A Few Interesting Light GA Movements - And a Bizjet - At Emerald Airport Over the Last Week

There's been a few interesting light General Aviation (GA) arrivals and departures at Emerald Airport over the last week - although one surprise visitor on Saturday 22 August was in the form of Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-KXL of Edwards Coaches.

VH-KXL at Emerald Airport (File photo)

The little Citation initially made the short hop from its Armidale base to Inverell before flying North to Emerald.  VH-KXL returned to Inverell in the early evening.

Another interesting arrival into Emerald on Saturday 22 August was an unidentified Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 which touched down from Winton.  "Hinterland 440" seems to be on a tour of some sort that started at Cairns and has also called into Cloncurry amongst other places.  It departed to Ingelara after about an hour on the ground.

At the time of writing, "HND440" looks to be calling back into Emerald on Monday 24 August.

A pair of 'familiar' Mooneys were also noted calling into Emerald on Saturday 22 August with M20J VH-DTC making its weekly visit from Townsville, while M20R VH-OKC called in from Archerfield and Bundaberg.  Both have since departed.

Meanwhile, a couple of interesting visitors to Emerald Airport during the week included Cessna 208 Caravan VH-PTX of the 'Skydive the Beach Group' of Woollongong.  On Thursday 20 August, it called in from Cairns and departed to Coffs Harbour and Woollongong.

VH-PTX at Barwon Heads in Victoria in April  (File photo)

VH-PTX actually passed through Emerald on Monday 17 August while positioning North to operate in Cairns and Tully for part of the week.

Also on Thursday 20 August, West Wing Aviation Pilatus Britten-Norman BN2A-21 Islander VH-WQA called in from Archerfield and departed to Cairns presumably after a maintenance lay-up.

File photo taken by Dave  ©

Finally, last Friday 14 August, Australian Helicopters Bell 412EP VH-PXY passed through Emerald from Rockhampton and onto Longreach, Trepell and Mount Isa.  It has since flown onward to Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Another Weekend of Awesome Bizjet Movements at Hamilton Island Airport

Over the weekend, yet more lovely corporate turbo-prop and bizjets touched down at Hamilton Island Airport as Hamilton Island Race Week has drawn to an end for another year.

After arriving on Hamo last weekend, Balmoral Air (actually operated for Hamilton Island's owner, and well-known vineyard owner, Bob Oatley) Dassault Falcon 2000LX bizjet VH-WIO departed to Bankstown on Saturday 22 August.  It then returned to Hamo before returning to Bankstown on Sunday 23 August.

Perhaps the nicest - and newest - bizjet to call into Hamo was News Corporation Gulfstream Aerospace G-VI Gulfstream G650ER bizjet N898NC which called back in from Cairns on Saturday 22 August.

It departed later to the South.

Also captured on Saturday after arriving on Friday 21 August was Trump Aviation / Australian Corporate Jet Centres 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-WFE.

It looks to be still parked at Hamo.

On Sunday 23 August, CML Aviation Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 900XP bizjet VH-NKD called into Hamilton Island briefly from Sydney.  It later departed to Cairns.

And also on Sunday 23 August, Business Aviation Solutions Cessna 650 Citation VII bizjet VH-DHN called into Hamo from its Gold Coast base.

Finally, Wagga Wagga based SOCATA TBM-850 VH-PVM called into Hamilton Island from there on Saturday 22 August.  It departed back to Wagga Wagga via Bankstown on Sunday 23 August.

My sincere thanks to the locally-based and Sydney Airport Flyways plane spotters for sharing their great images with us!

You can check out and like the Sydney Airport Flyways Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/SydneyAirportFlyways

Photos taken by Sydney Airport Flyways and 'AC'  ©

Aerorescue (AMSA) Dornier 328-100 VH-PPV "Rescue 441" Also at Mackay Airport Last Weekend

Last Sunday 16 August - and while the Mackay Aero Club's Wings and Wheels Day was well and truly underway - Aerorescue (AMSA - Australian Maritime Safety Authority) / Aero Pearl Dornier 328-100 VH-PPV "Rescue 441" was captured visiting Mackay Airport.

It was believed to have been tasked on a possible search and rescue mission off the coast around the Whitsundays.

After landing for a couple of hours and taking on fuel, VH-PPV departed back to its Cairns base.

Of interest, VH-PPV was also tasked to perform a search off Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays on Wednesday 19 August but looked to return to Cairns rather than land at Mackay.

Thanks to 'AC' for capturing and sending through these great photos!

All photos taken by 'AC'  ©

A Few Photos of Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 Bizjet N142GZ at Mackay Airport Last Weekend

Also last weekend, Mackay Airport based Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 bizjet N142GZ operated a series of flights between Mackay and Rockhampton (and sometimes beyond).

Local plane spotter 'AC' was on hand at various times and has sent through some great photos of the sleek Embraer bizjet as it both arrived and departed at Mackay.

N142GZ now resides in a hangar on the Western General Aviation (GA) side of Mackay Airport, although before this was completed, it was parked on the apron in the open.  'AC' also tried his hand at capturing a couple of night-time photos - I think the results are stunning!

Sincere thanks to 'AC' for taking the time to capture and send through these awesome photos!

All photos taken by 'AC'  ©

Stunning Photos as Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 Bizjet VH-CXJ Popped into Mackay Airport Last Weekend

Last Saturday 15 August, Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 VH-CXJ called into Mackay Airport on a med-evac flight from Townsville.

While it was on the ground at Mackay Airport, 'AC' was able to capture some great photos of sleek bizjet.

Shortly before dusk, the patient that required transport was loaded, and the crew re-joined the aircraft, before VH-CXJ departed Mackay for Brisbane.

VH-CXJ was again heard to use its usual callsign of "Ambulance 452".

Thanks to 'AC' for capturing and sending through these stunning photos!

All photos taken by 'AC'  ©

A Few Other Plane Spotting Photos from Rockhampton Airport Over This Last Week

It's been a spectacular week of plane spotting action at Rockhampton Airport over the last week with the trio of bizjets that arrived on Tuesday 18 August undoubtedly the highlight - see our Blog Post HERE!  

Local plane spotters have been kind enough to send through some awesome images of these bizjets, and more interesting light General Aviation (GA) aircraft and a couple of helicopters, that have called into Rockhampton Airport over the last week.

The bizjet action on Tuesday started with Chinese registered Gulfstream Aerospace G-V-SP Gulfstream G550 B-8137 touching down from Shanghai and Cairns.  It departed on Thursday 20 August for Melbourne (Tullamarine).  B-8137 was joined by Linfox Express Charter / Air National Australia Canadair CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 VH-LEF.  The smart little challenger - which is usually based at Melbourne (Essendon) - arrived from Darwin.  It later departed to Brisbane and Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport.  And finally, Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 N142GZ touched down from its Mackay base and departed to the Sunshine Coast.

Also touching down at Rockhampton Airport this week was Basair Australia (of Bankstown) Cessna  152 VH-WWM which arrived from Mackay on Monday 17 August.  It later departed to Kingaroy and Archerfield.

Also on Monday 17 August, Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) Hawker Beechcraft B200 VH-FDG was captured departing on yet another med-evac mission as "FlyDoc 456".

Surveillance Australia / Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Cobham Aviation) Dash-8-202 VH-ZZA was spotted at various times during the week parked on the Northern end of the Rockhampton Airport apron and also operating sorties out of and back to the beef capital.

Early on Wednesday 19 August, local plane spotter 'IAD' captured Australian Helicopters-operated Bell 412 VH-LSY parked at Rocky.  This is the 'operational spare' helicopter that is utilised by both Rockhampton-based Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service (CHRS) and Mackay-based Central Queensland Rescue (CQ Rescue) Helicopter Service.

It appears that (at the time of writing) VH-LSY has taken over operations for the CHRS as "Rescue 300" while their usual Australian Helicopters-operated Bell 412EP VH-EPR has been noted undergoing maintenance inside the CHRS hangar at Rockhampton Airport.

Later on Wednesday 19 August, Vanderfield Pilatus PC-12/47 VH-WPH  flew in from its Toowoomba base via Theodore.  After some time on the ground, VH-WPH departed back to Theodore and then Toowoomba.

Finally, on Thursday 20 August, Cirrus SR22 VH-OBT was captured on the ground at Rockhampton prior to departing on a local flight.  The smart little Cirrus is locally registered.

While Bishopp Aviation SOCATA TBM700 VH-VSV was also noted at Rockhampton Airport on Thursday 20 August after arriving from Archerfield.  It later departed to Gladstone and the Sunshine Coast before returning to Archerfield.

Sincere thanks to the local Rockhampton plane spotters for sending through their awesome photos of these great movements at Rockhampton Airport over the last week!

Photos taken by Don Williams, Kayanne Hardsman, 'IAD' and Jan Rebello  ©