A Different View Of Sydney
With Singapore Airlines gradually moving away from B747 operations to Australia and changing many of the services over to B777 and A380s, I was prompted to have a look at how things were when I first started photographing aircraft in Sydney.
In the 70s, 80s and 90s the Boeing 747 was the "Queen of The Skies" with most international carries operating the type. Over the past 10 years, the introduction of the long range twins with ETOPS, and now the A380 for a smaller number of airlines, B747 movements in and out of Sydney have slowly diminished. With apologies for the quality of the scanned 30 year old photographs, so what did it look like back then ? Singapore Airlines B747-200 9V-SQQ touching down on Runway 25 in August 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...Q 19820807.jpg Singapore Airlines B747-300 "Big Top" 9V-SKA in August 1983 (now an A380 registration) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19830813.jpg Qantas operated 2 B747-200SPs VH-EAA seen here at the Jet Base in November 1981 (look at the cars in the car park) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...9811100 01.jpg Malaysian B747-200 9M-MHI in February 1982 (security back then was just timber posts and plastic fence - we would sit on top of the fence half way down the bay and photograph) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...I 19820214.jpg KLM B747-200 PH-BUO in March 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...O 19820305.jpg UTA B747-200 in June 1981 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...x 19810605.jpg Garuda Indonesian Airways B747-200 PK-GSF in February 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...F 19820206.jpg Cathay Pacific B747-200 VR-HIA in July 1980 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19800700.jpg Air India B747-200 VT-EFU in August 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...U 19820816.jpg South African Airways B747-200 lining up on Runway 16 in February 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...- 19820223.jpg |
Pan American B747-100 January 1981 (three upper deck windows and seen here at Tullamarine)
http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19810103.jpg British Airways B747-200 1980 (seen here at Tullamarine) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...xxxx 1980s.jpg And when you had enough Boeing 747s, there was always the DC-10s Mayalsian Airlines DC-10 9M-MAs in July 1981 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...S 19810707.jpg UTA DC-10 9M-MAs in May 1981 (looks like a TAA Fokker Friendship in the background climbing out from Runway 16 - no 16 Right and 16 Left back then) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...x 19810513.jpg Continental Airlines DC-10 N12061 in March 1981 - I liked this livery http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...9810317 01.jpg Philippines Airlines DC-10 RP-C2114 in February 1982 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...4 19820210.jpg Air New Zealand DC-10 ZK-NZL in July 1980 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...L 19800700.jpg Air New Zealand DC-8 ZK-NZE in June 1981 http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...E 19810608.jpg |
Fantastic! very much enjoyed these amazing photos
a little off topic, but does anybody know when the old international terminal was demolished to make way for the TAA terminal? |
Jack, I remember departing from the old International Terminal for New Zealand in December 1968 in a Qantas B707 (First Class), and returning in a United Airlines DC-8. I think the current International Terminal was built in the early 1970s.
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Yeah the new Intl Terminal was completed in 1970.
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Well done Grahame, thanks for that. What about C P Air ,you must have taken them?
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I had CP Air scanned but missed it in the upload (plus a few more that I am still working on).
CP Air B747-200 at the International Terminal in February 1984 (no Runway 16 Left in the background) http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/...E 19840213.jpg |
Nice.
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Great pics Grahame, thanks for posting! It's weird to think these were all taken well before I was born...
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God, I wish the fenceline looked that that these days - photographing aircraft would have been amazing back then - and so simple! No lightposts, no electrified fences, no security patrols ..... how times have changed and maybe not for the better either!
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Those were the days .. :)
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Awesome
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Impressive
Best pics I have viewed here yet. I got a thrill out of it, maybe I am easily pleased, but just liked the history of it all :)
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wow they are amazing.. hope you have more where they came from
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is that a DC-3 amongst the trees in the first picture?
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Sure is a DC-3 but I can't remember any details.
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Could be VH-RRA CSIRO which i think they turned into a fire fighting machine.
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incredible pics Grahame.
Just to think in not so long people will be posting similar threads about 734s and 767s which used to serve syd:D haha a fair way off still though. |
More Grahame! Theyre heaps good
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Fantastic history you have there. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
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Nice photos Grahame, but I can't help to say they're just a tad grainy (did you use ISO 500000?) and I can see about 30 years worth of dust spots on them (best of luck getting that off with Photoshop!).;)
Unfortunately I can't see them making todays 'hot shot' on either jetspotters or airliners.:D :p |
Hi Graham, Those photos brought back pleasant memories of free and easy days of yore. Do you remember the Continental using Laker's People's Express DC 10? Then there was JATs DC10s, Olympic 747, Lufthansa 747, locally Airlines of NSW and Ansett.
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Great photos!!
I love the NZ DC10 shot with SAA and CX and JAL in the background. Sometimes the main shot is not the focus, but what is in the background. It tells a lot about the era! Keep 'em coming! David.M. |
Good timing Alan, I have just finished scanning the remainder of my International Album, and have uploaded the interesting/historical ones below (including the ones you mentioned). I have similar albums for TAA, Ansett, General Aviation and Military, so I might have a look through for some of the historic liveries and deliveries etc.
Lufthansa B747-200 D-ABYQ in December 1982 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...Q 19821201.jpg JAT DC10 TU-TAL in March 1986 (notice the wing on the flying kangaroo) http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...L 19860330.jpg Olympic B747-200 in May 1990 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...C 19900505.jpg LOT IL-62M SP-LBA in July 1989 (notice the rear leg support because of the four engines right down the back of the aircraft) http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19880918.jpg CAAC B747-200SP B-2454 in July 1989 (CAACs reputation was not great and it was bubbed "Crashes All Around China") http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...4 19890722.jpg Aerolineas Argentina B747-200 at the international Terminal in July 1989 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...Z 19890714.jpg Air Caledonie Carevelle departing from Runway 16 in July 1988 (an historical visitor) http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19880730.jpg The beautiful Air Niugini A300B4 P2-ANG in August 1982 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...G 19871205.jpg One of my favourites, Air Niugini B707-338C P2-ANA in August 1982 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19820800.jpg United B747-200 N4719U in December 1987 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...U 19871205.jpg And still a few more to come .... |
Air Pacific B747-200 VH-EBK leased from Qantas - September 1985 (quite close to todays livery, and note the Alitalia B747 to the left)
http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...K 19850928.jpg All Nipon B747-200 JA8182 at the Qantas Jet Base - check out the cars, a VW Beetle and plenty of Datsuns http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...2 19880730.jpg Garuda DC-10-30 N917JW in July 1989 - that's an Ansett B737 in the background http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...W 19890714.jpg Garuda A300-600R F-ODSX in May 1990 - the construction work is for the new western arm of the InternationalTerminal http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...X 19900519.jpg Japan Airlines B747-200 JA8111 in November 1983 - at least two liveries back http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...1 19831123.jpg Martinair DC-10 PH-MBP in February 1985 with a Concorde tail behind it - a charter visitor from memory. It looks like there are three men working on the Concorde tail, this may have been from the incident when a piece of tail broke off on the flight over from Auckland. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...P 19850214.jpg British Airways B747-200 G-AWNE in September 1985 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...E 19850928.jpg Qantas B747-200 VH-EBN in April 1983 with the wing on the Flying Kangaroo and the white leading edge on the tail http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...N 19830421.jpg Nile Air Safaris B707 at the Qantas Cargo Terminal in July 1989 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...L 19890722.jpg |
i love the air pacific logo.. i wish they bring that back one day...
amazing photos |
And how security has changed from the 1980s ....
When the Spanish Prince arrived the gates near the old customs building next to Qantas were opened for anyone to enter. This is how close I could get to the Prince as he walked off the aircraft minutes after it's arrival. That is Bruce Baird to the left of the Prince. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...9900707 01.jpg Spanish Air Force B707 T.17-3 in July 1990 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...9900707 02.jpg British Airways Concorde G-BOAE landing on Runway 16 with the old TAA and Ansett terminals in the background. The airport looked pretty rough back in February 1985. Looks like an East West Fokker Friendship at the Ansett Terminal to the right and a Jetstream on the far left. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...E 19850214.jpg G-BOAE was towed to the Qantas Jet Base and the gates were opened for everyone to have a close up look. This was not advertised, you just needed to be there at the right time and I walked right around and under the aircraft that day. February 1985. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...9850215-01.jpg http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...9850215-02.jpg G-BOAE being towed to the International Terminal in preparation for the flight out. February 1985. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...9850215-03.jpg I only remember seeing the Air France Concorde in Sydney once from memory. Seen here in January 1988. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...e 19880124.jpg |
Seriously Grahame an amazing set of photos here. And theres a 707 in there! Shame they are a thing of the past for Sydney (give or take a once in a blue moon one)!
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Graham there was another air france concorde in 2000 .just need to find the photo and the date i took it.I know it was a wednesday.As i was in sydney on the saturday and then flew back up for the day on the wed.Love the photos lots of memories and as the others have said it is what is in the background tells a story.
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Great stuff, mate. Brings back some memories for us old fellas. ;)
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Thanks Grahame. I remember flying JAT's DC-10 to Belgrade for work in 1988. Not the most comfortable experience.
The Concorde... it must be my old age but it looks sleeker in those photos than what I can remember looking through the fence back then. What an era! |
Brilliant additions Grahame. Can't wait to see more.
This might sound stupid, but is it me or was the sun brighter and everything much nicer back in the 70s and 80s? What great days. The AF Concorde was here in September 2000 and possibly earlier back in the mid 90s? |
Great photos Grahame! Brings back some memories!
Could it be that 9M-MHI is still the only one of those aircraft still flying? and still flying to Sydney & Australia? |
Grahame - a big thank you for posting these. What a reminder of times gone by!
Kent |
Superb Grahame......Plenty of childhood memories there, not only for the aircraft but also seeing the old international terminal as it was back then....Dark brown bricks.....:p
I recall sitting in planes looking out & being able to see over the top of the terminal to see Qantas tails on the other side of a terminal wing. |
Fantastic photos Graham. Reminds me of when i used to go out as a kid in the 70's and early 80's with my little hand held aircraft radio. There used to be that viewing platform at the TAA terminal as well as the one at the International Terminal. Thanks for the memories.
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And then there were the cargo boys, a mixture of older reconfigured passenger aircraft and dedicated freighters.
Anglo Cargo B707 G-BDEA at the Qantas Cargo Terminal in February 1988 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...A 19880213.jpg Air New Zealand DC-9 ZK-NZD in November 1982 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...D 19821126.jpg Flying Tigers DC-8-63 N784 in October 1081 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...4 19810400.jpg Flying Tigers B747-200F in November 1984 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...F 19841100.jpg Lufthansa B747-200F seen here at Tullamarine in December 1984 http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...O 19841227.jpg Pan American B747-200F parked outside the current Qantas Domestic Terminal in January 1981. http://www.16Right.com/MessageBoard/...F 19810100.jpg |
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Great photos though, and thanks again for sharing! |
Geez when I was in the USA in 1989 I took a United DC-8 flight from Seattle to Washington. Interesting flight.....
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I enjoyed your fantastic photos guys, thanks.
A great reminder of the good ol´days. Cheers |
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