RAAF Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Surveillance Aircraft A47-011 & A47-010 Complete Low-Level Airwork off the CQ Coast

On Tuesday 8 December, a pair Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Surveillance Aircraft were noted completing low-level airwork including 'no-comm' (no radio communication) work in the region mostly off the Central Queensland coast.

File photo

Poseidon A47-011 as "Mariner 4" looked to fly up from RAAF Base Edinburgh to a position overhead Rockhampton and out off the coast to operate at low level (below 5000 feet) and no-comm while heading South-bound. They were later heard back on the radio climbing back up to flight levels from near Heron Island and then South of Gladstone before flying all the way back to the their Edinburgh base.

While Poseidon A47-010 as "Mariner 3" flew up from Edinburgh to off the coast overhead Bundaberg before being heard to descend to low level (below 5000 feet) and complete no-comm ops.  They were noted to fly South down the coast to a position off Northern New South Wales.  The Poseidon was then heard back on the radio completing a missed approach at Coffs Harbour before returning to Edinburgh.

Another pair of RAAF Poseidons completed very similar flights late last month - see Blog post below!

Nice!

UPDATE!  On Wednesday 9 December, a pair of RAAF heavy transport aircraft were noted flying around Central Queensland - Boeing C-17A Globemaster III A41-207 "Stallion 26" flew up from RAAF Base Amberly to near Rockhampton where it descended to below 3000 feet.  It was noted flying near Middlemount and Mackay.  Some time later, Airbus A330-200 / KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A39-002 "Dragon 33" also flew up from Amberley to a position off Yeppoon before it was then joined by "Stallion 26" from the North and both aircraft then flew down the coast before returning to Amberly. 

Photo taken by Tony Haynes  ©