Monday, June 27, 2016

A Few Plane Spotting Photos from a Great Sunday at Hamilton Island Airport - Bizjets Galore - Qantas 'Mendoowoorrji' VH-XZJ - And More!

We enjoyed a marvellous day on Hamilton Island on Sunday 26 June and here is a post featuring a large amount of plane spotting photos captured of the comings and goings at the Great Barrier Reef Airport.

Soon after we arrived at 9am, QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 VH-QOK touched down on the daily QLK2503 service from Cairns.  It was soon turned around back to Cairns as QLK2504.





We've been posting about some great bizjet visitors into Hamilton Island in recent days and I was lucky to capture three Australian-based aircraft that have remained parked since they arrived late last week - including Shortstop Jet Charter British Aerospace BAe-125-1000B VH-LMP.



Nearby - and parked in a devil of a spot for a decent photo - was AVWest Aviation of Perth (Western Australia) Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI Gulfstream G650 N47TR.  This is one of two bizjets operated by AVWest Aviation that were parked at Hamilton Island Airport.


Across on the Western side of Hamilton Island Airport was fellow AVWest Aviation Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global 6000 N599CH.



After several passengers boarded the beautiful bizjet, N599CH departed Hamo during the morning for Brisbane and later Sydney.




On a slightly smaller scale, several locally-based aircraft and helicopters were spotted departing Hamilton Island Airport for various locations around the Whitsundays on passenger transfer and scenic flights including Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Gippsland Aeronautics GA-8 Airvan VH-KIQ.


Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Robinson R44 VH-WSN was a first time sighting for me.


Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Eurocopter EC120B VH-HIL was noted departing twice - and at one stage in company with Robinson R44 VH-WGO.




Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Bell 206L-3 VH-VTU operated several local flights during Sunday 26 June.


Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Robinson R44 VH-WGR was also a first time sighting for me!


Bribie Island-based Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche VH-EDW was spotted departing back to its Redcliffe base on Sunday 26 June.  It had arrived from there on Friday 24 June.


Of the Regular Public Transport (RPT) flights to visit Hamilton Island Airport on Sunday 26 June, perhaps the highlight was the visit of Qantas Airways Boeing B737-800 VH-XZJ in its special Aboriginal art colour scheme called 'Mendoowoorrji' operating the QFA870/871 service from and back to Melbourne (Tullamarine).








Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 VH-YVA came and went operating the VOZ1751/1754 also from and back to Tullamarine.







Qantas B737-800 VH-XZE operated the QFA866/867 service from and back to Sydney.






Virgin Australia B737-800 VH-VUE operated the VOZ1281/1282 service also from and back to Sydney.





QantasLink (Sunstate Airlines) Dash-8-Q400 Next Gen VH-LQH operated as QLK2824/2825 from and back to Brisbane - that is a long flight in a Dash-8!


Of interest, this flight, along with the Qantas service from and back to Sydney, if often operated by a QantasLink (Cobham Aviation) Boeing B717-200 jet.




The only Jetstar service to still call into Hamilton Island Airport was operated by Airbus A320 VH-VGZ operating the JST846/849 service from and back to Sydney.





And the final RPT flight into Hamilton Island Airport on Sunday 26 June was Virgin Australia B737-800 VH-YIF operating the VOZ1497/1496 service from and back to Brisbane.



A few more locally-based lighties to be captured on Sunday 26 June included the pair of recently delivered Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver float planes VH-OHU and VH-OHD.






In February, we prepared a fascinating Blog post about VH-OHU and VH-OHD and their various histories.  If you missed it and are interested, please click HERE.

Whitsunday Air Services / Hamilton Island Air Bell 206L-3 VH-VTU was spotted making a spectacular return to Hamilton Island Airport from a local flight.





Emerald-based Aero Professional Services Piper PA-46-310P Malibu VH-BGK made a brief visit to Hamo.


And finally, GSL Aviation Gippsland GA-8 Airvan VH-IGW was captured departing Hamilton Island Airport for the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour after completing a passenger transfer flight.


GSL Aviation's fleet of Islanders - and a Cessna 208 Caravan or two - can often be seen at Hamo completing transfer flights from the mainland.  They were also noted overflying Hamilton Island airspace completing various scenic flights out of Shute Harbour during the day.

What a great day!

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