Thursday 31 May 2018

Singapore Airlines to launch worlds longest flight.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES A350-941 9V-SMA (CN 026)      File Photo
                         












Singapore Airlines will launch the world’s longest commercial flights in October, with non-stop services between Singapore and New York using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range).
Flights are to be launched on the 11th October 2018 to Newark Liberty International Airport.
The route will initially be served three times a week, departing Singapore on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily operations will commence from 18th October after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service.
The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 business class seats and 94 in premium economy class.
Tickets will be made available for sale progressively across the various booking channels, starting from Thursday.
Flights will cover a distance of approximately 16,700km and travel time is expected to be about 18 hours and 45 minutes.
In comparison, the Perth-London direct flight operated by Qantas with their B787-9 is about 14,400km.
Singapore Airlines served the Singapore-Newark route until 2013, when services were suspended after the aircraft used at the time, the Airbus A340-500s, were returned to Airbus.
"Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest-technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR," said Singapore Airlines’ CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.
Singapore Airlines currently has 21 A350-900s in its fleet, with 46 more on order including seven of the ULR variant. The first A350-900ULR is due for delivery in September, with all seven due for delivery by the end of the year.
Non-stop Singapore-Los Angeles flights are also planned with the A350-900ULR, details of which will be announced at a later date.


Full story sourced from here
https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3707693617392402779#editor/target=post;postID=4412184763558511514;onPublishedMenu=template;onClosedMenu=template;postNum=0;src=link


Below are the top five worlds longest flights by distance
  1. QATAR QR 921 - Auckland - Doha 14,535 Klms 17 Hrs 40 Mins
  2. QANTAS  QF 9 - Perth - London 14,500 Klms 17 Hrs 20 Mins
  3. EMIRATES EK 449 - Auckland - Dubai 14,200 Klms 17 Hrs 10 Mins
  4. UNITED UA 37 - Los Angeles - Singapore 14,114 Klms 17 Hrs
  5. UNITED UA 101 - Houston - Sydney 13,834 Klms 17 Hrs 30 Mins





Tuesday 29 May 2018

Brisbane - Sydney on Wifi 737

Today I had to head to Sydney for a few days and as usual my flight was leaving at 6am and boarding was suppose to be at 5.40. Like most nights when I travel the next morning I hardly sleep and since I was awake at 3.35am I decided to get up and get ready. I left home at 4am and arrived at the airport carpark at 4.36am. After clearing security, and knowing the Qantas club doesn't open until 5am,  I went up and got a few photos before hand. I only took my little Panasonic pocket camera with me this time.


QANTAS B737-838 VH-XZI (CN 39364)

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-LQQ (CN 4461)

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QON (CN 4218)

ALLIANCE FOKKER F28 MK 100 VH-XWM (CN 11276)






























































My boss, the owner of the company, was heading off to our Melbourne office so I caught up with him and we had breakfast together. At 5.30 we made our way to our gates and when I got to gate 22 they had started boarding and I was among the last 20 to board. The aircraft for today was the usual B737-838 and the registration was VH-XZI (CN 39364).
I took my seat which was 26A and then I realized this was a Wi-Fi enabled aircraft. (excited much...) The last cabin door was closed at 5.56 and we pushed back right on 6am. At 6.04 we began to taxi and we headed north of the airport for a runway 19 departure. Arriving at the Alpha three holding point we continued out onto the runway and continued for a rolling start.
Getting airborne at 6.09 we made the usual bank left and then right and maintained that heading for some time as we climbed to flt lvl 360.



















The early morning rain had cleared so the flight down was extremely smooth and comfortable. Having Wi-Fi not only let me follow my own aircraft on Flightradar24 https://www.flightradar24.com but it let me listen to it as well on LiveATC  https://www.liveatc.net/





























As you can see our track took us south abeam Beaudesert and onto Glen Innes, passing to the east of Armidale we continued on flying near Muswellbrook. At Jerrys Plains we banked left and headed in land towards Sydney. Just north of Sydney we banked left again and headed out to sea, passing abeam the airport. About 15 track miles south we banked long and slow and set ourselves up for a 34L landing.

























Touching down at 7.25am. We had a long taxi to the gate but along the way we had to hold for 7 minutes because our bay was occupied.


SINGAPORE A380-841 9V-SKH (CN 021)

DELTA B777-232 N707DN (CN 39091)

AIR INDIA B787-8 VT-ANY (CN 36296)

GARUDA A330-343 PK-GPR (CN 1446)

FED EX MD 11 N593FE (CN 48551)


QANTAS A380-842 VH-OQL (CN 074)

JAPAN AIR B787-9 JA861J (CN 35422)







Saturday 26 May 2018

Red Thunder Air Show - Watts Bridge




Today the Red Thunder Air Show was on so I left home at 7am and headed off for the one hour forty minute drive to Watts Bridge arriving out there just after 8.35.
Watts Bridge Memorial Airfield is located in South East Queensland approximately 10 klms from the small country township of Toogoolawah.   To the south of the airfield is the Brisbane Valley area featuring the Wivenhoe dam and Somerset dam, Brisbane water supply. To the north and west is the Great Dividing Range and the Darling Downs. A short flight to the east will take you over the famous Glass House Mountains and Sunshine Coast.




NEW ZEALAND AEROSPACE CT/4A

NIEUPORT 11

DAKOTA BUS


REMOTE CONTROL AIRCRAFT

SLING TWO

SLING FOUR

BUSH CAT

BELLANCA 8K CAB

ROBINSON R 44

After having a look around I found there was something for everyone, from old vintage cars, jumping castles and dodgem cars, to stalls and a beer garden. After a while I found a spot where I stayed for most of the day and then went through the program.



The low early morning sun was really annoying for photographs, then the wind got up and later in the afternoon the heavens opened up and caught a lot of people out..
The only down side to the whole day was the C17 Globemaster advertised on the brochure turned out to be a Hercules C130. The morning started off with the usual parachute drop.




YAKOVLEV YAK 52

FOKKER DR 1


DA 82 TIGERMOTH



YAKOVLEV YAK 52

YAKOVLEV YAK 3U- "STEADFAST"


NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION T-28D TROJAN





NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION T-28D TROJAN

NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION T-28D TROJAN

BEECH CORP  A-45 

WACO YMF


JS 1 GLIDER

NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION  P51-D-30NT





AERO L39 ALBATROSS

YAKOVLEV YAK 52

YAKOVLEV YAK 52

YAKOVLEV YAK 52

YAKOVLEV YAK 52

YAKOVLEV YAK 52

NANCHANG CJ 6

NANCHANG CJ 6

NANCHANG CJ 6A



 NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION SNJ -4 

NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION AT-6C




NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION SNJ-5









LOCKHEED C130