Friday, November 30, 2018

More Photos of Aircraft and Helicopters at CQ Airports in Support of Bushfire Fighting Efforts

As the sun set on another busy day on Friday 30 November with no respite for weary firefighters battling to keep containment lines and fires away from populated areas in different parts of Central Queensland, here are some more great photos of the visiting aerial firefighting aircraft and helicopters.







Making an early morning departure back 'home' to HMAS Albatross at Nowra in New South Wales was Air Affairs Australia / Gojet Gates LearJet 35A bizjet VH-LJJ as "Firescan 121".  It had arrived from there late the previous day (as pictured below).


Fellow Air Affairs Australia / Gojet operated aircraft - Gates LearJet 35A bizjet VH-LPJ as "Firescan 124" and Beech B200T King Air VH-LAB as "Firescan 125" both operated between Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport - where they are based - up and down the Queensland coast between Mackay and the Gold Coast.





The Queensland Police Service (Airwing) (State of Queensland) Cessna 208 Caravan VH-PSQ was also noted completing aerial survey flights out of Rockhampton Airport.

Visiting Gladstone Airport on Friday 30 November was the Queensland Government Airwing (State of Queensland) Raytheon Hawker 850XP bizjet VH-SGY.   It arrived from and later departed back to Brisbane.

A couple of other notable arrivals into Gladstone Airport were a pair of Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 jets which appeared to transport firefighting personnel into the region to assist/replace the current personnel on the ground in the fire-zone.

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VH-QQV positioned from Brisbane to Dubbo in New South Wales as UTY565 before heading to Gladstone Airport as UTY566.  It then departed to Sydney as UTY567 before heading back to Brisbane as UTY568.  VH-NKQ positioned from Brisbane to Canberra as UTY561 before also heading to Gladstone Airport but as UTY562.  It then departed to the Balina / Byron Bay Gateway Airport in Northern New South Wales as UTY563 before returning to Brisbane as UTY564.

Of the water-bombing firefighting aircraft and helicopters, the Conair Aviation (Canada) British Aerospace BAe 146 / Avro RJ-85 C-GVFT "Bomber 166" was noted completing multiple flights out of Rockhampton Airport to the Deepwater fire-zone near Agnes Water.









Of interest, sistership and fellow RJ-85 C-GVFK "Bomber 165" which was expected to also visit Rocky earlier in the week flew into the South-East corner of Queensland and seems to be operating water-bombing flights over Stradbroke Island from RAAF Base Amberley.

While the Coulson Aviation (USA) Boeing B737-300 Large Air Tanker 'Fireliner' N137CG "Bomber 137" seems to be now based at Mackay Airport but flew down and also completed water-drops to the South and North of Rockhampton.

Victorian-based Agair Logistics P/L Gulfstream American Corporation 695A Jetprop Commander 1000 VH-HPY as "Birddog 275" remains in the area and joined the large water-bombing aircraft to the South of Rockhampton.




The two Emerald-based Central Highlands Aerial Services (CHAS) water-bombers - Thrush S2R-T660 aircraft VH-PMD "Bomber 434" and VH-KCS "Bomber 435" - were again kept busy departing Rockhampton Airport to the South before later returning for the night.











The firefighting efforts from the visiting helicopters was led from Rockhampton Airport by Touchdown Helicopters (Wollongong) OAS Parts (Bell) UH-1H Iroquois VH-OXE as "Helitack 223" which operated in The Caves area.

Stirling Helicopters (Stirling Consolidated) / Eagle Copters Leasing Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 407 helicopter VH-IBF as "Firebird 423" was again noted operating around the Deepwater / Agnes Water area.

While a 'new' helicopter for the area in the form of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) own Aerospatiale AS.350B2 Squirrel helicopter VH-NFO as "Firebird 200".

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It was noted arriving into Rockhampton Airport from the South.

Sincere thanks yet again to the local plane spotters for their help in compiling the information and for allowing us to share these great photos contained in this post.  We offer our thoughts and prayers to those who are affected by this bushfire emergency and sincere thank those volunteer and other firefighters who are battling these fierce blazes up and down the Queensland coast.

Photos taken by Russell Prothero  ©

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