Redcliffe Aero Club Fly-away to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport - Plus a Bizjet Last Week!

The Redcliffe Aero Club held a fly-away to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport on Sunday 21 February.  At least four of the club's aircraft were noted participating including Piper PA-28-181 Archer VH-FRF, along with Cessna 172s VH-RAQ, VH-IVW and VH-YRE.

http://www.redcliffeaeroclub.com.au/

Meanwhile, as reported on our Facebook page, last Thursday 18 February, Business Aviation Solutions Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Challenger 604 bizjet VH- BLM called into Hervey Bay briefly from the Gold Coast.  It returned there shortly after.

Chinese-based Hanergy Jet Gulfstream G550 Bizjet B-8256 - Plus More - At Hamilton Island Airport

A surprise and certainly most welcome visitor to Hamilton Island Airport early on Sunday 21 February was Chinese registered Hanergy Jet Gulfstream Aerospace G-V-SP (Gulfstream G550) bizjet B-8256.  It touched down from Cairns, where it arrived from Beijing (China) the previous day.

Fellow Hanergy G550 B-8131 visited Hamo early last week also from Beijing and Cairns.

After presumably picking up passengers, the beautiful Gulfstream departed back to Cairns before later returning home to Beijing.

Meanwhile, a little later on Sunday 21 February, Marcplan Charter Embraer EMB-135BJ Legacy bizjet VH-VLT was also noted visiting Hamilton Island Airport.  It looked to touch down from Melbourne (Essendon) Airport.

Finally, Balmoral Air Dassault Falcon 2000LX bizjet VH-WIO visited Hamilton Island once again last week, touching down from Bankstown on Wednesday 17 February and departing back there late on Thursday 18 February.

File photo taken by Far North Queensland Skies Blog  ©

Queensland Government Hawker 850XP Bizjet VH-SGY Calls into Rockhampton Airport Saturday

On Saturday 20 February, the Queensland Government Raytheon Hawker 850XP bizjet VH-SGY was captured arriving into Rockhampton Airport from Brisbane by local plane spotter 'IAD'.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was on board and came to Rockhampton as a part of the one-year anniversary after severe tropical cyclone Marcia passed through the beef capital during February 2015.

Rockhampton Airport after TC Marcia  (http://www.facebook.com/cyclonewatchaus)

Rockhampton Airport after TC Marcia  (http://www.facebook.com/cyclonewatchaus)

After several hours on the ground, VH-SGY returned to Brisbane.

Thanks to 'IAD' for taking the time to capture and send through these great photos!

All photos taken by 'IAD'  ©

Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 VH-CXJ Called into Gladstone Airport Saturday

Careflight Queensland (Aeromed) LearJet 45 VH-CXJ called into Gladstone Airport during the afternoon on Saturday 20 February on what looked to be another important med-evac flight.  On this occasion, it called in from Brisbane.

File photo taken by 'AC'  ©

VH-CXJ later departed back to Brisbane.  It was noted using its 'usual' radio callsign of "Ambulance 452".

A Pair of Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 Jets Divert to Gladstone Airport while enroute to Brisbane

While we were all sleeping in the wee small hours of Saturday 20 February, locals and us at the CQ Plane Spotting Blog alike were surprised to hear that a pair of Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 jets landed at Gladstone Airport.  Both aircraft were operating services to Brisbane and were forced to divert to the port city due to a line of nasty storms and rain showers that were passing through Brisbane.

File photo taken by Anthony Schulz  ©

The aircraft and flights involved were VH-YFK (shown above at Gladstone during a previous scheduled visit) which was operating as VOZ471 from Perth to Brisbane, while VH-YIW was operating VOZ44 from Denpasar (Bali) to Brisbane.  With the arrival of VH-YIW, it is believed that this was first ever arrival of an international flight into Gladstone Airport - certainly the first arrival of an international Regular Public Transport (RPT) flight.

Reports suggest that both aircraft were initially diverting to Rockhampton however the decision was made to divert to Gladstone.

After both aircraft took on fuel, they both departed to and landed successfully at Brisbane Airport.

Vistajet Bombardier Global 6000 Bizjet 9H-IGH Departs Mackay Airport

9H-IGH parked on the Mackay Airport apron earlier in the week

On Friday 19 February, the beautiful Vistajet Bombardier BD-700-1A10 Global 6000 bizjet 9H-IGH departed Mackay Airport for Cairns.  Local aviator Kevin P was at the right place at the right time to capture some photos on his phone as it departed from Mackay's Runway 32.

9H-IGH had arrived at Mackay last Saturday 13 February from Hamilton Island, Townsville and Malé International Airport in the Maldives.  It was noted using the flight number/callsign of 'VJT880'.

Meanwhile, locally-based Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 bizjet N142GZ departed Mackay Airport for Brisbane also on Friday 19 February.

UPDATE!  N142GZ has returned to Mackay Airport from Brisbane late on Sunday 21 February.

Photos taken by Thomas O'Rourke and Kevin Patroni  ©

Torres Strait Air AeroCommander 500-S VH-EXC Returns North again via Rockhampton Airport

Much to my surprise, Torres Strait Air AeroCommander 500-S VH-EXC called back into Rockhampton Airport on Friday 19 February, this time heading home to Cairns following a reported 100-hour service at Archerfield.

VH-EXC had flown South on Monday 15 February - more great photos of its visit were posted HERE.

Meanwhile, also calling into Rockhampton Airport on Friday 19 February was Wolff Aviation Hawker Beechcraft C90GTi VH-VWG which called in from Moranbah and later departed to its Toowoomba base.

And the Queensland Police Service (Airwing) Raytheon B1900D VH-PSK was also noted at Rocky - and other places - on Friday 19 February after a period of time seemingly 'offline' at Cairns.

File photo taken by Trevor Hardsman  ©

Hawker Beechcraft 350i Super King Air N841KA Spotted at Gladstone Airport

On Friday 19 February, Hawker Beechcraft 350i Super King Air N841KA was spotted on the ground at Gladstone Airport.

The Super King Air arrived from Brisbane, via airwork around Maryborough.

N841KA then took to the air and was noted completing airwork around Gladstone before it eventually returned to Brisbane.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 19 February, Bundaberg-based CromAir Cessna 414A VH-CBT also called into Gladstone Airport operating a flight from Bundaberg and back.

All photos taken by Col  ©

Air Link (Dubbo) PA-31s Pass Through Longreach Airport - VH-DVW Heads North - VH-DVR Heads South

After operating several flights between Normanton and Mornington Island in recent weeks, Air Link Piper PA-31-350 VH-DVR flew back South to its Dubbo base from Normanton, flying via Longreach and Charleville Airports on Wednesday 17 February.

VH-DVR at Brisbane  (File photo)

It appears that it was replaced by fellow Air Link Navajo VH-DVW which flew North from Dubbo to Normanton, also via Charleville and Longreach, on Monday 15 February.  VH-DVW has since also been noted operating flights between Normanton and Mornington Island.

Great Photos of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7DT(BBJ) A36-001 at Bundaberg Airport Tuesday

As we've reported, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull - plus other Ministers of Federal Parliament - toured North and Central Queensland this week and on Tuesday 16 February they ventured from Rockhampton to Bundaberg to attend several engagements.  PM Turnbull and entourage travelled on board Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7DT(BBJ) A36-001 which local plane spotter Micah S captured at Bundaberg Airport.

A36-001 flew as "Consort 36" on the hop from Rocky to Bundy and was captured by Micah as it sat on the Bundaberg Airport apron soon after its arrival.

Later, around sunset, PM Turnbull and entourage returned to Bundaberg Airport and "Consort 36" departed to Brisbane soon after.

Some stunning photos captured by Micah - we thank him sincerely for sharing them with us!

All photos taken by Micah S  ©