Alliance Airlines Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Charters at Emerald Airport Thursday‏ Link to Hervey Bay

Quite possibly three Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 charters popped into Emerald Airport on Thursday 8 March.


It looks like the recently launched FIFO charter from Emerald to Brisbane via Hervey Bay operated Thursday, and will operate every second Thursday. The inbound Brisbane to Emerald via Hervey Bay operates every second Monday - the next flight should be this Monday 12 March. It looks like F-100 VH-XWR operated the UTY4583 flight to Brisbane on Thursday.

Also noted was F-100 VH-FKF, which positioned to Emerald before flying to Brisbane as UTY2241. VH-FKF is pictured later in the day at Rockhampton.


I also believe that F-100 VH-FKG operated UTY7656/7657 on another Brisbane to Emerald to Brisbane FIFO charter as well. That made three Alliance FIFO departures on Thursday.

There was also a Brindabella Airlines Metro charter to Emerald Airport on Thursday too, although I don't have a rego.

Lastly, Regional Express (REX) SAAB 340, VH-ZXS, also operated a FIFO flight from Emerald to Brisbane in the morning after arriving the night before. It is pictured at Emerald Airport earlier in the week.

Thursday Afternoon Spotting at Rockhampton Airport

A nice afternoon of plane spotting was spent at Rockhampton Airport on Thursday 8 March.


As shown parked on the apron was Australian Customs Service / Surveillance Australia Dash-8-200 VH-ZZB. The aircraft is operated by Cobham Aviation.


Of the commercial movements... Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-FKF operated QLK2358/2359 on behalf of QantasLink.


Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 VH-VUI (still in Virgin Blue colours) operated VOZ 1245/1248 from and back to Brisbane.




Also QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 aircraft VH-QOD and VH-QOH were noted passing through. VH-QOH still wears its Breast Cancer Awareness and Research Colour Scheme.



Several other light aircraft caught our attention on the General Aviation side of Rockhampton Airport including: Locally-based American Champion Aircraft (Amchamp) 8KCAB Decathlon VH-CWU.


McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company 369E VH-SUV of Aeropower.


Beech A36 VH-MMB of Peace Aviation.


Lastly, AeroCommander 500-U VH-YJU of General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) is pictured arriving from Gladstone on its nightly freight run.

Virgin Australia to Launch Third Flight to Emerald Airport During Weekdays

Virgin Australia has added a third flight between Emerald and Brisbane to operate on weekdays from Monday 2 April.


The flight arrives into Emerald from Brisbane as DJ1259 at 1440, and departs for Brisbane as DJ1260 at 1510.


The launch of this third flight coincides with Virgin taking delivery of a further two ATR 72-500's - VH-FVU and VH-FVX - which Skywest Airlines operates for Virgin on regional sectors in Queensland and New South Wales.

The delivery of these aircraft is also causing speculation about further services to Gladstone and Rockhampton as well. We shall wait and see!

New Virgin Australia Boeing B737 Visits Rockhampton Airport on First Day of Operation

Virgin Australia's newest Boeing B737-800, VH-YFG, was noted at Rockhampton Airport on Wednesday 7 March operating VOZ1245/1248 from and back to Brisbane. It was this particular aircraft's first day of revenue service with Virgin.

Emerald Airport on Monday

Another trip to Emerald Airport, this time on Monday 5 March. First plane noted was QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 VH-QOX which was photographed as it departed as QLK2411 which was delayed by a couple of hours.


Shortly after, QantasLink Dash-8-Q300 VH-TQK arrived as QLK2453, which is a Moranbah to Brisbane RPT service. I soon discovered that it had diverted to Emerald solely to take on fuel.



There was reportedly another diversion to Emerald Airport earlier in the day with a Longreach to Brisbane flight also landing for fuel.

Later on the commercial front, Virgin Australia ATR 72-500 VH-FVI arrived from and departed back to Brisbane.



Regional Express (REX) SAAB 340 VH-ZXS arrived from Brisbane on a fly-in fly-out (FIFO) charter and parked on the apron for the night. This is a new schedule that REX operate for Aergo, and will see a REX SAAB arrive every evening of each week day and depart the next morning - except for thursday afternoons and on Tuesday where it will return to Brisbane. There is also a return charter early on a Wednesday morning.


Another FIFO flight into Emerald Airport on Monday, saw Barrier Aviation AeroCommander 500-S VH-WRG arrive, refuel and then depart to the North.


Later, Toll Freight Aviation Metro III Expeditor VH-UZI departed for Thangool as "Toll Freight 111".


Also Argyle Charter Pilatus PC-12/45 VH-WPH - which is pictured parked on the freight apron - later took off after sunset and operated several circuits.

Resource Rich Central Queensland Towns Credited With Record Brisbane Airport Growth

The South East Queensland Aviation Blog has reported that in the year from February 2011 to January 2012, Brisbane Airport reached 200,308 movements for the 12 months. Moreover, The first month of this year handled a 8.3% increase over the same month last year.

In terms of passengers, there was a 10.9 per cent rise in January passenger numbers to hit 1.75 million, and domestic passenger growth reached double digits for the first time since February 2008, with a 12.1 per cent rise on last year.

Some of the big jump in Brisbane's figures has been attributable to the impact last year of the Queensland floods, but the strong growth in regional Queensland flying, including the introduction of Virgin Australia's ATR 72-500 propjet services to Gladstone and Emerald, has also played a role.

In addition to Virgin's new services, QantasLink has added a further 50,000 seats compared with January 2011, which also saw strong capacity growth on the resource-related ports in Central Queensland, including Rockhampton, Moranbah, Gladstone, Townsville, Mackay, Emerald, and Roma.

The record growth is expected to continue this year with QantasLink launching Boeing B717-200 jet services throughout Central Queensland on Thursday 15 March, while with the introduction of another ATR 72-500 into their fleet, Virgin are also expected to launch additional services to Emerald from April. Virgin also recently launched additional jet services to Rockhampton and Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast.

Friday's Highlights from Rockhampton Airport - QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 in Special Colours and Airline of Virgin Blue Boeing B737-800

A spectacular and highly enjoyable plane spotting day was had at Rockhampton Airport on Friday 2 March. First up, QantasLink (Cobham Aviation-operated) Boeing B717-200 VH-NXN popped into Rockhampton Airport briefly again using the flight number QFA6272.



It is pictured arriving from, and soon after, departing back to Brisbane. The B717-200 is expected to return to Rockhampton, as well as Gladstone, on Monday 4 March, when it will again operate crew training flights.

Noted at Rockhampton Airport later in the day was Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100s VH-XWR and VH-FKF, which were both operating on behalf of QantasLink.



Meanwhile, QantasLink itself operated its specially coloured Dash-8-Q400 through Rockhampton in the afternoon. VH-QOI carries a special colour scheme that celebrates 40 years of the Tamworth Country Music Festival.


Also noted was Virgin Australia Boeing B737-800 VH-VUM. This aircraft features a modified Pacific Blue livery and wears 'Airline of Virgin Blue' titles - which incidentally have been recently modified - see photo from 2011 HERE.


Lastly, on the General Aviation apron, Whitsunday Helicopter Group Bell 206 (III) VH-SWI arrived and seemed to be parking for the night.


What a great day - and how lucky were the Rockhampton Spotters today!

Clermont Aerodrome's Recently Installed Lighting Looks Good!

I recently took a couple of late night drives out to Clermont Aerodrome (in between the storms!), and managed to capture a couple of images of visiting and overnighting Skytrans Dash-8's under the new lighting that has been installed late last year as a part of the Aerodrome upgrade.



I think the place looks quite nice - and the local ground crew appreciate the extra illumination too!

QantasLink Boeing B717 and a new Virgin Australia B737 at Rockhampton Airport Thursday

A couple of nice visitors at Rockhampton Airport on Thursday 1 March that were caught on film by our roving reporters!

Firstly, QantasLink Boeing B717-200 VH-NXN visited from Brisbane. The Cobham Aviation-operated B717 was in town on a training flight and to familiarise the Rockhampton Airport ground crew with the aircraft before scheduled services start on Thursday 15 March.



VH-NXN was reportedly at Gladstone Airport on Wednesday 29 February, and the aircraft is expected to be back in both Rockhampton and Gladstone on Friday 2 March.

Later on Thursday, Virgin Australia's latest Boeing B737-800 to enter service, VH-YIG paid Rockhampton a visit on the VOZ1245/1248 afternoon service from and back to Brisbane. VH-YIG has also been noted at Mackay Airport this week.

Moranbah Airport Redevelopment Continues

Recently, I went to Moranbah Airport and had a quick look at how the $46 million upgrade project is progressing.


Works are continuing on a new terminal, while a large sectioned off area from the airport apron to the nearby main Moranbah Access Road, is being turned into a fully-surfaced 100 plus car and bus parking area for the public. The current dirt-road carpark is still operational, and now has sealed walkways, essential during the storm and rainy season!



A new airport road intersection has also been added to the Moranbah Access Road to improve safety and airport access.

On the aiport apron itself, I observed three new parking bays that have been marked on the tarmac - as well as the Runway which has also been resurfaced last year. Parked on one of the bays was QantasLink (Sunstate Airlines) Dash-8-Q400 VH-QOB which has just arrived from Brisbane. Light aircraft were parked behind the Dash-8.



Currently QantasLink operate a mixture of Dash-8-Q300 and Q400 aircraft to Moranbah from both Brisbane and Townsville as much as 40 times per week, although this could increase to as many as 50 weekly arrivals in Moranbah by June 2012.

Meanwhile a Moranbah Airport-bound Skytrans Dash-8 was forced to return to Cairns on Saturday 25 February after being struck by lightning twice shortly after take-off. The charter was carrying the Northern Pride QRL team to Moranbah to play a trial game.