Riverfire 2026: Brisbane takes to the skies

There are plenty of great events on Brisbane’s calendar, but few can match the excitement, colour and sheer noise of Riverfire. For aviation enthusiasts like us, Riverfire isn’t just about the fireworks. The build-up is every bit as exciting, particularly when some of the Royal Australian Air Force’s most impressive aircraft come roaring through the skies above Brisbane.

 
So, what is Riverfire?
Riverfire by Australian Retirement Trust is Brisbane’s spectacular annual fireworks celebration and one of the signature events of the Brisbane Festival. Held along the Brisbane River, Riverfire combines a massive fireworks spectacular with military aircraft fly-past's and displays, creating an unforgettable evening against the backdrop of Brisbane’s city skyline.

This year Riverfire took place on Saturday the 5th of September, officially kicking off the Brisbane Festival. The fireworks are always scheduled to begin at 7pm, with the aerial displays taking place beforehand.

For Brisbane locals, it has become something of an annual tradition — find a spot along the river, look skyward and wait for the unmistakable sound of fast jets approaching the city.
And that’s exactly what we did this year.

 
Thursday – the mighty C-17A Globemaster III
My family and I headed out to watch the rehearsal flight of the Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III as it made its way over Brisbane. Scheduled for approximately 12:30pm around the Victoria Bridge precinct, the rehearsal gave aviation enthusiasts a fantastic opportunity to see one of the RAAF’s giant strategic airlift aircraft operating over the heart of the city.

There’s something special about watching a huge aircraft like the C-17 flying above Brisbane’s skyscrapers. It may not have the speed or noise of a fighter jet, but its sheer size makes it an impressive sight.

My wife and daughter headed to the outdoor bar on the top floor of the casino while I stayed on the ground at Southbank.  

Friday – the Super Hornets arrive
If Thursday was impressive, Friday turned the volume up considerably!
On Friday we were back again for another Riverfire rehearsal — this time for two RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets.

The two individual rehearsal flights were scheduled around 20–30 minutes apart, with the aircraft operating around the Victoria Bridge and Brisbane CBD area at approximately 12:30pm.

And what a difference there is when those twin-engine fighters come screaming through the Brisbane skies.

The sound arrives almost as quickly as the aircraft themselves, and for anyone who loves military aviation, seeing two Super Hornets operating against the Brisbane skyline is something you simply don’t get tired of.

Once again, our family was there to watch the action, again my wife and daughter headed for the casino and this time I changed locations and went to the Kangaroo Point cliffs.

And now for the big one!

After enjoying both rehearsal days, we were looking forward to the main event on Saturday night.

At 7.05 pm the fireworks light up the Brisbane skyline from multiple locations along the river, with displays launched from barges, rooftops and bridges. It's not unusual for half a million people or more to head into Brisbane for the celebrations, but my family and I headed to the top floor level of the airport carpark to watch the spectacular. 

Fatal light aircraft crash south of Brisbane

Two people have died following a crash of a light aircraft here in Brisbane yesterday morning. The Beech A36 Bonanza crashed into a rural property at Stockleigh, in Logan, south of Brisbane, shortly after 11am, only minutes after departing Archerfield Airport (ACF/YBAF).

Emergency services were called to the property after the aircraft came down and a grass fire broke out at the crash site. Fire crews faced a rapidly spreading blaze, with the fire eventually covering an area of approximately three soccer fields. Sadly, police confirmed that both occupants of the aircraft died in the crash.

The victims were a 56-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, both understood to be residents of Ascot in Brisbane. 

Available flight-tracking information indicates the Bonanza was airborne for only around seven minutes. It reached an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet before beginning its descent towards the Stockleigh area. The aircraft was registered to Telford Aviation, a Brisbane-based charter and aircraft rental company.

Queensland Police have described the crash scene as confronting, while investigators begin the difficult task of establishing exactly what happened during those final minutes of the flight.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has commenced an investigation into the accident and investigators are examining the aircraft wreckage and surrounding evidence. Police are also appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard the aircraft before the crash to come forward. Authorities are particularly interested in any dashcam, mobile-phone or other video footage that could help establish the aircraft's movements during its short flight.

The cause of the accident remains unknown and will be the subject of the ongoing investigation.

Aircraft Information:
Owner: Telford Aviation Pty Ltd

Aircraft: Beechcraft A36 Bonanza 

Registration: VH-MPT

Serial Number: E-1456

Engine: Teledyne-continental IO-550-BB

First Flew: January 1979

Age: 47 Years 

We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and keep them in our thoughts during this difficult time.

Amazon Prime Air crashes in Miami

                                     HAPPENING NOW

An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767-300 freighter traveling from San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ) Miami International Airport, FL (MIA/KMIA) operated by 21 Air overran a runway while landing at Miami International Airport at approximately 2:00 pm local time. 

The aircraft left the runway, struck several vehicles and caught fire, producing a huge column of black smoke that was visible across the Miami area. More than 60 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units were sent to the scene.

Images from the scene show the 767 coming to rest off the runway with its nose down and tail elevated, with substantial fire damage around the right side of the aircraft. Despite the dramatic appearance, reports indicate that the main fuselage remained largely intact.

Aircraft Information:

Owner: Amazon Prime Air

Operator: 21 Air

Code: 21/CSB

Aircraft: Boeing 767-33A

Registration: N1997A

Serial Number: 27310

Engines: 2 x GE CF6-80C2B6F

First Flew: June 1994

Age: 32 years

The aircraft has had a big life operating with many companies in its 32-year history

24/06/1994  Sobelair as OO-SBY
28/11/2000 Vietnam Airlines as VN-A768
08/07/2003 Air Europa as EC-IQA
01/07/2006 Kenya Airways as 5Y-KQQ  
07/10/2010 Nordwind Airlines as VQ-BRA
30/09/2015 Atlas Air as N648GT 
13/01/2025 Atlas Air as N1997A 
14/01/2025 21 Air as N1997A 
15/01/2025 Amazon Prime Air Operated by 21 Air as N1997A

UPDATED 

11am Brisbane (01.00 UTC) 

I have since learnt that five people are dead and five others are injured after the Amazon cargo plane crashed just outside Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon. The plane overran Runway 30, struck multiple vehicles and came to rest at a field next to the airport.

Three people were in a critical condition and were taken to a trauma center, and two others were taken to a local hospital, a Miami-Dade Fire Chief said.

We’re keeping everyone affected in our thoughts and hoping for comfort and strength during this challenging time.

Dolly Parton to get an airport and flight number named in her honour

Tennessee is showing love for their late country music queen by renewing a proposal to rename their airport in her honour.

Nashville International Airport (BNA/KBNA) is moving closer to becoming Dolly Parton International Airport after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the airport officially announced their intention to name BNA in honor of the late country music legend. The proposal has moved well beyond the fan campaign that initially pushed for the change. Lee and Nashville International Airport announced their support following Parton’s death on August 25, while an online petition calling for the tribute has now attracted more than 170,000 signatures.

The next important date is the 17th of September when the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority is expected to discuss the proposal — including an existing airport policy that could otherwise prevent an immediate renaming.

But that's not the only accolade Dolly will receive.

Starting on the 28th of March 2027, one of American Airlines’ daily flights from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW/KDFW) to Nashville (BNA/KBNA) changes its flight number from 1396 to 925. No announcement on the tarmac, no special livery, no themed cabin service. Just a number on a boarding pass that points at “9 to 5” and in the city where Dolly Parton built her career. The route is already bookable under the new number. It just will not fly as flight 925 for another seven months.

Those flights were planned while Dolly was still here, as a celebration of her music and the Tennessee legacy she spent her life building Now, that little number 925 carries a little more weight. Dolly made a

career out of finding the extraordinary in everyday life, and there is something wonderfully fitting about her "9 to continuing to travel with people, whether they are flying into Nashville or heading home from a day at Dollywood. It is a small tribute. but sometimes the small ones are the ones that stick with you.

Night spotting at Brisbane airport

While over half a million people flocked to Brisbane for the annual River Fire display (that story is coming), my family and I made our way to the airport for some nighttime photography and to watch the fireworks from the top level of the car park.

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBR (MSN 1251)
QF126 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 15 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZL (MSN 34194) 

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYI (MSN 19000053)
QLK1888 OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS) 20 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A321-271NX VH-OGG (MSN 12853)

QATAR AIRWAYS BOEING 777-3DZ A7-BED (MSN 60330)
QR898 ARRIVING FROM DOHA (DOH) 11 YEARS

QANTASLINK AIRBUS A220-300 VH-X4A (MSN 55253)
QLK1255 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 2 YEARS

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZW (MSN 39359)
QF134 ARRIVING FROM CHRISTCHURCH (CHC) 14 YEARS 

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OYX (MSN 12611)
JQ906 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 10 MONTHS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737 MAX 8 VH-8IA (MSN 65045)
VA333 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 3 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNC (MSN 8573)
NZ271 ARRIVING FROM WELLINGTON (WEL) 7 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHU (MSN 469)
SQ266 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 5 YEARS

HONG KONG AIR CARGO AIRBUS A330-243 B-LMA (MSN 1028)
RH703 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 17 YEARS

EVA AIR BOEING 787-10 B-17806 (MSN 60289)
BR315 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI (TPE) 6 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBR (MSN 1251)
QF15 OFF TO LOS ANGELES (LAX) 15 YEARS

CHINA AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 B-18907 (MSN 105)
CI54 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 9 YEARS

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-842 A6-EVE (MSN 250) 
EK435 OFF TO DUBAI (DXB) 8 YEARS

VIETJET AIRBUS A330-343 VN-A820 (MSN 1376)
VJ83 ARRIVING FROM HO CHI MIHN CITY (SGN) 13 YEARS