Machjet International Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 bizjet VH-SUY & Beech B200 King Air VH-ZSY at CQ Airports - Plus More!

On Friday 9 August, Machjet International Beech B200 King Air VH-ZSY as "Machflight 73" arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Cairns and then departed back to there. This afternoon it repeated the flight.  Of interest, VH-ZSY has recently been re-painted into an all-white livery - no more 'bumble bee'!

While After arriving the previous day, McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 bizjet VH-SUY as "Machflight 41" flew up from Bundaberg Airport to Cairns.  It later flew down from Cairns to Mackay Airport and then Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

And LifeFlight (Aeromed) Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet VH-OFC "Ambulance 643" flew from Bundaberg Airport to Brisbane.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 9 August, Regional Express Airlines (REX) SAAB 340B VH-ZLF flew up from Sydney and Ballina / Byron Bay Gateway Airport to Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport as PFY9362.  It then flew down to Brisbane as PFY9863.

Townsville based (West Wing Aviation / Helicopters Townsville) Beech 58 Baron VH-ABP visited Mackay Airport from Townsville.

Seair Pacific / Istlecote Textron Aviation (Cessna) 208B Caravan VH-TLH landed at Longreach Airport from Winton. 

The Queensland Government (State of Queensland) Beech B300 Super King Air 350i aircraft VH-8PF arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Townsville and then departed to Brisbane. 

Fellow Queensland Government B300 Super King Air VH-8PD also arrived into Rockhampton Airport but from Brisbane before it then departed to Cairns.  Both new aircraft were on the deck at Rocky at the same time. 

Finally, also on Friday 9 August, several small light aircraft were noted flying around the region - some to the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour and many more to and passing through Longreach Airport - all from various locations.  

NSW based PA-28-161 Warrior II VH-CGO landed at Emerald Airport from Roma Airport then departed to Shute Harbour. 

Victoria based PA-28R-201 Arrow III VH-NEB and Tasmania based PA-28R-200 Arrow II VH-IGL which had landed at Longreach Airport on Wednesday, departed there to Shute Harbour. 

Tasmania based SOCATA TB-10 Tobago VH-XYD flew up to Shute Harbour from Bundaberg Airport. 

Tasmania based Jabiru J430s VH-LWM and VH-TJX landed at Longreach Airport from Winton. 

And a flight of eight New South Wales based light aircraft landed at Longreach Airport from Mitchel.  Later, they departed to Cloncurry.  These were: Mooney M20s VH-MKP and VH-MZG, Glasair Super 11FT VH-MHM, Amateur-built Sportsman 2+2 VH-XPF, Van's RV10 VH-KLN, Cessna 177 VH-CRD, Piper PA-28R-201 Arrow IV VH-PAR and Robinson R66 helicopter VH-8C4. 

Photos taken by Lloyd Fox  ©️

New Wettenhall Air Service new Textron (Cessna) 525 CitationJet M2 VH-8RT Pops into Emerald Airport - Plus More!

On Monday 17 July, new Wettenhall Air Service new Textron (Cessna) 525 CitationJet M2 VH-8RT was noted calling into Emerald Airport from Ayr.  It then to flew onwards to its Tocumwal base.

As pictured, VH-8RT departed Tocumwal on Sunday 16 July and flew up to Roma Airport and then Ayr.

VH-8RT was only registered in the middle of June after being delivered at N513MW earlier in the month.

And American-registered but Australian-based Gulfstream Aerospace G-V-SP (G550) bizjet N360LF was noted departing Hamilton Island Airport for Sydney.  It had arrived from there on Thursday 13 July.

Meanwhile, also on Monday 17 July, Flight One (Services) Beech B200 King Air VH-FON visited the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site from Archerfield via the Sunshine Coast.

McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Beech B200 King Air VH-ZPY as 'MC73' / "Machflight 73" also visited Labona, arriving from the Sunshine Coast and then departing to Cairns and Mount Isa.

Seair Pacific (Istlecote) Cessna 208 Caravan VH-LYI departed Rockhampton Airport for Cairns and Townsville before then returning to Rockhampton Airport.  It had arrived late on Sunday 16 July.

UPDATE!  On Tuesday 18 July, VH-LYI departed Rockhampton Airport for Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

And New South Wales registered Lancair IV VH-LKG flew up from the Ballina / Byron Bay Gateway Airport to Longreach Airport.  It then looked to fly across to Aramac.

Finally, also on Monday 17 July, New Zealand Registered Glasair Sportsman 2+2 ZK-SPO departed Charleville Airport for Gympie.  It looks to have flown all the way over the Western Australia and back and could possibly be returning to New Zealand in the coming days.  A great little holiday!

Photo taken by Owen Peake  ©

American Registered Dassault Falcon 900EX Bizjet N311JA at Hamilton Island Airport - Plus More!

On Friday 2 June, American registered Private Dassault Falcon 900EX bizjet N311JA was noted departing Hamilton Island Airport for Cairns.  The hard-to-track Falcon looked to arrive into Hamo from Sydney earlier in the week on Tuesday 30 May.

N311JA at Adelaide Airport late last year  (File photo)

While spotted visiting Bundaberg Airport, also on Friday 2 June, was McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Cessna 525A CitationJet CJ2 bizjet VH-SUY.  It arrived from the Sunshine Coast and departed to Hamilton Island Airport.  It later returned to the Sunny Coast.

And Cirrus (Australia) / Navair Flight Operations Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-NFP as "Navair 187" visited Rockhampton Airport from Bankstown.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 2 June, Rural Funds Management (A.C.T.) (formerly Capital Jet Charter) Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-STE was spotted at Bundaberg Airport after flying down from Rockhampton Airport.  It later departed to Canberra.

Handel Aviation Cessna 402C VH-VID was also spotted at Bundaberg Airport as it prepared for another day of aerial survey flying.

Townsville-based ZephAir Australia Piper PA-34-220T Seneca VH-YSI also appears to be still at Bundaberg Airport also operating aerial survey flights.

The Redcliffe Aero Club Vulcanair (Partenavia) P.68C VH-VMV is also still around but now operating aerial survey flights out of Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

And Southern Airlines Rockwell 690A Turbo Commander VH-SOU continues to operate aerial survey flights out of Roma Airport.

While the Queensland Government Airwing (State of Queensland) Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-SGQ popped into Rockhampton Airport after flying up from Brisbane.  It then continued to Townsville and Cairns having earlier flown down to the capital from those places.

Locally-based (but Mackay-registered) Mooney M20J VH-NWF flew from Clermont Aerodrome to Caboolture.

UPDATE!  On Sunday 4 June, VH-NWF returned to Clermont from Caboolture.

And New Zealand Registered Glasair Sportsman 2+2 ZK-SPO flew from Roma Airport to Longreach Airport.

File photo

It looked to have arrived into Australia via the Gold Coast in the two days prior.

UPDATE!  On Sunday 4 June, ZK-SPO departed Longreach Airport for the North-West.

Finally, also on Friday 2 June, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Exercise Black Dagger 2023 looked to wrapped up in Townsville will all participating aircraft departing there for their respective home bases.  At Rockhampton Airport, the deployed RAAF Search and Rescue (SAR) / CHC Helicopters Australia / Lloyd Helicopters Agusta AW139 helicopter VH-RQW "Choppa 22" departed to RAAF Base Amberley after being at Rocky for the week.

Photos taken by Tony Haynes, 'AC', Paul Tyler and Simon Hills  ©

Asia Pacific Airlines (PNG) (Cobham Aviation) Dash-8-100 P2-NAZ Passes Back Through Longreach Airport - Plus More!

During the afternoon on Friday 28 May, Papua New Guinea based Asia Pacific Airlines Dash-8-100 P2-NAZ landed at Longreach Airport from Adelaide.  It later departed to Cairns.

File photo

P2-NAZ has been in Adelaide for planned maintenance with Cobham Aviation (as pictured above) and passed through Longreach Airport from Cairns in March - see Blog post below!

Of interest, Asia Pacific Airlines is based in Tabubil, Papua New Guinea.  It is a subsidiary of Cobham Aviation.  Asia Pacific Airlines operates a fleet of three Dash-8-100 aircraft on domestic services, as well as flights to Cairns on behalf of Ok Tedi Mining Limited of which P2-NAZ wears the colours and titles.  

Also noted at Longreach Airport was Wagga Air Centre (Mabena) SOCATA TBM-850 VH-PVM.  On Friday 28 May, it departed Longreach Airport to Mount Isa as "Wagga Air 669" after arriving a couple of days earlier from Birdsville.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 28 May, Mackellar Mining Equipment / Flight Options (Australia) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-MMC was noted departing Emerald Airport for Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.  It had arrived on Thursday 27 May direct from its Sunny Coast base.

Silver Linings Aviation Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign bizjet VH-ZEK departed Hamilton Island Airport for Bankstown.  It had arrived from there on Monday 24 May.

And Vanderfield Pilatus PC-12/47 VH-WPH flew up to Hamilton Island Airport from Toowoomba and Saint George.

Finally, also on Friday 28 May, nice Amateur-Built Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair SH-2RG VH-CCG looked to fly up from Kilcoy to Wanella Station (near Coppabella) before heading across to Moranbah Airport.  It then returned South to Kilcoy via Biloela / Thangool Airport.

And after arriving late the previous evening, Edwards Coaches Cessna 441 VH-TAZ was noted departing Mackay Airport for Melbourne (Moorabbin) and then Armidale.  It had arrived from Armidale very late on Thursday 27 May.

Photo taken by Tony Haynes  ©️