Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail A30-004 Completes Airwork at CQ Airports

On Monday 23 June, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing B737-7ES / E-7A Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft A30-004 as "Wedgetail 01" was noted completing airwork, including a missed approach, at Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

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It looked to flew up from RAAF Base Williamtown and Coffs Harbour to Hervey Bay Airport before then flying back to Williamtown.

Later, A30-004 - now as "Wedgetail 02" - then returned to the region from Williamtown, completing a missed approach at Rockhampton Airport before yet again returning to Williamtown.

Photo taken by Scott Harris  ©

Homada Pty Ltd Cessna 560XL Citation XLS Bizjet VH-XCU Calls into Hamilton Island Airport - Plus More!

On Sunday 22 June, Homada Pty Ltd Cessna 560XL Citation XLS bizjet VH-XCU flew up from Melbourne (Moorabbin) and Melbourne (Essendon) to Hamilton Island Airport before flying back down to Moorabbin.

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While Armada Aviation (of Ringwood in Victoria) Pilatus PC-12/45 turboprop VH-XAQ flew South from Cooktown to Longreach Airport.  It flew North last weekend.

American-registered but seemingly Australian-based Pilatus PC-12/47E (NG) N175NG which flew West last week, landed at Blackall Airport from Ambilindum and then departed to a property northwest of Theodore before continuing 'home' to Archerfield. 

Western Downs Civil (Chinchilla) Raytheon B200 King Air VH-85H flew down from the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour to Chinchilla Aerodrome. It had flown up from there on Friday 20 June.

Hughes Aviation (Hughes Pastoral Group) (Gympie) Pilatus PC-12/47E NGX VH-8HP which had previously flown to Darwin, flew across from Inverway to Brunette Downs, Mount Isa and Mackay Airport. 

And Tex Onsite (Tex Assets P/L) Aero Commander 500-S VH-TZS was noted arriving into Mackay Airport from Townsville. 

Meanwhile, also on Sunday 22 June, civilian Black Hawk helicopter Sikorsky EH-60A N61AA, which flew up from the Shellharbour Airport at Wollongong to Bourke and Birdsville over the last couple of days, continued up to the North-West today.

And the Stirling Helicopters Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter N137WZ flew to the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) and back to Rockhampton Airport both today and yesterday.

Finally, on Saturday 21 June, Machjet (Machjet International) Beech B200C King Air VH-PUY as "Machflight 55" arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Mount Isa and then departed to Cairns.

United States Navy (USN) Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk 167873 / RB-01 of the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 (HSC-25) DET-6 'Archangels' Spotted at Rockhampton Airport as "Valkyrie 62"

On Sunday 22 June, United States Navy (USN) Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk (Knighthawk) helicopter 167873 / RB-01 was spotted visiting Rockhampton Airport. It was heard to be using the radio callsign of "Valkyrie 62".

It is believed that the Knighthawk arrived into Rockhampton Airport from the USS America (LHA-6).

It came to Rockhampton Airport reportedly on a medevac flight but flew down the coast to come in via the southern tip and did not need an Ambulance on arrival. It then departed back the way it came.

The Knighthawk is flown by the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Two Five (HSC-25) DET-6 "Archangels" and is presently deployed on board USS America (LHA-6). It is also reported that the "Archangels" squadron is based at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

All photos taken by Scott Harris  ©

Stroud Aviation and Transportation (Boonah) / Navair Flight Operations Cessna 510 Citation Mustang Bizjet VH-SHI as "Navair 113" Pops into Mackay Airport

On a quiet Friday 20 June, Stroud Aviation and Transportation (Boonah) / Navair Flight Operations Cessna 510 Citation Mustang bizjet VH-SHI as "Navair 113" was noted flying into Mackay Airport from the Sunshine Coast. 

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It later flew down to Archerfield.

Photo taken by Trevor Hardsman  ©

Air Gold Coast Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 Bizjet VH-CDG Spotted by me Again at my Local Clermont Aerodrome - Plus More!

On Thursday 19 June, Air Gold Coast Cessna 525 Citation CJ1 bizjet VH-CDG was again spotted by me visiting my local Clermont Aerodrome from Archerfield and Dalby. 

Brenzil Dassault Aviation Falcon 7X bizjet VH-CRW flew up to Hamilton Island Airport from Brisbane and then returned to there. 

And Parker Aviation Ventures (Sydney) / Air Link (Dubbo) Embraer EMB-500 Phenom bizjet VH-PNM, which had landed at Hamilton Island Airport on Monday, flew down from there to the Sunshine Coast. 

Meanwhile, also on Monday 19 June, Queensland Government (State of Queensland) Beech B300C Super King Air 350s VH-8PE and VH-8PF were both noted visiting Rockhampton Airport.  Fellow Queensland Government Airwing Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-SGQ was spotted at Bundaberg Airport, arriving from Brisbane and then later departing back there but via Miles Airport.

Hughes Aviation (Hughes Pastoral Group) (Gympie) Pilatus PC-12/47E NGX VH-8HP departed Mackay Airport and headed West to Mount Isa, Brunette Downs and Inverway and then up to Darwin.

As they do each and every week, 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 via the Sunshine Coast.  AERgO Asset Management Beech B200 King Air VH-XGV as "Navair 179" flew from Archerfield to Labona and back. 

Melbourne-based Raytheon 58 Baron VH-CNN landed at Longreach Airport from Birdsville. 

UPDATE!  On Friday 20 June, VH-CNN departed Longreach Airport for Walgett. 

While FlyPelican (Pelican Airlines) British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 3206 (Jetstream 32) turboprop aircraft VH-NTL completed the Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flight into Emerald Airport from Archerfield and Toowoomba-Wellcamp.  It also completed a similar flight late on Wednesday 18 June.

And Textron Aviation Inc of Wichita, Kansas Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX N813EX flew up from Goondiwindi to Tumbar Station and then to the West.  It seems to be a tour of Australia and New Zealand although it has been down under for quite some time!

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UPDATE!  On Friday 20 June, N813EX flew into Charleville Airport before heading to Brisbane.

UPDATE!  On Saturday 21 June, N813EX arrived into Emerald Airport from Brisbane before continuing up to the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour.

Finally, also on Thursday 19 June, Alliance Airlines Embraer E-190 VH-A2J (ex N238JB which arrived back in mid-May) departed Rockhampton Airport and completed a test flight as UTY9820 down to about Gayndah and then back to Rockhampton Airport.  During the late afternoon, it then departed to Brisbane as UTY9821.

Photos taken by Ross Huntington and Tony Haynes  ©

United States Marine Corps (USMC) Lockheed KC-130J Hercules 169227 (QD-9227) "Sumo 89" Calls into Rockhampton Airport

On Thursday 19 June, United States Marine Corps (USMC) Lockheed KC-130J Hercules 169227 (Tail Code QD-9227) was spotted arriving into Rockhampton Airport.

It was flying as "Sumo 89" and arrived from RAAF Base Amberley.

The Herc later departed to an Exercise area off South East Queensland for air-to-air refuelling ops before then returning to Amberley.

Of interest, 169227 (QD-9227) is flown by the Marine Aerial Refueller Transport Squadron 152 (VMGR-152) the "Sumos".

 

UPDATE!  On Friday 20 June, USMC KC-130J Hercules 169227 again as "Sumo 89" flew up from Amberley to offshore East of the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) and operated there for a while before returning to Amberley. 

Of interest, also on Friday 20 June, a pair of USMC Bell Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft as 'ODIN21 FLT' were operating from the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) into the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and back.

There were also a pair of Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters flying in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area also from the USS America.  Online flight tracking websites suggest they were 165244 and 161540 and were flying as "THOR34 FLT".

Photo taken by Scott Harris  ©

New QantasLink Dash-Q400 Next Gen VH-84G (ex C-GWEO) First Revenue Flight into CQ at Bundaberg Airport

On Thursday 19 June, recently delivered QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 VH-84G completed its first ever revenue flight, and it happened to be into CQ, with it touching down at Bundaberg Airport as QLK2320/1 from and back to Brisbane.

It then completed a run to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport also from and back to Brisbane.  VH-84G looks to be due to complete flights into Hervey Bay and Bundaberg Airports again on Friday 20 June.

The second-hand Dash-8-Q400 is the fifth of 12 (or 14) aircraft that the Qantas Group has purchased from Canadian operator WestJet Encore. VH-84G previously operated as C-GWEO and operated with the airline from February 2014 until April 2023.

The Dash-8 arrived into Australia via Brisbane on Saturday 7 June, still wearing its Canadian registration marking of C-GWEO, completing a delivery flight from Canada across the Pacific.

It was promptly placed on the Australian Aircraft Register and also given the name 'Armidale'.

Photos taken by Liam Nash, Darcy Stevens and Tim Martin  ©

Australian Border Force (Microflite P/L) Airbus Helicopters EC135 T3H Helicopter VH-8JA Pops into CQ Airports Heading to Cairns - Plus More!

On Wednesday 18 June, Australian Border Force (ABF) (Microflite P/L) Airbus Helicopters EC135 T3H helicopter VH-8JA flew up from Charleville and Charters Towers Airports to Cairns after originally departing Melbourne (Moorabbin) the previous day.

And Lake Macquarie Helicopters' Airbus AS.350BA Squirrel helicopter VH-XLM arrived into Rockhampton Airport from the south via the Capricorn Coast. 

Photo taken by Jonathan Williams  ©

U.S. Army Boeing MH-47G Block II Chinook Helicopters 21-02928 and 21-02929 as ‘ARMY928’ Pass Through Rockhampton Airport

On Wednesday 18 June, two U.S. Army Boeing MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters were noted flying down from Townsville to land at Rockhampton Airport.

After taking on fuel, they were photographed departing to RAAF Base Amberley, before they later continued to the Gold Coast for the night.  Both Chinooks have ended up continuing further South and were spotted later in the week arriving into RAAF Base Williamtown.

The two Chinooks were identified as 21-02928 and 21-02929 and were heard to be flying as ‘ARMY928’.

These highly modified Chinooks are flown by the US Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) (Airborne) known as the "Night Stalkers", 4th Battalion based out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.  They are utilised for a variety of specialised attack, assault, and reconnaissance missions.

The "Night Stalkers" are returning for their third consecutive iteration of Exercise Talisman Sabre, and are expected to remain in the country over the coming weeks with the exercise officially starting on Sunday 13 July.

Photos taken by Steve Vit and Zac Mason  ©

Photos of Stirling Helicopters New Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk Helicopter N137WZ at Rockhampton Airport and Hedlow Airfield

Over the last few days, Stirling Helicopters newly delivered Sikorsky UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter N137WZ has been photographed completing crew training flights from Rockhampton Airport to Hedlow Airfield where it then has completed several flights including carrying sling loads.

Each time, N137WZ eventually returned to Rockhampton Airport where it remains in the Stirling Helicopters hangar on the General Aviation (GA) side of the Airport.

Stirling Helicopters is an Australian owned family company that is the premier utility charter, pilot training course provider and aerial work specialist in Central Queensland, continuing to be a preferred supplier of services to the government, communication and resource sectors. With an extensive owned fleet of modern helicopters and an exemplary safety record, the company provides services for utility surveillance and maintenance, aerial crane and sling operations, fire-fighting and fire management, agricultural industry support, photography, passenger charter, Private Pilot Licence training course, Commercial Pilot Licence training course and more.

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

All photos taken by Steve Vit  ©