Thursday 30 June 2022

More from Amberley Airforce base

As I was working the area today around Amberley, I took my camera in case there was action at Amberley. To my surprise there was.

RAAF AIRBUS A330-203 MRTT A39-006 (MSN 892)


 RAAF LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35A LIGHTNING II A35-043 (MSN AU-43)

                RAAF LOCKHEED C-130J HERCULES A97-466 (MSN 5466)

          RAAF LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35A LIGHTNING II A35-030 (MSN AU-30)

             RAAF BOEING C-17A GLOBEMASTER III A41-210 (MSN 50240)



RAAF AIRBUS A330-203 (KC-30A MRTT) A39-001 (MSN 747)



Tuesday 28 June 2022

Passengers faint on Go First flight after AC stops working

Imagine flying on a smooth flight when suddenly, the air conditioning system on the aircraft stops working, and the flight experience plunges into extreme heat and discomfort. That's precisely what happened on a Go First flight.

Flight G8 2316 was headed from Dehradun (DED/VIDN) to Mumbai (BOM/VABB), a scheduled two-hour domestic daily flight that Go First operates using the Airbus A320. It is unsure when the incident occurred, but the problem was brought to light when Twitter user Roshni Walia shared a viral video of passengers using the safety instruction card as a handheld fan.

In her tweet, Walia claimed that the flight was one of the worst experiences, with a full flight in the peak summer heat and no air-conditioning to cool and ventilate midair. Walia also claimed that the lack of proper ventilation midair had caused a few passengers to pass out and even made a chemotherapy patient feel highly uncomfortable as she had difficulty breathing.

Besides the desperation seen in passengers trying to fan themselves, the video also showed another woman escorting a passenger through the aisle to a seat in the front in an attempt to get better air for her comfort. The same woman was commenting:

"Everybody is feeling so hot...flight took off 5:30, it's 6:20 now, yet AC is not working. A cancer patient is feeling claustrophobic. The flight should never have taken off if the AC wasn't working. We paid Rs 12,000 ($153.35) for one-way ticket. For what? Please do something, take action Go First."

Even though the video was late in becoming viral, it still garnered enough rile on Twitter with several users tagging the ultra-low-cost carrier's handle. Perhaps what irked them further was the airline's eventual nonchalant reply:

“Hi, we thank you for reaching out to us, and we are with you in your time of need. Kindly share your PNR, contact number, and email ID via DM so our team can take a look."

Air conditioning on aircraft is required to cool off the engine's bleed air to keep the cabin comfortable for passengers, and there are two packs as a mandatory requirement. However, an aircraft's air conditioning system is supplied with engines. Even if one air conditioning pack fails, the other should suffice to keep the cabin comfortable enough. On the other hand, should the air conditioning system stopped working mid-flight as supposed in the incident of G8 2316. This would have meant that both engines had stopped working altogether.

Then the other possibility is that the flight crew for G8 2316 had set the desired temperature to be relatively hot and uncomfortable, which would also seem odd. It was also uncertain what altitude the flight was flying off when the air conditioning system malfunctioned. Still, the incident was enough for users to tag the aviation ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA), pleading for them to maintain safety standards properly.

It was a day few days for Indian Airlines as another incident in India has come to light, this time with Alliance Air, where the faulty AC shot up the cabin temperature to 40 degrees so much that passengers had to leave the aircraft.

Passengers on a recent Alliance Air flight in South India had a troubling experience when a faulty air-conditioning system on their plane raised the cabin temperature to unbearably hot. Thankfully, the plane was on the ground, and the passengers could leave the aircraft.

Alliance Air flight 91517 is a scheduled service between Bengaluru (BLR/VOBL) and Hyderabad (HYD/VOHS) in South India. On the 24th June as the ATR aircraft was preparing for departure at 18:40, one of the passengers shouted that ‘hot air’ was coming from the blower. Soon after, the temperature of the entire cabin became extremely hot, reaching 42 degrees Celsius. 

“The temperature was rising by the minute inside the aircraft when the propellers began to spin and ready to take off. From normal room temperature, it shot up to 42 degrees.”





Stories sourced from here

Saturday 25 June 2022

Exercise Diamond Storm; Amberley Air Force


To celebrate the end of Exercise Diamond Storm, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) conducted an early morning flying activity at RAAF Amberley. Getting a heads up from a friend of mine yesterday, I left home at 5.40am arriving out there at 6.20am. While I was waiting I saw a Malaysia A350 overflying Brisbane enroute from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland, I also noticed a Hot Air Balloon.



F/A-18F Super Hornet's and EA-18G Growler fighter jets conducted the early morning flying activity. The participating aircraft flew into RAAF Base Townsville from RAAF Base Darwin yesterday (Friday 24th June.)

As a part of the ‘Dawn Strike’ - the culminating exercise following the successful completion of the Air Warfare Instructors Course (AWIC) and ‘Diamond’ series of exercises - up to 18 aircraft departed RAAF Base Townsville around 5.55am. At 8am 4 Boeing F/A -18 Super Hornets departed Amberley and went out to meet the returning group.

All aircraft then arrived at RAAF Base Amberley between 8.50am and 9.10am, performing a low level fly by before returning to land..



RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-221

RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-219

RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-206

RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-220


RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-212

RAAF Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet A44-202




























Friday 24 June 2022

Spotting at Archerfield Airport

Having the day off I decided I would do some spotting at an airport very close to my home.

Archerfield Airport (YBAF) is located in Archerfield, 12 km's (7.5 miles) to the south of Brisbane city and 10 km's (6.2 miles) from my home.  
Archerfield airport was established on the 1st April 1931 and served as Brisbane's primary and international airport up until 1949 with Qantas, Ansett ANA and Trans Australia Airlines offering Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) services.

During World War II the airport became a hive of activity hosting the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Netherlands Air Force, United States Army Air Forces and Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. 
Following World War II, Eagle Farm dominated aviation activity and Archerfield assumed secondary significance. Archerfield turned its focus towards flight training and in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s, movements peaked at approximately 320,000 per year.

In 1998, Archerfield was privatised. It now operates as the major general aviation airport and the metropolitan airport for greater Brisbane. Aircraft movements have remained relatively steady in the past decade at approximately 160,000 per year.

Archerfield Tower is active between 0700 and 1700 hours (local). Outside these hours Archerfield becomes a CTAF airport (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency). During this time the longest runway (10L/28R) becomes the main active runway for both arrivals and departures. 
Runways 04L/22R and 10R/28L are not available during CTAF hours. 
Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) broadcast the phonetic letter Zulu to alert pilots that CTAF procedures are in effect.

RUNWAY's
10L/28R 1,471 Mts 4826 Ft     Asphalt
10R/28L 1,100 Mts 3609 Ft     Gravel/Asphalt
04L/22R 1,245 Mts 4085 Ft     Grass
04R/22L 1,100 Mts 3,609 Ft    Grass







CESSNA U206G VH-XGD (MSN U20603669)

PIPER PA-39 VH-ICS (MSN 39-068)

CESSNA 206H VH-TAW (MSN 20608065)

PIPER PA-28-181 VH-BTN (MSN 2843564)

CESSNA 404 VH-VOA (MSN 4040219)

CESSNA 182P VH-TIN (MSN 18264159)

CESSNA 172R VH-ZSN (MSN 17280931)

CESSNA 172R VH-SCN (MSN 17281039)

CESSNA 172N VH-TKJ (MSN 17270779)

PIPER PA-28-181 VH-VDN (MSN 2843173)

BEECH 77 VH-JUW (MSN WA-253)


PILATUS PC 12/47E VH-UJM (MSN 1370)


ROBINSON R44 VH-FHK (MSN 1659)

ROBINSON R44 II VH-RQJ (MSN 12045)

LEONARDO AW 139 VH-EGK (MSN 31827)

CIRRUS SR 20 VH-ZSZ (MSN 2243)

AEROPRO EUROFOX 24-8881 (MSN 60720)

BEECH B200 KING AIR VH-FON (MSN BB-1145)


SLING 2 24-8582 (MSN 184)

AEROPRAKT 32 VIXEN VH-YVQ (MSN 029)

EUROCOPTERBEC120B VH-EHA (MSN 1148)

BEECH B200 KING AIR VH-ISS (MSN BB-1008)