#1
|
||||
|
||||
Trip Report: DJ BNE-SYD-BNE (photos)
Hi all,
Last Saturday I went to Sydney for the day with Virgin Australia as I managed to pick up some cheap fares. $59 each way for their daily Happy Hour sale. So all up with taxes included it cost me $127 which is very good. Would also be my first flight on a 737 sine I went to Canberra in 2007 and my first flight on a 737-800 since 2003 when I went to Fiji! I selected DJ912 to get me to Sydney which departs Brisbane at 0630 arriving in Sydney at 0800 and DJ965 to get me home which departs Sydney at 1700 and arrives in Brisbane at 1830. I woke up at 0430 very excited for my third daytrip to Sydney this year Left the house at 0500 and arrived at the airport at around 0530. Had already done the online check in the day before so went straight to security and went through with no hassles and then up to the boarding gates. Had a look at the Qantas end first, was just the normal stuff and didn’t bother checking out the common user so went down to the Virgin section to see which gate my flight would be departing from which was gate 41 so went to my gate and saw VH-YFE there Awesome! Was hoping for a new one! So took a few photos of YFE looking fantastic in the morning light and then just sat down waiting to board. A few photos of YFE Parked at Gate 41, she arrived the night before from Melbourne Sunshine Beach looking fantastic in the morning sun! Very Nice! Just after 0600 boarding commenced so I lined up, eager to get on board and see the new interior. People seated in row 13 to the back were told to board via the rear stairs while people in rows 1-12 were to board via the aerobridge. I was in row 12 but I wanted to go on the tarmac and get some photos so I used the back stairs September 10, 2011 Virgin Australia DJ912 BNE-SYD VH-YFE “Sunshine Beach” Seat 12F Walking out to YFE Her awesome tail, just love the new livery On-board in seat 12F, parked next to YVA which had just arrived from Darwin Best shot I could get of the new interior Push back, just a few minutes behind schedule Holding short of RWY19 while ZXF begins her take-off roll, she was also off to Sydney RWY19 Got a video of the take-off, just having troubles uploading it to youtube from my phone Turning left
__________________
Flickr |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
And right, CBD can be seen in the distance
Archerfield Awesome engine We were cruising at 40 000ft Starting our descent into Sydney New interior again On finals for RWY16L, City was on the other side Over the Qantas jet base Over T2, I get my first look at a Virgin A332 T1, first time I have seen the Emirates A380 Touchdown! T1 again And at the gate with YFF taxiing out Ok, so I disembarked YFE after an enjoyable flight from Brisbane and made my way outside T2 to ‘The Stairs’ which is a spotting location just a minute walk from the terminal. This spot is fantastic when RWY16R is in use which it was I stayed there from 8-11.
__________________
Flickr |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Spotting in Sydney
Malaysian B744 9M-MPF arrives from KL JAL B772 JA711J departs for Tokyo Emirates B77W A6-ECA arrives from Dubai via Singapore Qantas A332 VH-EBL in Oneworld livery departs for Perth with Qantas’ other Oneworld livery a/c (B744 VH-OJU) in the background Garuda A332 PK-GPJ arrives from Jakarta VH-OEI getting towed over to the Qantas jet base, last time I saw her was in May when I flew on her on QF8 Korean Air B744 HL7465 off to Seoul China Southern A333 B-6087 arrives from Guangzhou Very new VH-LQF VH-VQJ being pushed back VH-OJU gets towed to T1 VH-OEF also being towed to T1 ZK-ZQF departs Asiana B772 HL7742 off to Seoul
__________________
Flickr |
#4
|
||||
|
||||
VH-EBP off to Jakarta
VH-VZL taxies to T3 China Eastern A333 B-6085 arrives from Shanghai Qantas A333 VH-QPA off to Shanghai Air Austral B77W F-OSYD arrives from Noumea Singapore Airlines A388 9V-SKB arrives from Singapore Philippine Airlines A343 RP-C3432 arrives from Manila via Melbourne LAN A343 CC-CQG departs for Santiago via Auckland Jetstar A332 VH-EBK arrives from Osaka via Cairns Garuda A333 PK-GPG departs for Denpasar Cathay Pacific A333 B-HLP departs for Hong Kong Qantas B763 VH-OGM taxies to T3 after arriving from Melbourne Jetstar A332 VH-EBQ arrives from Phuket Thai A346 HS-TND departs for Bangkok Air Niugini B763 P2-PXV departs for Port Moresby
__________________
Flickr |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
Jetstar A332 VH-EBF arrives from Denpasar via Melbourne
Qantas B744 VH-OJM departs for Johannesburg Emirates B77W A6-ECA departs for Christchurch Qantas A388 VH-OQE being towed from the Qantas Jetbase to T1 to later operate QF11 to Los Angeles China Southern A333 B-6087 off to Guangzhou Qantas B744 VH-OJF departs for Los Angeles Vietnam Airlines A332 VN-A379 departs for Hanoi via Ho Chi Minh City Delta B77L N710DN departs for Los Angeles Air Canada B77L C-FIVK departs for Toronto via Vancouver V Australia B77W VH-VPE departs for Los Angeles Qantas B763 VH-OGE taxies to T3 Cathay Pacific A333 B-LAL arrives from Hong Kong Singapore Cargo B744F 9V-SFL arrives from Auckland LAN A343 CC-CQE departs for Manila, not sure why she is flying SYD-MNL, but it was good to see 2 LAN flights Qantas B744 VH-OEF departs for Buenos Aires
__________________
Flickr |
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Qantas B744 VH-OEI being towed from the Qantas Jetbase to T1 to later operate QF7 to Dallas/Fort Worth
So after an awesome 3 hours of spotting at the stairs I decided it was time to get something to eat and head off to the observation deck for the afternoon. Didn’t want to have to go through security and grab something to eat and then I remembered there is a McDonalds at the international, near the observation deck So I caught the train to the international, got lunch and went up to the observation deck for about 3 hours. While I was on the train it had switched to 25 arrivals and 16R and L departures. Caught VH-XFA arriving on 25 from Perth Singapore Airlines A388 9V-SKL taxies out to 16R for her departure to Singapore VH-OQE being prepared for her departure to LA with 9V-SKL taxiing out and F-OSYD about to depart for Reunion Island The beast, roaring down 16R Brand new Jetconnet B738 ZK-ZQH taxies out for her departure to Auckland Virgin Atlantic A346 G-VNAP being towed over to T1 Jetstar A320 VH-VGZ ‘Quiksilver livery’ about to depart for Hamilton Island Air China A332 B-6073 being towed over to T1, to operate the late evening flight to Beijing Qantas A388 VH-OQJ being towed over to T1, to operateQF31 to London via Singapore Qantas Freight B763F VH-EFR at the cargo ramp Sydney CBD
__________________
Flickr |
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Qantas B763 VH-OGF at the Qantas Jetbase being prepared to leave Australia
The big tails of VH-OQE and VH-OQJ VH-OQE ready to depart for LA Air Pacific B744 DQ-FJL taxies out for her departure to Nadi VH-OEI ready for the long flight to Dallas/Fort Worth VH-OJS being towed over, glad I got photos of her with the Socceroos livery VH-OJO arrives from Johannesburg Finally get to see the Wallabies livery! United B744 N199UA departs for Los Angeles Cathay A333 B-LAL pushes back while Malaysian B744 9M-MPF taxies out to 16R for departure to KL The Observation Deck Last shot from the Observation Deck! So just before 3pm I decided it was time to head back to T2, caught the train back and then decided to go to the stairs again just for 10 minutes to catch a few departures. United B744 N122UA departs for San Francisco
__________________
Flickr |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
After that I went through security, got a sausage roll and chocolate croissant from Pie face and took a seat with a good view of the airport. To get some of the late afternoon international departures and a few good arrivals!
Walking down the terminal saw VH-TQG looking great in the new livery! Thai A346 HS-TNE and Singapore A388 9V-SKB taxi out to 16R with VH-VUA in the background, taxing to T2 after arriving on 25 DHL B752F G-CSVS taking off for Auckland I’m guessing Bondi Babe on her way to gate 35 British Airways B772 G-YMMO off to London via Singapore Thai A346 HS-TNE off to Bangkok Singapore A388 9V-SKB off to Singapore FedEx MD-11 N525FE arrives from Honolulu UPS MD-11 N285UP arrives from Honolulu At about 4pm I decided to move to the gate I would be departing from. And I moved at just the right time as Singapore B772 9V-SVM was on finals 9V-SVM touches down on 16R Got to my gate and saw that VH-VUA would be taking me home to Brisbane British Airways B744 G-BNLR taxies out for her departure to London via Bangkok At about 4:50pm boarding commenced so I lined up awaiting to board VUA.
__________________
Flickr |
#9
|
||||
|
||||
September 10, 2011
Virgin Australia DJ965 SYD-BNE VH-VUA “Bondi Babe” Seat 18A Walking out to VUA Her lovely tail Up the rear stairs Onboard in seat 18A parked next to VH-VBP Inside VH-VUA, the crew announced Live 2 Air would be free for the flight Watched the RWC Japan vs France for most of the flight Taxiing out to 16L past the mound and control tower Again, I got a video of the take-off but I’m having trouble getting it on to youtube. Climbing out, passing Bondi Beach on board Bondi Babe Cruising at 35 000ft, was quite a lot of turbulence Passing Port Macquarie were I will be going next month to fly on Virgin’s new ATR Left turn, looking awesome in the sunset, shame about the reflection Got a video of the landing, but again, problems uploading
__________________
Flickr |
#10
|
||||
|
||||
And back in Brisbane at the gate
Disembarking VUA, got in trouble for taking this photo Left the terminal, went to the pickup zone were my parents picked me up and then we drove home! Conclusion: Had another fantastic daytrip, love Sydney Airport, so many different airlines that you don’t see in Brisbane. Lots of 747s, lots of 777s and lots of A380s Also saw Air Austral for the first time, just love there livery and saw the EK A380 for the first time and Virgins A332s, managed to see both of them. Flights with Virgin were great, YFE was fantastic with the new interior and I quite like the old interior on VUA being able to watch foxtel on the flight was great. Were only my 2nd and 3rd flights on Virgin. Look forward to flying with them again next month from BNE-SYD-PQQ-SYD-BNE on a B738, two AT72s and a B737 Thanks for reading!
__________________
Flickr |
|
|