Brisbane to Emerald Trip

Today my job took me to the town of Emerald where I will stay for a night then tomorrow I will drive into Rockhampton and stay Wednesday and Thursday night.
I was a little spoilt with the departure time today as normally I am on the 6am or 7am flight; todays flight to Emerald wasn't leaving until 9.45am.
But I made my way to the airport early anyway as I wanted to get the morning Emirates A380 heading out and a few other movements.

I checked in and cleared security as usual and then headed to a viewing window for a while.

QANTAS A330-202 VH-EBK (CN 0945)

QANTAS B737-838 VH-VYB (CN 33763)

QANTAS LINK B717-200 VH-YQS (CN 55178)

EMIRATES A380-861 A6-EEQ (CN 141)

AIR NIUGINI B767-300 P2-PXW (CN 25365)

KOREAN AIR A330-323 HL-8002 (CN 1576)

Wasn't long and it was time to go to gate 6 for my QANTAS flight to Emerald, I was quite pleased with today's aircraft as it was a Dash 8 Q400 but it wasn't in the normal QANTAS colours, it was in the "Breast Cancer" awareness colours and it is known around the town as the "Pink Lady"  We started boarding at 9.20 and I took my seat which was 6A. As we were on a stand off bay we didn't need to push back so we started taxiing at 9.38. Both runways; 01 for departures and 32 for arrivals; were in use but we headed for runway 01. After a long taxi and holding we finally became airborne at 9.49 and made a long slow bank to the right before heading back over the airport.

BRISBANE'S LIGHT AIRPORT "ARCHERFIELD" YBAF

Our track today took us out over Toowoomba and north of Dalby before banking right and setting course directly for Emerald; we climbed to Flt Lvl 220 and the ride was very smooth all the way.

We began our descent at 10.51 and after overflying the airfield we land 06 at 11.09am.

EMERALD AIRPORT RUNWAY 24 / 06

COCKPIT OF VH-QOH

QANTAS LINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOH (CN 4132)

Emerald Airport (IATA: EMD, ICAO: YEML) is located in a small country town in the Central Highlands district of Queensland. Approximately 270 klms west of Rockhampton.
The airport is located 6 km (4 mi) south of the Emerald town centre and is operated by the Central Highlands Regional Council.
Emerald Airport is currently serviced by Qantas Link Dash 8 Q400's; Virgin Australia with ATR-72's and occasionally you will get Alliance fly in with their F100's.
The airport has an elevation of 624 ft (190 m) above sea level. It has two runways: 06/24 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,900 m × 30 m (6,234 ft × 98 ft) and 15/33 with a gravel surface measuring 926 m × 18 m (3,038 ft × 59 ft). Emerald Airport does not have a control tower therefore it is an uncontrolled airport; so pilots are required to communicate via a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to safely co-ordinate arrivals and departures.

REIM'S AVIATION F406 VH-EYQ (CN F406-0047)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR72-212 VH-FVI (CN 955)



QANTAS LINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOI (CN 4189)

PIPER PA-32-300 VH-MSR (CN 32-7340106)

PIPER PA-32R-301 VH-LPW (CN32R-8113095)

AYRES CORPORATION S2R-G10 (CN G10-127DC)

 

SKY WEST (VIRGIN AUSTRALIA) FOKKER 27 -50

VH-FNF (CN 20200)

Thai Airways brings 787 to Brisbane

As mentioned in yesterday's post we said "Goodbye" as Thai Airways brought their Boeing 777-200 in for the last time. (HS-TJU had that honours) But today we said "Hello and Welcome" to their Boeing 787-8 HS-TQE.

Over the years Thai has brought in many different aircraft types like the Boeing 747-400, the MD11 and the 777-300 and 200 and now we can add the 787 to the list.

YESTERDAYS B777-2D7 HS-TJU (CN 34589)

THAI B787-8 HS-TQE (CN 38757)

ARRIVING ON 01 AS THAI 473 FROM BANGKOK

DEPARTING RUNWAY 01 FOR BANGKOK AS THAI 474

Below are a few photos we took today while it at the airport

Hi-FLY A330-343 CS-TQY (CN 190)

CHINA AIRLINES A330-302 B-18358 (CN 1346)

CHINA AIRLINES IN THE "MASALU TAIWAN"LIVERY

JETSTAR B787-8 VH-VKA (CN 36227)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8Q400 VH-QOD (CN 4123)

QANTAS B737-838 VH-VZO (CN 34191)

Two Airports One Day

If you are reading this then it's probably because, like me, you have a passion for commercial aviation.

I am sure you will agree that this kind of passion can have you up extremely early at times or even up late at night when we really should be sleeping. Well today was one of those instances; I have been following and chasing the Air Asia X A330 "Xcintillating  PhoeniX" for some time and today it was coming into the Gold Coast (OOL / YBCG) airport.

Air Asia wasn't due until 7.30am but, instead of the single Jetstar B787 that comes in, I knew there were two Jetstar B787's inbound to Cooly in the morning arriving just after 6am. So I got up at 4 am and left home at 4.30am for the 88klm / 60 minute drive south arriving at Cooly right on 5.25 am.

While I was waiting for the arrivals I watched the "Fire Tenders" go through there early morning routine and test out there gear racing up and the taxiways.

Right on schedule just after 6am (and the opening of the tower) the first one of two, Jetstar 787-8's arrived. This one was Jetstar 12 coming in from Narita (RJAA).

JETSTAR B787-8 VH-VKE (CN 36230)

Not long after that the second Jetstar 7992 arrived from Fukuoka (RJFF).
(Listening to the Jetstar company frequency I heard this aircraft was empty.)
This aircraft later went out to Wuhan China (ZHHH) later that morning as JQ 67

JETSTAR B787-8 VH-VKG (CN 36232)

As I waited for Air Asia I took a few photos of the local traffic

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VUI (CN 34441)

JETSTAR A320-232 VH-VFU (CN 5814)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YFS (CN 41027)

AVIAIR CESSNA 208B VH-TLZ (CN 208B0789)

CESSNA 525A CITATION VH-RJB (CN 525A-0094)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VOQ (CN 33798)

PIPER PA-31-350 VH-OIH (CN 31-7852058)

Finally the aircraft I drove an hour to see was here and can I say it was worth it.

AIR ASIA X A330-343 9M-XXT (CN 1549)

 XCINTILLATING PHEONIX

Another aviation buff (and friend) told me about these two Navy Sea Hawks that were here so I went looking and luckily I found them.

AUSTRALIAN NAVY SIKORSKY S-70B-2 SEA HAWK  79   N24-010

AUSTRALIAN NAVY SIKORSKY S-70B-2 SEA HAWK   80  N24-011

AUSTRALIAN NAVY SIKORSKY S-70B-2 SEA HAWK  

I decided to hang around for 90 minutes to get the departure of Air Asia X; unfortunately without knowing I moved the dial setting wheel on the camera and none of the images turned out.... Way way over exposed. Lesson learnt... always check camera settings before taking photos.

But I had no time to feel pity, I had to head home and grab my family and head off to Brisbane Airport for the final Thai Airways B777-200 arriving around midday; as of tomorrow the aircraft changes to their new B787-9.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B777-300ER VH-VOZ (CN 35302)

QANTAS A330-303 VH-QPD (CN 0574)

JET STAR A 320-232 VH-VQQ (CN 2537) 

QANTAS A 330-303 VH-QPB (CN 0558)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VOS (CN 33800)

TIGER AIR A320-232 VH-XUH (CN 6749)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-300ER (CN 38407)

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE

BEECHCRAFT B200 VH-FDA (CN BB-1986)

Thai International TG 473 arriving for the last time using the Boeing 777-2D7

THAI B777-2D7 HS-TJU (CN 34589)

THAI taxiing out for the last time as TG 474 using the Boeing 777