Gulf Aircraft Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign Bizjet VH-PYN Calls into Hamilton Island Airport

Noted calling into Hamilton Island Airport on Friday 31 July was Gulf Aircraft Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign bizjet VH-PYN.

Unfortunately the exact movements of VH-PYN are not known however I believe it called in during the afternoon and could be staying for the night.

Meanwhile, a couple of departures from the Whitsundays on Friday 31 July with Balmoral Air Dassault Falcon 2000LX bizjet VH-WIO departing Hamo for Bankstown, while Edwards Coaches Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-KXL departed Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport for Armidale.

File photo taken by 'IAD'  ©

Beech A36 Bonanza VH-ILG Crash Landing at Mackay Airport Thursday - Landing Gear Failure - Pilot and Passenger Ok!

On Thursday 30 July, Beech A36 Bonanza VH-ILG suffered a landing gear failure while landing at Mackay Airport.  It came to rest on the main Runway 14/32, sustaining damage to its propeller and underneath section.  The pilot and his passenger (a dog) escaped unharmed.

Mackay Airport was closed for a period of time on Thursday afternoon while VH-ILG remained on the Runway.  The afternoon Virgin Australia VOZ613 flight from Brisbane to Mackay was forced to hold South of Mackay for around 30 minutes before it was able to land once the Bonanza was cleared and the Airport re-opened.

At Mackay Airport, VH-ILG was re-positioned from the Runway to the General Aviation (GA) Apron and into position outside the resident Chrisair Maintenance hangar where no doubt repair work will be carried out.

I spotted VH-ILG parked on the GA Apron at Mackay Airport last Friday 24 July.  It seems to have become a regular sight at Mackay Airport despite being registered in West Australia.

VH-ILG has also been spotted at various Central Queensland Airports over recent months.

It's another unfortunate aviation incident to take place over the last couple of weeks in the Mackay-Whitsunday region.

Photos taken by Kevin Patroni  ©

A Few Bizjets Around CQ Airports on Thursday

A few bizjets were spotted around various Central Queensland Airports on Thursday 30 July.

At my local 'drome - Clermont Aerodrome - I spotted Light Jets Australia Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 VH-TFW resting quietly in the early morning sunshine after arriving the previous evening from Archerfield, Gayndah and Roma.

It departed later on Thursday to Charters Towers and Cloncurry.

Meanwhile, down at Emerald Airport, Mackellar Mining Equipment / Flight Options (Australia) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra VH-MMC paid another visit from and back to its Sunshine Coast base this week arriving on Tuesday 28 July and departing on Wednesday 29 July.

The Queensland Government Airwing (State of Queensland) Raytheon Hawker 850XP VH-SGY was captured visiting Mackay Airport from Brisbane on Thursday 30 July.

After some time on the ground, VH-SGY departed North to Cairns.

Up the road at Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport, Edwards Coaches Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-KXL initially called in from its Armidale base in New South Wales.  After a short time on the ground, it departed to Rockhampton.  After a couple of hours there, it returned to Prosie and looked to be overnighting with a departure back to Armidale scheduled for Friday 31 July.

Meanwhile, over on Hamilton Island, a nice pairs of bizjets called in on Thursday 30 July including Marcplan Charter Gulfstream G-IV VH-MBP.

The exact flight tracking of VH-MBP is not known, and after a couple of hours on the ground, VH-MBP departed Hamilton Island again for parts unknown.

Also calling into Hamo on Thursday was Balmoral Air's brand new Dassault Falcon 2000LX VH-WIO.  It touched down from Bankstown and looks to be staying for (at least) the night.

Finally, while not a bizjet, Henty Aviation (Avcair) Cessna 425 VH-BSM was spotted on the ground at Maryborough Airport also on Thursday 30 July.

It looks to have called in from, and later returned to, Archerfield Airport.

Photos taken by 'AC' and David Geck  ©

Record-Breaking Round-the-World Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage N997MA Arrives at Mackay Airport

San Diego-based business owner, author, and pilot Robert DeLaurentis has touched down at Mackay Airport late on Wednesday 29 July in his Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage N997MA while on a three-month 26-country record-breaking around-the-world adventure.

He departed Lindbergh Field (San Diego) on Sunday 17 May in his state-of-the-art aircraft named "Spirit of San Diego".

DeLaurentisis is flying his 1997 Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage N997MA around the globe in about 90 days, giving presentations about general aviation in several countries. He has amassed 33 sponsors for his 'not-for-profit' ambassadorial mission on behalf of general aviation.

"The Zen Pilot," as DeLaurentisis calls himself has a website titled "Flying Thru Life" (http://flyingthrulife.com/) where you can read more about him and his speaking engagements as well as and follow his adventures and sign up for updates!

Certainly a remarkable and inspirational man on an equally remarkable and inspirational journey!  We wish him all the best!

Photos taken by 'AC'  ©

New Zealand Registered Cirrus SR20 ZK-LDV Passes Through Bundaberg Airport

Interesting to note that New Zealand registered Cirrus SR20 possibly passed through Bundaberg Airport on Tuesday 28 July.

After arriving in Townsville the previous day from Port Moresby and Cairns (where it was captured by the FNQ Skies Blog), ZK-LDV was believed to have departed Townsville for Bundaberg and Archerfield on Tuesday - there is conflicting information as to whether this actually occurred - ZK-LDV could have returned to Townsville.

UPDATE!  ZK-LDV was cancelled from the New Zealand register on Thursday 30 July and marked as 'exported', with it presumed that the owners are returning to Australia.

Photo taken by the FNQ Skies Blog  ©

Australian Army MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopters Head North via Bundaberg and Mackay Airports

Around sunset on Wednesday 29 July, two Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopters were seen and heard flying North from Bundaberg Airport to Mackay Airport via overhead Rockhampton.

File photo taken by 'IAD'  ©

They were possibly A40-027 "Destria 27" and A40-014 "Destria 14".

From Mackay, it is believed the MRH-90s continued to Townsville.

RAAF Challenger 604 Bizjet A37-003 Missed Approach at Gladstone Airport

On Wednesday 29 July, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet A37-003 was noted performing a missed approach at Gladstone Airport.

File photo taken by 'IAD'  ©

The Challenger, flown by the VIP 34 Squadron in Canberra, was seen on radar and heard to approach Gladstone from the South as "Wisdom 49".  After the missed approach, it returned to the South.

Maryborough Airport to Come Alive with Remote-Controlled Aircraft This Weekend!

From this Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August, Maryborough Airport - and the skies above - will be abuzz with the spectacular sight and sound of scale model aircraft participating in the Queensland Turbine Flyers (QTF) Annual Fly-in (QTFly-in).

The QTF Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/QueenslandTurbineFlyers) boasts that the QTFly-in - hosted by Maryborough Aero Club and Fraser Coast Regional Council - is the premier event for all turbine aircraft including jets, turbo-props and helicopters.

If you're not a turbine flyer, there is NO COST to go and watch the action - in fact the QTF encourage you to bring the family to the passenger side of Maryborough Airport where you can still see the aircraft flying.

The weather is looking great - it's going to be awesome!

File photos taken by Dave Deem  ©

RAAF Beech B350 Super King Air A32-675 "Dingo 46" Tours Several CQ Airports Monday

On Monday 27 July I followed, via web-based flight tracking applications, a flight by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Beech B350 Super King Air A32-675 "Dingo 46".

A RAAF King Air at Rocky  (File photo taken by 'IAD'  ©)

It certainly was a bid day of flying for the Super King Air with it initially departing Townsville and then conducting airwork at Mackay and Emerald Airports before it headed East and landed at Rockhampton for a period of time.  It then departed Rocky and returned to Townsville, repeating its airwork but in reverse by visiting Emerald and then Mackay before heading to Townsville.

I found it quite interesting!

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Lockheed C-130H Hercules NZ7003 In and Out of Rockhampton Airport

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Lockheed C-130H Hercules NZ7003 has touched down at Rockhampton Airport three times over the course of Sunday 26 July and Monday 27 July, transporting New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel out from Rockhampton following the end of joint Military Exercise Talisman Sabre 2015.

Local plane spotter Kayanne H was on hand on Monday 27 July as NZ7003 touched down from RAAF Base Amberley as "Kiwi 20".  

NZ7003 had called into Rockhampton from Darwin on Sunday 26 July before departing to Amberley.  On Monday, NZ7003 operated two return flights from Amberley to Rocky to transport personnel South.  It is believed that the NZDF personnel will be transported home to New Zealand on board one or two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-203 / KC-30A (MRTT) aircraft out of Amberley.

As we've noted in the past, NZ7003 wears a special piece of tail-art depicting that the Lockheed C-130H Hercules has reached the significant milestone of fifty years in service with 40 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Sincere thanks to Kayanne for capturing these great photos of the Kiwi Herc on what is most likely in the final time we will see it in CQ for a while!

All photos taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©

Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee 6 VH-BDG Crashes into a Dam at Lakeside Airpark, Bloomsbury, Near Proserpine

During the late afternoon on Sunday 26 July, Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee 6 VH-BDG crashed into a dam while landing at the Lakeside Airpark at Bloomsbury near Proserpine.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation, with initial reports suggesting that during landing, VH-BDG struck the runway, then veered off, striking an embankment before coming to a stop in a nearby dam.

The pilot and five passengers were unable to extricate themselves from the downed aircraft, with one passenger taken to hospital with minor injuries.  They were from all accounts very lucky!

VH-BDG was removed from the dam on Monday 27 July.  The ATSB investigation will continue.

Meanwhile, dramatic footage has emerged of a powered parachute aircraft making a crash landing near the Kuttabul Hotel, north of Mackay, also on Sunday 26 July.

Stunned onlookers gasped as the parachute clipped trees sending the aircraft hurtling into the ground.  Fortunately, neither of the two passengers - who were reportedly throwing lollies down to the crowd - nor anyone on the ground, were injured.

It is believed that the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) are launching an investigation into the possibility of safety and licensing breaches.  The pilot and passenger reportedly packed up their aircraft and departed the scene before emergency services arrived yesterday!