Rockhampton to Brisbane Flight

I only had one business meeting this morning which went for just over 3 hours, after that I had some emails and phones calls to attend to plus finish off some reports so I thought I would head off to the viewing area at the airport while I attend to my tasks and while I am there I would captured a few movements.

When I arrived this is what I saw and I thought "what is going on here" but it turns out they were just doing a tarmac sweep for foreign objects before the RPT's arrive.

ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS BEECHCRAFT B200

VH-FDR (CN BB-1881)

CESSNA 337G VH-JOE (CN 33701759)

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIRFORCE C-130 HERCULES

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA E190 VH-ZPM (CN 19000262)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8-Q400 VH-LQJ (CN 4414)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8-Q400 VH-QOM (CN 4217)

ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS BEECHCRAFT B200

VH-FDI (CN BL-162)

It wasn't long before I had to check in for my 2.40pm flight home. My main choice of airlines is QANTAS but sometimes I can't get a flight on them and today was one of those instances.

I was coming home on a Virgin Australia Embraer E190 and VH-ZPH was the rego.

I checked and got my ticket, I was in 15A on this flight.

We commenced boarding through gate 1 at 2.15pm, (Rockhampton doesn't have weigh bridges so the aircraft are parked out on the tarmac) the weather outside was not good so I knew we could be in for a bumpy climb out. We began taxiing at 2.35 and as runway 15 was in use we headed for that end.
We got airborne at 2.38pm and the climb out would have to be the fastest climb I have ever experienced.  As expected the climb was rough and very bumpy; we climbed to flt lvl 330.
We began our descent at 3.08pm and we landed on runway 01 in Brisbane at 3.28. A flight that is normally 70 mins was done and dusted in 50 mins. We taxied to gate 46 and flight 32 for the year was done and dusted.

Rockhampton Airport Day Two

Before heading off to do my calls I headed out to the airport to get some early morning photos as last night the helicopters were in the wrong place for late afternoon shots; as the low sun made them very hard to photograph.

 

PIPER PA-32-301 VH-OKD (CN  32R-8013026)

 

REPUBLIC OF SINGAPORE AIR FORCE C-130 HERCULES 735

JETGO EMBRAER 135 VH-JZG (CN 145713)

JETGO ARRIVING FROM THE GOLD COAST

SINGAPORE AIR FORCE EUROCOPTER AS-332 SUPA PUMA

SINGAPORE AIR FORCE AH-64 APACHE HELICOPTER

SINGAPORE AIR FORCE CH-47 CHINOOK



Then later that afternoon I went back out hoping for
 some more military action

BRITTEN-NORMAN BN2A-20 VH-CWG (CN 188)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EMBRAER E190 VH-ZPH (CN19000199)

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE F-16 No: 666

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE F-16 No: 667

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE F-16 No: 677

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE F-16 No: 680

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE F-16 No: 676

SINGAPORE AIRFORCE

 

Rockhampton and Exercise Wallaby

This morning I woke in Emerald and I love being there early in the morning as most of the aircraft coming in from Asia use Emerald (EMB / YEML) as a way point and you get some nice con trails.

After a few calls it was time to hit the road for the 3 hour drive to Rockhampton.

When I arrived I called on one of my clients and all of a sudden we heard this almighty roar.. Not one or two but more like four times. I knew they were the F16's that have been buzzing Rockhampton the last week or so.

After I did my calls I headed out to the airport, but of course there was nothing moving.... Not even the birds. I could see a few Singapore F16's sitting on the Tarmac further up but all quiet.

We had a couple of movements but then I decided I would go looking....

STERLING HELICOPTERS BELL UH-1H VH-OXE (CN 67-17187)

BRITTEN-NORMAN BN2A-20 VH-CWG (CN 188)

PIPER PA-23-250 VH-YUA (CN  27-7854136)

ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS BEECH CRAFT B200
VH-FDR (CN BB-1881)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR-72 VH-FVX (CN 986)

I decided to stick around and my patience paid off; as soon as the sun went down out came the Singapore F16's; they are here for exercise Wallaby.