Some Interesting Movements Through Longreach Airport - Including a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111C

Over the last week there have been some interesting and noteworthy movements through Longreach Airport.

Photo taken by Ben O’Dowd  ©

Photo taken by Ben O’Dowd  ©

Photo taken by Ben O’Dowd  ©

Probably the most interesting 'aircraft' to pass through Longreach Airport was former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) General Dynamics F-111C fighter jet A8-113 which was being trucked from its former home at the Amberley RAAF Base to Darwin.  The convoy pulled into Longreach last Wednesday 12 June from Roma.

Chrissy Arthur / http://www.abc.net.au/

The F-111C was parked under the wing of the Qantas Founders Outback Museum (QFOM) Boeing B747-200 VH-EBQ for the night, before the convoy set off the next day for Mount Isa.

Also calling into Longreach last week was Cessna 525A Citation CJ2 bizjet VH-IYG which, possibly called in twice over Monday 10 June and Tuesday 11 June.  VH-IYG was noted flying between Adelaide and Cairns (where it is pictured below) and quite possibly called into Longreach for fuel.

Photo sourced from FNQ Skies Blog  ©

Regional Express (REX) SAAB 340B VH-ZRH made for an interesting arrival on Thursday 13 June, touching down directly from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.  VH-ZRH later departed to Mount Isa.  REX operates a couple of SAABs out of Townsville on Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) and scheduled services throughout North Queensland.

This week, on Tuesday 18 June, JetGo Australia Embraer E-135LR VH-JTG passed through, arriving from Brisbane and later departing to Katherine (RAAF base Tindal).  VH-JTG was noted using the callsign "JG99" and was believed to be operating an around-Australia tour for Bill Peach Journeys.

http://www.billpeachjourneys.com.au/

Lastly, another possible air-tour passed through Longreach on Friday 14 June, when Alliance Airlines Fokker F-50 VH-FKY passed through Longreach as UTY4460.  VH-FKY arrived from Brisbane and departed to Karumba in North Queensland.  In the days after, VH-FKY called in to several other towns in North Queensland, eventually heading through Cairns on its return to Brisbane.