Bundaberg Airport - Gateway to the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland

Bundaberg Airport (known as ‘Bundaberg Regional Airport’) - YBUD/BDB - is located 6km South West of the Bundaberg CBD on North Childers Road and Takalvan Street.  The airport is owned and operated by the Bundaberg Regional Council.  The Bundaberg region enjoys a proud reputation in aviation, being the home of pioneer aviator Bert Hinkler.

Bundaberg Airport was officially opened as a civilian airport on 12 December 1931.  With the outbreak of World War II, it was decided, as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme, to requisition Bundaberg Airport, and develop it as a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Flying Training School.  Known as RAAF Station Bundaberg, it was initially used in 1941 by No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF (12 EFTS), until 12 EFTS relocated to Lowood Aerodrome (located at Tarampa) in 1942. No. 8 Service Flying Training School RAAF then operated from the base.  Other RAAF Units operated from the Airport, and it also played host to Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force Personnel and equipment pool in 1945/1946.

After the War, The Department of Civil Aviation took over Bundaberg Aerodrome in 1947. Bundaberg City Council took over the airport in 1983, and a new terminal was opened in 1986.

Passenger services to Bundaberg Airport are currently operated by one commercial airline, QantasLink, while a number of private charter operators fly into Bundaberg on regular Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charters and other charters to nearby Lady Elliot Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

Over the years, Flight West Airlines, Air Queensland, Majestic Airlines, and Lloyd Aviation have all operated into Bundaberg.

QantasLink currently flys between Brisbane and Bundaberg with approximately 27 services per week, operated by a mix of Dash-8-Q300 and Dash-8-Q400 aircraft.  Q400 Next Gen VH-LQJ was recently photographed touching down on Runway 14.

Seair (Seair Pacific) is one of the largest scenic charter flight operators in Southern Queensland, specialising in charter daytrips to Lady Elliot Island - a true coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef.  Seair currently flys Cessna 208 Caravans and Britten-Norman BN-2A Islanders to Bundaberg Airport 2-3 times per day.  Cessna 208 VH-VCW is a recent Seair acquisition and was photographed as it prepared to load passengers for a recent morning transfer to Lady Elliot Island.

According to various reports, Virgin Australia has looked at establishing a new service to Bundaberg.  Locals have been lobbying the airline to commence services to and from the airport to break the Qantas monopoly on all services to and from the airport.  Virgin did fly their (at the time new) Skywest Airlines-operated ATR 72-500 VH-FVH into Bundaberg in 2011 for the Wide Bay International Airshow.  The Wide Bay International Airshow is a (usually) biennial event at Bundaberg Airport.  However, the next Airshow has recently been postponed until 2014.

To encourage commercial expansion at the Airport, the Bundaberg Regional Council conducted major works at Bundaberg Airport between 2009 and 2010, with work completed on the main runway 14/32, navigation aids, and the airport terminal and carpark.

Paid parking was introduced, with charges starting at $2 for more than 2 hours, while the passenger drop-off and pick-up areas were extended.

The terminal area has been expanded (certainly from the last time I was there!) and features three buildings each for check-in, departures waiting area, and arrivals with baggage claim carousel and hire car desks.  Each of these buildings are joined by covered walkways.

The departure area is in two sections, one with a kiosk, and the other through a security check-point.

General Aviation (GA) plays an important role at Bundaberg Airport, with the long established base of iconic manufacturing firm Jabiru Aircraft, and the bases of MicroAir Avionics and CAMit Industries all on the recently established Bundaberg Regional Aviation and Aerospace Precinct at the Airport.  Jabiru aircraft are quite a common sight, although in general, photography of aircraft in the substantial GA Areas is limited.

  

Regional Aerial Emergency Services also have their headquarters at Bundaberg Airport, with facilities housing a base for the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) and the AGL Action Helicopter Rescue Service.

A great couple of days at Bundaberg Airport - stay tuned to the CQ Plane Spotting Blog for a Historic Post featuring some "Beauties from Bundaberg".

CQ Plane Spotting Historic Spot: The Nord 262A-32 / Mohawk 298

This month, Shane T takes a look at an aircraft that served in the Central Queensland region in the hands of many operators from 1987 until 1995 - the Nord 262A-32 / Mohawk 298

The Mohawk 298 originally started life as an Aerospatiale N262 Fregate, with production beginning in the early 1960s. In 1975, the first re-engined (with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-45 engines) and modified N262 emerged from the hangars of Frakes Aviation in the United States as the Mohawk 298.  This new designation came about as Mohawk Air Services oversaw the modifications, while '298' was the American regulation that the plane had to satisfy at the time - 'FAR298'.

In 1987/88, Lloyd Aviation Jet Charter imported 4 examples to Australia from the United States for service in Queensland. At that time, Lloyd was also operating helicopters from Gladstone to the nearby Islands - ironically based from the same hangar and apron Australian Helicopters uses today at Gladstone Airport.

Initially there was a delay before the Mohawk entered service because of issues associated with satisfying CASA regulations.  However these problems were eventually overcome and the first Mohawk 298 to registered in Australia - VH-HEI - commenced Lloyd's Queensland operations with a 26-seat passenger configuration connecting Brisbane and Gladstone.  This was quickly followed by introduction of a Brisbane to Bundaberg route as well.

During 1988, the other three Mohawks - VH-HIX (pictured above), VH-HKS, and VH-HKT - all joined the Lloyd fleet and were noted operating flights between Brisbane and Gladstone and Bundaberg.

In December 1988, Lloyd Air (Queensland) ceased operations, and the four Mohawks were leased to Queensland Pacific Airlines (part of the Norfolk Group).  Queensland Pacific Airlines soon commenced operations flying services connecting Brisbane to Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Blackwater, Biloela / Thangool, Newcastle and Coolangatta.

In March 1991, Queensland Pacific Airlines ceased operations.  In April 1991, the four Mohawk 298 aircraft were either sold or leased to Southern Pacific Regional Airlines which eventually commenced operations between Brisbane and Gladstone and Bundaberg.

During their years with Queensland Pacific and then Southern Pacific Regional Airlines, some of the Mohawks were periodically leased to Par Avion Tasmania, for services between Launceston, Devonport and Essendon, and to Ansett Express in Sydney, for services between Sydney, Dubbo and Tamworth.

In April 1993, Southern Pacific Regional Airlines ceased operations, and the four Mowhawk aircraft were eventually auctioned off and purchased by the United Kingdom (UK) based Majestic Group.  They were then registered to start-up airline Majestic Airways, who commenced operations in May 1994 with flights between Brisbane and Hervey Bay, Gladstone, and Bundaberg (where VH-HEI is pictured below in 1994).

Within a year though, Majestic Airways ceased operations and the Mohawk 298 aircraft were all eventually struck off the Australia register.

Today, only one of the four Mowhawk 298 aircraft remains in-tact with VH-HIX on display at the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra (as shown below).

VH-HIX is displayed in full Queensland Pacific colours.  The remaining three aircraft were all stripped of usable parts and then scuttled to become marine filling on the Great Barrier Reef.