Surveillance / Customs Australia Reims F406 VH-YZE sighted at Mackay Airport

Mackay based planespotter 'AC' has kindly forwarded some truly magnificent photo's depicting Surveillance / Customs Australia Reims F406 VH-YZE while prepared for an overnight stay  at Mackay Airport on Tuesday, February 17.

VH-YZE reportedly made an early morning departure from Mackay on Wednesday, February 18.

 

Of interest, the Reims F406 is a twin turboprop aircraft manufactured and designed by Reims Aviation (now known as GECI Aviation) in cooperation with Cessna and marketed as a small passenger / cargo transport or alternatively is capable of being modified to undertake the role as a civilian or military surveillance platform.

 

The Reims F406 is a development of the Cessna 404 but fitted with a pair of Pratt & Whitney PT6A-112 turboprops and is said to be similiar to the pressurized Cessna 441.

As highlighted in an earlier post, Surveillance Australia is an Australian company owned by Cobham Aviation and is primarily engaged in servicing the Australian Customs Service Coastwatch contract flying surveillance patrols within the Australian Exclusive Economic Zone (AEEZ) but also operates a modified de Havilland Dash 8-200 for the Tenix LADS contract.

 

Headquartered in Adelaide but with operational bases at Broome, Cairns and Darwin - Surveillance Australia was awarded a $1 billion Coastwatch contract in 2005 and will see their fleet of modified de Havilland Dash 8-200 & Q300 and Reims F406 aircraft operating through to 2020.    

Air Queensland.blogspot would like thank 'AC' for allowing us to share these wonderful photo's of a great little plane.

 

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