Spotting at the Gold Coast Airport

With Hong Kong Airlines returning to the Gold Coast tomorrow for the first since Covid, my wife and I came down to the Gold Coast for the weekend. We are staying at the Rydge's at the airport.

We have been here before and they have a rooftop bar/restaurant which have amazing, uninterrupted views of the taxiways and runways. Sadly, the bar / restaurant is now closed permanently and entry to the viewing deck is off limits.

Frustratingly, our only photo option is to take photos from the room through double glazed glass, so I do apologise.

GIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8KG VH-VUW (MSN 39449)
VA740 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 14 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YIH (MSN 38712)
VA523 ARRIVING IN FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 12 YEARS

CESSNA 172 SKYHAWK VH-EOQ (MSN 172S10008)

AIR GOLD COAST CESSNA 172R SKYHAWK VH-NWZ (MSN 17280933)

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VGY (MSN 4177)
OFF TO CAIRNS (CNS) 14 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-8FE VH-YIE (MSN 38708)
VA742 OFF TO MELBOURNE (MEL) 13 YEARS

FLIGHT ONE SCHOOL PIPER PA-44-180 VH-DWM (MSN 4496561)

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VZO (MSN 34191)
QF597 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 13 YEARS

CESSNA 208B GRAND CARAVAN VH-TQI (MSN 208B5488)

CIRRUS SR22 VH-WJB (MSN 0912)

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251 VH-OYU (MSN 12030)
JQ440 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 4 MONTHS 

QANTAS BOEING 737-838 VH-VXJ (MSN 33480)
QF876 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE (MEL) 22 YEARS

British Airways Flight 38

BRITISH AIRWAYS BOEING 777-236 G-YMMG (MSN 30308)

British Airways Flight 38 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China (PEK/ZBAA), to London Heathrow Airport in London United Kingdom (LHR/EGLL), an 8,100-kilometre (5,033 mile) trip. On the 17th of January 2008, the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft operating the flight (registered as G-YMMM) crashed-landed short of runway 27L at Heathrow. Of the 152 people on board, no fatalities resulted, but 47 people were injured, 1 of them seriously. The aircraft was written off, becoming the first hull loss of a Boeing 777.

The accident was investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and a final report was issued in 2010. Ice crystals in the jet fuel were blamed as the cause of the accident, clogging the fuel/oil heat exchanger (FOHE) of each engine. This restricted fuel flow to the engines when thrust was demanded during the final approach to Heathrow. The AAIB identified this rare problem as specific to Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engine FOHEs. Rolls-Royce developed a modification to the FOHE; the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandated all affected aircraft to be fitted with the modification before the 1st of January 2011. 

The US Federal Aviation Administration noted a similar incident occurring on an Airbus A330 fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and ordered an airworthiness directive to be issued, mandating the redesign of the FOHE in Rolls-Royce Trent 500, 700, and 800 engines.

On the afternoon of the 20th of January 2008, two cranes lifted the aircraft onto wheeled platforms and removed it from its resting place. It was towed towards Heathrow's BA maintenance hangars base for storage and further inspections by the AAIB. After assessment of the damage and repair costs, the aircraft was declared to be damaged beyond economic repair (despite still being largely intact) and written off, becoming the first Boeing 777 hull loss in history. It was broken up and scrapped in the spring of 2009.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: British Airways

Code: BA/BAW

Callsign: Speedbird

Registration: G-YMMM

Serial Number: 30314

Engines: 2 x RR Trent 895

First Flew: 18/05/2001

Age: 6.6 Years

As of May 2024, there have been 31 aviation incidents and accidents involving the Boeing 777, resulting in 542 fatalities. This includes five hull loss accidents.
Some of the well know incidents are:

• Asiana Airlines Flight 214: The first fatal accident involving a Boeing 777.
• Emirates Flight 521: A scheduled passenger flight from Thiruvananthapuram, India to Dubai, 
• Malaysia Airlines flight 370: A Boeing 777 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members that went missing.

The safest airlines in the World for 2025

What are the safest airlines in the world for 2025? It’s a topic on many travelers’ minds after a string of recent airline disasters, including a Jeju Air crash in South Korea and the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane.

AirlineRatings.com, an airline safety and product rating review site, has just released its latest ranking of the safest airlines in the world for 2025. The site rates the safety and in-flight product of 385 airlines using its own seven-star rating system.

In creating its report, the site considers a wide range of factors—from recent fatal accidents to audits from aviation’s governing and industry bodies, industry-leading safety initiatives, fleet age and more. Another critical factor is how the airlines handle the incidents.

However, the report leaves out things like bird strikes, turbulence injuries and weather diversions, since the airlines have no control over these factors.

To assist passengers and enhance confidence, AirlineRatings.com has also collaborated with Skyscanner to introduce a new flight booking platform where you can search for flights based on safety, price and duration.

Safest Airlines in the World: Major Carriers

So, what is the safest airline in the world? According to AirlineRatings.com, the safest airline for 2025 is Air New Zealand, which also won in 2024 and 2022. “Air New Zealand boasts an outstanding safety record, with no serious incidents or crashes in the modern jet era,” AirlineRatings.com CEO Sharon Petersen told the media in an interview.
“The airline regularly operates in challenging conditions, including Queenstown, one of the most demanding airports due to its high mountain ranges and strong downdrafts.”

Another thing going for Air New Zealand: “Pilots undergo rigorous simulator training to master this approach,”. “Similarly, Wellington, known for its intense winds, requires exceptional pilot expertise.”

Qantas comes in a close second. It was extremely close between Air New Zealand and Qantas for first place with only 1.50 points separating the two airlines. “Qantas has had a couple of incidents recently, which ultimately made the difference.”

Another slight edge for Air New Zealand:  Air New Zealand also maintains a modern and relatively young fleet, with an average aircraft age of 10.4 years, giving them a slight edge over Qantas in this regard.

This year, there is a three-way tie for the third spot between Cathay Pacific, Emirates and Qatar Airlines. “From fleet age to pilot skill, safety practices, fleet size and number of incidents, their scores were identical,” says Petersen.

The 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines For 2025
1. Air New Zealand
2. Qantas
3. Cathay Pacific (tie)
3. Emirates (tie)
3. Qatar Airways (tie)
6. Virgin Australia
7. Etihad Airways
8. All Nippon Airways
9. E V A Air
10. Korean Air

Safest Low-Cost Carrier Airlines in The World.

The safest low-cost airline, according to AirlineRatings.com, is Hong Kong Express. This Asia-based airline hasn’t had any serious incidents—and according to AirlineRatings.com, it maintains a nearly flawless safety record.

“HK Express is an airline we've had our eye on for a while. When evaluating the safest airlines, factors like passenger volume, fleet size and network coverage play a key role, which is why they hadn’t made the cut in previous years,” says Petersen. “However, the airline’s recent growth has not only earned it a spot on this year’s shortlist but also secured its place as the winner, thanks to consistently outstanding safety performance. With virtually no incidents and a modern fleet averaging just seven years old, HK Express stands out.”

The 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines For 2025
1. Hong Kong Express
2. Jetstar Group
3. Ryanair
4. easyJet
5. Frontier Airlines
6. AirAsia7. Wizz Air
8. VietJet Air
9. Southwest Airlines
10. Volaris

Story taken from here
The Safest Airlines In The World 2025, According To A New Report

US Airways Flight 1549 - or better known as "Miracle on the Hudson"

US Airways Flight 1549 was a regular scheduled US Airways flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA/KLGA) to Charlotte (CLT/KCLT) and Seattle (SEA/KSEA), in the United States. 

On the 15th of January 2009, the Airbus A320, with call sign 'Cactus 1549', performing the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from LaGuardia, losing all engine power. Given their position in relation to the available airports and their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to glide the plane to ditching in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan. 

The flight was cleared for takeoff to the northeast from LaGuardia's Runway 4 at 3:24 pm local time.

With Skiles in control, the crew made its first report after becoming airborne at 3:25 as being at 700 feet (210 m) and climbing.

At 3:27 during climb out, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese at an altitude of 2,818 feet (859 m) about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) north-northwest of LaGuardia. The pilots' view was filled with the large birds; passengers and crew heard very loud bangs and saw flames from the engines, followed by silence and an odor of fuel.

At 3:27 Sullenberger radioed a 'MAYDAY' call to New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) "... this is Cactus fifteen thirty-nine hit birds. We've lost thrust on both engines; we're turning back towards LaGuardia."

Sullenberger asked controllers for landing options in Teterboro Airport. Permission was given for Teterboro's Runway 1. Sullenberger initially responded "Yes", but then: "We can't do it ... We're going in the Hudson". The aircraft passed less than 900 feet (270 m) above the George Washington Bridge. Sullenberger commanded over the cabin address system to "brace for impact" and the flight attendants relayed the command to passengers. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers asked the Coast Guard to caution vessels in the Hudson and ask them to prepare to assist with rescue. About ninety seconds later, at 3:31 pm, the plane made an unpowered ditching into the middle of the North River section of the Hudson tidal estuary.

All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats, with only a few serious injuries.

The media quickly dubbed this water landing of a powerless jetliner with no deaths "the Miracle on the Hudson" and a National Transportation Safety Board official described it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history".

The pilots and flight attendants were awarded the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in recognition of their "heroic and unique aviation achievement."

Aircraft Information:

Airline: US Airways

Code: US/AWE

Aircraft: Airbus A320-214

Registration: N106US

Serial Number: 1044

Engines: 2 x CFMI CFM56-5B4/P

First Flew: 15/06/1999.

Monday morning at Brisbane Airport

Due to the snowstorms causing major disruptions in Texas, our daily American Airlines flights were canceled for two consecutive days. Yesterday I noticed that there were two American Airlines 787s inbound for Brisbane, I had planned to spend a few hours at the airport, hopefully capturing their departures. Unfortunately, I missed the arrivals as they both landed between 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM, so the goal was to photograph their departures. In the end, one departed while the other remains on the ground as I write this.

Here are some photographs I captured.

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKF (MSN 36231)
JQ10 ARRIVING FROM NARITA (NRT) 10 YEARS 

EMIRATES AIRBUS A380-861 A6-EOH (MSN 174)
EK434 ARRIVING FROM DUBAI (DXB) 10 YEARS

LINK AIRWAYS SAAB 340B VH-VER (MSN 340B-430)
SF34 OFF TO THE SUNSHINE COAST (MCY) 27 YEARS

QANTASLINK EMBAER E190AR VH-UZH (MSN 19000183)
QF1900 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 17 YEARS

GULF AIRLINES CESSNA 208B GRAND CARAVAN VH-PYO (MSN 208B5595)

PILATUS PC-12NG VH-AAC (MSN 1068)

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOP (MSN 4238)
QLK872D OFF TO MORANBAH (MOV) 16 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKK (MSN 36237)
JQ24 ARRIVING FROM OSAKA (KIX) 9 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271N ZK-NHC (MSN 8833)
NZ141 OFF TO AUCKLAND (AKL) 5 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VGY (MSN 4177)
JQ904 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 14 YEARS

AIR CANADA BOEING 787-9 C-FNOE (MSN 35265)
AC35 ARRIVING FROM VANCOUVER (YVR) 9 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251 VH-OYD (MSN 11797)
JQ57 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 1 YEAR

CHINA SOUTHERN AIRBUS A350-941 B-324R (MSN 462)
CZ381 ARRIVING FROM GUANGZHOU (CAN) 3 YEARS

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-HK (MSN 369)
SQ235 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE (SIN) 5 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-NKQ (MSN 11572)
QQ4352 OFF TO MORANBAH (MOV) 28 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 787-9 ZK-NZD (MSN 41989)
NZ63 DENPASAR TO AUCKLAND 11 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND AIRBUS A321-271NX ZK-NNA (MSN 8496)
NZ272 OFF TO WELLINGTON (WLG) 6 YEARS

BATIK AIR AIRBUS A330-343 9M-LFC (MSN 1481)
OD158 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 11 YEARS

NAURU AIRLINES BOEING 737-86N VH-8TG (MSN 33003)
ON516 OFF TO NAURU (INU) 22 YEARS

ALLIANCE FOKKER 70 VH-QQW (MSN 11569)
VA367 OFF TO TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 28 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

ALLIANCE FOKKER 100 VH-UQG (MSN 11520)
VA1235 OFF TO ROCKHAMPTON (ROK) 30 YEARS
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

NATIONAL JET EXPRESS DASH 8 Q400 VH-8QA (MSN 4582)
NC343 ARRIVING FROM MORANBAH (MOV) 6 YEARS

AIR NEW ZEALAND BOEING 777-319 ZK-OKP (MSN 39041)
NZ145 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND (AKL) 13 YEARS

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-303 VH-QPI (MSN 705)
QF61 OFF TO NARITA (NRT) 19 YEARS

SOLOMONS AIRBUS A320-232 H4-SAL (MSN 5566)
IE701 OFF TO HONIARA (HIR) 11 YEARS

CATHAY BOEING 777-367 B-KQJ (MSN 41760)
CX153 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG (HKG) 11 YEARS

PHILIPPINE AIRBUS A321-271N RP-C9935 (MSN 8568)
PR221 ARRIVING FROM MANILA (MNL) 6 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-MAX 8 VH-8IA (MSN 65045)
VA45 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 1 YEAR

UNITED BOEING 777-322 N2140U (MSN 62651)

AMERICAN BOEING 787-9 N826AN (MSN 40649)
AA8 OFF TO DALLAS (DFW) 7 YEARS

FIJI BOEING 737-MAX 8 DQ-FAF (MSN 64310)
FJ921 ARRIVING FROM NADI (NAN) 5 YEARS 

AERLINKATR 72-600 VH-FVY (MSN 1073)
HT888 OFF TO MOUNT ISA (ISA) 11 YEARS

AIR NIUGINA BOEING 767-341 P2-PXV (MSN 30341)
PX3 ARRIVING FROM PORT MORESBY (POM) 25 YEARS