USMC Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey Calls into Rockhampton Airport Thursday as Broken Down USAF C-17 Finally Departs

Local plane spotter ‘IAD’ ventured to Rockhampton Airport in the late afternoon on Thursday 8 August and captured the arrival of yet another United States Marine Corps (USMC) Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to call in.

This particular Osprey - wearing the serial and tail numbers of 168223 / EP-03 of the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265) "Dragons" - part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing - was heard to be using the radio callsign of “Dragon 03” as it touched down at Rockhampton Airport.

Meanwhile, noted departing earlier on Thursday 8 August was the recently unserviceable United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing C-17A Globemaster III 90-0533.  It had arrived into Rockhampton way back on Sunday 28 July.

File photo

Its departure caught local spotters by surprise, however one source indicates that the Globemaster departed to Richmond Air Force Base in New South Wales as “Reach 6E1”.

Thanks to ‘IAD’ for his simply stunning photos of the Osprey – a very unique aircraft – and certainly one of the more welcome sights during Military Exercise Talisman Saber 2013.

All photos taken by ‘IAD’  ©