Sunday, March 19, 2023

SAR Helicopters (Cairns) Kawasaki BK117 B-2 VH-SLU Pops into CQ Airports - Plus More Over the Weekend!

On Saturday 18 March, SAR Helicopters (Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter?) Kawasaki BK117 B-2 VH-SLU "Lifesaver 21" was noted passing through some Central Queensland Airports while on a ferry flight from Cairns to Caloundra.

Sistership VH-SLA  (https://www.facebook.com/nautilusaviation)

It looked to have flown down from Cairns to Townsville and then the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour the previous day before then continuing down to Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Sunshine Coast Airports and then Caloundra.  

It seems that VH-SLU - as sistership VH-SLA - continue to be operated by Nautilus Aviation in Cairns - as pictured.

While after ferrying up to Mount Isa last weekend via Roma and Blackall Airports, LifeFlight Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter VH-XIA "Guardian 10" looked to return from Mount Isa, again via those places to the Sunshine Coast.

And Townsville-based NQ Heli-Worx (Meridan Helicopters) Eurocopter AS.350 Squirrel, which has been noted completing power-line inspections around the region as "Energy 403", landed at Kortes Resort near Rockhampton from the North.

Meanwhile, on Sunday 19 March, Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-XWN visited Rockhampton Airport from Townsville as UTY3385/6.  It later returned to Rockhampton Airport as UTY3387 from Townsville but encountered a hydraulic problem affecting its nose wheel steering.

VH-XWN remained just off the Runway for some time before being towed away.

Fellow Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-UQW completed the sports charter flights, departing Rockhampton Airport for Townsville as UTY3390.  It had earlier arrived on the scheduled Virgin Australia VOZ1251 service from Brisbane.

UPDATE!  On Tuesday 21 March, VH-XWN finally departed Rockhampton Airport for Brisbane as UTY9810.

Of interest, fellow Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-XWM operated a sports charter service on Saturday 18 March, visiting Mackay Airport from Cairns as UTY3381/2.

Meanwhile, also on Sunday 19 March, Southern Airlines (Moorabbin) Cessna 404 VH-TTZ looked to arrive into Roma Airport after completing an aerial survey flight out of Blackall Airport.

Two Fly-Oz (Cowra, New South Wales) Piper PA-28-161 Cherokees VH-PMU and VH-UQM flew up from the Gold Coast to Bundaberg Airport and then Mackay Airport.

UPDATE!  In the days after, VH-PMU and VH-UQM flew up to Charters Towers Aerodrome and then Mareeba before returning South to Cowra via Hughenden, Longreach, Charleville, Walgett and Dubbo.

Sydney-registered Cessna 208 Grand Caravan Skydiving Aircraft VH-XFB flew South from Lakeside Airpark to Bankstown via Gunnedah.  It had operated parachuting drops out of Lakeside Airpark for about the last month.

Proserpine-based Piper PA-34-200T Seneca VH-HKQ flew down from there to Rockhampton Airport.

Toowoomba-based Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche B VH-SEX departed Rockhampton Airport for Bundaberg Airport.  It looked to arrive into Rocky from Barcaldine Airport via a trip to the Capricorn Coast and back to Rockhampton Airport on Saturday 18 March.

And also late on Saturday 18 March, General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) Dornier DO 228-202 VH-VJN looked to fly up from Brisbane to complete airwork around Kingaroy Aerodrome before landing then returning to Brisbane.

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