Jetstar Airways Airbus Airbus A321-251NX(LR) (A321neo) VH-OYR First Visit into Central Queensland at Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport - Plus More!

On Friday 6 March, Jetstar Airways Airbus A321-251NX(LR) (A321neo) VH-OYR made its first visit into Central Queensland at Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport. It operated as JST840/1 from and back to Sydney.

VH-OYR was delivered into Melbourne (Tullamarine) from Hamburg, Germany in late October 2024 and entered service at the end of that month.

Of interest, making it a double, also on Friday 6 March, fellow Jetstar A321 VH-VWX was back at Proserpine Airport operating the JST832/3 service from and back to Melbourne (Tullamarine).

Would have been a great sight to see two A321s on the deck at the same time!

File photo taken by Ryan Hothersall  ©

Linfox Global Charter / Air National Australia Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global 6000 Bizjet VH-LEP at Hamilton Island Airport - Plus More!

On Friday 6 March, Linfox Global Charter / Air National Australia Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global 6000 bizjet VH-LEP was noted departing Hamilton Island Airport for Melbourne (Essendon).

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It had flown up from there earlier in the week on Tuesday 3 March.

And Homada Pty Ltd Cessna 560XL Citation XLS bizjet VH-XCU flew into Hamilton Island Airport from Melbourne (Moorabbin) via Sydney.  It later departed back directly to Moorabbin.

Photo taken by Nick Sainsbury  ©

Jetstar Airways Airbus A320-232(WL) VH-X3C (ex 9V-JSL) Makes First Visit to CQ at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport

On Thursday 5 March, Jetstar Airways Airbus A320-232(WL) VH-X3C was noted making its first visit to Central Queensland at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport as it completed the JST890/1 service from and back to Sydney.

Of interest, VH-X3C is one of nine twelve recently delivered Airbus A320 aircraft that have entered service with Jetstar Airways that all previously operated with the collapsed Jetstar Asia. This A320 was previously operated by Jetstar Asia as 9V-JSL.

9V-JSL was ferried from Singapore to Melbourne (Tullamarine) at the start of October last year. It was then placed on the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-X3C with this registration marking 'taped' over the Singaporean registration marking.

It was 'delivered' to Jetstar on Thursday 8 January after ferrying from Alice Springs to Melbourne (Tullamarine) with VH-X3C then entering service around a week later.

Of interest, the collapse of Jetstar Asia has seen nine twelve of their Airbus A320 ‘classic’ aircraft joining (or for three of them re-joining) the Jetstar Australia fleet.  We have provided details on all the 'original' nine A320s to join the Jetstar Australia fleet and it appears that an additional three are also now joining the fleet down under.  They are VH-X3A which is ex-, VH-X3R which is ex 9V-TRD & 9V-JSY and VH-X3C which is ex 9V-JSL (as described above).

File photos taken by Ryan Hothersall and Paul Howard  ©

Aerlink ATR 72-500 VH-FVY Completes New FIFO Charter Flight into Emerald Airport - Plus More!

Late on Tuesday 3 March, Aerlink ATR72-500 VH-FVY completed what is the second of a new Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter route to Emerald Airport from and back to Brisbane as AL428/9.  It also completed a similar run last Tuesday night - see Blog post below!

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Of interest, Aerlink looked to reportedly take delivery of another ATR at Perth airport in the early hours of Saturday 28 February currently registered as 2-ISLM which will reportedly become VH-FVX.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday 4 March, McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Cessna 525C CitationJet CJ4 bizjet VH-PIY as "Machflight 41" flew up from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane to Mackay Airport before then flying back down to the Sunshine Coast.

And Koolardie Aviation (ZephAir Australia) Raytheon 58 Baron VH-NSM as 'ZD550' landed at Clermont Aerodrome from Townsville then departed back to there.

Of interest, Archer Aviation Service Cirrus SR22 VH-YJY made yet another visit to Clermont Aerodrome from its Archerfield base but on Tuesday 3 March.

Photo taken by Lloyd Fox  ©

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Dassault Falcon 7X Bizjet A56-003 "Envoy 24" Calls into CQ Airports - Plus More!

On Wednesday 4 March, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Dassault Falcon 7X bizjet A56-003 flying as "Envoy 24" flew up from Canberra and Coffs Harbour to Bundaberg Airport.

A56-003 EVY24 arrives into Townsville

It then departed to Hamilton Island Airport and then later completed a missed approach at Cairns and then to Townsville where it appears to be staying for the night.

UPDATE!  On Thursday 5 March, RAAF Falcon 7X bizjet A56-003 again as "Envoy 24" flew down from Townsville to Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport and then Gladstone Airport. It then flew back to Canberra via a missed approach at Tamworth.

Meanwhile, also on Wednesday 4 March, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft A30-001 as "Wedgetail 20" flew up from RAAF Base Williamtown to complete four missed approaches at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport before then flying down to complete another missed approach at Coffs Harbour before then returning back to Williamtown.

Photo taken by Graham Aspinall  ©️

LifeFlight Agusta Westland AW139 Helicopter VH-XIJ "Rescue 522" Completes Medical Evacuation from 'Carnival Adventure' off Bundaberg - Plus More!

On Monday 2 March, LifeFlight Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter VH-XIJ as "Rescue 522" flew up from Bundaberg Airport to Gladstone Airport and then down to the Sunshine Coast before later returning to Bundaberg Airport and then completing two Search and Rescue (SAR) flights to the North-East of Bundy. 

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Surveillance Australia (Leidos SAR Services Pty Ltd) Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet VH-XNC as "Rescue 440" flew down from Cairns to oversee the SAR operations by VH-XIJ "Rescue 522" for a few hours then returned to Cairns.  It is believed this may have also included a passenger extraction from the cruise ship 'Carnival Adventure'.

Meanwhile, also on Monday 2 March, pair of Queensland Government (QGAir) Rescue (State of Queensland) Agusta AW139 helicopters were noted at Rockhampton Airport. VH-ESH flew down from Townsville and then departed onwards to Archerfield as "Rescue 500", while VH-EGK arrived from Archerfield as "Rescue 500" and then departed to Townsville.

And Far North Queensland based Diamond DA 50 C VH-88R visited Mackay Airport from Mareeba.

Finally, over the weekend on both Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March, NQ Heli-Worx (Townsville) Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100 VH-8GK continued to operate flights between Townsville and Hamilton Island Airport - including three return flights on Sunday.  VH-8GK operated one more flight (which seems to be the last one for now) on Monday 2 March.

And also on Saturday 28 February,  the locally-based Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 bizjet N142GZ  flew back to Mackay Airport from Brisbane after flying down to there at the start of last week.

Plus Cirrus SR22 N312GM looked to complete airwork at Maryborough Airport while on a flight out of and back to the Sunshine Coast.

Photo taken by Brodie Lawson  ©

RAAF Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail A30-001 "Mitchel 11" Completes Airwork at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport - Plus More!

On Monday 2 March, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft A30-001 as "Mitchel 11" flew up from RAAF Base Williamtown and was noted to complete a couple of missed approaches at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport before it then flew back to Williamtown.

File photo

Meanwhile, also on Monday 2 March, RAAF Beech B350 Super King Air A32-675 as "Dingo 02" arrived into Longreach Airport from RAAF Base East Sale before it then continued to Darwin.

And fellow RAAF Super King Air A32-021 as "Hudson 02" also flew up to Longreach Airport also from RAAF Base East Sale before it then continued up to Darwin.

Of interest, a third RAAF Super King Air A32-651 has been operating up at Darwin as "Dingo 01" and looked to fly down to Alice Springs and East Sale on Tuesday 3 March.

Photo taken by Scott Harris  ©