Numerous Aerial Survey Aircraft Seen and Heard Around CQ Airports This Week

Over the last week or so, there has been a larger than normal number of aerial survey aircraft that have been seen and heard around various Central Queensland Airports.  Usually, several smaller light General Aviation (GA) aircraft complete aerial survey flights over inland areas, however the following aircraft have been noted mostly completing sorties up and down the Central Queensland coast and adjacent inland.

Spotted arriving into Rockhampton Airport last Friday 27 April was Australasian Jet Cessna 404 Titan VH-WGS.  The familiar aerial survey aircraft seems to have recently started being operated by New South Wales-based Handel Aviation.  It remains parked at Rocky.

UPDATE!  On Saturday 5 May, VH-WGS departed Rocky and completed some aerial survey work near Yeppoon before continuing all the way down 'home' to Melbourne (Essendon).

Last Saturday 28 April, Handel Aviation Cessna 310R VH-CMA was noted departing Mackay Airport for Gladstone Airport and then the Gold Coast where it seems to have been operating from most recently.  Then last Sunday 29 April, fellow Handel Aviation Cessna 210 VH-ZID was noted flying into Rockhampton Airport from the North.  After then operating aerial survey flights out of Rockhampton every day during the week, on Thursday 3 May, VH-ZID departed Rocky for the Gold Coast.

Also last Sunday 29 April, Interair (Photomapping Services) Cessna 404 Titan VH-TTZ arrived into Gladstone Airport from Dubbo.  On Tuesday 1 May, it continued to Rockhampton Airport before departing to Cairns on Friday 4 May.

On Tuesday 1 May, Landair Surveys' Piper PA-31 Navajo VH-XGL was also noted arriving into Rockhampton Airport but from the Sunshine Coast.  On Wednesday 2 May, VH-XGL departed Rocky and completed some aerial survey work near Emerald before continuing to Townsville and Cairns.

UPDATE!  VH-XGL has since traversed the nation and flown into Jandakot Airport in Perth arriving on Saturday 5 May via all stops in North-West Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Northern part and parts of coast of Western Australia!

On Wednesday 2 May, Australasian Jet (AusJet) / ROAMES Cessna 206 VH-XBF arrived into Rockhampton Airport after being noted completing aerial survey work to the West.

All photos taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©