Whitsunday Airport Grand Airshow - A Closer Look at the Helicopter Participants and Visitors

Most of the Airshow’s visiting and participating helicopters have been reported on, but there were some other choppers that flew into the Whitsunday Airport to help celebrate its 50th birthday at the Whitsunday Airport Grand Airshow on Sunday 1 May.


On the Eastern grass (pictured above), no less than four choppers were parked for most of the duration of the Airshow.

Firstly, CHC Helicopters / Lloyd Helicopters Bell 412EP VH-EPK flew in and out a couple times in support of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Roulettes Aerobatic Formation team as “Chopper 2”.



The big Bell also put on a spectacular emergency winching display, which also blew off more than a few caps and hats in the crowd!

Also on the grass, was Calibre Aviation (formerly Webb Helicopters) Bell 206 VH-EWI. The chopper was flown in from Emerald by owner Eric Webb, who enjoyed the day at the Airshow, even managing to find a couple of customers to take on a joyflight over the Whitsundays later in the afternoon.



Calibre Aviation was featured in a previous blogpost HERE.

One of the nicer helicopters on the grass was Bell UH-1B Iroquois Helicopter VH-THY, which is owned and operated by Tude's Choppers (Dwyer Aviation) in Townsville. The big Huey flew into the Whitsunday Airport from the North in the morning, having to execute a go around before parking for day. The sound of the Huey was unmistakable, and it could be heard coming from Airlie Beach.



Unfortunately, the Huey didn’t get to put on a show, but for those who were lucky enough to see this lovely helicopter arrive and depart, it certainly provided a specular sight and sound!


Lastly, Aerospatiale AS.350BA VH-SWH also visited for the Airshow. The lovely blue Squirrel is registered in New South Wales, and flew into the Airport in the morning where it was parked for the duration of the Airshow.



Other choppers noted at the Airshow were Eurocopter EC120B VH-YWY and Robinson R-44 VH-ACN, which are both owned by the Whitsunday Airports owner Jeffrey Ruddell.



Both helicopters also put on a fantastic syncronised flying display for the crowd.



Also on display at the Airshow were a beautiful pair of red helicopters. Local Robinson R-44 VH-DCF is pictured below, along with an Amateur Built Rotorway A600 Talon helicopter VH-UTB, which is pictured sitting in the afternoon sun.



At the Helibiz hangar, Robinson R-44 VH-ZDH was on display. The chopper is presently registered to Hornery Helicopter Services in Moranbah, and decals for this company were applied during the day.


Also, while not on display at the Airshow, Bell 206 VH-VTO and Robinson R-44 VH-NVM were also noted both outside the Helibiz hangar and flying during the weekend.



Lastly, Aviation Tourism Australia (Curry/Kenny Aviation) Bell 206 VH-CKT arrived into the Whitsunday Airport late Saturday afternoon, and caused some damage to the temporary barriers erected for the Airshow by parking on the increasingly crowded apron.


Plenty of lovely helicopters!!

Whitsunday Airport Grand Airshow - A Closer Look at the Local Whitsundays Operators and Participants

In this report, we take a closer look at the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour, and its resident operators, as well as the other local particpants in the Whitsunday Grand Airshow that was held to celebrate the Airport's 50th birthday on Sunday 1 May.

The Whitsunday Airport was once nothing much more than a grass runway with a few planes on site. The first airstrip was officially opened in 1961, and five years later, Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) were convinced to operate connecting services for holiday packages, before upgrading their operations to provide services between Mackay, Brampton Island, Bowen, Townsville, and the Whitsundays.


The Whitsunday Airport is now being transformed into a luxury 60 acre private estate airpark called the Whitsunday Aviation Village Estate, or WAVE. The $75 million gated estate - a relatively new concept in Australia - is the brainchild of local private pilot Jeffrey Ruddell, and features innovative hanger homes, an asphalt dual taxiway and 1410 metre runway, lush tropical surrounds and a commercial precinct - all characteristics no other airpark in the southern hemisphere can boast. As shown above, the first full time resident of the airpark is already enjoying the lovely Whitsunday surrounds - complete with a Cessna P210N VH-XXU parked in the 'garage'!! Five more individually designed house and land packages are also now available, with construction already underway on two of these.

The airport also has many existing operators and facilities that participated in the Grand Airshow.


Air Whitsunday Seaplanes commenced operations at the airport in 1977 and currently operates Cessna 208 Caravan and De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver float planes on island transfers and tours, as well as a recently acquired Gippland GA-8 Air Van for land-to-land transfers, mostly to Hamilton Island.






There are also several helicopter operators at the Whitsunday Airport, with Aviation Tourism Australia (operating as Heli-Reef and Island-Air) also operating transfers and tours to the Whitsunday Islands from an onsite terminal. HeliBiz, who specialise in helicopter sales and service of Robinson Helicopters, also has an office and hangar facilities at Whitsunday Airport. At the Airshow, they displayed Robinson R-44 VH-ZDH which is presently registered to Hornery Helicopter Services in Moranbah.


The Airport's owner, Jeffrey Ruddell, displayed his own helicopter, a strikingly red coloured Eurocopter EC-120B VH-YWY, along with a beautiful blue Robinson R-44 VH-ACN.



Both helicopters also put on a fantastic syncronised flying display for the crowd.


Also on display at the Airshow were another beautiful pair of red helicopters. Robinson R-44 VH-DCF - shown below with the owners other 'toy' - as well as an Amateur Built Rotorway A600 Talon helicopter registered VH-UTB.



Airlie Beach Skydive also operates from the Whitsunday Airport. They presently use Cessna 182 VH-JOU and Gippsland GA-8 Air Van VH-RTS (both pictured below) for parachute drops over the airport and Shute Harbour.


Both aircraft particpated during the Airshow, putting on a parachute display that entertained the large crowd.




Some of the locally owned aircraft that were on display at the Airshow were:

Amateur Built Neico Lancair 360 VH-CLW


Aeromot - Industria Mecanico Metalurgica AMT-200 VH-KIR


The Whitsunday Airport website - LINK - contains more information on the airports facilities and procedures, as well as the WAVE Airpark. The Gate Guard pictured below is Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer - it is marked as VG-AWS but is ex VH-AWY.