Qantas 787

[Sean L]

ZNJ just landed in LAX

[Peter C]

Originally Posted by James Smith

ZNJ has flown north-west over Vancouver Island up the Canadian inland passage for 1,100 kms to Graham Island turned east for 500 kms and turned south, presumably along the British Columbia mountains. She has just overflown Everett and continuing to LAX.

It looks to be very scenic flight with maybe some VIPs on board. Hopefully, the weather was clear for viewing.

According to the Paine Field blog "Qantas 787-9 VH-ZNJ departed on a performance test flight before delivery to LAX, engineers discovered a carpet problem. Audio here"

The audio link is http://www.paineairport.com/sounds/qfa6027.mp3

[James Smith]

Thanks for the information and link, Peter. I would have thought that for a test flight the aircraft would have flown large patterns closer to the airport from which it departed, similar to the first flight of a Boeing aircraft, while keeping away from established air routes.

[Peter C]

James, since the long loop north was at 34,000' +, there must have been a minor issue on the C1 flight that has been fixed, and which they wanted to double check - that straight forward flight path gave them the option of a PAE return.

[James Smith]

Thanks for that Peter. It makes perfect sense to keep the option of returning the aircraft to the dealer before leaving the showroom area for good. The issue must have been something more than the rising carpet in the premium economy section.

The last thing that QANTAS will want is for the aircraft to not be able to complete the LHR nonstop flight due to a nagging pre-existing issue.

[Greg Hyde]

It looks like Singapore Airlines will pick up l/n 1000

[James Smith]

Wow, their 16th 787-10 and the 1,000th 787 delivered by Boeing in less than 8 years. I estimate something like an April 2020 delivery to SQ with ZNL 19 slots later.

[James Smith]

I have been doing some research into the upcoming non-stop flight of ZNJ from LHR - SYD. There have been two suggested dates for the flight mentioned in this QANTAS 787 thread, one that the flight will take off from LHR at the time of the first flight to Australia in 1919 and the other that the flight will have an arrival time in SYD of 11:45am on Friday 15/11/19.

I have calculated a flight time of 20 hours from LHR - SYD, based on the flightime of 20 hours and 9 minutes by OJA on its non-stop flight in 1989. For an 11:45 am arrival time in SYD the flight would need to leave LHR at 4:45 am on Thursday 14/11/19, which I believe would not be possible with the Heathrow curfew. A slightly later departure time would get around this but not make SYD at the time mentioned.

The first flight from London to Australia left from Hounslow Heath, near Heathrow at 8:00 am on Tuesday 12/11/1919. If ZNJ leaves LHR at this time to commemorate the flight it will arrive in SYD around 3:00 pm on Wednesday 13/11/2019. The flight arrived in Darwin on 10/12/1919 and QANTAS may also celebrate this event but in another way.

To me it sounds like a great publicity exercise for QANTAS to commemorate the 1919 flight 100 years later with a flight over a similar flight path on its latest aircraft that has 100 years emblazoned on its fuselage.

The real mystery is the expected departure time from LHR. There may even be a third scenario! Just a few days to wait before ZNJ re-positions to LHR. If anyone has any further information please share it with the group.

[Greg Hyde]

ZNK/66075 B789 added to reg on 05/11

[Radi K]

James, I think it's leaving Thursday at 5pm London time.

Another fun fact, the same dispatcher that flight planned the 1989 flight, is planning this one too!