Air Link (Dubbo) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang Bizjet VH-SEQ Spotted at Rockhampton Airport - Plus More!

On Monday 25 September, Air Link (Dubbo) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-SEQ was spotted visiting Rockhampton Airport.

It looked to arrive from and then later depart back to Archerfield.

While Bowenville (near Toowoomba) based Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ bizjet VH-JSZ flew up from Archerfield to Natal Downs and then across to the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour and then back to Archerfield. 

Multiquip Poultry / Navair Flight Operations Embraer EMB-500 Phenom 100EV bizjet VH-MQX as "Navair 187" flew up from Bankstown to Hamilton Island Airport before it then flew down to Bourke and Bendigo. 

And the locally-based Embraer EMB-550 Legacy 500 bizjet N142GZ flew up to Mackay Airport from Gold Coast.  It looks to have flown down the previous day.

Meanwhile, also on Monday 25 September, Microflite Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-8MF departed the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour for Melbourne (Moorabbin).  It had originally arrived from there last Monday 18 September and completed a flight from Shute to the Sunshine Coast and Mildura and back last Friday 22 September.

Re-registered Poolhurst Aviation Air Charter Services Pilatus PC-12/47E VH-PDE visited Planet Downs from Archerfield.

Blue Sky Airways (Sydney) Piper PA-31-350 VH-MKC looked to arrive into Longreach Airport from Mount Isa and Devoncourt Station.  It then departed to Isisford.

UPDATE!  Over the next couple of days, VH-MKC looked to call into Middlemount, Emerald and Charters Towers Airports while continuing up to Far North Queensland and then into the Northern Territory.

Gulf Coast Aviation Cessna 206 VH-KQM also landed at Longreach Airport but from Moree before it then departed to Vanrook Station up near Normanton.

Link Airways (Corporate Air / Vee H Aviation) Cessna 441 Conquest VH-VEJ landed at Springsure Aerodrome from Brisbane and then later departed back to there. 

Brisbane-based Crockett Aviation Group Beech B200 King Air VH-FAQ as "Navair 173" visited the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site from Archerfield and the Sunshine Coast.

And McDermott Aviation Group / Machjet International Beech B200 King Airs VH-NSN as "Machflight 11" landed at Longreach Airport from Birdsville then departed to Cairns.  Plus Machjet International Beech B200 King Air VH-SUW as "Machflight 73" flew into Labona from the Sunshine Coast.

UPDATE!  Turns out VH-NSN "Machflight 11" did NOT depart to Cairns!  On Tuesday 26 September, it departed Longreach Airport for Eromanga before later returning to Longreach Airport and then departing to Cairns. 

And finally, also on Monday 25 September, Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-UQF flew down from Cairns and Townsville to Rockhampton Airport as "Qantas 7893/5" before then continuing to Brisbane as "Qantas 7897".

All photos taken by John Lee  ©️

Exercise Wallaby 2023 - Massive Monday of Heavy Jet Movements at Rockhampton Airport - Qantas A330-200 VH-EBM - Royal Brunei B787-8 Dreamliners V8-DLB & V8-DLA - Garuda Indonesia B777-300 PK-GIF

It was a massive day of heavy jet passenger charter flights in support of the Singapore Armed Forces Exercise Wallaby 2023 on Monday 25 September.

Perhaps the highlight was the first time visit by Qantas Airways Airbus A330-200 VH-EBM, which arrived from Sydney as QFA6003 and then proceeded to park on Bay Six on the Southern end of the Rockhampton Airport parking apron.

It loaded a flight of personnel and equipment, and then departed to Singapore’s Changi Airport as QFA315. The aircraft later positioned back to Sydney as QFA6016.

There was also a pair of Royal Brunei Airlines Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, including for the first time this year, VH-DLB, which arrived from Brunei and Singapore as RBA4271/2 and later departed back to Singapore as RBA4282.

While Dreamliner V8-DLA returned to Rockhampton Airport in the late afternoon from Singapore, this time as RBA4275.  After dark, it departed back to Singapore but as RBA4287.

These two Dreamliners are expected to return to Rockhampton Airport one more time on Tuesday 26 September.

Another return visitor to was Garuda Indonesia Boeing B777-3U3(ER) PK-GIF which once again visited Rockhampton Airport before dawn arriving from Jakarta and Singapore as GIA8242/7760 before then departing back to Jakarta as GIA7761.  It has since returned to Singapore and will yet again make an arrival at Rockhampton Airport before dawn on Tuesday 26 September.

Sincere thanks to the local plane spotters for taking the time to capture and send through these great photos of a couple of great visitors to Rockhampton Airport.

Photos taken by Steve Vit, John Lee and Ash Burggraaff  ©

Exercise Wallaby 2023 - Exciting Times as RSAF F-16D+ Fighting Falcon Jets Start Flying out of Rockhampton Airport - Plus More!

On Monday 25 September, the deployed Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) General Dynamics (Lockheed Martin) F-16D+ (F-16D Block 52+ Version) Fighting Falcon jets started flying out of Rockhampton Airport as the Singapore Armed Force's Exercise Wallaby 2023 (XWB23) hit top gear.

A number of local plane spotters and other curious onlookers were on hand as only two flights went out to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) and back to Rockhampton Airport - but via some diversion training down to RAAF Base Amberley and back.

The three F-16s that took to the air were '662' which used the radio callsign of "Hydra".

As well as '665' and '679' which used the radio callsign of "Trooper".

All three F-16s returned almost together as one flights during the very late afternoon.

It is anticipated that further flights by the F-16s will continue each day this week!

Meanwhile, other RSAF action, also on Monday 25 September, included the deployed C-130H Hercules transport aircraft '733' again completed sorties to and from the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) using the radio callsign of "Rider".

While a pair of RSAF Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopters flew out of Rockhampton Airport and 'Warriors Camp' adjacent to Rockhampton Airport as "Celtic".

And finally, on Sunday 24 September, two pairs of RSAF Boeing AH-64D Apache helicopters flew out of Rockhampton Airport and back as "Atom" and "Avon".

As shown, they made a spectacular arrival back at Rockhampton Airport right on dusk.

Be sure to stay tuned to the CQ Plane Spotting Blog for all the latest news and updates via our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/cqplanespotting/

Sincere thanks to the local plane spotters for sharing with us these great photos! 

Photos taken by Daniel Bishop, John Lee and Ash Burggraaff  ©️