Skytrans to Clermont today

[lloyd fox]

OK 5th one must have left BNE today about 2pm and should have left clermont about now and due BNE at 1850 hrs

Cheers Lloyd

[david k]

VH-QQI operated its first flight to Clermont last night (Wednesday). VH-QQH has returned to Cairns.

[damian f]

Noted Skytrans Dash 8 VH-QQI been operating the run this week Brisbane to Clermont. VH-QQJ operated Tuesday as VH-QQI went U/S.

Carries an extra 'Cairns Taipans' sticker on the tail!

Also local news reports that Skytrans are starting (or have started) fly-in fly-out runs to Dysart and Moranbah I think from Mackay.

Damian

[damian f]

Dash-8 VH-QQJ appeared in Clermont on Friday morning as seemingly QQI was stuck in Brisbane Thursday night.

QQJ had a busy morning - Mackay-Dysart-Mackay-Clermont-Brisbane-Mackay from 0500 to 1200.

QQI was back on the run Friday afternoon.

[lloyd fox]

Damian can you check out the GAM DO228 operations BNE-EMD lately.Flight has been operating 2-3 times a week for past 2 weeks and this is week 3 and a flight is operating EMD-BNE currently

Thanks Lloyd

[damian f]

Lloyd et al, can tell you the GAM Dornier VH-UJN flew from the South to Clermont then overnighted in Emerald on Monday night. A local here in town who visited the airport (yes she is an enthusiast!) reckons that OSTWALD BROS Contractors were aboard.

Also I believe we had THREE Skytrans Dash-8s Monday - QQI from BNE to MKY in the morning, then QQJ from MKY to BNE and back to Clermont overnighting before back to BNE this morning, and we had QQH fly from and to Mackay (this must be a new service).

Damian

[damian f]

Can tell y'all that QQI had broken down this week hence the strange operating pattern of the Dash-8's into Clermont... QQJ flew in from BNE Friday 7/11 then QQI was all fixed and flew out in the afternoon and is now on the Brisbane-Clermont VV run.

[damian f]

GAM Do228 VH-VJE was in and out to Dysart twice today - possibly instead of Skytrans which I havent seen in Dysart this weekend.

[damian f]

An update from Clermont - Skytrans operates 8-9 flights Brisbane-Clermont-Brisbane for Rio Tinto. Flights usually come to town in pairs - eg Monday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night all get 2 arrivals - other times vary eg Monday morning, Tuesday morning, Friday morning.

It was also reported today that Rio Tinto are paying $4 million for an upgrade of the Clermont runway and terminal (shed) facilities. The aerodrome will still be operated by the Isaac Regional Council, who obviously welcome the funding considering their position is that "the (Rio Tinto) charters are damaging the runway".

It has also been rumoured that Clermont will see more FIFO flights when the Alpha mine opens - Alpha is about 1 hour away - and Alpha Aerodrome needs major upgrading.

Clermont also gets FIFO charters from Mackay operated by Central Airlines (CHAT) PA-31 Navajos out of Mackay.

Damian

[damian f]

We had a busy time a couple of weeks back with the official opening of the Clermont Coal Mine project bring 3 biz jets thru the normally sleepy little airport.

Tues 12th saw Premier VH-VHP pass thru, while on Friday 15th Citation VH-VPL and Hawker VH-SGY arrived with guests and Premier Bligh to open the mine. On the Friday, Skytrans Dash-8s VH-QQJ and VH-QQE (the latter now in new colours) operated several ferry flights Brisbane-Clermont-Brisbane with guests (as well as on FIFO flights).

Some photos as always are on my blog.

Damian

[damian f]

3 Skytrans Tues 23/11 with VH-QQE and VH-QQH operating the FIFO flights to Brisbane, and later VH-QQI (new aircraft) making its first visit carrying the Cairns Taipans to town for a school/community visit.

Photos on the blog.

Damian

[damian f]

Been a while since there's been a report from 'home', but if people are interested, Skytrans Dash-8's VH-QQL and VH-QQK have recently been noted operating the run from Brisbane for Rio Tinto. They haven't been on the run before and make pretty much all of the Skytrans Dash-8's have been thru Clermont - aside from QQA, QQB, and QQC - which are in WA...

We also had VH-QQE thru for a day in Maroomba Colours before it ferried over to the West.

Photos on the Blog as always!

Damian

[damian f]

REX SAAB VH-ZLC was noted on the ground at Clermont this afternoon.

Unsure where it came from or where it went to... I note that it was on Balus on Sunday but don't think that it has been here since then..

A new FIFO run from somewhere to Clermont perhaps?

Damian

[damian f]

6 December Skytrans Dash-8-300 VH-QQN made its first visit.

7 December McDermotts King Air VH-LNJ and Sydney Jet Charter Citation VH-MOR were visitors.

Damian

[Dave Parer]

Skytrans to increase FIFO operations from Sunshine Coast to Clermont

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/story/20 ... workers-t/