Hijack attempt on United Flight

UNITED AIRLINES BOEING 737-800                 (File Photo)

                                                                                                               A United Airlines spokesman says a flight headed from Washington, D.C., to Denver had to return to Dulles International Airport after a passenger failed to comply with crew instructions.
The pilots of the United Airlines Flight 1074 (a Boeing 737) told air traffic controllers that the passenger had become violent but was restrained by passengers.
The pilots told Air Traffic Control a passenger ran towards the cockpit screaming "I have a bomb I have a bomb", and he is being restrained by passengers. The cockpit is secure and we would like to return to the airport and have authorities meet him,” a pilot said, according to ABC News.

A passenger on the flight told ABC News that two other men on the flight grabbed the suspect and held him down while flight attendants retrieved plastic restraints for his arms. She said at one point, the suspect said there were “jihadists in the cargo hold.”

A United Airlines spokesman said in an emailed statement local law enforcement met the plane at the gate and detained the passenger.
A search of the man and the cargo hold failed to find anything.
The incident has been recorded as a “failed hijack attempt.”

Travel Service 737 calls into Brisbane

It was about 11.15am this morning when I checked my phone for a text message and I noticed I had a calendar alert about a Travel Service Boeing 737 that was due into Brisbane today from Noumea and it was due in at 11.30. Unfortunately due to work commitments I couldn't be there for the arrival but knew I could make it for the 2.30 departure. The Travel Services 737 is on its world tour and had to call into Brisbane to clear customs before it could head off to explore Australia.

Travel Service Airlines (incorporated as Travel Service) started on the 28th April 1998 and is an airline with its head office in Prague, Czech Republic. It operates charter flights and also wet and dry leases aircraft to other airlines. It has subsidiaries in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. It also operates scheduled flights under the brand name Smart Wings. It has 52 aircraft all up and they are; 36 Boeing 737-800's; 3 Boeing 737-700's, 10 Airbus A320's and 3 Cessna Citations. Shortly after 2.25pm Travel Service 4476 asked for start and push, he was given taxi clearance up to Alpha 3 via taxi way Bravo. At 2.43 Travel Service 4476 was given "Clear for Take Off"

On this sector they were heading off to Ayres Rock and then on to Alice Springs later this evening.

TRAVEL SERVICE 737-8FN OK-TVL (CN 37076)



MORAVIAN-SILESIAN REGION

Moravian-Silesian Region is one of the 14 administrative regions

of the Czech Republic; it is 300klms (186 miles) from Prague

and it is the 3rd most populated region in the Czech Republic.

ON ALPHA 3 AWAITING LINE UP



"TRAVEL SERVICE 4476 RUNWAY 01 CLEAR FOR TAKE OFF''

 











Rockhampton - Brisbane Flight

After another long hard week it was time to go home, and I was looking forward to it. Being a Silver member of Qantas I get to jump the queue on check in, and it does feel good when you turn up at the airport and there is a l-o-n-g queue waiting to check in and I walk up to the priority check in counter and get checked in immediately.
For this flight I was in 29A, the very last row of this Q400 Dash 8 flight. Luckily I am a tall and thin man because the seats are not big in this aircraft, but this afternoon on the way home I had this big big man sitting next to me, and for the next hour and twenty I was really squashed in my corner.
We boarded through gate two and had a short walk across the tarmac to our aircraft, VH-QOR. We all seem to board quickly which surprised me because the aircraft was full, then at 3.23 we taxied out for a runway 15 departure.

We taxied out past the control towers, the short one is the old one and the tall one is the newest one. We lined up immediately and at 3.26 we were airborne. We climbed to flight level 210 and as it was a little bumpy we climbed to 220. Approaching Brisbane we were put in a 10 minute holding pattern at a place called Kingaroy, after completing one large circuit we continued in and landed on runway 19 at exactly 4.39pm... Another flight done and dusted!!



More from Rockhampton

Before my first appointment I ventured out to the airport for a quick look and hung around for about 30 mins. Just as I pulled up I saw a Pilatus touch down, so I quickly grabbed my camera and run up to the viewing platform (as seen in my previous post) then I notice a Qantas Q 400 taxied out and one was coming in. I got in the car and started to drive off when I heard "Fly Doc 456 runway 15 clear for take off" so I quickly turned around, grabbed the Fly Doc and proceeded on with my day.

PILATUS PC 12 VH-PID (CN 231)

QANTAS LINK Q 400 DASH 8 VH-QOC (CN 4117)

PILATUS PC 12 VH-PID (CN 231)

QANTAS LINK'S Q 400 DASH 8 ''DESTINATION TAMWORTH"

THIS GUITAR HAD A BIG 40th  ON IT CELEBRATING 40YRS
OF THE TAMWORTH COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL

QANTAS LINK Q 400 DASH 8 VH-QOI (CN 4189)





                      ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS BEECHCRAFT B200

                                          VH-FDG (CN BB2012)

Arriving at the airport for my flight home I thought I would give the viewing
area one quick drive past before I checked in, and there to my surprise were
two aircraft parked on the freight apron. The Queensland Police Air Wing
Raytheon and a Royal Australian Air Force Challenger







QUEENSLAND POLICE AIRWING RAYTHEON 1900D
VH-PSK (CN UE-311)

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIRFORCE CHALLENGER 604
A37-003 (CN 5538)

Rockhampton Airport

Rockhampton Airport; IATA: ROK, ICAO: YBRK is a regional airport that services the city of Rockhampton, it is 11 mts (36ft.) above sea level and it is 4.7 klms (2.2mls) west of the city. Qantas Link and Virgin have direct flights to Brisbane, but only Qantas Link has direct flights to Gladstone and Mackay; they also have connecting flights to the cities of Townsville and Cairns. The Airport used to operate direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne with Jetstar and Tiger but were cancelled due to lack of passenger numbers. I have heard Townsville and Sydney are two cities that a few airlines  have their eyes on for direct flights in the near future.
The airport has two paved runways, 15 / 32 which is the main runway, it is 2,568 mts long (8,425 ft.)  and 04 / 22 which is 1,645 mts long (5,397 ft.) The Airport runway has the capability to handle aircraft such as the A380's, B747's & B777.

Rockhampton Airport plays an important role in military exercises for our Nation, and is a major contributor to service logistical and operational needs of military exercises at Shoalwater Bay.
Every year around August / September approximately 10,000 Australian Defence, United States and Singaporean troops pass through the Rockhampton Airport on domestic and international charter flights in relation to the exercises at Shoalwater Bay Training Area.
On 1st January 2011 Rockhampton Airport closed due to flooding affecting the runway. The airport was reopened 24 days later on 24th January 2011.
The airport is controlled from 6am - 10pm then is CTAF after that.

VIEWING DECK RECENTLY PUT UP BY THE AIRPORT

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA EMBRAER ERJ 190
VH-ZPM (CN 19000262)

QANTAS LINK BOBARDIER DASH 8 Q400
VH-QOD (CN 4123)

FURTHEST AIRCRAFT IS QANTAS LINK DASH 8-300 VH-SBW
   CLOSEST AIRCRAFT IS QANTAS LINK DASH 8-400 VH-QOD

QANTAS LINK DASH 8-315 VH-SBW (CN 599)

CESSNA 206H VH-XHZ (CN 20608270)

ROBERTSON R44 VH-YSR (CN 2163)

VULCANAIR P.68C. VH CFT (CN 414)



ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS SERVICE BEECH CRAFT B200C

                               VH-FDI (CN BL162)

This evening I thought I would venture out and try my luck   again at some night photography.

TOLL EXPRESS FAIRCHILD METROLINER VH-UZN (CN DC-881B) VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR 72 TAXIING FOR BRISBANE QANTAS LINK DASH 8 Q400 DOING ENGINE RUNS AFTER GOING TECH TODAY. PEL-AIR SAAB 340B VH-KDK (CN 16) 

Two Cathay Pacific Pilots killed in Hong Kong

It is very sad to read that two Cathay Pacific pilots were killed in the early hours of this morning when the sports car they were driving in careered off the road and burst into flames. The men were both aged 27 according to a police commander at the scene and were excellent pilots with a long career ahead of them with the airline..

The crash happened at 4.40am near Hong Kong's Container Terminal, said Inspector Ma Wai-hung, from New Territories South's special investigation team. From what I read the men had been trapped in the blazing wreckage, adding that their bodies were already badly burnt when paramedics arrived at the scene.

Detectives said the pair had spent the hours immediately before the crash chatting with three friends nearby. The accident happened as they drove away, police said. They don't think alcohol or drugs were involved but investigations are continuing.

My thoughts and prayers go out their family and friends and of course colleagues at Cathay Pacific. Rest in peace.

Emerald Airport

Emerald Airport (IATA: EMD, ICAO: YEML) is located in a small country town in the Central Highlands district of Queensland. Approximately 270 klms west of Rockhampton.

Map of Emerald

The airport is located 6 km (4 mi) south of the Emerald town centre. The airport is operated by the Central Highlands Regional Council.
Emerald Airport is currently serviced by Qantas Link Dash 8 Q400's; Virgin Australia with ATR-72's and occasionally you will get Alliance fly in with their F100's. Unless its a charter or a FIFO (Fly in Fly Out) the only destination you can fly to from EMB is Brisbane.
The airport has an elevation of 624 ft (190 m) above sea level. It has two runways: 06/24 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,900 m × 30 m (6,234 ft × 98 ft) and 15/33 with a gravel surface measuring 926 m × 18 m (3,038 ft × 59 ft). Emerald Airport does not have a control tower therefore it is an uncontrolled airport.
Back in the last quarter of 2010 Emerald Airport spent $7.7 million extending the terminal and refurbishing the old one.
I carry a portable hand held scanner with me were ever I go, (this time I am using a GRECOM PSR120) and in between accounts I heard "Fly Doc 222" call up saying he would be taxiing in a few minutes. So I drove the 4klms from where I was just in time to see a Virgin Australia ATR 72 taxi out, a Qantas Link Q400 arrive and then the Flying Doctor leave as well. This was the first time I had seen this Flying Doctor aircraft.

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR 72-600 VH- FVY (CN 1073)

QANTAS LINK OVER FLYING BEFORE COMING IN TO LAND

QANTAS LINK BOMBARDIER Q 400 DASH 8 VH-QOS (CN 4263)

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE (RFDS)



RFDS BEECH CRAFT B220C VH-MSZ (CN BL-171)

After finishing my calls I headed back out for an hour or so

to see what else I could catch

TOLL EXPRESS FAIRCHILD METROLINER VH-UZW (CN AC-526)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA ATR 72-500 VH-FVH (CN 954)

BEECH BARON 58 VH-FLZ (CN TH-274)

PIPER PA-32-300 VH-MSR (CN 32-7340106)

AEROPRAKT A22 FOXBAT ULTRA LIGHT 24-4621

CESSNA 208B VH-FLL (CN 20800359)