Helicopters Galore at Rockhampton Airport - Including New Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service (Australian Helicopters) Bell 412 VH-LSY

Rockhampton Airport has been a hive of activity over the last week with various helicopter movements buzzing around the Airport and surrounding areas.  Local plane spotters Trevor H and Gordon C have captured some of the choppers, and also report that some of the recent action has been related to control burning off of bushland around Mt Archer.

On Saturday 29 June, there was one very interesting arrival with the new Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service (CHRS) Australian Helicopters-operated Bell 412 VH-LSY spotted shortly after touching down from Bundaberg and Redcliffe.

As we've mentioned on several occasions, Australian Helicopters has been selected as the new helicopter provider to support both the Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service (CHRS), based at Rockhampton Airport, and Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service (CQ Rescue), based at Mackay Airport, to assist with emergency response on behalf of Queensland Health.

VH-LSY was actually joined on the ground at Rockhampton Airport on Saturday 29 June by Gladstone-based Careflight Bell 412EP VH-XCY.

VH-XCY was in fact spotted at Rockhampton Airport during the week on Tuesday 25 June - as spotted below by local spotter Ben O.

Incidentally, the current Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service - Jayrow Helicopters-operated - Sikorsky S-76A helicopter VH-JRD was spotted by Gordon C departing Rockhampton for Biloela / Thangool during the morning of Saturday 29 June, as always using the callsign "Rescue 300".

Other choppers captured by Trevor H on Saturday 29 June included New South Wales-based Bell 206B VH-FHY.

And Theodore-based Stirling Helicopter Services Bell 206B (II) VH-JAQ was captured as it departed Rockhampton Airport complete with a bambi-bucket underneath.

Sincere thanks to all the Rockhampton plane spotters for their great coverage from Saturday!

Photos taken by Trevor Hardsman, Gordon Clark, and Ben O’Dowd  ©