G650ER Rounds the World with one Stop

Gulfstream announced yesterday that a G650ER corporate jet has successfully circumnavigated the world with only one intermediate stop.
The G650ER took off from White Plains, New York, with seven people on board. It flew 6939 nm eastbound to Beijing at an average speed of Mach 0.87 in 13 hours and 20 minutes. The aircraft then flew eastbound 6572 nm to Savannah, accomplishing the mission at an average speed of Mach 0.89 for a total flight time of 12 hours.
“There isn’t another business jet capable of this mission,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream.
“This flight proves just how powerful a machine the G650ER is. We promised customers an aircraft that could take them farther faster than any other; we delivered on that promise. The G650ER provides a combination of speed and range that is creating history and setting records.”
Gulfstream believes the flight also set two city-pair records, which the US National Aeronautic Association is yet to approve and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has not yet recognised.
If approved, the new records will add to the two the G650ER already holds: Los Angeles to Melbourne, Australia and Hong Kong to Teteboro, New Jersey.
The G650ER can travel 7500 nm at Mach 0.85 and 6400 nm at Mach 0.90. It has a maximum speed of Mach 0.925.

AirAsia X looks at Australia-New Zealand flights

Air Asia X could enter the trans-Tasman market, adding a dash of low-cost competition to the popular corridor already flown by Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Emirates, LAN and China Airlines.
Airline group CEO Tony Fernandes today confirmed that "Yes New Zealand is being looked at via Australia"
New Zealand is Australia's most popular international destination with business travellers and holiday-makers travelling across the pond.
Air Asia X already flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth, but currently has no flights to New Zealand.
Fernandes implies that the airline might look to extend a flight from Kuala Lumpur to an east coast city such as Sydney through to Auckland or some other traffic-worthy NZ destinations, with the flight then turning around to retrace its steps. 

Townsville - Brisbane Flight

After already having a cancelled flight this week from Cairns - Townsville due to Cyclone Lam up in North Queensland I was expecting this flight to be severely delayed or even cancelled due to Cyclone Marcia that was currently hitting Yeppoon / Rockhampton area. (by air these areas are 540 klms / 330 miles North of Brisbane)
I arrived at the airport at 1.15pm for my 2.20 pm QANTAS (flight 973) flight home. I checked in and got my boarding pass, I asked the lady checking me in if this flight was operating; and she confirmed it was, she gave me my boarding pass and I was sitting in 25F for this flight.
After clearing security I made my way up stairs to the departure lounge, we were leaving from gate 3. Townsville airport; unlike Cairns; has a great view of the runway and taxiways, so I sat there watching the movements.... which for the hour I sat there, there was very very little movements.
The aircraft for this flight was VH-VXF Boeing 737-838

We boarded our flight and at 2.40pm we pushed back from gate 3 and we had a short taxi out for runway 01. The weather was warm and sunny but I knew that wasn't going to last, we rotated at exactly 2.51pm and a short time after take off we turned right; (offering great views of the Townsville foreshore and city) and headed south for Brisbane.

We climbed to flight level 370 and for the first 30 mins the flight was smooth and comfortable. I could see the weather ahead of us and the clouds were higher than we were. We entered into the clouds and apart from the occasional short break, that is how we flew.

 The flight was becoming rough and bumpy and looking up to the front of the cabin, I could see people's heads bobbing from side to side and then I noticed no body was talking at all...there was an eerie silence. Looking out the window I saw an aircraft fly underneath us about 1,000 feet below. It was hard to make out who it was or what it was as I saw it for a matter of about 5 seconds before it disappeared into an ocean of white. (when I got home I checked plane finder and it was a Virgin 737)
We continued to fly in amongst cloud, even on our descent, and I couldn't help thinking about the guys up front and how they would be very busy.  We continued our descent and headed in for an approach, which surprised me because I was expecting to be entered into a holding pattern, especially since it was Friday afternoon and that is a very busy time for the airport.
We landed in extremely heavy rain on runway 01 at 4.23pm and taxied to gate 19.

 

Townsville Airport

Townsville Airport (IATA: TSV, ICAO: YBTL) is a major regional airport. The airport is also known as Townsville International Airport but they have no direct international flights at the moment, Jetstar has announced it plans to commence flights to Bali Denpasar in mid 2015.
The airport is located in the suburb of Garbutt just 4 km (2.6 miles) west of the city. Townsville Airport is 11th busiest airport in Australia.
Townsville International Airport is a common-use civilian airport and a huge defence facility, sharing access with RAAF. The airport is controlled from 4.30am -11pm and is CTAF after that. The airport has two runways, 01/19 which is the main runway and it is 2130 mts x 45 mts  (6988ft long x 148ft) and the second runway is 07/25 and it is 959 mts x 30 mts (3145ft x 98ft) long.

VIRGIN B737-8FE VH-VUV (CN 37821)

QANTAS LINK DASH 8-300 VH-TQL (CN 603)

QNTAS B737-838 VH-VYF (CN 33994)

EMBRAER EMB 550 LEGARCY  (CN 55000008)

-

WEST WING CESSNA CARAVAN 208 VH-NTQ (CN 208B0635)

WEST WING CESSNA CARAVAN VH-UZY (CN 208B0937)

WEST WING AVIATION

 

Jetstar to go all 787 on International flights.

Jetstar expects to receive the final three Dreamliners the airline has on order and therefore move to an all 787 fleet for its long-haul flying by the middle of September 2015.
The Qantas-owned low-cost carrier says the last two routes to transition from the Airbus A330-200 to Boeing 787-8s will be Melbourne-Honolulu and Brisbane-Honolulu on September 14.
Jetstar took delivery of its eighth 787-8 at the end of January. The aircraft, registration VH-VKI, (CN 36235) commenced revenue service on February 5 as JQ35 from Melbourne to Bali.
Sydney-Honolulu was the latest to receive the 787 service, with Jetstar’s first Dreamliner flight on the route which departed at 5.55pm (Sydney time) yesterday as the JQ3.
The airline’s fleet of Airbus A330-200s, which currently stand at three aircraft, will be returned to Qantas as Jetstar picked up the new 787s.

VH-VKH B 787-800 (CN 36233)

Charters Towers Airport

Charters Towers is about 135 km's (about 83 miles) west of Townsville, the  Airport (IATA: CXT, ICAO: YCHT) is located 5 km; (3 miles) north of Charters Towers. The Airport is a non-controlled airport and has 2 runways. The main runway 06/24 is sealed and is 1514 mts long x 30 mts wide (4966 ft x 98 ft), the second runway 01/19 is unsealed and it is 884 mts x 30 mts (2900 ft x 98 ft.)
As I drove around this deserted airport for about 20 mins I came across one guy and I asked if I could get airside to take a few photos; or who do I need to talk to to make this happen, he must of thought I was nuts as he declined my request... Any way he told me I had to ring the council and talk to them. I gave up because if anyone has dealt with councils.... they are impossible to deal with. I just drove around the perimeter anyway.
As I looked around I couldn't help thinking this airport is an un-official grave yard / dumping ground.

VH-WIV

 

VH-ATY

VH-ELZ

NORTH QUEENSLAND SOARING CLUB

VH-BUS

VH-JBH

On Flinders Hwy heading to Charters Towers from Townsville there is Donnington's Airpark (IATA: none – ICAO: YDOP) so this afternoon on the way back to Townsville I called in and had a look around. The grass runway is 11/29 and is 936 mts long (3072 ft) I found some very nice unusual aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

Cairns to Townsville Flight

Today I was back at Cairns airport for my flight to Townsville.

I arrived at the airport around 9.30 am for my 10.45 am QANTAS LINK flight.

Flight 2305 was going to be Dash 8-300 series and this would have been the first time I had flown on this type of aircraft.

Sitting at gate 15 with my 12 D boarding pass, our boarding time of 10.25 came and went and our departure time of 10.45 came and went and then the announcement that every traveller dreads.... the flight has been cancelled due to a cyclone up north.
We were informed to go to the QANTAS service desk where we were issued with a new boarding pass and a $25.00 voucher for a meal and a drink.
The new flight was now QANTAS 2313 at 2.30 pm and the boarding through gate 17 would be at 2.10pm.... but wait there's more... I later get a phone call from QANTAS saying there has been another flight change, there are a few seats left on an earlier flight leaving at 1.30 if I want to be on that, so yet again my flight details have been changed. I went back to the QANTAS service desk to once again to get another, my third, boarding pass. This time I was in 18D and the flight would be QANTAS 2307.

At 1pm we got our boarding call; while I was on board and waiting for the other passengers to board, I noticed the QANTAS 737-800 (CN 39365) in the Aboriginal colour scheme pushing back, this aircraft is called "Mendoowoorrji" meaning 'Medicine Pocket'.

My aircraft VH-LQB a Dash 8 Q400 pushed back from gate 14 at exactly 1.28pm, we taxied out and had a rolling start on runway 15; becoming airborne at 1.37pm.

 As the aircraft was full we took a fair bit of the runway, at around 500 feet we banked left and I could clearly see the Hotel where I stayed and the city of Cairns. 

Like most of the flights this one was very smooth.

We climbed to flt lvl 170 and as we were gunning it, the flight crew only served cold drinks.

40 mins later we touched down on runway 01 in Townsville right on 2.17pm.

We taxied in for gate 7, most of the passengers stayed on this flight as it was continuing on to Mackay, Rockhampton and then finally Brisbane.

 



VH-LQB DASH 8 Q-400 (CN 4343)

 

QANTAS B 737-838 VH-XZJ

 

CAIRNS FORSHORE

 

CITY OF CAIRNS

 

THIS IS THE VIEW FROM MY MOTEL ROOM IN TOWNSVILLE