Graham Aviation (Cairns) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang Bizjet VH-FNI at Hamilton Island Airport

Also on Saturday 22 May, Graham Aviation (Cairns) Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-FNI was noted departing Hamilton Island Airport.

File photo

It's exact movements are not fully known, but it looked to depart Hamo for Cairns and then its Mareeba base.

It is unclear when it arrived into Hamilton Island Airport.

Photo taken by Jonathan Williams  ©

Bowenville-based Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ Bizjet VH-JSZ Pops into Charters Towers Aerodrome

On Saturday 22 May, Bowenville (near Toowoomba) based Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1+ bizjet VH-JSZ was noted visiting Charters Towers Aerodrome. 

File photo

It arrived from and later departed back to Archerfield.

Photo taken by Steve Vit  ©

Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 Jet VH-KBX Calls into Hamilton Island Airport on Closed Charter

Making a rare visit to Central Queensland on Saturday 22 May was Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 jet VH-KBX.  It was noted arriving into Hamilton Island Airport on a closed charter flight as UTY572 from Melbourne and Sydney.

File photo

It appears that the Fokker F-70 is staying for at least the night on Hamo.

UPDATE!  On Tuesday 25 May, VH-KBX departed Hamilton Island Airport for Sydney and Melbourne as UTY571.

As we've mentioned previously, the Fokker F-70 jet VH-KBX previously flew with the Royal Netherlands Air Force / Government of the Netherlands as a VIP transport aircraft and carried the Dutch registration marking of PH-KBX. It arrived into Brisbane in August 2017 and entered the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-KBX soon after. VH-KBX looked to finally enter service in May 2019.

Nice!

Photo taken by 'AC'  ©

A Couple of Nice Bizjets Around CQ Airports

Friday 21 May proved to be a busy day with a nice selection of locally-based corporate bizjets coming and going at Central Queensland Airports.

Vanguard Aviation Cessna 525 CitationJet1 bizjet VH-DAA flew up from Archerfield to Mackay Airport before then continuing down to Rockhampton Airport.  A bit later it departed Rocky back to the Gold Coast.

Robert Myers / https://commons.wikimedia.org/

Some of the bizjets were noted visiting Hamilton Island Airport.  

Homada Pty Ltd Cessna 560XL Citation XLS bizjet VH-XCU flew up to Hamilton Island Airport from Melbourne (Moorabbin) via Melbourne (Essendon).

UPDATE!  On Saturday 22 May, VH-XCU flew from Hamilton Island Airport to Gove in the Northern Territory and back to Hamo.

UPDATE!  On Monday 24 May, VH-XCU departed Hamilton Island Airport and returned to Essendon and Moorabbin.  

Avcair (Avgunn) LearJet 60 bizjet VH-ILJ also visited Hamilton Island Airport from its Brisbane base.

Falconair (NSW) Dassault 900 Falcon Mystere bizjet VH-CAD also called into Hamilton Island Airport, arriving from Sydney and later departing to Adelaide.

Finally, also on Friday 21 May, Armada Aviation (of Ringwood in Victoria) Pilatus PC-12 VH-NWI called into Longreach Airport from the North before it then departed to Melbourne (Essendon).

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-203 / KC-30A (MRTT) A39-001 Missed Approach at Rockhampton Airport

On Friday 21 May, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-203 / KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A39-001 was spotted completing a missed approach at Rockhampton Airport.

It initially looked to fly up from RAAF Base Amberley to Townsville where it completed another missed approach before then flying South to Rocky.

A39-001 then returned to Amberley.

A39-001 was heard to be flying as "Dragon 66".

Sincere thanks to local plane spotter Scott H for taking the time to capture and send through these great photos!

All photos taken by Scott Harris  ©

Mackellar Mining Cessna 560 Citation Ultra Bizjet VH-MMC & Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan VH-NDC Both Call into Clermont Aerodrome - Plus Much More!

On Thursday 20 May, my local Clermont Aerodrome played host to a couple of nice and familiar visitors.

Mackellar Mining Equipment / Flight Options (Australia) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra bizjet VH-MMC landed at Clermont Aerodrome from the Sunshine Coast.  At the time of writing, it appeared to be staying for at least the night.

UPDATE!  On Friday 21 May, VH-MMC departed Clermont Aerodrome and returned to the Sunshine Coast.

Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 VH-NDC was noted also visiting Clermont Aerodrome.  It arrived from Rockhampton Airport and then later flew up to the Labona Station Airstrip within Adani Australia's (Bravus Mining & Resources) Carmichael Coal Mine site, both as HND310.  VH-NDC then returned to Rockhampton Airport as HND311.

Of interest, VH-NDC then departed Rockhampton for Cairns as HND615.  

While a little earlier, fellow Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan VH-LZK arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Cairns also as HND615.  VH-LZK then departed Rocky to Labona and back as HND370/1.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday 20 May, Seair Pacific / Istlecote Cessna 208 Caravan VH-LYT looked to fly from Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport to Middlemount Aerodrome before later returning to and Maryborough and Hervey Bay Airports.

Sabstall Beech B200 King Air VH-NME flew up from Toowoomba to Samuel Hill Aerodrome within the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) and then down to Archerfield.  It then returned to Toowoomba.

Gold Coast-based Hawker Beechcraft B300 Super King Air VH-OXF looked to visit the Lotus Creek area, arriving from and later departing back to the South.

Raytheon A36 Bonanza VH-YGM arrived from its Orange base in New South Wales for second time this week - although it flew via Bankstown on this occasion.

UPDATE!  On Saturday 22 May, VH-YGM returned direct to Bankstown.

And Brescon (Toowoomba) Beech B200 King Air VH-WXB flew up directly to the Labona Station Airstrip from Toowoomba-Wellcamp Airport.

UPDATE!  On Friday 21 May, VH-WXB departed Labona and returned to Wellcamp.

Finally, it's worth noting that during this week, Aero Logistics Cessna 441 VH-YFD has continued to complete almost-daily aerial survey flights out of and back to Rockhampton Airport.

It was spotted resting on the Rockhampton Airport General Aviation (GA) Apron on Wednesday 19 May.

Photos taken by Trevor Hardsman  ©️

Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi Role Helicopter A40-004 "Pegasus 87" Spotted at Rockhampton Airport

On Thursday 20 May, Australian Army NH Industries MRH-90 Multi-Role Helicopter A40-004 was spotted at Rockhampton Airport.  It looked to fly into Rocky direct from Brisbane.

After a long break, the MRH-90 finally departed Rockhampton Airport on dusk bound for Townsville.

A40-004 was heard to be using the radio callsign of "Pegasus 87".

Sincere thanks to local photographer Steve V for allowing us to share these great photos!

All photos taken by Steve Vit  ©

Astra Aerospace / Air Affairs (Australia) Learjet 35A Bizjet VH-LPX “Ajax 31” Departs Rockhampton Airport

After arriving the previous day, on Thursday 20 May, Astra Aerospace / Air Affairs (Australia) Learjet 35A bizjet VH-LPX "Ajax 31" was spotted as it departed Rockhampton Airport.  It direct direct to HMAS Albatross at Nowra in New South Wales.

VH-LPX "Ajax 31" arrived from there on Wednesday 19 May and was thought that it was perhaps going to stay in town for some time possibly in support of the Australian Army's Exercise Diamond Walk which kicked off this week at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA). 

Sincere thanks to local photographer Steve V for allowing us to share this great photo!

Photo taken by Steve Vit  ©

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-203 / KC-30A (MRTT) A39-005 Missed Approach at Rockhampton Airport

On Wednesday 19 May, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus A330-200 / KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) A39-005 was noted completing a missed approach at Rockhampton Airport.

File photo

It was heard to be flying as "Dragon 62" and came up from RAAF Base Amberley to Townsville where it also completed a missed approach.  A39-005 then returned South to complete a missed approach at Rockhampton Airport before then returning to Amberley.

Photo taken by Steve Vit  ©️

Astra Aerospace / Air Affairs (Australia) Learjet 35A Bizjet VH-LPX "Ajax 31" Arrives into Rockhampton Airport

On Wednesday 19 May, Astra Aerospace / Air Affairs (Australia) Learjet 35A bizjet VH-LPX "Ajax 31" was spotted as it arrived into Rockhampton Airport direct from HMAS Albatross at Nowra in New South Wales.

It parked in front of the Rockhampton Airport Air Traffic Control Tower and looked to be staying for at least the night.

UPDATE!  On Thursday 20 May, VH-LPX "Ajax 31" returned to Nowra.

Of interest, the Australian Army's Exercise Diamond Walk has kicked off this week at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA).  It is believed the arrival into Rockhampton Airport of VH-LPX "Ajax 31", along with the RAAF Search and Rescue (SAR) Bell 412EP helicopter VH-EPH "Rescue 66" earlier in the week (shown below) are associated with the exercise.

It's the first major training exercise in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area for around 18 months.

Sincere thanks to local plane spotters Scott H and Trevor H for taking the time to capture and send through these great photos!

Photos taken by Scott Harris and Trevor Hardsman  ©️