Trip Reports - 2006

[TAA Matt]

Well….in 2006 I went on two overseas trips, and did promise a trip report. However all I ever got round to was posting a few pictures on Bangkok’s new airport.

 

So…I thought I might just post a brief trip report of all my aviation happenings in 2006.

 

Well ill start of nearly twelve months ago, in February when I jumped on a Qantas Boeing 747-300 for the first time to Honolulu.

 

I flew on the “City of Wagga Waggaâ€, and let me tell you I was very disappointed with Qantas on this flight. From the moment I boarded I knew it was going to be a s*%tful flight, as the entire crew must have been ready to retire. We took off, climbed to our altitude and the meal service was served. I had a child’s meal as I always liked the look of my sister’s meal so I thought I might get one myself this time. And it was fantastic! I had spaghetti bolognaise and it was almost as good as my mums. However the thing I was disappointed with was that only two drink services were run throughout the entire 9 hour and 20 minute flight and no-one came around with water or juice in the middle of the night.

 

 

Soon enough though I had landed in Honolulu International airport, and what can I say. What a stupid airport! You disembark the aircraft to enter a small room, everyone is now confused. The crew is still on the aircraft, we are in a small room with all the doors locked. However soon enough this bomby old shuttle car come and got us to take us to the main terminal. But once I got there I was flabergastered. It was amazing, you could plane spot from the terminal. All around the duty free was open, you could hear all the JAL aircraft starting their engines – it was a true airport for the aviation enthusiast.

 

 

Anyway back to the serious part, I went to get my photograph and fingerprints taken, and then I was free to enter the island of Oahu, greeted by our limo driver, Melvin, and leis placed around our necks.

 

 

During a beautiful week in Honolulu, driving around in our limo, soaking up the sun on Waikiki, and visiting the Alomoana shopping centre, we were handed a piece of paper with deals for only $350US to go to the ‘Big Island’ (Called Hawaii) for a day tour. This deal was too cheap for us to reject so we got up at 4:30AM and walked down to the bare street on Honolulu to meet our driver to take us to the airport. I at this stage still had no idea who we were flying. Once we got the airport, I soon found out we were flying on an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737. And I can just remember sitting in the boarding gate remembering that episode of Air Crash Investigation when the Aloha Airlines had a crack in the fuselage and the old flight attendant got sucked out at 30,000ft.

 

 

 

However it was a good flight to Kona and back. I must say though I was most surprised when I arrived at Kona International Airport, it was a large version basically of Aeropelican (the airport, YPEC – not the airline). I remember on our return flight, my nan sitting in the row behind me and screaming “Oh Shit†as we landed – it was a pretty hard landing. It was the same crew and aircraft as we flew on earlier that day.

 

And then….as always all good things have to come to an end, and I soon boarded my flight, QF4 bound for Sydney. The aircraft this time was the “City of Mildura†and I was happy on this leg to see young, enthusiastic flight attendants. It was a great flight, I absolutely love day time flights.

 

 

I have now been home on holidays for not much longer than 3 months, and whilst my dad was in China on business, we went up the pub with the next door neighbors. And being drunk as my mum was, with the people next door they were talking about holidays and mum had said how nice Phuket was, and it wasn’t then long until dad got a phone call in china saying save your money we are going to Phuket again. So we went down to Lisa at Travelscene Swansea (whom we are the highest customers) and booked our flights on British Airways to Bangkok and then Thai onwards to Phuket.

 

Waiting, waiting and waiting for September to come to go away, I spend my days on of course TAA and I was also browsing the YSSY Message Board when Natalie Bray of Seven’s The Great Outdoors research team posted a topic asking for plane spotters to come to YSSY to film a segment on plane spotting. Alright then, sign me up. Toddles and I were set to feature on the Great Outdoors. So on a very, very, very cold August morning I got up at 6AM to make the 2 hour car trip to Shep’s Mound. I go there, and for 15 minutes nothing – dad said are you sure you haven’t been set up Matt and I’ve said yes I’m sure. Anyway cut a long story short the Great Outdoors got lost. It turned out to be a good morning, although the weather being cold and overcast. But….my friend Toddles who I was set to meet never showed. He got a stomach bug lol.

 

So September soon came around and I got onboard my British Airways / Qantas codeshare flight to Bangkok. My flight gay flight attendant, Brian, made the flight most funny. I was really disappointed with British Airways as their seats are more clustered together in cattle class, and hence had virtually no room. Also, unlike Qantas their control for the individual TV’s was not on the side of your armrest and detachable but securely attached to the top of your armrest. All through the night I was forever accidentally changing my volume, channel and even turning the TV off from just having my arm on the armrest.

 

 

After arriving in Bangkok’s new airport after midnight, we checked into the Novotel Bangkok Airport Hotel.

 

I had to be up bright and early the next morning to catch my flight to Phuket, onboard a Thai Boeing 747-400, very strange to me considering it was only a 1 hour and 20 minute flight.

 

 

Phuket, as the previous two times I have been there was great, and remains one of my favorite destinations.

 

 

 

 

My return flights were very similar to the flights over. My Thai flight to Bangkok was operated by an Airbus A300-600 aircraft, and the British Airways sector to Sydney seemed to go forever as I had an infected eye from swimming in the water in Phuket.

 

Well….thats this year over for me. I am looking forward to more adventures this year. (I told you Glenn I would promise to get one out within 12 months :P)

 

 

 

[Guest Glenn]

Thank you Mr Hogg. Your very lucky to be able to do these trips. So where are you off to this year?

 

 

[TAA Matt]

No idea yet.

 

I have New Zealand in mind to go in a sim.

 

Mum is also looking at Vietnam, and might end up over in Beijing.

 

 

[Uncle Chop Chop]

No idea yet.I have New Zealand in mind to go in a sim.

 

Mum is also looking at Vietnam, and might end up over in Beijing.

1st of all great Trip Report there mate.

 

My Dad was in the Vietnam War and would love to go back to Vietnam. Mum would love to go back to Tasmania for another Honeymoon. I on the otherhand would love to go back to America and also go to Europe.

 

 

[TAA Matt]

Yeah, i too would love to go back to Hawaii or America, or even Phuket, but ive been to Phuket 3 times now, its time to see different things.

 

Mum graduates uni at the end of this year (Dentist), so im expecting a trip in December sometime.

 

 

[Guest SpeedBird]

Matt,

 

Great trip report + photos. :)