Far North Queensland Skies Cairns and Townsville Airport, Australia

Far North Queensland Skies Cairns and Townsville Airport, Australia

Copyright Notice

Copyright Notice

All photos on Far North Queensland Skies are copyrighted to me, or the photographer of that photo. All photos that are downloaded from Far North Queensland Skies are strictly intended for personal use only. Anyone, including the media, who would like to use any of the photos on the Blog, for any purpose other than personal use, must contact me in writing to obtain permission to use the photo(s). Any photo not taken by me, that was obtained from another photographer or another source, that appears on this Blog, will be duly acknowledged as such.

Thursday 31 December 2015

FNQ Yestayear Extra - DECEMBER 1935

YESTERYEAR EXTRA - DECEMBER 1935

On the 17th of the month a twin-engined monoplane lifted off from Santa Monica airfield CA on its maiden flight.  It was the Douglas DC-3 and since then the aircraft has passed on to immortal status. So much has been written on the aircraft there is little to add here in this brief tribute. With over 10,000 built and almost another 5000 under licence, the aircraft, as the DC-3, C-47 and Li-2 has given sterling service both in the commercial and military role in the farthest corners of the world.  To cut to the chase, the aircraft was no stranger to Australia serving their  airlines, plus the RAAF and RAN.  Far North Queensland had a long association with the DC-3 and in particular Cairns.  This FNQ city not only hosted DC-3’s of the ‘big two’ domestic carriers of their day plus the nation’s flag carrier on their schedules to and from New Guinea via Cairns, but became home to the legendary Bush Pilots Airways (BPA), the local operator of the type, later absorbed into Air Queensland.
 

It was only in the last decade that the DC-3 faded from the local scene   with the demise of DC-3 Australia, the last operator of the type here. DC-3 Queensland, Splitters Creek and South Pacific were also in residence as late as the turn of the millennium. Dakota National and Pionair (NZ) were frequent visitors along with Air Nostalgia continuing their Air Safari role to the northern climbs up to the end of the last decade. In the southern states, Shortstop, based in Victoria still operate a sole example.  A few images are included here just to savour the type once again and the nostalgia associated with this legendary airliner, some 80 years young.
 
DC-3 in BPA trim and Air Queensland titles taxies out at Cairns

VH-CAN ‘Madeleine’ on loan from Splitters Creek fires up

Dakota National DC-3 cleans up off rw15 at Cairns

view from a port side window of the northern beaches at Cairns

majestic smoke from a Cairns based DC-3 Queenland start up

a pair of DC-3’s await their next tasking on the Cairns GA ramp

VH-MIN takes to the sky

South Pacific DC-3 also wearing DC-3 Australia titles ready to taxi

South Pacific example passing down the runway centre line

unmistakable profile of the legend as it goes OTT 

Pionair (NZ) on an aerial safari trip wears retro NAC Skyliner trim


Thanks to GAFLIKS for providing this Yestayear report.

 © Copyright.
 

Airwork (NZ) Ltd MBB/Kawasaki BK 117 ZK-HQB

ZK-HQB BK17 south-Cairns-Cooktown-


ZK-HQB BK17 at Cairns.


ZK-HQB BK17 at Cairns.

Little Aviation Gulfstream GV-SP VH-LAL

VH-LAL GLF5 Cairns-Sydney, was Ayers Rock-Cairns 28/12/2015


VH-LAL GLF5 at Cairns.

Corporate Air Saab 340 VH-VEP

VH-VEP SF34 Cairns-Aurukun-Cairns-Brisbane


VH-VEP SF34 at Cairns.

Wednesday 30 December 2015

Tigerair CNS-BNE service diverts

A Cairns-Brisbane Tigerair service diverted to Townsville on 29/12/2015, TGW491.
Approximately 23 hours later the aircraft continued onto Brisbane.

TGW491 VH-VND A320 Cairns-Brisbane diverted to Townsville 29/12/2015.
TGW8491 VH-VND A320 Townsville-Brisbane 30/12/2015.


File Picture - VH-VND A320.

Gulfstream G550 N94LF departs

N94LF GLF5 Cairns-Sydney


N94LF GLF5 at Cairns.


Monday 28 December 2015

Hevilift Bell 412 P2-HCV arrives

P2-HCV B412 north-Cairns


File Picture - P2-HCV at Cairns.

Sunday 27 December 2015

Gulfstream G550 N94LF arrives

N94LF GLF5 Queenstown-Cairns
 
N94LF GLF5 at Cairns.


N94LF GLF5 at Cairns.

Saturday 26 December 2015

Monday 21 December 2015

Twin Otter DHC-6-400 N153QS departs

N153QS DHC6 Cairns-Groote Is.-Darwin


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.


Mount Cook Airlines ATR-72 ZK-MVO arrives at the Paintshop

SXI1544 ZK-MVO AT72 Kupang-Townsville, was TLS-HBE-AAN-NAG-PEN-KOE, departing Toulouse on the 17th of December. 


ZK-MVO AT72 at Townsville, Photo by Graham.

Falcon 7X M-GMKM departs

M-GMKM FA7X Cairns-Mildura




M-GMKM FA7X at Cairns.


M-GMKM FA7X at Cairns.


M-GMKM FA7X at Cairns.

Pacific Helicopters H145 P2-PHA passes through

P2-PHA H145 south-Cairns-Cooktown-...(return)-Cairns


P2-PHA H145 at Cairns.


Sunday 20 December 2015

Swiss Air Ambulance Challenger 601 HB-JRB passes through

SAZ355/356 HB-JRB CL60 Christchurch-Cairns-Hat Yai (Thailand)


HB-JRB CL60 at Cairns.


HB-JRB CL60 at Cairns.

Twin Otter DHC-6-400 N153QS arrives

N153QS DHC6 Brisbane-Cairns, was Noumea-Brisbane 19/12/2015


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns, Photo by GAFLIKS.


N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.



N153QS DHC6 at Cairns.

N153QS DHC6 at Cairns, Photo by GAFLIKS.

Saturday 19 December 2015

Deer Jet Gulfstream V B-8373 passes through

DER552/553 B8373 GLF5 Sydney-Cairns-Beijing


B8373 GLF5 at Cairns.

Beech Kingair B200 VH-FPO delivery flight from Japan

VH-FPO (Ex. JA8705) BE20 Horn Is.-Bankstown, was Guam-Horn Is. 18/12/2015 and Japan/Komaki?-Guam 17/12/2015.

Link to picture of VH-FPO at Nagoya 16/12/2015: http://flyteam.jp/photo/1740788

Gulfstream G-VI N278L

N278L GLF6 Kahului-Townsville-Hamilton Is.


N278L GLF6 at Townsville, Photo by Graham.



Friday 18 December 2015

Falcon 7X M-GMKM arrives

M-GMKM FA7X Newcastle-Cairns


M-GMKM FA7X at Cairns.

Scoot Airlines Boeing 787-9 9V-OJB diverts

Scoot Airlines Boeing 787-9 9V-OJB diverted to Cairns enroute Sydney to Singapore. After a short stopover the aircraft continued onto Singapore.

SCO1 9V-OJB B789 Sydney-divert Cairns-Singapore


9V-OJB B789 at Cairns, Photo by Aaron.






Swiss Air-Ambulance Challenger 601 HB-JRB passes through

SAZ354 HB-JRB CL60 Subang-Cairns-Christchurch



Wednesday 16 December 2015

Tuesday 15 December 2015

ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-9 JA839A diverts

Last night an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-9 JA839A diverted to Cairns 14/12/2015 enroute from Sydney to Haneda. After a short stopover the aircraft continued onto Haneda 15/12/2015.

ANA880 JA839A B789 (Sydney)-divert Cairns-Haneda


File Picture - ANA B788 ROAH.

Monday 14 December 2015

Gulfstream 650 N451CS departs

N451CS GLF6 Cairns-Honolulu, was Honolulu-Cairns 9/12/2015


N451CS GLF6 at Cairns.

Sunday 13 December 2015

Belfast update!

Not a lot to report on for the Belfast, little or no activity in the last 12 months.


Belfast SC-5 at Cairns, 12/12/2015.

Saturday 12 December 2015

Royal Air Force Airbus A400M Atlas ZM406 departs

RRR4024 ZM406 A400M Cairns-Sydney-Hobart, was (Brunei)-Cairns 11/12/2015


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.


ZM406 A400M at Cairns.