Last Qantas Boeing 767 service

[Brandon Giacomin]

Introduction:

The Boeing 767 is my favourite aircraft type. So with Qantas retiring them I wanted to be on the last flight. When the final flight was announced I figured I wouldn’t be able to do it due to work. But thankfully the final flight was changed from an 8pm departure from MEL to a 5pm departure. Meaning I only had to take the Saturday off and I could catch a flight home to Brisbane that night.

My mate Zac was able to secure me a seat on QF452 (which was changed to QF767). I booked the cheapest flight down to MEL which was with VA and the cheapest flight from SYD-BNE that evening which was with JQ. This report will just include the last Qantas 767 flight.

Melbourne Airport:

My Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane arrived at 1130. I met up with Zac and local spotter Aaron at the arrivals area in T3. We then walked down to T1. Aaron wasn’t on the flight; he just went in to get a couple of photos. So Zac and I then went up to the Qantas Business Class lounge where we met up with many spotters throughout the day who would be travelling on QF767.

Here are a few shots I took from the lounge.

OGU operating her penultimate Qantas service. She flew MEL-SYD-BNE.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8595/15513844653_d6e8ff5a7b.jpg

United Boeing 787-9
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7581/16131661461_99727ff2f7.jpg

OGM operating her last Qantas service from MEL-SYD
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7508/15946121478_8068b7f424.jpg

OGL arriving on her penultimate Qantas service, she would be operating QF767 to Sydney
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7555/15951349279_ac43cbb0b7.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8638/16111636006_774a4e5e57.jpg

Media taking photos before the flight
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8641/16111634396_f2e906ff22.jpg

About an hour before departure we left the lounge and waited at the gate.

XZP “Retro Roo” operating the Sydney service before us
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7570/15940312598_c9a8a6c8c0.jpg

OGL nearly ready to operate her last service for Qantas
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15951343519_ee461f1c2f.jpg

FIDS
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7530/15957245639_5684021118.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7464/16142572622_13d1c88c71.jpg

Balloons at the gate
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7522/15956020710_a5e7445ce3.jpg

December 27, 2014
Qantas
QF767
MEL-SYD
VH-OGL B763
Seat 38B

Boarding
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7511/15957561307_8ed4831f58.jpg

There was a bag on each seat which included a shirt, book and 767 sticker. I also pinched a couple of safety cards.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7580/15975914397_2d737c4194.jpg https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7544/16161685265_3a34b2b09e.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7583/16160945632_ff8184dfd4.jpg

[Brandon Giacomin]

Wing view, I didn’t get to many wing shots as I didn’t have a window seat.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8563/15523622863_52cdbf501e.jpg

Prior to pushback the pilots walked through the cabin filming with gopros. They also had gopros set up in the cockpit. Haven’t seen the footage yet, hopefully Qantas share the videos.

Pre-flight safety demo
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7565/16117526116_fe49a1343c.jpg

Pushback
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7476/16142672382_537ae06b87.jpg

Taxiing out
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7467/16141515681_f20bce2c27.jpg

Water cannon salute prior to departure
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7469/16141510911_ce27f5901f.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7471/15523687703_68d893669a.jpg

En-route
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7569/16159303941_6142d1c9b6.jpg

Most people were out of their seats and walking around the cabin. Everyone had to return to their seats so the crew could hand out dinner and drinks. There were two options, some kind of Pasta or Chicken and Rice. I took the chicken and had a glass of champagne.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7506/15957333759_0699673802.jpg

Quick cabin shot before we started decent
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7543/16160460842_f2803ac029.jpg

Prior to landing we were lucky enough to do a few loops of the city at 2000ft which was awesome!
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/16135408026_7904096b8f.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8660/16135406736_316dbc909f.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7512/16161198745_52d78cfce6.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7470/16159297381_2ed05d41f8.jpg

FR24 and flightaware screenshots of the flyover
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7470/16161229885_3bcae41d0f.jpg https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7490/15538883184_3436f5fb37.jpg

[Brandon Giacomin]

After that we looped back around and landed on RWY16R. We received another water cannon salute prior to parking at gate 6.

Business Class seat prior to disembarking
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7501/15975132769_228daaf226.jpg

End of an era!
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8576/15541442653_f75e0a5ab1.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8650/15975130049_055b88c636.jpg

Well after sitting around the gate for a little while chatting, I walked over to T2 for my Jetstar flight home.

Conclusion:

Definitely the best flight I have been on! Very glad I could be a part of it. It was good to see Qantas give the 767s a fantastic send off. They will definitely be missed by most spotters.

MEL departure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9aBj3k8j1k

SYD flypast and arrival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SnunYABPRQ

[Brock Little]

Didn't include the JQ flight so only 7/10 might read again, good QF767 coverage though (Y)

[Mick F]

Pardon?

[Brandon Giacomin]

P a r d o n ?

[Sarah C]

Nicely done!

[Mick F]

With regards to Brock's post, I don't get why the JQ flight is relevant at all to the 'Last Qantas Boeing 767 Service'.

7/10?

[Jacob L]

Great report Brandon as always.
Fitting to see a flyover over Sydney. Hope you enjoyed the flight and it will be missed by all spotters as you say

[Brandon Giacomin]

Cheers for the comments all. Mick, I know Brock. The comment was directed at me which is why you wouldn't understand it ;)

[George G]

Nice report as usual Brandon.