Monday, October 8, 2018

Fugro LADS / Royal Australia Navy (RAN) Hydrography Dash-8-200 VH-LCL Back at Mackay Airport

Noted arriving into Mackay Airport from Cairns on Monday 8 October to presumably take up operations in the area is the Fugro LADS Corporation / Surveillance Australia / Royal Australian Navy (RAN) LADS Hydrography Institute Dash-8-200 VH-LCL.

VH-LCL at Mackay Airport in April  (File photo)

The heavily modified Dash-8-200 is usually based at Cairns Airport with Cobham Aviation.  At the time of writing, it is planned to complete a seven-hour flight out of and back to Mackay Airport on Tuesday 9 October with it planning to return to Mackay Airport after the sun has set.

VH-LCL is operated by Surveillance Australia for Fugro LADS Corporation on a multi-year lease to the Royal Australia Navy LADS Hydrography Institute. The 'LADS' (Laser Airborne Depth Sounding) system is an aircraft based hydrographic surveying system that measures the difference between the sea surface and the sea floor as calculated from the aircraft's altitude to generate hydrographic data. After operating overseas since it was delivered in late 1997, VH-LCL commenced operations with the RAN LADS Hydrography Institute in late 2009.

Photo taken by 'JM'  ©

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