A Few More Interesting Arrivals and Departures at Longreach Airport

We posted an update of some interesting aircraft that paid Longreach Airport last Friday 25 September - link HERE - but with a drought benefit concert, farmers' forums and the 125th anniversary Longreach horse races on, there were quite a number of other aircraft to call into the Central West hub over the last few days.

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The two Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100s that operated charter flights into Longreach Airport on Friday 25 September returned to Brisbane over the weekend with VH-FKA returning to Brisbane late on Saturday 26 September as UTY571 while VH-FKG flew back to Brisbane on Sunday 27 September as UTY553.

A few interesting arrivals into Longreach Airport on Saturday 26 September for the farmers' forum and races included the The Queensland Government (State of Queensland) Raytheon Hawker 850XP bizjet VH-SGY which called in for the morning from Brisbane.

Also noted arriving on Saturday 26 September was Dick Lang's Dessert-Air Safaris' Beech B200 VH-ODI which called in from Birdsville.

File photo taken by 'AC'  ©

On Sunday 27 September, Northwest Air Services of Moree in Northern New South Wales Piper PA-34-200T Seneca VH-SUM arrived from Burketown, while Cessna 206 VH-ECW and Mooney M20P VH-KDC were noted departing to Caboolture and Rockhampton respectively.

On Tuesday 29 September it was National Police Remembrance Day and commemorations to remember fallen officers while in the line of duty were held at the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame at Longreach.  Calling into Longreach Airport on Tuesday was the Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-PSU which visited from Brisbane.

File photo taken by Micah S  ©

Meanwhile, also visiting Longreach Airport on Tuesday 29 September were Australasian Jet Piper PA-31-350 Navajo VH-ZMK from Roma and Brescon Beech B200 VH-WXN which arrived from the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport and departed to Cloncurry.

And finally, touching down at Longreach late on Tuesday 29 September - and reportedly in the middle of a very windy dust and rain storm - was Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 jet VH-QQY which was operating a charter on the behalf of the Channel 9 morning television program "Today".

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VH-QQY touched down as UTY561 and looked to be departing later on Wednesday 30 September to the Sunshine Coast as UTY563.