Saturday, March 22, 2014

Channel 9 Squirrel Chopper VH-HTV - Customs Dash-8 VH-ZZJ - And a Few Others at Rockhampton Airport This Week

It's been a great week for military plane spotters at Rockhampton Airport this week, but over the few days with Wedgetails and MRTTs calling in, there have also been a couple of other noteworthy visitors to the beef capital.  One of the more interesting visitors was captured by Ash B, showing QantasLink Dash-8-200 VH-TQG parked at gate at Rockhampton Airport after operating as QLK2358 from Brisbane.


One of QantasLink's smaller Dash-8's, the -200 series has become a familiar sight at Rockhampton operating a scheduled service from and back to Brisbane most week nights.

Meanwhile, with four Australian defence personnel being injured while on exercise in the nearby Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) this week, Brisbane-based media were noted at Rockhampton, with the Channel 9 reporter and crew flying into the beef capital in their own Eurocopter AS.350B3 Squirrel helicopter VH-HTV on Wednesday 19 March.



Local plane spotter 'IAD' captured a couple of nice photos of VH-HTV which was noted departing back to Brisbane on Thursday 20 March.  It is believed that it called into Bundaberg both on the way up and back.

'IAD' also captured Emerald-based Aero-Professional services Piper PA-31-350 VH-RPV at Rocky on Wednesday 19 March.  It is believed that VH-RPV flew in from Mackay where the Colemill Panther re-engined Navajo was undergoing maintenance.  It later departed home to Emerald.


Finally on Wednesday 19 March, Surveillance Australia / Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Dash-8-200 VH-ZZJ was captured by 'IAD' as it returned to Rockhampton after completing a sortie off the coast as "Customs 88".





Some great photos from a great week of plane spotting at Rockhampton - and sincere thanks to 'IAD' for all his hard work this week!

All photos taken by Ash Burggraaff and 'IAD'  ©

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