MRH90 Taipan helicopters and aircrew from the 5th Aviation Regiment have made a flying visit to Cloncurry to both renew old friendships and to be prepared for emergencies ahead of the wet season.
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The regiment's ties to the town were formed during Operation North Queensland Assist 2018/19, which saw for the first time a Joint Task Force centred on the 16th Aviation Brigade raised to respond to a major flooding disaster.
Captain Carolyn Barnett said 5th Aviation Regiment crews worked out of Cloncurry to distribute supplies to farmers and others who were cut off by flood waters.
"The regiment's MRH90 helicopters delivered 43 tonnes of fodder to help feed isolated livestock," Captain Barnett said.
"During the recent return to Cloncurry, members of the 5th Aviation Regiment met with the local community and children from surrounding schools."
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MRH-90 pilot Captain Daniel Moore said the landscape looked vastly different in the floods.
"Looking out over North West Queensland, which is normally very sparse flat terrain, it looked like an ocean when we flew out over there in 2019," Captain Moore said.
"There were very tiny pockets of land, and all those pockets of land had cattle huddled up next to each other because they had nowhere else to go. It was very surreal."
MRH-90 pilot Captain Bonnie Hunt said Cloncurry was a great experience for the troops.
"It's amazing how much the children know about the helicopters," Captain Hunt said.
"All of us feel privileged to be able to visit again."
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
