Canberra to Sydney
Date: 3/7/2007
Flight No: QF704
Reg: VH-TJJ
Type: 737- 476
Name: Heron
Seat: 21A
Seq. Number: 1
ATD: 09:56
ATA: 10:35
Gate: u/k
Dep Rwy: 35
Arr Rwy:
I arrived early at the airport and enjoyed a nice breakfast at the expensive terminal cafe. Boarding was pretty much standard, sat down to find I had the seat next to me free (Love that). Our Captain was Captain Honeycombe who I have had a few times before on CBR-SYD-CBR flights. We taxied to the runway and did not use the displaced threshold, no need for it. Abit bumpy out of Canberra, ATIS Said expect turbulence and they were right. Had a first time flyer (A 5/6 year old) who was feeling sick on takeoff and landing (That made me feel great, I didn’t want the poor dear to puke and have to smell that for a while!) but all turned well and she didn’t chunder into the bag once. Our nice meal was a Muesli bar which was cranberry and yoghurt flavour with choice of Juice and Water. Billboard was the channel I tuned into before our descent into Sydney. Was pretty nice coming in over Liverpool, Campbelltown and near Bankstown (Watching the little buzz boxes landing down there is always fun), but coming out over the water it started to get abit bumpy as usual. Had a nice and smooth touchdown, with a roll then turn into the gate. Of course, about one gate away was VH-TJW. For those who don’t know TJW is my old foe. She follows me everywhere, and I mean everywhere. And she is my most travelled on 737.
Wing View of VH-TJJ
Sydney to Canberra
Date: 7/7/2007
Flight No: QF771
Reg: VH-VXO
Type: 737- 838
Name: Kakadu
Seat: 18F
Seq. Number: 3
ATD: 15:57
ATA: 16:48
Gate: 6
Dep Rwy: 25
Arr Rwy: 35
Looks to be a first entry for me with ‘Kakadu’, still with its ‘Sharing the Spirit’ titles on the rear. We boarded dead on time, early in fact. Waited for an international arrival and than pushed back. But sitting out on the tarmac we were told we would be dragged back to the gate due to a loading error, where the load sheets would be re-written before we could leave. So sitting down I listened to the onboard entertainment, namely Billboard again, and just waited for the load sheets to be rewritten. Once again my Captain was Captain Honeycombe, a veteran pilot for me of a few flights and my flight on the journey up to Sydney. We pushed back (Again) and this time started and the safety announcement was viewed/listened too. Taxied behind a NZ 767-300 before holding on 25 and jolting forward for our speedy exit from the rat race. Meal was two cookies and a choice of Juice or Water (Its starting to sound like a prison!). The cookies were nice though, one white choc and the other milk choc. Didn’t find them too bad, just a little bit more filling than the muesli bar. Descent was into the clouds formed over Canberra and the region through wet rain and a small amount of wind. Captain braced us for turbulence, and we got abit but not much really. Upon landing the Captain crunched the main gear onto the tarmac, which gave us a big bump and a huge vibration. Loved watching all the water being blasted from the runway as my seat was right at the end of the wing. Had to wait for another 737 to land and taxi infront of us and we finally arrived at the gate. The tiny gate lounge was packed as both flights arrived in around the same time, and the one carousel and arrivals area was full of people. Can’t wait till Canberra will eventually get a new Qantas Terminal :P
View of VH-VXO’s wing
While in Sydney I did abit of Plane and Train spotting, as well as abit of Hawk watching with the USS Kitty Hawk coming into Garden Island. Beautiful Ship with some beautiful hardware on it. Some photos of the Plane and Ship spotting will be posted abit later on when I can get around to uploading them to a server!