Recent Mackay Airport Movements (2011)

[damian f]

Evening all,

Decided to start a new thread for 2011 with some recent sightings from Mackay...

On 3 January the ADF commenced relief operations thru Mackay for Rockhampton and other towns with C-130 Hercules A97-447 noted unloaded 5 pallets of goods. It did about 2 runs each day out of Amberley for about a week. I have also heard some helicopters (probably Blackhawks) also passed thru the airport.

On 10 January I noted the Qld Government Hawker 850 XP VH-SGY and Qld Police Service Citation VH-PSU on the ground (no doubt they had been through a lot in the previous week). Also on 10/1, Virgin Blue and QantasLink began flying additional and extra capacity services between Mackay and Brisbane to cope with an increase in demand from South-bound passengers. Alliance Fokker 100 VH-XWM flew for QantasLink most of the week - making about 2-3 return runs on the BNE-MKY-BNE sector.

Also Convair 580 freighter VH-PDX flew freight charters on 10/1 and 11/1 from Bankstown to Mackay and back.

Also on 11 January, Careflight Lear Jet 45 VH-CXJ flew a medivac to Townsville.

I've put some photos on the Blog - http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/

Cheers
Damian

[Adam P]

Convair 580 VH-PDX was in again today, also at least one day last week one of the Toll Aviation ATR-42 frieghters come in.
I cant take pics at the moment as my brother is stuck in Brisbane with my camera

[Anthony C]

F100 to do most of the BNE-MKY services until the end of the month now.

[Adam P]

Has been a busy last couple of days as about a dozen Australian Army helicopters (Kiowas, Blackhawks, MRH90's and a single Chinook) overnighted here last night due to the cyclone, at one stage this afternoon there was 20 on the ground as more made there in way from flying back up the coast.
Damian F will hopefully have pics on the CQ Spotting blog shortly.

Also noted a Skytrans Dash-8 and Aerorescue Dornier Do328 VH-PPV visiting after also flying in from down south.

Gulfstream 4 VH-MBP made a brief visit on Tuesday also.

[damian f]

Adam P's pics are online now! They are great and I so wish I could get there!!!!

http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/

Damian

[Richard G]

Lovely shots gents - even see that very rare and endangered species the MRH - the shear variety and numbers of these species hearding together would be enough to attract David Attenborough, they obviously feel quite safe on the low lands of Mackay in numbers, as I cannot see, dare I say it - a single"Tiger"...

Even larger heard than the biennial mass migration event TS11.

Seriously very nice - thanks for sharing.

[damian f]

Monday 23/5 had Virgin Australia B737s VH-VUY (AFL logos) and VH-YFC (new colours) with the latter on first visit.

VH-VUY couldn't land on its first go as DJ605 and returned to Brisbane. It later departed Brisbane as DJ8605 and might still be at Mackay??

Pity the weather was crap in Mackay today otherwise I would have photos to share!

Damian

[Adam P]

Both Qantaslink and Virgin have announced that they are building lounges at the airport during the last week.

Aswell Virgin Australia will begin flying there business class product here by the end of the year, will be interesting to see if/how QF respond to this.

Qantaslink
http://australianaviation.com.au/2011/0 ... or-mackay/

Virgin Australia
http://www.qbr.com.au/news/articleid/73867.aspx

[damian f]

Adam P provided me with a couple of pics from Mackay yesterday - VH-VUY is shown still on the airport apron (along with VH-VUL) - perhaps VH-VUY broke down? I believe it eventually left for Brisbane in the afternoon. There is also a shot of the Qld Government Hawker VH-SGY. Take a look at the Blog - http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/

Cheers
Damian

[damian f]

More pictures are on the Blog from Adam P with Virgin Australia B737-800 VH-YFC returning to Mackay late last week.

Also pictures of Alliance F-100 VH-FKA - one of the 2-3 daily services Alliance continue to operate to Mackay (and Rockhampton) on behalf of QantasLink.

Damian
http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/

[damian f]

Saturday 30/7 saw Virgin E-190 VH-ZPR make its Queensland debut, arriving in Mackay from Sydney wearing its new colours. Thanks to Adam P who managed to get snap through the haze... see the CQ Plane Spotting Blog (http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/)

ex NT Police PC-12 VH-YDO is also now based at Mackay flying for a local operator to the mines..

Cheers
Damian

[damian f]

The Roulettes are to put on a display at Mackay - Bucasia Beach - on Wednesday 17 August at 2:05pm.

I believe they are overnighting at the Airport before moving onto Rockhampton and then Bundaberg.

Damian

[damian f]

Virgin Australia B737-800 VH-YIA made its first visit to Mackay Sunday 14 August. Also noted was Jetstar A320s VH-VGF and VH-VQX, as well as QLinks Q400 VH-QOT. Lastly Qld Government Hawker 850XP VH-SGY was also noted.

Roulettes to Mackay tomorrow!

Some pictures from Adam P are on the Blog - http://cqplanespotting.blogspot.com/

Cheers
Damian

[Adam P]

Bit OT, but Virgin Australia announced today that they will secure naming rights to the new recently opened Stadium in Mackay for the next 3 years.

Snippet from the local paper...
http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/20 ... um-mackay/

[damian f]

Unfortunately, the Roulettes didn't stage through Mackay as first thought, but did put on a spectacular "High Show" over Bucasia Beach at Mackay on Wednesday.

Damian