Air side at Wellcamp

As yesterday was my RDO I decided to drive the 145 km's out to Wellcamp airport to view the Virgin Australia aircraft parked up out there and to photograph the arriving Cathay. When I arrived I was very impressed with the sight of all the aircraft parked there but quite excited to see the tail of a 777 clearly hanging out over the fence line. I was about to walk up the fence to take a few photos and I thought I had better let security know I was going to be hanging around the perimeter fence.. So I went in and found the airport office and explained my story, and to my surprise I was offered a tour air-side so I could get up close to the parked up aircraft. While I waited for my clearance I went for a quick look around before coming back and going air side.

Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport (IATA: WTB, ICAO: YBWW) is 15.6 km west of the CBD of Toowoomba or 150 km's from Brisbane city. The airport and business park is the brainchild of the Wagner family, a business family prominent in the Toowoomba region. It is the first major public airport development in Australia since Melbourne Airport opened in 1970. It is also the first privately funded major airport in the country.
The airport is rated at Code E and with its 2,870-metre (9,416 ft) long 45-metre (148 ft) wide runway (12/30) it can handle aircraft the size and weight of a Boeing 747-8.  The airport sits at 1,509 ft / 460 mt's ASML. This airport does not have a control tower so pilots are required to communicate via a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to safely co-ordinate arrivals and departures. From Toowoomba Wellcamp you can fly directly to Sydney with Qantas, Melbourne or Townsville with Airnorth, or Brisbane, Bedourie, Birdsville, Boulia, Charleville, Cunnamulla, Mount Isa, Quilpie, St George, Thargominda and Windorah with Regional Express. Wellcamp also has two airlines calling in delivering freight to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific twice a week and Singapore with Singapore Airlines once a week. 

Returning to the office Timothy was waiting for me, so we went out and jumped in his car and we headed out.

Going to REX next week as a training aircraft

There are 10 aircraft on the ground at the moment.

Four 777-3ZG's

VH-VOZ CN 35302

VH-VPD CN 37938

VH-VPE CN 37939

VH-VPH CN  37943

Five 737-800'S

2-HVUR CN 36606

VH-YFE CN 39414

VH-YFH CN 40996

VH-YFJ  CN 41001

VH-VUF CN 34168 (Going to REX next week)

One A330-243

VH-XFH CN 1452

With my head still spinning I jumped in my car and headed around to the viewing area of the airport so I could get the landing Cathay 777

CATHAY PACIFIC B777-367 B-KQH (CN 42143)

Many thanks to Timothy Carney for making this happen. Thank you for taking the time out of your day for me, you seriously made my day.