An hour on the Gold Coast

I had to go to the Gold Coast today on business so I thought I would call into the airport for an hour. Working the area made it easy to get a few photos off site.

GOLD COAST (COOLANGATTA) AIRPORT

TIGERAIR B737-8FE VH-VUD (CN 34015)
TT553 OFF TO MELBOURNE

AIR NEW ZEALAND A320-232 ZK-OJD (CN 2130)
NZ937 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND

CESSNA 182T VH-TOE (CN 18282366)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YIR (CN 39925)
VA110 ARRIVING FROM AUCKLAND

JETSTAR A320-232 VH-VFQ (CN 5780)
JQ406 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY

BUSINESS AVIATION SOLUTIONS DASSAULT FALCON 50
VH-FJQ (CN 252)

VISTA JET MALTA BOMBARDIER GLOBAL 6000
9H-VJV (CN 9725)

PLANE THREE PTY LTD CESSNA 182P VH-EFK (CN 18265054)

AIR GOLD COAST PTY LTD CESSNA 172R VH-RBB (CN 17280776)

AIRWAYS AVIATION CESSNA 172S VH-LSE (CN 172S9282)



VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VON (CN 33795)
VA516 OFF TO SYDNEY

TIGERAIR B737-8FE VH-YVA (CN 40995)
TT852 ARRIVING FROM HOBART

AIR ASIA X A330-343 9M-XXW (CN 1596)
D7201 OFF TO KUALA LUMPUR

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-YFP (CN 41011)
VA736 OFF TO MELBOURNE

Thai Airways says Auckland women can’t fly because of weight

An “utterly humiliated” family from Auckland were booted from Thai Airlines business class because of their size — and the airline doesn’t deny it.

THAI B747-4D7 HS-TGA (CN 32369)              File Photo 

An Auckland woman and her two daughters were left traumatised after staff from Thai Airways said they were “too big” to sit in business class. Huhana Iripa, 59, and her daughters Renell, 28, and Tere, 37, were accosted with measuring tapes ahead of their Bangkok to Auckland flight, with crew stating seatbelts in the high-end section of the aircraft would not reach to fit around them. The two younger woman had been in Thailand for weight loss surgery and had each paid $2560 for the flights, including the business-class seats for the way back to ensure greater comfort, the New Zealand Herald reported. Ms Iripa said the experience was “horrific” and feels she and her family have been discriminated against because of their body shapes, which at the time ranged from a size 22-26.

“We were utterly humiliated in front of all the other passengers,” she said.

“We went up to business class check-in and the member of staff on the desk looked at us and said ‘sorry you can’t’. “The next thing, there were about five members of staff all around talking in their native language, shaking their heads and looking at us as if we’d committed a crime. “A staff member then came forward and started saying ‘no, you’re too big, you’re too big’.  “She then pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around my daughter Renell, moving her arms outstretched, before trying to do the same to me and Tere. “At this point, I broke down in tears.


“Everyone was just standing staring at us. The whole thing was disgusting.”


The trio were moved to three economy seats. Social worker Ms Iripa had gone to Thailand to support her two daughters. She said their original economy seats to Bangkok with Thai Airways had gone smoothly, but their return flight home saw them refused the business-class seats they had paid for. “We had all been so excited to fly first class and hadn’t thought there would be any issues, as we’d never had them on flights before,” Ms Iripa said. “I’ve never felt discriminated against before because of my size, so this experience left me completely in shock.” After the ordeal, Ms Iripa and her daughters complained and were offered a meeting with two representatives from Thai Airways. The family asked for a full refund of their business-class seats, but were offered only the difference between the economy and business-class price which amounted to $1210. The airline apologised and offered $435 in compensation, but Ms Iripa and her daughters believed this wasn’t enough and requested the full balance of the tickets as recompense. “For their rudeness, their disrespect and the trauma of what they put us through, how could they identify that price as compensation?” she said.
After being contacted by the Herald, Flight Centre – the travel agency the family had booked through – offered a full refund of their tickets. Thai Airways made headlines in 2018 with stories about the airline banning “fat people”. It came after they disallowed those with waists bigger than 56 inches (142cm) to fly in their new Dreamliner 787-900 business-class seats – the aircraft type the Iripa family were travelling on.



Personally I think this is absolutely disgusting and I hope the family sue Thai Airways... Flight Centre should be congratulated for offering a full refund.. they didn't have to do this at all.





Full story sourced from here
https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/travel-stories/thai-airways-says-auckland-women-cant-fly-in-business-class-seats-because-of-weight/news-story/ca2596d4334ded67c4f1666ca8d417d1

Kobe Bryant killed in helicopter crash

Turned the morning TV news on to find this horrible devastating news that Kobe and his young daughter, Gigi have passed away in a helicopter crash along with 7 other passengers.

Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant was among nine people killed when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed in foggy conditions Sunday morning around 9.47 (LA Time) and then caught fire on a hillside in the Calabasas area outside Los Angeles. Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and a teammate on her basketball team also were on board the helicopter when it went down northwest of LA, a city official said. Initial reports from the sheriff's department indicated five people were on the aircraft. The sheriff's department later confirmed that nine people were aboard, citing the helicopter's manifest.  A team of National Transportation Safety Board investigators was on its way to Southern California. The investigation will cover maintenance records, owner-operator information, conditions near the crash site and other factors that might have been involved in the crash.  The sheriff's department, out of respect for family members, did not identify the victims. Tearful and stunned fans gathered at the crash site, his training centre in Newbury Park and Staples Centre, where Bryant wowed crowds for 20 seasons, to mourn the five-time NBA champion and the Lakers' all-time leading scorer.  "Los Angeles will never be the same," a fan told reporters. "Los Angeles will never forget this day. "Former teammates and other Laker greats shared their grief as they heard of Bryant's death. The crash, near Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street, was called in at 9:47 a.m. Authorities said the helicopter was on fire and sparked a quarter acre brush fire. Flames were put out by 10:30 a.m. The helicopter that crashed was a Sikorksy S-76B, according to authorities. It departed at about 9 a.m. from Santa Ana-John Wayne International Airport, CA (SNA/KSNA) Orange County. Bryant's Mamba Training Facility is located about 18 miles west of the crash site. It was not immediately clear whether he was traveling to the Newbury Park location. Witness Colin Storm was in his living room in Calabasas when he heard "what sounded like a low-flying airplane or helicopter." "It was very foggy so we couldn't see anything," he said. "But then we heard some sputtering, and then a boom." A short time later the fog cleared a bit and Storm could see smoke rising from the hillside in front of his home. Bryant lived south of Los Angeles in Orange County for much of his adult life, and he often used helicopters to save time and avoid Southern California's notorious traffic. Even as a player, he often travelled to practices and games by helicopter, and he kept up the practice after retirement as he attended to his business ventures. The Lakers team plane arrived back in Los Angeles from Philadelphia hours later. Players could be seen embracing, some appearing to wipe tears from their eyes.

Bryant, 41, retired in 2016 from the NBA after 20 seasons with the Lakers. He finished his legendary career third on the NBA's all-time scoring list.  "Kobe Bryant was a giant who inspired, amazed, and thrilled people everywhere with his incomparable skill on the court - and awed us with his intellect and humility as a father, husband, creative genius, and ambassador for the game he loved," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. Bryant was born in Philadelphia. He was drafted out of high school by the Charlotte Hornets as the 13th overall pick in 1996. He was then traded to the Lakers and was voted an All-Star game starter at 19 in 1998. He played his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2008, making the all-star team 18 times and winning five NBA Championships.  He won three titles in a row alongside centre Shaquille O'Neal.
Aircraft Information
Airline: Island Express Holding Corp
Aircraft: Sikorsky S-76B
Registration: N72XE
Serial Number: 760379
N72EX was manufactured in 1991. It was the 374th S-76 built.

Flew for the State of Illinois as N761LL in VIP config until it was sold in 2015, becoming N72EX. 

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY  AND FRIENDS. 

Happy Australia Day

Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi! Oi! Oi!

Australia Day is the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate being Australian and to acknowledge our history.


Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on  the 26th January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its major cities – Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin – are coastal cities, while its capital, Canberra, is inland. The country is known for its Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, a vast interior desert wilderness called the Outback, and unique animal species like kangaroos, koala's and the platypus. Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated on the 26th January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at Sydney Cove by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia, celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new members of the Australian community. The meaning and significance of Australia Day has evolved over time. Unofficially the date has also been variously named "Anniversary Day", "Foundation Day" and "ANA Day". The date marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia (then known as New Holland). Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on the 26th January date back to 1808, with the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales held in 1818. On New Year's Day 1901, the British colonies of Australia formed a federation, marking the birth of modern Australia. A national day of unity and celebration was looked for. It was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories adopted use of the term "Australia Day" to mark the date, and not until 1994 that the date was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories.

Below is a state by state breakdown of attractions

New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (Canberra) (NSW) & (ACT) New South Wales is Australia's most populous state. The Harbour City of Sydney is Australia's largest city. The coast of New South Wales is lined with beach side communities, each one offering experiences for the traveller. A little inland are the mountain ranges of the Blue Mountains and Snowy Mountains, as well as the purpose built capital city of Canberra, excised from New South Wales. Further inland still expect sweeping plains, turning from agriculture to desert the further inland you venture.

Queensland (QLD) Here in Queensland we have a saying "Beautiful one day - Perfect the next" and that is exactly how Queensland is. Queensland has endless beaches with golden sand and crystal clear waters, clear blue sky's and lushes rain forests. Famous for its sunny warm weather, Queensland offers coastal exploration from the vibe of the Gold Coast to the tropics of the Great Barrier Reef to the bustling city of Brisbane. It is also home to tropical rainforests of the Daintree National Park, and the island resorts of the Whitsundays. Inland lies the ranges of the hinterland, and further on the vast expanses and beauty of outback Australia. They might call NSW the cockroach state but cockroach races are one of Brisbane’s biggest Australia Day events — The Story Bridge Hotel in Kangaroo Point has been hosting an annual cockroach race for 40 years and counting

South Australia (SA) Renowned for the fine wines of the Barossa Valley, the beauty of the Flinders Ranges and the outback, the wildlife and nature on Kangaroo Island and the beaches and events and culture of the City of Churches, Adelaide.

Tasmania (TAS) Proud to say this is my home state. Tasmania is separated from the mainland by Bass Strait, Tasmania has rugged beauty of Cradle Mountain and the west, the beaches of the east, and the complete wilderness of the south. Hobart was the site of the second European settlement in Australia, and many historic sites like Port Arthur and Richmond are well preserved.

Victoria (VIC) Small, vibrant and with something for everyone, Victoria has dramatic surf beaches along the southwest and central coast, green rolling farmland and photogenic national parks. The diversity of rural Victoria is very easy to access due in part to its size and well maintained roads. Australia and Victoria's sporting, shopping, fashion and food capital is Melbourne.

Western Australia (WA) A vast state. The south-west contains the state capital and major city of Perth closely surrounded by the wildflower, wine growing and scenic destinations of Margaret River and Albany. In the far north are the tropics and the beach side destination of Broome. Small townships, roadhouses, mining communities and national parks scattered around the long distances between. Northern Territory (NT) From the red deserts surrounding Uluru and Alice Springs up to the tropics of Darwin and Kakadu National Park, the Northern Territory is stunningly beautiful.

Flight Simulator

As mentioned in the previous post I was given a flight simulator experience by my daughter for Father's Day last year and today I cashed in on the experience. Having a lung disease has stopped me from for filling my lifetime dream of being a pilot, so this simulator experience is the closest thing to for filling that dream.
.









As soon as I arrived, Joe, my trainer and co-pilot made me feel welcome and relaxed. Joe took me into a briefing room where we chatted for a bit and he took me through the features and benefits of the Boeing 737 and what to expect, after that I watched a 10 minute video.

I could have chosen any airport from 24,000 airports worldwide but I chose Sydney.









Once seated in the captains seat, and after another short brief, the instruments came to life and the reality set in. The simulator is so life like and the graphics are amazing. Joe talked me through everything and I had control from start to finish.. I taxied out, we lined up and then departed. We did a short circuit before coming in for a touch and go and then we performed another circuit before coming in for a full stop landing. Just for a short time I got a real feeling of what it would be like to be a pilot.

I absolutely loved it and I seriously recommend this experience for anyone..

Thanks goes out to my daughter for this amazing experience.

https://brisbane.flightexperience.com.au/pages/737-simulator-flights

Saturday Morning Spotting

For father's day last year I was given a Flight Simulator voucher and today I cashed in that flight experience. Since the flight centre was at the airport and the flight was at midday I thought I would head out to the airport early and do some plane spotting. Today I had a few firsts as well, I had been chasing two special liveries, the Jetstar "Hertz" and the Royal Brunei "Botanical Gardens" livery and today I saw them both. YAY!! Weather wise the morning started off really bad with storm clouds around but as the day went on the clouds move on.

EMIRATES A380-842 A6-EVF (CN 252)
EK435 ARRIVING FROM DUBAI

QANTASLINK B717-2K9 VH-NXG (CN 55057)
QF1797 ARRIVING FROM TOWNSVILLE

QANTAS B737-838 VH-VZT (CN 34186)
QF134 ARRIVING FROM CHRISTCHURCH

TIGERAIR B737-8FE VH-VUB (CN34013)
TT514 ARRIVING FROM MELBOURNE

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VUC (CN 34014)
VA1385 ARRIVING FROM ADELAIDE

QANTASLINK DASH 8 Q400 VH-QOS (CN 4263)
QF2319 ARRIVING FROM BUNDABERG

ALLIANCE FOKKER F28 MK 100 VH-XWM (CN 11276)
VA1232 ARRIVING FROM ROCKHAMPTON
FLYING FOR VIRGIN AUSTRALIA

CHINA SOUTHERN A350-941 B-30CE (CN 376)
CZ381 ARRIVING FROM GUANGZHOU

JETSTAR A320-232 VH-JQX (CN 2197)
JQ929 ARRIVING FROM CAIRNS

HERTZ - DISCOVER MORE WHEN YOU FLY AND DRIVE

CHINA EASTERN A330-243 B-5930 (CN 1429)
MU715 ARRIVING FROM SHANGHAI

PHILIPPINE A320-271 RP-C9932 (CN 8150)
PR221 ARRIVING FROM MANILA

E V A AIR B787-10 B-17802 (CN 60286)
BR315 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI

SINGAPORE A350-941 9V-SHJ (CN 328)
SQ255 ARRIVING FROM SINGAPORE

CHINA AIRLINES B777-36N B-18055 (CN 41823)
CI53 ARRIVING FROM TAIPEI

ROYAL BRUNEI A320-251 V8-RBD (CN 8368)
PARKED UP ON THE LOGISTICS APRON

CATHAY PACIFIC A330-343 B-LAQ (CN 1349)
CX155 ARRIVING FROM HONG KONG

LIFEFLIGHT AGUSTAWESTLAND AW139 VH-XIH (CN 41403)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B777-3ZG VH-VPE (CN 37939)
VA7 OFF TO LOS ANGELES

ALLIANCE FOKKER F28 MK 100 VH-UQG (CN 11520)
DOING ENGINE RUNS
SPORTING THE SOUTHERN CROSS MINOR LIVERY

CHINA EASTERN A330-243 B-5930 (CN 1429)
MU716 OFF TO SHANGHAI

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR BEECH B200 VH-FDT (CN BB-1990)
ARRIVING FROM ROCKHAMPTON

AIR NEW ZEALAND B787-9 ZK-NZL (CN 43218)
NZ136 OFF TO AUCKLAND

AIR CANADA B787-8 C-GHPY (CN 35262)
AC36 OFF TO VANCOUVER

QANTAS B787-9 VH-ZNB (CN 39039)
QF15 OFF TO LOS ANGELES

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR BEECH B300 VH-FDF (CN FM-63)
ARRIVING FROM GLADSTONE