Friday at Brisbane Airport

What else do you do on your last day of the holidays, you go plane spotting of course. Having a few commitments on the Northside of Brisbane today, I, along with my wife and children, called into the airport for a few hours to do some plane spotting. My wife, who has always been my biggest supporter and encourages me constantly, was right by my side the whole time today taking photos as well. So I thought I would dedicate todays blog to her.. all the photos below were taken by my beautiful, gorgeous understanding wife Judy.

CHINA SOUTHERN A330-343 B-8366 (CN 1826)

QANTAS A330-303 VH-QPJ (CN 0712)

TIGERAIR A320-232 VH-VNC (CN 3275)

We were lucky enough to be there to see the first Singapore A350 for this time slot, yesterday this flight was being operated by a B777-200. This was the first time Judy had seen the A350 ever.

SINGAPORE A350-941 9V-SML (CN 096)

QANTAS B747-438 VH-OEG (CN 32911)

CHINA AIRLINES A330-302 B-18358 (CN 1346)

MASALU TAIWAN LIVERY

AIR NEW ZEALAND B777-319 ZK-OKQ (CN 40689)

ALL BLACKS LIVERY

CATHAY PACIFIC A330-343 B-HLS (CN 0423)

AIR NIUGINI B767-341 P2-PXV (CN 30341)

CHINA EASTERN A330-243 B-5936 (CN 1461)

ALLIANCE FOKKER F28 MK 100 VH-FKJ (CN 11372)

AIR CANADA B787-8 C-GHQQ (CN 35263)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B777-3ZG VH-VPH (CN 37943)

THAI B787-8 HS-TQC (CN 36110)

We went off for a few hours and had lunch, then we called in to see Judy's Mum at a nursing home. We got back to the airport just before 3pm so we could get the afternoon Air China, while we were waiting we notice an Air New Zealand ATR 72 sitting on the logistics apron, we later found out it had only come in an hour before hand.

AIR CHINA A330-243 B-6130 (CN 0930)

AIR NEW ZEALAND ATR 72-500 ZK-MCW (CN 646)

QANTAS B737-838 VH-VZY (CN 39363)

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA B737-8FE VH-VUF (CN 34168)

QANTAS B737-838 VH-XZH (CN 39372)

Time travel is real - Airlines proves it.

I just read this story posted a few days ago now and wanted to share it as I thought it was pretty cool.

Aeroplanes were seemingly travelling back in time today, taking off in 2018 and landing in 2017, thanks to time differences around the globe. Hawaiian Airlines flight HA446, from Auckland to Honolulu, was scheduled to take off at 11.55pm on New Year’s Eve, and land at 9.45am on the same day, due to the 23-hour time difference between the destinations. However, a delay saw it departing at five minutes past midnight on New Year’s Day, ready to land at 10.16am on 31 December.

It wasn’t the only plane to travel back in time, however. Another Auckland flight Air New Zealand's NZ40, bound for Papeete, in French Polynesia, took off at 10.25am on 1 January, arriving at 4.25pm on 31 December.

The Taipei flights included Eva Air to Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles, and China Airlines to San Francisco. All departed in 2018 and all landed safely in 2017. 

Story sourced from here
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/flights-take-off-2018-land-2017-time-travel-auckland-hawaii-air-new-zealand-hawaiian-airways-taipei-a8136491.html

Cathay 747 at Country Airport

Staying at Pittsworth (outside of Toowoomba) for the new year Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport is not far from our friends home. Knowing that a Cathay Pacific Jumbo lands there every Tuesday evening, and I have never seen it at this airport, I wanted to see this. So on the way home we made our way to the airport. We got out there at 3pm as there were suppose to be three arrives from 3.15pm - 5pm, an Air North Embraer from Cairns at 3.15, a REX SAAB from Charleville and a Cathay 747-800 from Melbourne. Disappointingly the REX SAAB over flew us at 10,000 feet and kept going to Brisbane. Obviously there was no need to land at Wellcamp, so we just had the two arrivals.

WELLCAMP TERMINAL

AIR NORTH EMBRAER 170 VH-ANO (CN 17000099)

CATHAY PACIFIC B747-867 (CN 39243)

Seeing in the New Year

As 2017 came to a close and 2018 crept its way into our lives people all over the world celebrated  in different ways (and some countries are still to celebrate). We celebrated with the usual "last sunset for the year" photo

followed by a BBQ dinner with friends. 

After dinner the kids had fun with sparklers creating the 2018 symbol before running a muck in the back yard.

For the first time in many years the club across the road from our friends house had fireworks at 9.pm and again at midnight. I must admit the 9pm fireworks were much better than the midnight ones.

While we were celebrating with friends on the ground here in Pittsworth, passengers where circling over Antarctica at 4000 feet on the annual Antarctica flight which departs Melbourne on New Year's Eve. The 13 hour flight, operated by Qantas using a 747-438, departed Melbourne at 6.15pm local time, flew down over Hobart and continued on to Antarctica. There it descended to 4,000 feet and did circuits for the next few hours. It then made its way back to Melbourne dropping back its excited but probably tired passengers an hour ahead of schedule at 6.30am. 

A friend of mine was in Melbourne and sent me through a few photos of the actual aircraft departing Melbourne. Thank you James S for the photos and for the letting me use them on this post.

In closing my thoughts go out to the families and friends that lost loved ones yesterday in the Sydney Sea plane accident, and of course the staff of Sydney Sea Planes. Their New Years Eve will never be the same again.

Six dead in New Years eve tragedy

This morning I woke to the news that a seaplane owned and operated by Sydney Sea Planes had crashed in Sydney yesterday afternoon killing all six people on board.
It is reported that around 3.15pm the float-equipped de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver impacted the water off Cottage Point, Jerusalem Bay in Sydney NSW and flipped on impact then sank rapidly according to witnesses.
The aircraft carrying one pilot and five British tourists, including an 11 year old girl, was on a return flight to Rose Bay, Sydney Harbour. It was reported that the plane sank to around 13 meters. Police divers have now confirmed all six bodies have been recovered.

Sydney Seaplanes offers scenic flights over Sydney tourist attractions and waterways including the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Pittwater, as well as the Hawkesbury River region.
The popular service has been operating for 80 years, and has carried high profile passengers such as Pippa Middleton and husband, James Matthews.

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 

Operator: Sydney Sea Planes

Registration: VH-NOO

Serial Number: 1535

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the immediate family and friends and of course all the staff at Sydney Sea Planes.

UPDATE
Police have now named the victims as Gareth Morgan, a 44-year-old experienced seaplane pilot; Emma Bowden, aged 48, Heather Bowden, aged 11, Richard Cousins, 59, and Edward and William Cousins, aged 23 and 25 respectively.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year to you, your family and friends.

I hope the New Year ahead is filled with love, laughter, peace and happiness along with good health for you and your loved ones.
Stand tall, stand proud and believe in yourself.


The new year is like a blank book.
The pen is in your hands.
Go ahead... write yourself a beautiful story.
Fly in the plane of ambition  
Land in the airport of success

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER