Thursday 31 March 2016

Happy Birthday British Airways

              British Airways Logo.svg
IATAICAOCallsign
BABAWSPEEDBIRD


BRITISH AIRWAYS B747-436 G-BNLW (CN 25432)           (File Photo)

















In January 1972, a British Airways Board was established by the United Kingdom government following the passing of the Civil Aviation Act of 1971, to manage British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and British European Airways (BEA). On 1 September 1972 the management service functions of both BOAC and BEA were combined under the newly formed British Airways Group.
British Airways was established as an airline on 31 March 1974 by the dissolution of BOAC and BEA. Following two years of fierce competition with British Caledonian, the second-largest airline in the United Kingdom at the time, the Government changed its aviation policy in 1976 so that the two carriers would no longer compete on long-haul routes.
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom and is the largest airline in the United Kingdom based on fleet size. When measured by passengers carried, it is second-largest in United Kingdom (behind EasyJet). The airline is based in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport.
After almost 13 years as a state company, British Airways was privatised in February 1987 as part of a wider privatisation plan by the Conservative government.
British Airways is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, the alliance has since grown to become the third-largest, after SkyTeam and Star Alliance.
A long-time Boeing customer, British Airways ordered 59 Airbus A320 aircraft in August 1998. In 2007 it purchased 12 Airbus A380s and 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, marking the start of its long-haul fleet replacement. The centrepiece of the airline's long-haul fleet is the Boeing 777, with 58 in the fleet. British Airways is still the largest operator of the Boeing 747-400 in the world, with 52 registered to the airline.

Current fleet

As of February 2016, the British Airways fleet is made up of the following registered aircraft (including non-operational aircraft)





British Airways Fleet
AircraftNumberOrdersOptions




Airbus A318-1002
Airbus A319-10044





Airbus A320-20066



Airbus A320neo20

Airbus A321-20018

Airbus A321neo10

Airbus A350-10001818

Airbus A380-8001117
Boeing 737-4006

Boeing 747-40052
Boeing 767-300ER19


Boeing 777-2003
Boeing 777-200ER43
Boeing 777-300ER12
Boeing 787-88
Boeing 787-9715
Boeing 787-1012

Total

290

67

25


Tuesday 29 March 2016

Maleth-Aero BBJ calls into Brisbane

Malta based Maleth-Aero's Boeing 737-7ZX BBJ called into Brisbane this morning arriving from Tokyo. The trip started Sunday when the aircraft departed Bratislava (BTS) for Tokyo (HND) then last night it departed Tokyo (HND) for Brisbane (BNE) touching down around 9.30am this morning.
As it was very late in the afternoon when I was there so I thought I would wait until dark and try my hand at some night shots as well.

MALETH-AERO B737-7ZX BBJ 9H-GGG (CN 40119)
















We also had a Bombardier BD 700 on the ground and I was lucky enough to catch the departure by a few seconds, as while I was pulling up the aircraft was given "clear for take off "

WELLS FARGO BANK BOMBARDIER BD 700-1A11 N933ML (CN 9504)

















We also had the evening ETIHAD 787-9 arrive early this evening, plus a few other photos I took while waiting.

ETIHAD B787-9 A6-BLB (CN 39647)

















REX SAAB 340 VH-ZLJ (CN 340B380)

TIGERAIR A320-232 VH-VNO (CN 4053)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-LQK (CN 4415)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YIT (CN 38717)

QANTAS B737-838 VH-VXC (CN 30897)

JETSTAR A320-232 VH-VQJ (CN 2703)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ERJ190 VH-ZPH (CN 19000199)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YFI (CN 41000)

















EgyptAir aircraft hijacked by ‘love sick’ professor

EgyptAir flight MS181 was hijacked and landed in Cyprus by a passenger on board named as Ibrahim Samaha. It is alleged that “personal motives” were behind his actions as he wanted to see his ex-wife, who is Cypriot.
The Civil Aviation Ministry said that the pilot of the EgyptAir plane, Omar Al-Gammal, told the authorities he was threatened by a passenger with a suicide belt. However, it later emerged that information regarding explosives turned out to be false.
Egyptian state media say that the hijacker is an citizen of Egypt. He has been named as Ibrahim Samaha and was sitting in seat K38. According to the Greek television station Sky, the hijacker has demanded a translator and wants political asylum in Cyprus.
Witnesses said they saw the hijacker throwing a letter on to the apron of the airport, which was written in Arabic. The hijacker asked that it be delivered to his ex-wife, who is Cypriot, Reuters reports. It is understood that Samha is a professor of veterinary medicine at Alexandria University, according the educational facility’s website.
EgyptAir says that the release of all the passengers on board the aircraft has been agreed, except for four foreigners and crew members on the plane. There are believed to be between 15 and 20 people still left on the plane.
The aircraft is an A320-232; registration SU-GCB (CN 2079) belonging to EgyptAir.
It landed in Larnaca at 08:46 local time, with 81 passengers on board.
Larnaca Airport has been closed, while ambulances have been sent to the scene.


Sunday 27 March 2016

FE - FC Holden Club visits Pittsworth

While spending Easter at Pittsworth (40 klms west of Toowoomba) with some wonderful beautiful long time friends we found out they were putting on a fund raiser BBQ at the Pittsworth Historic and Vintage centre today for a car club called the FE - FC Holden Car Club. This group of cars get together nationaly every two years and this year their friendly drivers had chosen Pittsworth to celebrate their Easter.
When the 90 plus cars started driving into the grounds I quickly found myself in awe as these magnificent machines, from as far south as Tasmania and as far west as Perth Western Australia, where in magnificent condition and it was a credit to the loving devoted owners.


























We even had a few ring ins call by for a look and I was so pleased they did.








If you have an FE or FC or know someone who has i have
added their website http://www.fefcholden.org.au/



Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport

Wellcamp Airport; officially known as Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport (IATA: WTB, ICAO: YBWW) is 15.6 km (9.7 miles) west of the city of Toowoomba.
The airport and business park is a privately owned airport and is the brainchild of the Wagner family, a local prominent business family in the Toowoomba region. The airport opened on 10th November 2014 with the first scheduled passenger flight on 17 November 2014.
The airport is also the first privately funded major airport in the country and is the first public airport development in Australia since Melbourne Airport opened in 1970.
The airport has a single asphalt runway, 12/30, and it is 2,870 metres long and 45 metres wide, it is capable of handling aircraft up B747-8 models. In fact on the 25th November 2015 a Cathay Pacific B747-8 (registration B-LJA) touched down a little after 14.30 local time from Sydney.

Wellcamp airport does not have a control tower so pilots are required to communicate via a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) to safely co-ordinate arrivals and departures.
The airport is estimated to have a catchment area of 344,000 people. From YE Dec 2014 to YE Dec 2015 handled 70,300 passengers, whilst handling 6,700 a month a 67.3% growth from the previous year, making it the 44th busiest regional airport in Australia annually and 40th busiest monthly.
Wellcamp currently has three airlines providing regular services to a number of destinations.

Airline Contact Details

Qantas Link _logo .svg

qantas.com.au or Ph: 13 13 13

Fly's directly to Sydney 


Rex -Airlines -Logo

rex.com.au or Ph: 13 17 13

Fly's directly to Brisbane; Charleville and St George


Airnorth _tagline

airnorth.com.au or Ph: 1800 627 474

Fly's to Cairns and Melbourne


As we were spending the weekend with long time freinds at Pittsworth and after spending the morning volunteering as a BBQer at a Car Show in the town; I decided to head out to Wellcamp, (a 25 minute drive from Pittsworth) to catch the only two mid afternoon movements. Below are images from inside and outside of Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport.



AIRNORTH ERJ 170 VH ANT (CN 17000357)



REX (REGIONAL EXPRESS) SAAB 340 VH-ZLH (CN 376)


WELLCAMP TERMINAL