While We've Been Away - News and Movements at CQ Airports 19-25 December

On Saturday 19 December at Hamilton Island, Nantworks (USA) Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI bizjet N278L touched down from Kahului and Townsville.

N278L parked at Hamilton Island  (Photo taken by 'AC'  ©)

On Saturday 19 December Jetstream Aviation's (Emprja P/L) bright and colourful Cessna 550 Citation II bizjet VH-VDF departed Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport for the Sunshine Coast.  It had arrived from there on Thursday 17 December.

On Saturday 19 December PNG Registered Pacific Helicopters Airbus Helicopters H145 P2-PHA ferried from Redcliffe into Bundaberg Airport.

On Sunday 20 December P2-PHA continued further North to Cairns via Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Innisfail Airports. Stirling Helicopters operated Bell 206L-1 VH-JGO and Helibiz Robinson R44 II VH-MES were also spotted.

P2-PHA arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

P2-PHA at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

VH-JGO at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

On Sunday 20 December at Hamilton Island Airport, Agile Aviation (of South Australia) Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-TCP departed for Longreach and Adelaide.  It had arrived on Wednesday 16 December.  Also Business Aviation Solutions Cessna 650 Citation VII bizjet VH-DHN flew from the Gold Coast to Hamilton Island and onward to Longreach and Ayres Rock.

Early on Monday 21 December at Gladstone Airport, Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 VH-VUZ was captured operating the morning VOZ1707/1710 service from and back to Brisbane.

VH-VUZ arrives at Gladstone  (Photo taken by Michael Fleetwood  ©)

On Monday 21 December at Rockhampton Airport, Skyhook Helicopters Eurocopter EC130B4 VH-VRD was noted departing to the South early in the morning after arriving the previous day.  Stirling Helicopters Bell 206B VH-FYH was also noted flying around Rocky.  Meanwhile, Stirling Helicopters' OAS Parts (Bell) UH-1H Iroquois VH-OXE - which has been used as a fire fighting and heavy-lift platform - was spotted passing through Miles Airport while heading South from Rockhampton.  It has been later noted assisting with firefighting efforts in the Southern states.

On Monday 21 December at Mackay Airport, Jetstar cancelled the midday JST886/887 service and operated an additional JST7983/7389 service in the afternoon by Airbus A320 VH-VGU.  Mackay Airport also played host to a trio of Queensland Government (State of Queensland) aircraft including Raytheon Hawker 850XP bizjet VH-SGY (flying Brisbane-Mackay-Cairns), Queensland Police Service operated Raytheon B1900D VH-PSK (flying Cairns-Mackay-Cairns) and Police Cessna 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-PSU (flying Townsville-Mackay-Maryborough).

On Monday 21 December at Hamilton Island Airport, both Shortstop Jet Charter British Aerospace BAe-125-1000B bizjet VH-LMP and recently re-registered (former Skypac Aviation) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-NEQ called in.  VH-LMP flew in from Melbourne (Essendon) and departed to the Sunshine Coast, while VH-NEQ had a busy day flying in from Wagga Wagga via Adelaide, Kingscote and Charleville.  It later positioned across to Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport.  Meanwhile, West Australia based Nantay P/L Raytheon Hawker 800XPi VH-RIU departed from Hamo back to its Perth base.  It had arrived from Brisbane on Thursday 17 December.

On Tuesday 22 December at Moranbah Airport, the damaged Virgin Australia ATR 72-600 VH-FVZ finally departed back to Brisbane empty to continue to receive attention.  It flew to Brisbane as VOZ9904.  Reports suggest that it had undercarriage problems which were repaired at Moranbah by engineers flown in from Brisbane.  VH-FVZ has been parked at Moranbah since Monday 16 November when it was damaged during a massive storm.

File photo

On Tuesday 22 December at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport, Jet City (Melbourne) Learjet 45 bizjet VH-LJQ visited briefly from its Melbourne (Essendon) base.

VH-LJQ at Mackay earlier in 2015  (File photo taken by 'AC'  ©)

On Wednesday 23 December Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-XWR was noted operating flights into Rockhampton and Gladstone Airports from and back to Brisbane on behalf of QantasLink.  It was also reported that early on Wednesday 23 December QantasLink flights out of Gladstone Airport were delayed due to a computer glitch.

On Wednesday 23 December at Mackay Airport, Aviair (of Kununurra, Western Australia) Piper PA-31-350 VH-RKD arrived from the Sunshine Coast.  It had also flown from the Sunny Coast to Roma and Toowoomba and back earlier in the day.  Hawker Beechcraft C90GTi King Air VH-JJU also visited Mackay flying in from and back to its Cloncurry base.

On Wednesday 23 December a pair of bizjets both called into Hamilton Island Airport from Kingscote in South Australia before departing in separate directions.  Tower Holdings (Execujet Australia) Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 VH-EVJ flew Sydney-Brisbane-Kingscote-Hamo-Balina/Byron Gateway.  Meanwhile, Jet City (Melbourne) Learjet 45 VH-LJQ flew Melbourne (Essendon)-Adelaide-Kingscote-Hamo-Cairns.

On Thursday 24 December at Hamilton Island Airport, Jet City (Melbourne) Learjet 45 bizjet VH-LJQ returned from Cairns and remained parked.  It was joined by fellow Jet City operated Cessna 750 Citation X bizjet VH-XCJ which flew in from Melbourne (Essendon) and Cairns.

File photo

On Thursday 24 December at Rockhampton Airport, Sabstall Beech B200 King Air VH-NME flew in from Toowoomba and departed to the Sunshine Coast.

On Thursday 24 December at Gladstone Airport, QantasLink (Cobham Aviation) Boeing B717-200 VH-YQV positioned in from Sydney as QJE6202 and then operated a Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flight out to Sydney as QJE1969.  Fellow B717-200s VH-NXJ and VH-NXL also operated FIFO charter flights from Gladstone to Brisbane.

VH-YQV at Gladstone in 2014  (File photo taken by Michael Fleetwood  ©)

Happy Christmas to all our Blog followers and friends on Facebook!

While We've Been Away - News and Movements at CQ Airports 12-18 December

On Saturday 12 December at Longreach Airport, Burley Aircraft of Sydney Piper PA-42-1000 VH-BUR flew in from Darwin and departed to Bankstown as 'XFX 1' / "AirCorp 01". On Friday 11 December  it flew Denpasar (Bali) to Darwin.

On Sunday 13 December at Mackay Airport, Aerorescue (AMSA - Australian Maritime Safety Authority) / Aero Pearl Dornier 328-100 VH-PPJ "Rescue 471" was noted to have called in while flying from Brisbane to Cairns.  In recent times VH-PPJ has been based at Melbourne (Essendon) and Perth Airports and may be flying to Cairns to cover for fellow Dornier VH-PPV "Rescue 441".

On Monday 14 December at Emerald Airport, Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 VH-JFE operated twice - once on behalf of QantasLink (as UTY2630/2631) and then on FIFO (as UTY4078/4079).

On Tuesday 15 December at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport, Cessna T240 (TTx) N362CS flew in from and returned to its Sunshine Coast base.

N362CS at Rockhampton earlier in the year  (File photo taken by Paul Tyler  ©)

On Tuesday 15 December at Bundaberg Airport, Queensland Government (QGAir) Rescue (State of Queensland) Agusta AW139 helicopter VH-ESH "Rescue 500" flew Royal Brisbane Hospital to Bundy and back to Royal Brisbane Hospital.  RACQ Careflight Sunshine Coast Helicopter Rescue Service (SCHRS) Kawasaki BK117 B-2 VH-EHQ "Rescue 522" has also been noted flying around Bundaberg again. Also Grumman American AA-5B Tiger VH-WPM flew Tyagarah to Bundy and back to Tyagarah.

On Tuesday 15 December at Mackay Airport, Cessna 206 VH-MQX flew South from Cairns to Trumby Bay to Ayr to Mackay.

On Tuesday 15 December at Rockhampton Airport it was a busy day, Beech F33A VH-LYK flew into Rocky from Archerfield and out to Bowen. Piper PA-28-181 VH-NRH flew North from the Sunshine Coast to Rocky and out to Hamilton Island (it was Bankstown to Port Macquarie to Sunshine Coast on Monday 14 December). Locally based Tartrus Aviation Piper PA-30 VH-UCH flew South from Weipa to Cooktown to Ayr before landing at Rocky. Also locally based Blackwater- based Beech B58P VH-BLT operated from Rocky to Woorabinda and back while J.M. Kelly (Project Builders) Cessna 310 VH-FFA flew from Rocky to Mackay and back.

VH-LYK arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

VH-NRH arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

VH-UCH arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

On Tuesday 15 December, McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Cessna S550 Citation SII VH-JLU was spotted at Rockhampton Airport.  Its exact movements are unknown.  Later, Shortstop Jet Charter British Aerospace BAe-125-1000B VH-LMP flew South from Cairns to Townsville to Mackay to Rockhampton and to Bundaberg.

VH-JLU arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

VH-LMP arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

On Wednesday 16 December, VH-LMP flew South from Bundaberg to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport and then the Sunshine Coast.

On Wednesday 16 December at Rockhampton Airport, a trio of bizjets called in operating what was believed to be human tissue transfer flights. Edwards Coaches Cessna 525 Citation CJ2 VH-RJB flew in from and then back to Sydney. The Queensland Government (State of Queensland) Raytheon Hawker 850XP VH-SGY flew in from Cairns before operating to Brisbane and then back to Rocky before later returning to Brisbane. Flight Options (Australia) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang VH-VSQ flew in from and then back to Bankstown.

VH-RJB arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

VH-SGY parked at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Trevor Hardsman  ©)

VH-VSQ arrives at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©)

On Wednesday 16 December at Gladstone Airport, Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 VH-VVI flew in from Brisbane and out to the Gold Coast as "Ambulance 451".

On Wednesday 16 December, RACQ Careflight Sunshine Coast Helicopter Rescue Service (SCHRS) Kawasaki BK117 B-2 VH-EHQ "Rescue 522" and RACQ Careflight Agusta Westland AW139 VH-XIH "Rescue 533" were noted flying around Bundaberg Airport.

File photo

On Wednesday 16 December at Hamilton Island Airport, Agile Aviation (of South Australia) Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-TCP arrived from its Adelaide base via Charleville.

On Wednesday 16 December Virgin Australia Embraer E-190 VH-ZPJ flew into Mackay Airport operating the scheduled VOZ617 service from Brisbane.  During the course of the flight though, it appeared that the Embraer had 'turned back' to Brisbane presumably with a maintenance issue.  But, it then turned back again and continued to Mackay landing with incident.  Early on Thursday 17 December VH-ZPJ positioned empty from Mackay to Brisbane as VOZ9900.

On Thursday 17 December at Emerald Airport, Vanderfield Pilatus PC-12/47 VH-WPH called in from Roma and departed to Toowoomba.

On Thursday 17 December at Hamilton Island Airport, West Australia based Nantay P/L Raytheon Hawker 800XPi VH-RIU flew in from Brisbane.  It wears a striking livery and usually operates medical retrieval flights in the West.

VH-RIU parked on Hamilton Island  (Photo taken by 'AC'  ©)

On Thursday 17 December Jetstream Aviation's (Emprja P/L) bright and colourful Cessna 550 Citation II bizjet VH-VDF arrived at Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport from the Sunshine Coast.  It hasn't flown for some time and seemed to operate a pair of testing flights earlier in the week around the Sunshine Coast.

On Friday 18 December at Hamilton Island Airport, a pair of Citation bizjets departed taking passengers to Ayres Rock.  Aeromil Pacific / Flight Options (Australia) Cessna 650 Citation III VH-SPJ called in from Bankstown while Edwards Coaches Cessna 650 Citation VII VH-LYM called in from Armidale.  Both later departed to the ‘Red Centre’.  Shadforth's Plant Hire Raytheon (Beech) C90A (C90B King Air) VH-JEO also visited but from the Sunshine Coast.

On Friday 18 December at Mackay Airport, Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 VH-VVI arrived from and later returned to Brisbane again as "Ambulance 451".

On Friday 18 December at Rockhampton Airport, Linfox Express Charter / Air National Australia Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 VH-LEF arrived from and later returned to Melbourne (Essendon).  The Airplane Factory Sling 2 Ultralight VH-KXJ also touched down at Rocky but from Archerfield and Gayndah.

VH-LEF at Rockhampton  (Photo taken by 'IAD'  ©)

On Friday 18 December Alliance Airlines did an aircraft swap at Emerald Airport.  Fokker F-100 flew in from Brisbane on FIFO as UTY4066 and departed on a positioning flight to Townsville as UTY994.  Fokker F-70 VH-QQY flew in from Townsville on a positioning flight as UTY993 and departed to Brisbane on FIFO as UTY4067.

Also notable on Friday 18 December was Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-XWQ which was pictured above with ‘Moose Air’ titles.  It later operated a closed charter flight from Adelaide to Melbourne (Essendon) and on to Hobart.

VH-XWQ at Adelaide with 'Moose Air' titles  (Photo taken by Tony Haynes  ©)

Sincere thanks to all the CQ Plane Spotters and other contributors for their assistance with me preparing this post!

Holidays!!

This week I finish work for another year and am off to New Zealand to enjoy part of my month-long holiday.  We are flying Emirates from Brisbane to Auckland so should hopefully see this sight of three Emirates A380s all in a row at the Auckland Airport terminal!

http://www.nzmebc.org.nz/

This means that posts to the CQ Plane Spotting Blog and our Facebook page are likely to be few and far between until the New Year.

So, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all the Blog and Facebook readers and followers a very Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous new year!

Normal service should resume in late January!

Jandakot Flight Centre Beech B200 King Air VH-XCB at Rockhampton and Maryborough Airports Friday

It interesting arrival into Maryborough and Rockhampton Airports on Friday 11 December was Jandakot Flight Centre Beech B200 King Air VH-XCB.

Over the course of this week, VH-XCB positioned across from Jandakot Airport in West Australia, all the way to the Sunshine Coast.  It flew across the country via Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Port Augusta in South Australia.

On Friday, VH-XCB initially positioned into Maryborough from the Sunshine Coast to pick up Federal Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and bring him to Rockhampton to oversee the opening of a new road.

In the early afternoon, VH-XCB positioned up to Hedlow Airfield before returning South to Maryborough and then the Sunshine Coast.

It's also worth mentioning that Redjet Aviation Piper PA-31 Navajo VH-PJU also called into Rockhampton Airport on Friday 11 December.  It had a busy day of flying on Friday, starting and finishing at its Toowoomba base and calling into Bundaberg, Biloela / Thangool and Archerfield (twice).

Photos taken by Kayanne Hardsman and Trevor Hardsman  ©

McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Beech B200 King Air P2-LNJ Calls into Rockhampton Airport

McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Beech B200 King Air P2-LNJ was noted calling into Rockhampton Airport on Thursday 10 December.

P2-LNJ at Townsville last year  (File photo)

It looked to have touched down following a flight from the Sunshine Coast via a missed approach at Cairns.  After spending some time on the ground, P2-LNJ departed Rocky returning to the Sunshine Coast.

RAAF Search and Rescue (CHC Helicopters) Sikorsky S-76A VH-HRP "Choppa 3" Spotted at Gladstone Airport

On Thursday 10 December, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Search and Rescue (CHC Helicopters) Sikorsky S-76A VH-HRP "Choppa 3" passed through Mackay and Gladstone Airports while heading South from Townsville to RAAF Base Amberley.

"Choppa 3" has been in Townsville during the last month or so where it supported  RAAF F/A-18 Hornets and BAe Hawk 127 Lead-in fighter aircraft which have been participating in the RAAF's Exercise High Sierra.

Pilots from the RAAF's No.2 Operational Conversion Unit at RAAF Base Williamtown have been put through their paces during the final phase of a six-month operational conversion course. Exercise High Sierra represents the last three weeks of the F/A-18 course, which converts fighter pilots from the Hawk lead-in fighter aircraft to the F/A-18 Hornet.

Sincere thanks to Col for capturing and sending through these great photos!

All photos taken by Col  ©

Business Aviation Solutions Cessna 650 Citation VII Bizjet VH-DHN at Gladstone Airport Wednesday

Business Aviation Solutions Cessna 650 Citation VII bizjet VH-DHN called into Gladstone Airport early on Wednesday 9 December.  It arrived from its Gold Coast base.

File photo taken by Michael Fleetwood  ©

VH-DHN departed in around the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday heading home to the Gold Coast.

Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra Bizjet VH-PSU Back at CQ Airports Wednesday

Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-PSU looked to be back on 'prisoner transport' duties yet again on Wednesday 9 December, with the sleek Citation noted at Mackay (twice), Rockhampton and Maryborough Airports during a busy day of flying.

File photo taken by 'IAD'   ©

VH-PSU also called into Townsville and Cairns.

As reported below on Monday 7 December the Queensland Government (State of Queensland) Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-SGQ may have been used for 'prisoner transport' flights with it noted visiting Rockhampton and Townsville twice each, along with Cairns and Mackay, on its big day of flying that started and finished in Brisbane.

We shall see which aircraft operates on Friday 11 December!

General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) Dornier DO 228-202 VH-VJE at Maryborough and Hervey Bay Airports

It appears that General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) Dornier DO 228-202 VH-VJE operated a training flight into the Fraser Coast late on Tuesday 8 December.

File photo

It was noted flying into Maryborough Airport from Brisbane before being noted flying several circuits around Maryborough and Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.  VH-VJE then returned to Brisbane.

Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopter A40-005 Spotted at Rockhampton Airport

On Tuesday 8 December, Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopter A40-005 was spotted visiting Rockhampton Airport.

The MRH-90 was believed to have called in from the North and after taking on fuel, departed to the South.  A40-005 was heard to be using the radio callsign of "Destria 05".

Thanks to local plane spotters Scott H and Kayanne H for capturing and sending through these great photos!

Photos taken by Scott Harris and Kayanne Hardsman  ©

RAAF Canadair Challenger 604 Bizjet A37-001 Spotted at Emerald Airport Monday

While I was visited Emerald on Monday 7 December to buy a birthday present for my lovely wife, I made a call into Emerald Airport and much to my surprise, I spotted Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet A37-001 resting on the apron waiting for its passengers.

Local media reports that Federal National Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss was in town and shortly after I captured these photos I noted that A37-001 had departed Emerald flying South as "Consort 06".

I do quite like surprises like this - and I hope my wife likes her birthday surprise!

Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 VH-VUG Spotted at Gladstone Airport Monday

Col was at the right place at the right time at Gladstone Airport on Monday 7 December as yet another Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 touched down on a scheduled service from and back to Brisbane.

On this occasion, VH-VUG operated the VOZ1711/1714 service.

And as this post is being written, fellow Virgin Australia B737-800 VH-YVC is winging its way also to Gladstone Airport operating as VOZ1719 from Brisbane.

VH-YVC doesn't appear to be staying the night though with it 'scheduled' to depart back to Brisbane empty as VOZ9908.

VH-YVC does appear to the be 'scheduled' to return to Gladstone early on Tuesday 8 December operating the VOZ1707/1710 scheduled service from and back to Brisbane.

This continues the excellent run of larger B737-800 jets that Virgin are operating into Gladstone!

Col also sends through a couple of photos of aircraft on the Gladstone Airport General Aviation (GA) Apron on Monday 7 December including locally-based Cessna 210 VH-KTE which has recently taken up residence with Gladstone's Purcell's Engineering.

In fact, VH-KTE later departed Gladstone on a flight to Emerald, returning later in the evening.

A familiar visitor to Gladstone Airport in the form of Papam Cessna 402B VH-RLX was also spotted by Col.

This aircraft is frequently involved with aerial survey flights and is a regular to the industrial city.

Finally, on Sunday 6 December, Col spotted Ingham-based Robinson R44 II VH-HED parked on the Gladstone Airport apron.  Its movements are not known.

Sincere thanks to Col for again taking the time to capture and share these great photos!

All photos taken by Col  ©