Mackay aviation enthusiast ‘AC’ has kindly forwarded a number of superb photo’s depicting Cairns based Fugro LADS Corporation / Royal Australian Navy (RAN) de Havilland Dash 8-200 VH-LCL captured shortly after touching down at the Central Queensland city on Thursday, March 19.
Due to the potential destructive conditions associated with Tropical Cyclone Nathan, VH-LCL positioned from Far North Queensland to Mackay for safe keeping however after remaining overnight, returned to Cairns on Friday, March 20.
Manufactured in 1997 and currently operated by Surveillance Australia for Fugro LADS Corporation on a multi-year lease to the Royal Australian Navy, VH-LCL is a modified de Havilland Dash 8-200 equipped with an hydrographic surveying system on behalf of the Australian Navy LADS Hydrography Institute.
Of interest, the LADS (Laser Airborne Depth Sounding) is an aircraft based hydrographic surveying system used by the Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) and determines the difference between the sea surface and the sea floor as calculated from the aircraft's altitude to generate hydrographic data.
Air Queensland.blogspot would like to sincerely thank ‘AC’ for allowing us to share these truly magnificent photo's.
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