundaberg Airport of Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker 'Fireliner' N138CG "Bomber 210".  Local plane spotter Peter S was also on hand and captured some more great photos as it arrived directly from RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales.

N138CG "Bomber 210" joined the the resident Conair Dash-8-Q400MR C-FFQE "Bomber 141" in departing Bundaberg Airport to Fraser Island to complete water drops.  They both returned to Bundaberg Airport to re-fuel and re-load on at least one further occasion.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday 9 December, local plane spotter Peter S ventured back to Bundaberg Airport and captured some photos of the other locally-deployed bushfire fighting aircraft and helicopters, including McDermott Aviation / Heli-Lift Australia Helicopters Bell 214ST Super Transporter Helicopter N391AL "Guardian 1" which looked only just arrive from its Cooroy (Sunshine Coast) base.

Fellow McDermott Aviation / Heli-Lift Australia Helicopters Bell Textron Helicopter 214B-1 Big Lifter helicopter VH-SEK "Helitak 430" was parked nearby and the looked to depart to their Cooroy base, along with their Aerospatiale AS.355F1 Squirrel helicopter VH-HRU as "Firebird 474".

Emerald-based Heli Central Williams Helicopter Corp (Bell) UH-1H Huey VH-UHH "Helitak 468" and Elite Helicopters (Brisbane) Aerospatiale AS.350BA Squirrel VH-WMW "Firebird 410" were also photographed at Bundaberg Airport.

Sincere thanks to Peter S for taking the time to capture and send through these great photos!

All photos taken by Peter Sajko  ©

Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker ‘Fireliner’ N138CG "Bomber 210" Calls into Bundaberg Airport - Plus More!

On Monday 7 December, the growing bushfire crisis over on Fraser Island saw the arrival into the region and at Bundaberg Airport of Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker 'Fireliner' N138CG "Bomber 210".  It arrived directly from RAAF Base Richmond in New South Wales.

N138CG is based at Richmond along with another Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker 'Fireliner' N137CG "Bomber 137" with both having been deployed to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) for the Australian Summer.

While on the way to Bundy, N138CG looked to descend and fly over a fire near Toowoomba where it dropped some 15000 litres of water onto the fire before being photographed soon after its arrival into Bundaberg Airport for a historic first visit.

Soon after, N138CG "Bomber 210" joined the the resident Conair Dash-8-Q400MR C-FFQE "Bomber 141" in departing to Fraser Island to complete water drops.  They both returned to Bundaberg Airport to re-fuel and re-load on at least one further occasion.

Both aircraft were supported by the Agair Logistics P/L Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1 bizjet VH-RMB as "Birddog 123".  The smart little Citation had arrived into Bundaberg Airport on Saturday 5 December and looked to replace the fellow Agair Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B VH-LVG "Birddog 273" which departed to Dubbo on Sunday 6 December.

Of interest, N138CG is one of six planned Boeing B737 ‘Fireliner’ air tankers that Coulson Aviation has acquired and will convert.   Each B737-300 aircraft was previously operated by Southwest Airlines in the USA with N138CG entering service with Coulson Aviation and being certified in mid-2019 having previously operating as N608SW from 1995 until it was withdrawn from use in 2017.

Meanwhile, other bushfire fighting aircraft and helicopters spotted and noted operating over the Fraser Island bushfire, also on Monday 7 December, included Ayres Thrush S2R-T660 VH-FNV "Bomber 412" of South Burnett Air Services at Dalby which completing many flights from and back to Bundaberg Airport.

Port Macquarie-based R & M Aviation Air Tractor AT-802A 'Fire Boss' VH-IWU "Bomber 716" was spotted back at Bundaberg Airport to refuel before heading back to the fire zone.

Pay's Air Service Air Tractor AT-802A 'Fire Boss' VH-FBX "Bomber 360" was also noted spending time over Fraser Island before eventually landing back at Bundaberg Airport also for fuel.

And Kennedy Aviation / Kennedy Air-Ag Air Tractor AT-802A 'Fire Boss' water bombing aircraft - VH-XAT "Bomber 288" and VH-XAV "Bomber 266" - also looked to be operating over Fraser Island and out of Bundaberg Airport.  While Kennedy Aviation (Kennedy Air Services) North American Rockwell 500S VH-XAS "Birddog 444" operated between Bundaberg and Childers while on a flight out of and back to Toowoomba.

Finally, of the helicopters noted over Fraser Island, also on Monday 7 December, Emerald-based Heli Central Williams Helicopter Corp (Bell) UH-1H Huey VH-UHH "Helitak 468" and Elite Helicopters (Brisbane) Aerospatiale AS.350BA Squirrel VH-WMW "Firebird 410" looked to continue to operate from and back to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

Sincere thanks to Dan B from Dan Beck Photography for allowing us to share these great photos!

All photos taken by Dan B  ©