Mystery C402
 

Can anyone tell me what a C402 was doing at 0245 over Sydney? Flying forward and back over twenty times, slow and low compared to other aircraft I have noticed during daylight hours doing similar at around 10,000ft. I guess it's some sort of surveying, although photographic purposes wouldn't seem appropriate at night. Unusual that Flightradar24 provided no aircraft details, although I could see it departed YSBK.

Likely one of Handel Aviation's; I understand that they are currently doing some work for NEARMAP.

Doing it at night as there is no way they would gain access to that airspace during the day especially at the altitude they’re surveying at.

chem trails

They are probably doing a LiDAR survey for making a very high definition "digital twin" of Sydney.

RMA

“This aircraft (VH-RLX) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.”

That makes sense as visible light photography would leave something to be desired at night I would think.

Off the topic a bit, I see on flight radar that VH-VEH has been doing quite a lot of what appears to be survey work about 40 miles west of Horn Island.

Anyone know what they are looking for or at?

Probably re-surveying the shipping channels.