Saturday Spotting

As I was out at the airport to see the last flight of Virgin's E190 VH-ZPG I thought I would spend the morning taking a few photos. Below are just a few of the 145 photos that I took.

SINGAPORE A330-343 9V-STV (CN 1427)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EMBRAER ERJ190 VH-ZPR (CN 19000424)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EMBRAER ERJ 190 VH-ZPE (CN 19000187)

QANTAS B747-438 VH-OJS (CN 25564)

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

DUE TO AN A330 UNDER TOW CROSSING THE RUNWAY

YIT WAS INSTRUCTED BY TOWER TO DO "GO ROUND"

AIR ASIA X A330-343 9M-XXI (CN 1411)

OVER FLYING BRISBANE FOR THE GOLD COAST

SCOOT B787-9 9V-OJD (CN 37115)

ALSO OVER FLYING BRISBANE FOR THE GOLD COAST

TOLL ATR 42-300 VH-TOX (CN 024)

TIGER AIR A320-232 VH-VNK (CN 3986)

INDIAN AIRFORCE C17 CB-8006 (CN IND6)

JETCRAFT FAIRCHILD SA-227 VH-UZN (CN DC-881B)

VIRGIN SAMOA B737-8FE VH-YID (CN 38709)

TOLL FAIRCHILD SA-227 VH-UZI (CN AT-570)

TIGER AIR A320-232 VH-VNQ (CN 5218)

CHINA SOUTHERN A330-323 B-5970 (CN 1645)

EMIRATES A380-861 A6-EOG (CN 172)

KOREAN AIR A330-323 HL-8025 (CN 1611)

QANTAS A330-200 VH-EBP (CN 1174)

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-232 ZK-OJG (CN 2173)

SINGAPORE A330-343 9V-STV (CN 1427)

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-219 ZK-OKC (CN 34377)

EVA AIR A330-232 B-16312 (CN 755)

CHINA AIRLINES B747-409 B-18211 (CN 33735)

Virgin Australia says "goodbye" to another ERJ 190

On the 2nd of February at approximately 8.50am Virgin Australia's Embraer ERJ 190 VH-ZPD (CN 1900176) with the Callsign Velocity 9901 departed Brisbane for the very last time; as it was heading off to Nashville USA via Apia, Honolulu and Van Nuys.
ZPD was the fourth out of the eleven aircraft ordered, and it was added to the Australian Aircraft Register on the 6th May 2008. ZPD operated its first revenue service from Brisbane - Rockhampton as DJ 1239 on the 9th June 2008 and it's last flight was DJ 620 a service from Mackay to Brisbane on the 31st January 2016... the aircraft was originally named 'Tickled Blue' but it was later changed to Dudley Beach

Well today it was ZPG's turn to head over the big ditch; and once again with the Callsign Velocity 9901 VH-ZPG (CN 19000195) departed at 8.23am and started heading to Nashville via Apia; Honolulu and Van Nuys. ZPG was the seventh of eleven aircraft ordered and it was entered into the Australian Aircraft Register on the 23rd July 2008. ZPG's first revenue flight was from Brisbane on the 26th September 2008 but unfortunately after an hour of searching I cannot find where it went to.
Its last revenue flight was also DJ 620 a service from Mackay to Brisbane on the 26th February 2016... this aircraft was first named 'Elle E Jet' but then later changed to Glenelg Beach

Qantas buys back shares and introduces WiFi

QANTAS B747-48EVH-OEB (CN 25778)                  File Photo

Just heard on the television that Qantas will buy back $500 million of shares after lower fuel prices, strong demand for international flights and ongoing cost cutting placed the airline on course to report a record full-year profit.
Qantas has recorded its best first-half underlying profit before tax of $921 million, at the upper end of its guidance range, and unveiled a $500 million on-market share buyback program.
Alan Joyce (Qantas CEO) also said they have plans to roll out free high-speed Wi-Fi on all Qantas domestic flights, with trials starting by the end of 2016 using a 737. Passengers will be asked at the end of the flight to complete a small questionnaire and if things like 'people where using skype' and it was annoying kept coming up then skype would be blocked.

Saturday evening at the Airport

My wife asked me this morning "what are we dong tonight" and I said nothing why... and her reply was "I want to go to the airport for a while and take photos of Etihad and Emirates"....  so around 4.30pm I packed my family up in the car and headed out to the airport..Am I a lucky man or what!!!
Upon arrival we noticed a Fiji Airways B737 parked at the logistics apron; then we remembered we heard earlier that day that due to Cyclone Winston, a Category 5 cyclone heading towards the  Pacific Island of Fiji, all Fiji Airways flights have been cancelled until further notice.

FIJI AIWAYS B737-8X2 DQ-FJG (CN 29968)

JETSTAR B787-8 VH-VKK (CN 36237)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EMB 190 VH-ZPQ (CN 19000412)

STATE OF QUEENSLAND RATHEON HAWKER 850

VH-SGY (CN 258780)

QANTAS LINK B717-200 VH-NXJ (CN 55166)

NORRIS AVIATION LEAR JET 60 VH-XPN (CN 290)

ETIHAD B787-9 A6-BLC (CN 39648)

QANTAS A330-202 VH-EBN (CN 1094)

EMIRATES A38-861 A6-EEU (CN 150)

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-232 ZK-OJB (CN 2090)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOK (CN 4215)