Spotting from Amberley Air Force base

With the military exercise Pitch Black wrapping up in Darwin on Friday, I decided to try my luck at Amberley yesterday. I left home early for the 40-minute drive and, within minutes of arriving, caught the first aircraft, a USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker. Over the next two hours, more aircraft departed Amberley. Unfortunately, the weather turned, with heavy rain and very strong cold winds setting in, so I called it a day.

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BOEING KC 135R STRATOTANKER
58-0104 (MSN 17849)

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE AIRBUS A330-200 MRTT 
A39-006 (MSN 892) 
EX QANTAS AIRCRAFT VH-EBH 

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BOEING KC 135T STRATOTANKER
60-0342 (MSN 18117)

UNITED KINGDOM ROYAL AIR FORCE AIRBUS KC3 VOYAGER
ZZ332 (MSN 1275)

SPAIN AIR FORCE AIRBUS A330-202 MRTT
TK.24-03 (MSN 1700)

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE BOEING C-17A GLOBEMASTER III
A41-209 (MSN 50185)

SPAIN AIR FORCE AIRBUS A330-202 MRTT
TK.24-02 (MSN 1710)

For those who don't know, Exercise Pitch Black is one of the most impressive military aviation exercises held in Australia, and Darwin is really the heart of it. The 2026 exercise has just finished, running from the 20th of July to the 7th of August 2026.

Pitch Black is the Royal Australian Air Force's major biennial multinational air-combat exercise. It started in 1981 as a relatively small air-defence exercise but has grown enormously.

The name "Pitch Black" is believed to come from the exercise's original emphasis on night-time flying over the vast, sparsely populated areas of northern Australia.

The scale today is remarkable:

• Around 100 aircraft attended
• About 2,500 personnel
• 21 participating nations
• Flying primarily from RAAF Base Darwin and RAAF Base Tindal
• RAAF Base Amberley in Queensland also provides important tanker and logistical support.

The 2026 participants included aircraft and personnel from countries including:

• 🇦🇺 Australia
• 🇺🇸 United States
• 🇯🇵 Japan
• 🇮🇩 Indonesia
• 🇵🇭 Philippines
• 🇰🇷 South Korea
• 🇮🇳 India
• 🇸🇬 Singapore
• 🇹🇭 Thailand
• 🇩🇪 Germany
• 🇫🇷 France
• 🇪🇸 Spain
• 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

There were also personnel from the UK, New Zealand, Canada, Malaysia, Brunei, Fiji, Finland and Sweden.

The 2026 deployment included aircraft such as:

• 🇦🇺 F/A-18F Super Hornet
• 🇦🇺 F-35A Lightning II
• 🇦🇺 EA-18G Growler
• 🇦🇺 KC-30A MRTT
• 🇺🇸 US military aircraft
• 🇯🇵 F-35A Lightning II — making its Pitch-Black debut
• 🇰🇷 F-16 Fighting Falcons
• 🇹🇭 Thai F-16s
• 🇵🇭 Philippine FA-50PH Golden Eagles
• 🇮🇩 Indonesian T-50I Golden Eagles
• 🇩🇪 Eurofighter Typhoons
• 🇩🇪 A400M Atlas

Horizon Air Dash 8 stolen from Seattle and then crashed

ALASKA (HORIZON) De HAVILLAND DASH 8 Q400 N427QX (MSN 4156)

On the 10th of August 2018, a Horizon Air Bombardier Q400 was stolen from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (Sea–Tac) in Seattle, Washington. The perpetrator, 29-year-old Richard Russell, was a Horizon Air ground service agent with no piloting experience. After Russell performed an unauthorized takeoff, two McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft. Sea–Tac air traffic control made radio contact with Russell, the sole occupant, who described himself as a "broken guy, got a few screws loose, I guess." About 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, Russell died by intentionally crashing the aircraft on lightly populated Ketron Island in Puget Sound.

The 28-year-old airline ground-service agent at Seattle/Tacoma International Airport arrived at the airport for his work shift at 14:36 hours local time. At 19:15 hours he arrived in a tow vehicle at the Cargo 1 ramp, at the far north end of the airport close to the thresholds of runway 16L, C and R. He climbed aboard and started the engines before briefly exiting the aircraft in order to turn aircraft 180 degrees with the nose towards the airfield. At 19:32 the aircraft taxied away from the apron. A tower controller attempted to contact the aircraft, but it took off from runway 16C at 19:33 hours.
The aircraft then began maneuvering over Puget Sound and was seen to perform a split S, pulling up just above the water. During these maneuvers the person in control of the aircraft was in radio contact with air traffic control.

McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft of the Oregon Air National Guard were dispatched and followed the aircraft.

At 20:46 hours the aircraft entered a significant sideslip with the control column in a position forward of neutral. The controls were pushed further forward and six seconds later, the aircraft impacted wooded terrain on Ketron Island, 40 km to the southwest of the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. Both wings broke off in the accident sequence and the fuselage came to rest inverted. The sole person on board the aircraft was killed.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Alaska Airlines 

Code: AS/ASA

Operator: Horizon Air QX/QXE

Aircraft: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-402Q Dash 8

Registration: N449QX

Serial Number: 4410

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A

Another close call at Sydney airport, this time cabin crew gets injured

Another near-miss at Australia's busiest airport is being investigated as the transport hub struggles with staff shortages.

A Jetstar flight, JQ402, preparing to depart Sydney Airport (SYD/YSSY) for the Gold Coast (OOL/YBCG) almost collided with a Qatar Airways plane at 7.23 am on Sunday. The Jetstar Airbus 320 with registration VH-VQJ (MSN 2703) pilot was forced to brake suddenly to avoid a collision with the Qatari plane on the tarmac. The Qatar Airways Boeing 777 with registration A7-BEU (MSN 65302) which was not carrying any passengers, was being towed by an aircraft tug and received minor damage.

A passenger was on another flight when she took a photo of the planes almost colliding. "I'm currently sitting on the tarmac at Sydney Airport 25 minutes after we were meant to leave, because two planes nearly collided on the tarmac," she said in a post on X.

A Jetstar spokesperson said their aircraft was following instructions from air traffic controllers when the pilots were forced to brake firmly as another aircraft came into "close proximity".

"We have commenced an investigation into the incident," the spokesperson said. An injured Jetstar crew member received medical attention at the scene. No passengers were injured. The Jetstar flight was cancelled, and passengers were re-booked on other services to the Gold Coast later on Sunday.

Air traffic control was reportedly operating under restricted hours between 6am and 8am on Sunday, reducing the number of flights arriving and departing due to staffing shortages. Sunday's incident followed delays to more than 150 flights passing through Sydney on Saturday as airport operations struggled due to a lack of personnel.

This is the second time there has been a near miss at Sydney airport in a few weeks. The other occurrence happened on the 27th of July 2026, when a Qantas Boeing 737 with registration VH-XZG (MSN 39371) was cleared to cross an active runway while a QantasLink Dash 8 Q400 with registration VH-QOC (MSN 4117) was completing its landing roll on the same runway. Although air traffic controllers identified the conflict before the aircraft entered the runway, the incident has renewed attention on operational safety and staffing challenges affecting Australia’s busiest airport.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has classified the event as a breakdown in coordination and is examining how the conflicting clearances occurred.

Plane spotting from the new Fellowship Place

Malaysia Airlines has unveiled a stunning new livery inspired by the Mumbai Indians, and it arrived in Brisbane on Friday, but I missed it. Early yesterday morning, I found out it was making a return to Brisbane, so I jumped out of bed and rushed to the airport, determined not to miss this breathtaking livery again.

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-XVM (MSN 19000112)

CHINA SOUTERN AIRBUS A330-323 B-5965 (MSN 1593)
CZ381 ARRIVING FROM GOUNGZHOU (CAN) 11 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-VUQ (MSN 36606)
VA314 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 18 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VXN (MSN 33484)
QF507 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 24 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VQK (MSN 2651)
JQ929 ARRIVING FROM CAIRNS (CNS) 20 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYF (MSN 11529)
JQ57 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 2 YEARS

AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-341 P2-PXV (MSN 30341)
PX6 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 26 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBV (MSN 1365)
QF119 OFF TO AUCKLAND (AKL) 13 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-NUO (MSN 11529)
VA1709 OFF TO GLADSTONE (GLT) 31 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

GATEWAY TOLL BRIDGE

MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRBUS A330-323 9M-MTM (MSN 1431)
MH134 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR (KUL) 13 YEARS

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QON (MSN 4218)
QLK362D OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 18 YEARS

KOREAN AIR BOEING 787-9 HL7209 (MSN 34818)
KE408 OFF TO SEOUL (ICN) 7 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-7K2 VH-NHW (MSN 39527)
VA1210 OFF TO CANBERRA (CBR) 14 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8VI (MSN 67039)
VA318 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 4 MONTHS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-231 VH-VWN (MSN 7438)
JQ813 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 9 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4A (MSN 55253)
QLK1548 OFF TO HOBART (HBA) 2 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YFY (MSN 41016)
VA1235 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 9 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4C (MSN 55288)
QLK1253 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

QUEENSLAND POLICE SERVICE BEECH KING AIR 360 VH-8TT (MSN FL-1293)

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHA (MSN 254)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 7 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKD (MSN 36229)
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 12 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NY VH-OGD (MSN 12668)
QF515 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 6 MONTHS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-6545 (MSN 1291)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI (PVG) 14 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNC (MSN 8573)
NZ142 OFF TO AUCKLAND (AKL) 7 YEARS

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 B-18915 (MSN 179)
CI53 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI (TPE) 8 YEARS

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRBUS 350-941 B-LRS (MSN 128)
CX165 ARRIVING FROM HONK KONG (HKG) 9 YEARS

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EOL (MSN 186) 11 YEARS

CATHAY CARGO BOEING 747-867 B-LJB (MSN 392390

The Cathay Cargo queen arrived on Tuesday for its weekly stop, but a fuel leak kept it grounded. This marks the second week in a row a Cathay Cargo 747 has gone unserviceable in Brisbane. Word is, it’s expected to depart today.

Passenger attempts to open emergency exit door on Batik Air flight

Passengers on a Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur (KUL/WMKK) to Cochin (COK/VOCI), experienced a very tense moment when a fellow traveler allegedly tried to open an emergency exit as the plane was preparing to land.

BATIK AIR MALAYSIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 9M-LRQ (MSN 42988)

According to Kerala Police, the man, identified as 36-year-old Jamsheer Athanikkal from Palakkad, smashed the emergency exit’s inner window panel and tried to tamper with the exit door, triggering panic among passengers.

Cabin crew members, assisted by fellow travelers, quickly restrained him before the situation escalated. The aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport, where the passenger was taken into custody by CISF personnel and later arrested by Kerala Police.

Authorities have registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Aircraft Act and the Kerala Police Act, while a detailed investigation into the motive behind the incident is underway.

Police said the accused, seated in the emergency exit row, allegedly broke the inner window panel of the emergency exit before attempting to open the aircraft door. He also allegedly threatened passengers and crew members who tried to intervene.

However, cabin crew and alert passengers managed to overpower and restrain him until the aircraft landed safely in Kochi.

Kerala Police arrested the passenger and booked him under Section 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal intimidation, Section 11A of the Aircraft Act for violating aircraft safety directions, and Section 118(e) of the Kerala Police Act for endangering public safety. Officials said further questioning and investigation are continuing to determine the reason behind his actions.

Several passengers later described the ordeal as one of the most terrifying experiences of their lives. Social media posts shared after the flight landed recounted hearing a loud noise near the emergency exit before noticing passengers struggling to restrain the accused.

Aviation experts note that modern commercial aircraft emergency exits cannot normally be opened during flight because cabin pressure creates a force that effectively seals the doors until the aircraft reaches a safe pressure level.

Even so, any attempt to interfere with emergency exits is treated as an extremely serious aviation security offence because it can damage aircraft components, endanger passengers and disrupt flight operations.

Police officials said they are examining whether additional provisions related to unlawful acts against civil aviation safety may apply as the investigation progresses. The cabin crew’s statements are also expected to be recorded as part of the probe.

Aircraft Information
Airline: Batik Air Malaysia 
Code: OD/MXD
Aircraft: Boeing 737-8GP
Registration: 9M-LNV
Serial Number: 39867
Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-7B26E
First Flew: 16th October 2015
Age: 11 Years

Qantas says goodbye to Jetstar Japan

This week, Qantas announced it will be selling its stake in Jetstar Japan, bringing an end to the Australian airline group's involvement in one of Japan’s most successful low-cost carriers. It marks the closing of an important chapter in the Jetstar story.

JETSTAR JAPAN AIRBUS A320-232 JA15JJ (MSN 5701)

Jetstar Japan was launched on the 3rd of July 2012 as a partnership between Qantas, Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Corporation, with the aim of bringing affordable air travel to Japan’s growing domestic and international markets. Based at Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT/RJAA), the airline quickly became a familiar sight across Japan, operating a fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft in the distinctive orange Jetstar colours.

Over the years, Jetstar Japan opened up low-cost travel for millions of passengers, connecting major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa, while also expanding internationally. However, the aviation industry is constantly changing. Rising costs, intense competition, and the need for airlines to focus their resources have led Qantas to reassess its international investments.

Qantas is set to sell its 33.32% stake in Jetstar Japan as the airline shifts towards a Japanese-led ownership model. Japan Airlines will stay on as a major shareholder, while the Development Bank of Japan is expected to acquire Qantas’s shares and play a role in the new ownership setup.

For passengers, it will be business as usual during the transition period. Flights will continue operating, existing bookings remain valid, and there will be no impact on Qantas or Jetstar Airways services between Australia and Japan. The biggest change will come later, with plans for Jetstar Japan to transition to a new identity and rebrand once the ownership changes are completed.

For many aviation fans, seeing the famous orange Jetstar tail disappear from Japanese skies will be a nostalgic moment. The airline became part of the colourful history of Asia’s low-cost aviation boom, alongside other carriers that transformed the way people travelled throughout the region.

From an Australian perspective, this move represents a shift in strategy for Qantas. The airline is focusing more heavily on its core Australian operations, fleet renewal, and long-haul international ambitions, including its future ultra-long-range aircraft plans.