A Massive Day of Corporate Bizjet and Other General Aviation (GA) Movements at Mackay and the Whitsundays Airports - Plus More!

On Friday 17 December, it was a great day for plane spotting at Mackay and the Whitsundays Airports as a big number of corporate bizjets and other light General Aviation (GA) aircraft were spotted and noted visiting - possibly transporting those back into Queensland now that the borders have been re-opened!

Up at Hamilton Island Airport, Special Mining Services / Flight Options (Australia) Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300E bizjet VH-UYX was spotted making an early visit from Sydney.

Moorabbin Aviation Services (Victoria) Cessna S550 Citation SII bizjet VH-JLU was spotted visiting from Melbourne (Essendon).

Recently re-registered (registration holder) Avcair (Capital B Aviation Services) LearJet 60 bizjet VH-OLJ was noted visiting from Brisbane.

Machjet (Machjet International) Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-SIY was also noted arriving into Hamilton Island Airport, possibly just from Mackay Airport where it looked to arrive from the Sunshine Coast on Thursday 16 December.  It appears that VH-SIY then returned to Mackay Airport.

Poolhurst Aviation Air Charter Services Pilatus PC-24 jet VH-VTF was noted arriving from Archerfield and the Gold Coast before it then returned directly to Archerfield.

And slightly smaller, American-registered (but Australian-based) SOCATA TBM 700 N700RU arrived into Hamilton Island Airport from Archerfield.

While over at Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport, Clive Palmer's Mineralogy Company's registered Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global Express XRS bizjet VH-UPH was spotted visiting Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport yet again.

It looked to arrive from and then later depart back to Brisbane.

Plus, Clive Palmer's Mineralogy Company Agusta A119 'Koala' helicopter VH-KOL was also photographed at Proserpine Airport. 

VH-KOL has been based in the Whitsundays since late last week, seemingly ferrying passengers from VH-UPH between Proserpine Airport and (possibly) Hamilton Island Airport and the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour - where it appears to be parking at night.

And at Mackay Airport, Mitchell Water Cessna 525 Citation M2 bizjet VH-WMY called in from Melbourne (Moorabbin) and Yarrawonga before then departing to Roma Airport and returning to Moorabbin.

Machjet (Machjet International) Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-SIY possibly arrived the previous day and departed to Hamilton Island Airport - as mentioned above.

Divair Cessna 525B CitationJet CJ3 bizjet VH-NNE looked to touch down from Bankstown and Orange in New South Wales.

UPDATE!  It has been reported that VH-NNE suffered an engine failure while approaching Mackay Airport and as such has remained parked - as photographed above.

While slightly smaller, locally-based Horizon Airways Piper PA-31-325 Navajo Chieftain VH-LWW completed several flights between Mackay Airport and Hamilton Island Airport.

And Navair Flight Operations Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 bizjet VH-LXZ was (at the time of writing) planned to call into Emerald and then Mackay Airport, flying up from Cessnock (and other places earlier in the day).  It is then planned to depart Mackay Airport for Bankstown, arriving in the wee small hours of Saturday 18 December.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 17 December, a couple of other bizjets noted around a couple of other Central Queensland Airports included AirMed Australia Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-SQY  as "Airmed 911" arrived from Bankstown then departed to Tamworth (on a diversion).

And Avcair Embraer 500 Phenom 100EV bizjet VH-NJR looked to visit Maryborough Airport arriving from Brisbane and then departing to Warwick and then back to Brisbane.

Finally, also on Friday 17 December, many light General Aviation (GA) aircraft also noted around CQ Airports included Link Airways / Vee H Aviation Cessna 441 VH-VEJ which remains in the area this week, departing Rolleston Aerodrome for the Newlands Coal Mine near Glenden before then flying home to Brisbane.

Beech 58 Baron VH-JCJ landed at my local Clermont Aerodrome again for the second time this week, this time arriving from Toowoomba and then departing to Caboolture and back to Toowoomba. 

Mackay-based Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga VH-LPW looked to depart Clermont Aerodrome for Townsville.  It is unclear when it arrived.

UPDATE!  On Sunday 19 December, VH-LPW returned to Clermont Aerodrome from Townsville.

The Queensland Police Service (Airwing) (State of Queensland) Raytheon B1900D VH-PSK landed at Bundaberg Airport after flying down from Cairns and Townsville.  It then departed to Brisbane.  VH-PSK then flew up to Rockhampton Airport before continuing to Cairns.

And LifeFlight Leonardo S.P.A. Helicopters (Agusta) AW139 helicopter VH-XIU flew up to Gladstone Airport from Archerfield via Chinchilla Airport.  It appears to be the newly delivered AW139 helicopter's first flight.

Photos taken by 'AC' and 'JM'  ©