2022

VH-VXF Boeing 737-838 of Qantas, named ‘Sunshine Coast’, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 19 January 2022. Parked at bay 14, Terminal 4 at 5:50am. It departed as QF1200 to Kalgoorlie at 6:36am. Behind is VH-VZJ operating QF1388 to Solomon, which has pushed back from bay 18 for departure. Photo © David Eyre.

January 2022

Leeman, seen from aboard VH-VQS Airbus A320-232 of QantasLink (Network Aviation), named 'Kangaroo Paw', on flight QF1612 to Geraldton - 19 January 2022. View from seat 27A. Photo © David Eyre.

19 January 2022: Flight on QantasLink Airbus A320 Perth to Geraldton

VH-UDC / 'G-AUDK' Bristol 28 Tourer replica, at Museum of Geraldton, Western Australia - 19 January 2022. One of three Bristol Tourer replicas built in Australia. The first was a non-flying static display replica painted as 'G-AUDK', built in 1980–81, which was donated in 1986 to the RAAF Association Aviation Heritage Museum, at Bull Creek, Perth, Western Australia. As there are two replicas painted as 'G-AUDK', this causes some confusion among historians. In 1984-1985, an Australian company had two airworthy Bristol Tourer replicas built in Brisbane, QLD by Air Charter Pty Ltd for a television mini-series 'A Thousand Skies', about the life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith. They were registered as Air Charter Bristol F.2b Tourers: VH-UDC (c/n QA-32-1, painted as G-AUDK) and VH-UDR (c/n QA-32-2, painted as G-AUDJ). These aircraft were powered by 172 kw (230 hp) Continental IO-520 six-cylinder engines, with fuselages of steel tube and wings of wood, with fabric covering overall. On 1 June 1992, VH-UDC (painted as G-AUDK) was on a 70-year commemorative flight by owner/pilot Barry Hempel when it suffered engine trouble and was damaged in a forced landing on North West Coastal Highway, 100 kilometres north of Geraldton. The aircraft was restored by Mid West Aero Club and the Shire of Greenough donated it to the Western Australian Museum at Geraldton, where it is now displayed suspended from the ceiling. This is a fitting location, given that the first scheduled air service in Australia by Bristol Tourers of West Australian Airways began at Geraldton Airport on 5 December 1921. The other flying replica, VH-UDR (painted as G-AUDJ) was withdrawn from use in March 1986 and converted to a Bristol F.2b Fighter configuration, painted to represent C-4623 and now displayed at the Army Aviation Museum at Oakey, Queensland. Photo © David Eyre.

19 January 2022: Geraldton Airport and Museum of Geraldton

Herne Hill and the Swan River, Western Australia, north of Perth, seen from aboard VH-NPU Fokker 100 of QantasLink (Network Aviation) on flight QF1615 Geraldton to Perth - 19 January 2022. View from seat 20A as we fly south towards Perth Airport's runway 21 at 6:52pm. Herne Street is visible. Photo © David Eyre.

19 January 2022: Flight on QantasLink Fokker 100 Geraldton to Perth

N260UH/HELITACK 678 Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk of Pickering Aviation Inc, (Denton, Texas), at Lake Goollelal, Kingsley, Western Australia - 23 January 2022. Drawing water from the lake while fighting a bushfire at Warwick Open Space. Operated on firefighting duties for the Western Australian Government/Department of Fire and Emergency Services for the summer fire season. Fitted with a 4,500-Litre Helitak Fire Tank FT4500 and Helitak HP-6000 Hoverpump, which pumps 6,000 litres per minute, filling the tank in less than 50 seconds. MSN 70664 built in 1984, ex United States Army serial 83-23840. Previously used in Iraq in 2010/11, later as a medevac helicopter with 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard, based at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, USA, then with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It then went to Huntsville, Alabama on 25 January 2021 and was advertised for sale by GSA Auctions at Huntsville, Alabama on 10 February 2021. Registered on civil register as N260UH with Pickering Aviation Inc of Denton, Texas on October 29, 2021. Shipped to Sydney and flown from Camden, NSW to Serpentine, Western Australia on 12 January 2022. Based at Serpentine until April 2022. Photo © David Eyre.

23 January 2022: Firefighting helicopters at Lake Goollelal, Kingsley

Roebuck Bay, east of Broome, Western Australia, seen from VH-VXH Boeing 737-838 of Qantas, named 'Warrnambool', on flight QF1072 Perth to Broome - 25 January 2022. View from seat 4A at 9:35am, on approach to runway 28 at Broome Airport. The aircraft is heading WNW along the northern edge of Roebuck Bay. Photo © David Eyre.

25 January 2022: Flight on Qantas Boeing 737-800 Perth to Broome

VH-IPK Sikorsky S-92A Helibus (MSN 920104) of HNZ Australia/PHI at Broome Airport - 25 January 2022. Operated from Broome for Inpex on the Icthys LNG contract (the 'IP' in the registration represents Inpex). Photo © David Eyre.

25 January 2022: Broome Airport

South side of Roebuck Bay Western Australia, seen from aboard VH-VQZ Airbus A320-232 (MSN 2292) of QantasLink (Network Aviation), named 'Sandstone Leaf', on flight QF1812 Broome - Perth, 25 January 2022. Taken at 7:00pm from seat 3A. Photo © David Eyre.

25 January 2022: Flight on QantasLink Airbus A320 Broome to Perth

N1073W/HELITAK 671 Bell 214B-1 BigLifter of McDermott Aviation, at Warradale Park, Landsdale, Western Australia - 29 January 2022. Drawing water from the lake, while fighting a bushfire to the west of Tonkin Highway in Bullsbrook. Operated on firefighting duties in the summer fire season, for the Western Australian Government under the Department of Fire and Emergency Services. Fitted with a 2,700-Litre Isolair 'Tsunami' belly tank. Photo © David Eyre.

29 January 2022: Firefighting helicopters at Warradale Park, Landsdale

Lake Austin, near Cue, Western Australia, seen from VH-VZO Boeing 737-838 of Qantas, named 'Bendigo' - 2 February 2022. Taken at 11:10am from seat 10A, on flight QF1072 Perth - Broome. Photo © David Eyre.

2 February 2022: Flight on Qantas Boeing 737-800 Perth to Broome

Landscape 17km southeast of Kununurra Airport, Western Australia, seen from VH-SWO Embraer ERJ170-100LR of Airnorth - 2 February 2022. Seen at 3:10pm from seat 14K on flight TL333 Broome to Kununurra. Photo © David Eyre.

2 February 2022: Flight on Airnorth Embraer 170 Broome to Kununurra

VH-KSU Pilatus PC-12/45 of Aviair, at Kununurra East Kimberley Regional Airport, Western Australia - 3 February 2022. Seen from aboard VH-YIS Boeing 737-8FE of Virgin Australia, before departure.. MSN 434, built in 2001, ex VH-FDP. Photo © David Eyre

2 – 3 February 2022: Broome Airport and Kununurra East Kimberley Regional Airport

Facing south over Kununurra East Kimberley Regional Airport and Ord River, Western Australia - 3 February 2022. Taken from seat 26F aboard VH-YIS Boeing 737-8FE of Virgin Australia, named 'Casuarina Beach', just after taking off for flight VA1638 to Perth at 4:32pm. Lake Argyle is visible in the far distance. The Kununurra Diversion Dam is on the right. Kununurra town is off photo to the left. Photo © David Eyre

3 February 2022: Flight on Virgin Australia Boeing 737-800 Kununurra to Perth

LY-LEO Airbus A330-302 of Getjet Airlines, over the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia - 25 February 2022. Flight GW724 to Delhi, climbing after take-off from Perth Airport's runway 21 at 7:33am, with the moon visible at upper right. Arrived as GW723 from Hong Kong in the early hours of the morning on a freight only flight, delivering COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits to Perth - this was its third and final visit to Perth and its last revenue service with Getjet. The aircraft was originally delivered in 2006 to China Airlines as B-18312. In January 2019 it was delivered to Getjet Airlines as LY-LEO, based at Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, all passenger seats were removed to allow freight to be carried. On 26 February 2022, the day after this photo, the aircraft was withdrawn from Getjet service and on 27 February 2022 was flown to Chateauroux, France and stored. On 2 May 2022, it was registered 9H-LEON and leased to Airhub Airlines. It was sub-leased to Corendon Airlines (Turkiye) from May to September 2022, then returned to Airhub Airlines. Photo © David Eyre.

February 2022

B-8468 Airbus A330-343 of Sichuan Airlines, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 25 March 2022. One of several 'preighter' (passenger aircraft with seats removed to operate as freighters) chartered by the Western Australian Government to bring thousands of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits, which were issued free of charge to the public. Arrived with RAT kits as flight 3U3897 from Chengdu. Departed empty as seen here at 4:17pm lining up on runway 03 as flight 3U3898 back to Chengdu. Photo © David Eyre.

March 2022

A7-BEB Boeing 777-3DZER of Qatar Airways, in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 livery, over the northern suburbs of Perth - 9 April 2022. Flight QR900 from Doha, flying northeast at 6:13pm to join the approach to runway 21 at Perth Airport. This aircraft wore "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022" special colours from November 2020 to March 2023. Photo © David Eyre.

April 2022

VH-UOZ Cessna 208 Caravan of Swan River Seaplanes, Swan River, Perth, Western Australia - 9 April 2022. After landing on 'runway 29', parallel to Riverside Drive, Perth, with Hyatt Hotel behind. Operating scenic flights from Queen Street Jetty at South Perth on the Swan River, over Rottnest Island and back. This aircraft had only been registered just over a month earlier, and was previously based at Denpasar Airport, Bali, with Travira Air. MSN 20800418, built in 2008, registered 28 February 2022, ex PK-TVW Travira Air, N20869. Photo © David Eyre

9 April 2022: Cessna Caravan seaplane of Swan River Seaplanes on the Swan River, Perth

N619SW / BOMBER 139 Boeing 737 -3H4 Fireliner of Coulson Aviation, named 'Phoenix' at Busselton Airport, Western Australia - 11th January 2023. Photo © Jarrod Swanwick

Firefighting aircraft in Western Australia: Late 2022 – Early 2023

F-WMIL Airbus A350-1041 (MSN 059) owned by Airbus, with 'Qantas - Our Spirit flies further' titles, at Perth Airport - 1 May 2022. Arriving direct from the Airbus factory at Toulouse in the south of France, after a flight lasting just under 16 hours as flight AIB151. It picked up a Qantas crew and flew to Sydney, where there was a large media event. Qantas announced an order for 12 A350-1000 aircraft under 'Project Sunrise', for use on long range routes, such as Sydney - New York, Sydney - London, or even Perth - Los Angeles direct. Photo © David Eyre.

1 May 2022: F-WMIL Airbus A350-1000 with Qantas titles visits Perth

Static display at the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia Open Day, Jandakot Airport, Western Australia - 21 May 2022. Left to right in the foreground: VH-PFI Beech 1900D of Penjet Pty Ltd. VH-ZLT Cessna 550 Citation II Bravo of Revesco Aviation. VH-JGK Cessna 340 owned by Western Flight Services Pty Ltd. VH-XEO Extra NG owned by Awesome Aviation Pty Ltd. VH-BQO Christen Eagle II owned by Eagle Magic Pty Ltd. VH-TQO American Champion 8KCAB Decathlon operated by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-FAS/A17-37 De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth owned by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-VPK Cirrus SR20A-G3 owned by Vaughan Emery. VH-MWE Mooney M20J 205 MSE owned by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-VNQ Tecnam P2010 TDI owned by Airitalia (Australia) Pty Ltd. VH-ZDR Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP of the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-BBX Grob G-115C2 owned by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-IXE Partenavia P.68B Victor owned by the Royal Aero Club of Western Australia VH-UWC Cessna A152 Aerobat owned by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. VH-CKF/A17-421 De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth owned by Royal Aero Club of Western Australia. On grass: VH-MAN / 232003 / 85 Nanchang CJ-6A owned by S & K Investments Pty Ltd. VH-KAN/140016 North American T-28B Trojan operated by AOG Services Pty Ltd. VH-AJK Vans RV-6 owned by Adriaan J L Wessels. VH-VLY Vans RV-8 owned by Jozef Bonnie. VH-POR/FAP1354 De Havilland (OGMA) DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 (Mk.22) operated by Simon Carrel. VH-TXC Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche C owned by Russell Philip. VH-PJS/41-911 Boeing Stearman PT-17 owned by Robert Poynton. VH-MRV Vans RV-7A owned by Robert Montgomery. VH-ITW Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser owned by Ian Wright. VH-OAL Cirrus SR22T-G5 GTS owned by Timothy Moore. Photo © David Eyre

21 May 2022: Royal Aero Club of Western Australia Open Day, Jandakot Airport

VH-KXL Cessna 525 CitationJet CJ1 of Edwards Aviation (Edwards Coaches Pty Ltd) at Jandakot Airport, Western Australia - 21 May 2022. MSN 525-0100, built in 1995, ex VH-CIT, N800HS, (N808HS), N525CC, N51564. Photo © David Eyre.

May 2022

VH-ZNH Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner of Qantas, named 'Great Barrier Reef', over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia – 4 June 2022. QF10 from London Heathrow, turning east to join the approach to Perth Airport's runway 21 at 11:31am. Photo © David Eyre.

June 2022

VH-SYO British Aerospace 146-200 of Pionair Australia, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 16 July 2022. Operating a Captain's Choice around Australia flight. Landing on runway 03 at 12:35pm as SFZ9073 from Busselton. It departed as SFZ692 to Learmonth. MSN E2108, built in 1988, ex D-AZFR, G-RAAJ, G-CFDH, EC-KKY, EI-CWD, SE-DRK, N295UA, G-5-108. Photo © David Eyre.

July 2022

A6-EBY Boeing 777-36NER of Emirates, over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia - 26 August 2022. Flight EK420 from Dubai, heading towards Perth Airport at 5:17pm. Photo © David Eyre.

August 2022

IN411 HAL (Sud Aviation) SA316B Chetak of the Indian Navy, aboard INS Sumedha (P58), at Fremantle, Western Australia - 14 August 2022. INS Sumedha (P58), a Saryu-class offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Navy arrived on 14 August 2022 from Tanjung and stayed until 17 August, departing to Port Klang. The visit was to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's independence (Independence Day is 15 August). Six Perth buildings were illuminated in the Indian tricolour. Indian Navy ships visited foreign ports in every continent simultaneously. The queue was 300 people long, with only 10 people at a time being permitted aboard. MSN 1736/AH119. Photo © David Eyre.

14 August 2022: Indian Navy HAL SA316B Chetak aboard INS Sumedha (P58) at Fremantle

A6-EGB Boeing 777-31HER of Emirates, with special 'Year of the Fiftieth' livery, over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia - 10 September 2022. Flight EK420 from Dubai, heading towards Perth Airport at 5:20pm. 2021 was declared as the “Year of the 50th” by the President of the UAE, to celebrate 50 years since its formation in 1971. A6-EGB wore this livery from September 2021 - November 2022. Photo © David Eyre.

September 2022

9H-SUN Airbus A340-313X of Hi Fly Malta, over the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia - 28 October 2022. Charter flight 3L580 from Erbil, Iraq, at 5.24pm, bringing four Australian women and 13 children who had been in a Syrian detention camp since the fall of Islamic State in 2019. Perth was a fuel stop only and the aircraft continued on to Sydney. Photo © David Eyre.

October 2022

80-1111 Boeing 777-3SBER of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF), at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 21 October 2022. Using callsign 'JAPAN AIR FORCE 2', arriving from Tokyo-Haneda, taxying in at 7:19pm to park at bay 150. This aircraft and 80-1112 'JAPAN AIR FORCE 1' arrived with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and a Japanese Government delegation to visit Perth for an annual Australia/Japan leaders meeting. This was the first visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to Western Australia since 2018. Both aircraft departed back to Tokyo-Haneda on the night of 22 October 2022. Photo © David Eyre.

21 October 2022: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Perth with two Boeing 777-300ER of Japan Air Self-Defence Force

VH-BPD Supermarine Aircraft Spitfire Mk.26 (replica) owned by Murray Kester, at the Sport Aircraft Builders Club (SABC) Annual Fly-In, Serpentine Airfield, Western Australia - 23 October 2022. MSN 047, built in 2016. Painted in Royal Canadian Air Force markings. Photo © David Eyre.

Serpentine Airfield – Sport Aircraft Builders Club Annual Fly-in: 23 October 2022

VH-QQP Bombardier DHC-8-315Q Dash 8 of Maroomba Airlines, at Perth Airport, Western Australia - 1 November 2022. Taxying in at 6:14pm, arriving from Windarling. In the background is A39-004 Airbus KC-30A (A330-243MRTT) of 33 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Photo © David Eyre.

November 2022

4K-AZ101 Ilyushin IL-76TD-90 of Silk Way Airlines (Azerbaijan), at Perth Airport, Western Australia on 23 December 2022. Arrived from Oslo (Norway) via Istanbul (Turkiye), Muscat (Oman), Chennai (India) and Kertajati (Indonesia) as ZP7002. Departed on 24 December 2023 at 1935 back to Kertajati as flight ZP7003. Built in 2008. Behind is VH-XFE Airbus A330-243 formerly of Virgin Australia, but returned to lessor Magpie Goose Leasing 1319 LLC, which has been stranded at Perth since 10 March 2020 when it had a technical issue and returned to Perth, damaging number 2 engine and the right main landing gear. Photo © David Eyre.

December 2022