Other Aircraft Movements This Week at Rockhampton and Gladstone Airports

While most of the attention this week has been on the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) movements in and around Rockhampton Airport, local spotters have also enjoyed seeing and photographing a couple of familiar aircraft putting on some spectacular flying displays!

On Thursday 14 June, R-Mach Aviation Ayres S2R-G10 VH-NFF was noted operating in the Rockhampton Airport circuit area.  It made a few close approaches and passes over the airport.

On its last pass, it dumped a load of water over nearby grassland - much to Ben O's surprise!

VH-NFF then landed and proceeded back to the R-Mach hangar on-site at Rockhampton Airport.

While VH-NFF was putting on its 'show', the Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service Sikorsky S-76A VH-JRD made a spectacular departure from Rockhampton Airport to Theodore.

One other chopper spotted by Ben was Robinson R-44 VH-ZZM.  This little Robi is operated by Stock-Air Heliworks in Marlborough.

Meanwhile, down the road at Gladstone Airport, there's been a nice mix of light fly-in fly-out (FIFO) charter and other general aviation traffic.  One aircraft noted was the beautifully presented Coastwings-operated Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-WXC.

File photo

The Super King Air - which wears colours of its previous operator, Titan Airways in England - arrived in Gladstone on Thursday 14 June from Chinchilla.

Other aircraft noted on the ground at Gladstone Airport on Thursday 14 June included Cirrus SR-22 VH-YDM which arrived from Archerfield.  Also, Sunshine Coast-registered Piper PA-46-310P VH-JVX was only on the ground for a short while before departing to Archerfield.  Cessna 402B VH-RLX - which is registered to Papam Pty Ltd - is a frequent visitor to Central Queensland,  and an aircraft that has been sighted at Gladstone previously.  

Finally, another frequent visitor to Central Queensland is another Cessna - this time a Cessna 414A - registered VH-SMX to Shadforth's Civil Engineering Contractors.  This aircraft was noted at Gladstone Airport on Wednesday 13 April.

File photo

A great couple of days!

Aero Professional Services - Aerial Agriculture Services - in Emerald

Aero Professional Services is an aerial agriculture company based near Emerald. Aero Professional Services was established in 1997 by aviator Hedley Watt, and the company prides itself on providing high quality aerial application services throughout the Central Queensland region.

From their WEBSITE, current aerial agriculture application services provided by Aero Professional Services include:

- Spraying
- Seeding
- Aerial photography - low level filming, still and motion
- Spreading - includes baiting
- Graslan* application
- Surveys - property surveys and inspections

Aero Professional Services also provides comprehensive aircraft engineering services at its base which is currently located approximately 5kms outside Emerald on the Selma Road, which can be accessed from the Capricorn Highway which heads towards Longreach.

CQ Plane Spotting was fortunate enough to recently visit the Aero Professional Services base, and was even lucky enough to be given a guided tour of the Aero Professional Services air fleet, of which all but one of their aircraft were able to be photographed.


On the flight line near the office at the Slema Road Airstrip we found five of their current aerial agriculture and spraying fleet.

First aircraft was Ayres S2R-G10 Turbo Thursh VH-XAJ.




Ayres S2R-G6 VH-CMY wearing a nice green and yellow colour scheme was also present.


Aero Professional Service's Air Tractor AT-301 VH-NCB has recently been refurbished and repainted.



One of two recently acquired - and strikingly coloured - Air Tractor AT-802 aircraft in the form of VH-EDG was last in the flight line.


Parked nearby was one of the older aircraft that Aero Professional Services operates in the form of another Ayres S2R-G10 VH-NFZ. This particular aircraft has also recently been noted fighting bushfires around Rockhampton - see CQ Plane Spotting Blog Post HERE - a task that Aero Professional Services are increasing being contracted to complete.


Away from the Aero Professional Services flight line, the access road to the airstrip passes by a house and attached hangar where some of Aero Professional Services' other aircraft were spotted receiving attention.

Here I found the other Air Tractor AT-802 - VH-EOG - which Aero Professional Services has recently acquired.



It was parked outside the hangar, which contained two other aircraft that Hedley flys himself and that Aero Professional Services uses to fly other workers to various towns and sites around Queensland.

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftan VH-RPV - which has been seen by me several times around Emerald over the years that I have lived in Central Queensland.



Also noted was Beech 95 VH-WSW.



We would like to sincerely thank Hedley Watt and the Aero Professional Services team for their kind hospitality on the day of our visit. Hedley and the team can be contacted directly by phone on: (07) 4987 5777 or 0429 491 556, or by fax on: (07) 4982 3722. Alternatively, Hedley can be contacted directly via email HERE.

R-Mach Aviation's Weatherley 620A VH-WEA at Rockhampton Airport

R-Mach Aviation is an aerial ag company based at Rockhampton Airport. They fly crop spraying and water bombing aircraft over the local area. This week Ben O captured some lovely images of their recently acquired Weatherley Aviation 620A aircraft registered VH-WEA.




R-Mach Aviation aircraft have featured in other posts on the CQ Plane Spotting Blog - they also operate PZL Warszawa-Okecie M-18B Dromader VH-MDR and Ayres S2R Turbo Thrush VH-NFF.

Central Highlands Aerial Services - an Aerial Agricultural Company Based in Emerald

Central Highlands Aerial Services (CHAS) is based in Emerald in Central Queensland offer a range of products and services including airborne mozzie and spraying services.

I was lucky enough to pop into CHAS Airstrip on Moffat Road, just to the North of the Emerald township, and were lucky enough to be given a guided tour of their fleet of aerial agriculture and spraying aircraft, as well as a couple of other aircraft to transport workers and equipment.


First aircraft noted was PZL Warszawa-Okecie M-18A Dromader VH-WHR, which had just returned from a flight, and was temporarily parked in the open waiting to be towed back into the nearby open-hangar.




The Dromader is one of many that has had an engine conversion from a radial to turbo-prop.

Meanwhile, inside the hangar, I noted another PZL Warszawa-Okecie M-18B Dromader - this time an airframe CHAS has purchased from the United States of America and still wearing its American registration of N6322U.


Elsewhere in the hangar was a striking looking yellow Thrush S2R-T660 VH-PMD.


As well as a pair of Thrush aircraft that CHAS has only recently taken delivery of from the United States of America...

Thrush S2R-T34 VH-WNN



And Thursh S2R-T660 VH-KCS



Also in the hangar - and squeezed in between the larger Ag aircraft - was Reims Aviation (Cessna) FA337F VH-FCO.


This, and Piper PA-32-300 VH-SNA (which was locked away in another hangar) are used to transport workers and equipment to jobs in other locations.


For any enquiries, or if you wish to understand more what they can also do with spraying equipment, or insects, or other products or services, then contact Craig Crossingham for more information (EMAIL) or call to discuss any requirements.