Pro-Sky Flight Training Evektor Sportstar 24-8995 Makes a Return to Gladstone Airport

Evektor Sportstar 24-8995 of the Pro-Sky Flight Training Group made a surprise visit to Gladstone Airport recently, touching down last Tuesday 24 March.

Local plane spotters Jamie and Tash noted that the Sportstar made a couple of arrivals and departures on what looked to be training flights before it departed (presumably) home to Maryborough on Wednesday 25 March.

Until recently, Pro-Sky Flight Training provided regular RA-Aus flight training at Gladstone Airport.  Current students can continue with their training until they are awarded with an Recreational Pilots Certificate.

To learn more about RA-Aus flying training with Pro-Sky at their Maryborough base - or even Bundaberg or Gympie - you can phone Chief Instructor Russell Middleton directly on 0439 867 131, or click onto the following link:  http://www.pro-sky.com.au

Thanks to Jamie and Tash for sending through these great photos!

All photos taken by Jamie and Tash  ©

Rockhampton Airport Monday - Part Three - Australian Army MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopters A40-014 & A40-024 Arrive

Capping off a great day of plane spotting on Monday 30 March was the arrival of a pair of Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopters from Townsville.  The two choppers - identified as A40-014 and A40-024 - arrived together as "Destria Black". 

After parking on the Northern hardstand at Rockhampton Airport, it appeared as though they were preparing to stay for the night.

Again, sincere thanks to local plane spotter 'IAD' for venturing to Rockhampton Airport throughout Monday to capture these awesome images, and for taking the time to send them through!

All photos taken by 'IAD'  ©

Rockhampton Airport Monday - Part Two - South Australian RFDS PC-12 VH-FVF & Mt Isa RFDS King Air VH-FDG

Over the last few days, we've noted a 'different' King Air flying around Central Queensland for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).  Early on Monday 30 March, local plane spotter 'IAD' was fortunate enough to capture this particular King Air in the form of (usually) Mount Isa-based Hawker Beechcraft B200 VH-FDG.

VH-FDG usually operates between Cairns and the Cape and out to Mount Isa - indeed it was note wearing 'RFDS Mount Isa' sticker.  It uses the radio callsign of "FlyDoc 456".

Meanwhile, a very interesting and rare RFDS aircraft touched down at Rockhampton Airport on Monday 30 March with South Australian-based Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-FVF calling in directly from Adelaide.

The RFDS Central Section PC-12 looked to be staying for the night at Rocky - and its reasons for visiting the beef capital are unknown at this stage.

Some more great photos from 'IAD' and we again thank him sincerely for sending them through!

All photos taken by 'IAD'  ©

Rockhampton Airport Monday - Part One - Alliance Airlines F-70 VH-JFE for Virgin Australia

Making a surprise visit to Rockhampton Airport early on Monday 30 March was Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 VH-JFE.  It was noted to operating for Virgin Australia, flying is as VOZ1231 from Brisbane.

It later departed back to Brisbane, again for Virgin as VOZ1234.  Of interest, VH-JFE has since positioned over the West Australia and is now operating flights for Alliance in the West!

Meanwhile, locally-based Eurocopter AS.350BA Squirrel helicopter VH-WHW was spotted making an early morning departure to parts unknown also on Monday 30 March.

Stay tuned for a couple more posts from Rockhampton Airport on Monday 30 March - it turned out to be a great day!

Thanks to local plane spotter 'IAD' for sending through these great photos!

All photos taken by 'IAD'  ©

Some Great Photos as QantasLink Cuts Dash-8-Q300 Services to Hamilton Island and Other CQ Airports

In what has been seen as a cost cutting measure, Qantas/QantasLink has shed four Dash-8-Q300 turboprop aircraft and closed down its Perth-based Dash-8-Q400 pilot base from Sunday 29 March.  The net result will see the QantasLink Dash-8 fleet work harder in a bid to cut costs.

From Sunday, services including some into CQ Airports - Cairns to Hamilton Island, Horn Island, Townsville and Weipa, Townsville to Mt Isa, Mackay, Brisbane to Emerald and Newcastle, and between Mackay and Rockhampton Airports - will experience an increase in capacity as 74-seat Dash-8-Q400s will replace the 50-seat Dash-8-Q300s currently on these routes.

The FNQ Skies Blog was on hand on Saturday 28 March to capture the arrival of the final Dash-8-Q300 service into Cairns from Weipa which was operated by VH-SCE.  VH-SCE had earlier operated the final Dash-8-Q300 service into Hamilton Island from Cairns.  The upgauge of the Cairns routes would also result in the closure of QantasLink’s Dash-8-Q300 pilot base in the city.

Also on Saturday 28 March, Dash-8-Q300s VH-TQD and VH-SBW were noted operating the morning and afternoon South-bound 'milk-run' flights from Cairns to Brisbane via Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone, marking the final visit of the type into these ports.

Gladstone plane spotters Jamie and Tash have also sent through some great photos of various QantasLink Dash-8-Q300s to pass through the industrial city in recent days.

Of interest, QantasLink is also establishing a Dash-8-Q300 base in Adelaide, with a new route expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Thanks to the FNQ Skies Blog for allowing us to share their great photo.  And thanks to Jamie and Tash for sending through some awesome photos of the classic Dash-8-Q300s that have recently passed through Gladstone Airport.

Photos taken by FNQ Skies Blog and Jamie & Tash  ©

Bond Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A Helicopter VH-NYW Ferries Through Longreach Airport

The local Qantas Founders Museum has shared a great photo of the big Bond Helicopters Sikorsky S-92A helicopter VH-NYW which passed through Longreach Airport on Saturday 28 March while on a ferry flight 'home' to the Northern Territory.

VH-NYW flew in from Brisbane and after taking on fuel, it departing to Mount Isa.

Photo taken by Qantas Founders Museum  ©

Malaysian Diamond DA42-VI Twin Star 9M-MDI Calls into Hamilton Island Airport

Malaysian-based Diamond DA42-VI Twin Star 9M-MDI arrived at Hamilton Island Airport from the Gold Coast on Friday 27 March.

Matt Hayes / http://nzcivair.blogspot.com.au/

The cute little twin - which is also ugly to some! - had flown into the Gold Coast from Auckland earlier in the week.

The New Zealand (NZ) Civil Aircraft Blog (http://nzcivair.blogspot.com.au/) reported in December that the Diamond is owned by Malaysian Die Casting Industries - hence the registration!

Meanwhile, one other notable - but now frequent - visitor to Hamo was Shortstop Jet Charter British Aerospace BAe-125-1000B bizjet VH-LMP which called in twice this week on Wednesday 25 March and again on Saturday 28 March, both times from Melbourne (Essendon) Airport.  At the time of writing, it remains parked on Hamo.

A Couple of Comings and Goings at Mackay Airport This Week

There's been a couple of nice and interesting movements in and out of Mackay Airport over the last few days including Toowoomba-based Wolff Aviation Hawker Beechcraft C90GTi VH-VWG calling in on Friday 27 March.

The smart-looking little turbo-prop later departed back to Toowoomba.

Another interesting lightie to call into Mackay Airport this week - well with an interesting registration anyway - was Brisbane-based Piper PA-30 VH-ZOO.

File photo

The Twin Comanche arrived from Archerfield on Thursday 26 March and departed back to Archerfield on Saturday 28 March.

Also on Thursday 26 March, QantasLink (Cobham Aviation) Boeing B717-200 VH-YQS made a surprise arrival operating the scheduled QJE1768 service from Brisbane.  We've mentioned a few times that VH-YQS is in a 2-class configuration with 110 seats, along with Q-Streaming - Qantas' wireless entertainment system.  VH-YQS later departed back to Brisbane as QJE1769.

One final interesting arrival on Thursday 26 March, but under the cover of darkness, Toll Freight Aviation ATR 42-300F VH-TOQ called in from Cairns as TFX19.  The ATR usually visits in the early morning, but on this occasion, it called into Mackay on its way to Brisbane due to the unserviceability of a Toll Metro.

The new locally-based Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 bizjet N142GZ has performed another flight. heading to Brisbane on Wednesday 25 March and returning home to Mackay on Friday 27 March.

Another bizjet to call into Mackay on Friday 27 March was the Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra VH-PSU, which called in during a busy day of flying up and down the Queensland coast on prisoner transfer duties.  Of interest, VH-PSU called into Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport earlier in the week on Wednesday 25 March.

Finally, today, on Saturday 28 March, Surveillance Australia / Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Cobham Aviation) Dash-8-200 VH-ZZJ called into Mackay from Cairns after completing an aerial surveillance sortie as "Customs 88".

Flight tracking website Flightaware indicates that VH-ZZJ is departing Mackay and returning to Mackay during the morning on Sunday 29 March.

Photos taken by 'AC'  ©

Cessna Aircraft Corp Cessna 208B/EX Caravan N588EX Calls into Emerald Airport

An interesting visitor into Emerald Airport late on Thursday 26 March was Cessna Aircraft Corp Cessna 208B/EX Caravan N588EX.  It arrived from Burketown and later departed to Archerfield.

Alec Wilson / http://www.flickr.com/

N588EX looks to be on a delivery flight South having flown into Darwin from Kupang (Indonesia) the previous day, and flying onto Bankstown this evening on Friday 27 March.

Meanwhile, Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70s VH-JFB and VH-JFE made visits to Emerald Airport this week on Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights, while on the lighter side, Vanderfield (Toowoomba) Lancair IV VH-LKG called in on Friday 27 March and Pekal Aviation of Boggabilla (NSW) Partenavia P.68B VH-JQM called in last Sunday 22 March.