Qantas A 380 over Sydney

[truthinbeer]

Low flying A380 just passed over the house here on Northern Beaches at Sunday 1250hrs. Even Mrs truthinbeer was surprised as it appeared lower than usual a/c and she was inclined to hop out of the pool and dress more appropriately for visitors. Seemed to then go up the harbour, then come back passing just off the coast but this time a little higher. You might have been surprised if flying Victor One. :eek:

OK I sensationalised it a bit, but does anyone know if Qantas was doing a promotional flight?

[tmpffisch]

Well advertised event for Australia Day.

[truthinbeer]

They must have missed me.;) A bit preoccupied with the weekend surf carnivals. Would be interesting to know what the altitude was when it crossed coast at Freshwater before heading up harbour?

Oh, I see Qantas driving home the Australian ethos on our celebration day...having just sent the maintenance jobs offshore. :(

[Capt Claret]

That's a bit cynical isn't it truthinbeer? ;) :E

[truthinbeer]

Bloody low Capt. The altitude I mean.

[tmpffisch]

ADS-B shows it was at the legal lowest - 1000ft AGL

[truthinbeer]

What about where it crossed the coast before it turned back to fly up the harbour?

[tmpffisch]

ADS-B shows it was at the legal lowest - 1000ft AGL

1000ft...it's all there.
Flight Track Log ? QFA6601 ? 26-Jan-2014 ? YSSY / SYD - YSSY / SYD ? FlightAware (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA6601/history/20140126/0115Z/YSSY/YSSY/tracklog)

[truthinbeer]

Thanks tmpffisch, I wasn't aware of that feature. Looks like it was at roughly 1,000' then when it scared the missus back into her cossie. :eek:
Make that 2,100'.

[Jabawocky]

Have you got pics of that? pics or it didn't happen. :=

[truthinbeer]

I'm sorry jaba, but like I said mrs truthinbeer was so surprised that exiting the pool seemed like the only option at the time. ;) Just checked UAL870 and it passed over at 4,100-4,600'. So 2,100' was indeed a surprise with or without photo. Mind you, someone on board was sure to have clicked the missus. ;)

[Capt Fathom]

I think the flight aware website shows Altitude referenced to Standard.

Minimum height over a built up area is 1500'. Flight Aware shows the A380 height as 1200'. What was the QNH in SYD today?

[VH-XXX]

http://members.iinet.net.au/~bc_j400/pictures.jpg

[John Eacott]

From the NSW Police Force Airwing BookFace page:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1/1509103_509332825854227_716923169_n.jpg

Plus the more important bits of aviation machinery:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/1545054_509332999187543_576606995_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/1549475_509333289187514_1616420001_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/1601067_509333559187487_63101768_n.jpg

[morno]

Minimum height over a built up area is 1500'

Sure about that? I'm pretty sure it's 1,000ft

morno

[Chief galah]

Bit more grunt than the jetranger you used to flog the flag with, John

[Capn Bloggs]

Minimum height over a built up area is 1500'. Flight Aware shows the A380 height as 1200'. What was the QNH in SYD today?
Rubbish. Read yer CARs, 157 in particular, Capn!

Typical Airbus: wings level, one aileron up, the other???

[Skywagon1915]

A380 picture is magnificent !

[Capt Fathom]

Now I know why the locals love me :ok:

[VH-XXX]

As long as they can glide clear of all dwellings if four engines fail then we are all good :ok:

[The Banjo]

I hope mainline did not send Jetstar the fuel bill for their little jolly :E

[unseen]

Minimum height over a built up area is 1500'. Flight Aware shows the A380 height as 1200'. What was the QNH in SYD today?
Rubbish. Read yer CARs, 157 in particular, Capn!

Typical Airbus: wings level, one aileron up, the other???

What does your version of CAR 157 say? Mine says 1000ft.

[Capn Bloggs]

What does your version of CAR 157 say? Mine says 1000ft.
Mine does too. :ok:

[Wally Mk2]

Having a few acres of wing flying over at any low Alt is spectacular I reckon!
I am of the opinion it's 1000ft as per the Regs over the built up area's but used to recall I think 1500ft many years ago or a height which allowed you to glide clear of said built up area.
Most people would still see the red rat & be proud but if they only knew!

Either way that's a big shadow it would create!



Wmk2

Okay 'bully' white rat, happy now?:)


VVVVVVVV

[Bullethead]

It's really a white rat.

Cheers,
BH.

[wakefield]

Was at Manly and saw it flying south for the run up the harbour. Then it disappeard from view so I checked Flight Radar - 1200ft at 150 knots going west.

[spinex]

Unless my googling ability has regressed horribly, there are surprisingly few photos out there - Polair's above and a few distant ones on the SMH Australia Day gallery. A shame, I always find the big iron, low and slow, particularly impressive.

Edit: Couple of youtube videos starting to appear, incl quite a nice timelapse from on board.

[truthinbeer]

It was pretty impressive even at 2,100 at -33.7822 151.2986. Would love to have been on the harbour and had it go overhead at 1,100 or thereabouts. I imagine the view on North Head would have been something else.

[xma007]

Sit at the end of 34L or 16R and it will be a lot lower

[John Eacott]

What does your version of CAR 157 say? Mine says 1000ft.

At the risk of starting a serious interpretation of the regs, don't forget 157(3)! For you rigid wing drivers it is the highest point of the terrain, and any object on it, within a radius of 600 metres from a point on the terrain vertically below the aircraft. So 1,000ft on QNH is unlikely to cut the mustard over most Australian cities........

But it would have been a great sight to see, and I (for one) would have no issue if it entered helicopter territory and dropped to 700ft over the south tower of the coat hanger :cool:

[Tankengine]

Could that be why a number of poster's have said it was at 1200' ?!:hmm:
F,,ing non event.

[Capt Fathom]

I don't think it was ever claimed to be an event!

Different internet sites use different altitude sources.

Flight Aware and Flight Radar shows the overflight of the harbour at 1200'.
Air Services webtrak shows it at 1700'.

Qantas media have just released a youtube video of the flypast. The altitude in relation to Centrepoint Tower gives a good perspective!

A pity the video didn't include the orbit!

b5x6wrJtq0g

[Capn Bloggs]

The altitude in relation to Centrepoint Tower gives a good perspective!

Yes, way below the 'plane... Non Event!

Do you Sydneysiders think you could put some decent sunny weather next time?

I sincerely hope that lot weren't endangering the lives of all and sundry by HAND FLYING that behemoth!!

[500N]

" Do you Sydneysiders think you could put some decent
sunny weather next time?"

That's wishful thinking :O


Try Melbourne if you want decent weather on Australia Day !

[bankrunner]

Melbourne's got great weather. About 6 times a day, for not more than an hour at a time :E

Would've been fun, something a bit different for the lads/ladies flying.

[601]

I do hope the aircraft was above LSALT while in and out of cloud between 24 and 38 secs in the video:hmm:

[Capn Bloggs]

I do hope the aircraft was above LSALT while in and out of cloud between 24 and 38 secs in the video
MVA would do.

Webtrak (http://webtrak.bksv.com/syd) for the 26th, starts at 1245 coming round North Head. Top stuff.

[haughtney1]

This thread gentlemen, particularly (I haven't detected any sarcasm either subtle or implied) the continued inference that QF deliberately flouted the regs represents to me all that is wrong with aviating presently in Oz.
Have you read what you have posted? how it sounds? what it implies? some of you lot give the impression of being the Spanish Inquisition hiding in shadows....ready to pounce when it's proven they were 100' feet to low..

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QqreRufrkxM

Do you also start conversations with the phrase "I think you'll find.."

[Ultralights]

I do hope the aircraft was above LSALT while in and out of cloud between 24 and 38 secs in the video

actually it is legal to fly below LSALT when under the direction of ATC.:ok:


the REAL issue with this video, is did QF use an approved mount for the camera?:ugh:

[Fliegenmong]

I hear ya Haughtney!....

[Capt Fathom]

No doubt taken by a passenger, who despite being told not to stick their head out the window, did so anyway, and with a camera in hand to boot!:hmm:
Bloody disgrace!,

[Plazbot]

'actually it is legal to fly below LSALT when under the direction of ATC.'

Um, what?:rolleyes:

[skkm]

Read your AIP... (gen 3.3 p4.6)

An aircraft must not be flown under the IFR, lower than the
published lowest safe altitude or the lowest safe altitude calculated
in accordance with this section, except when being assigned
levels in accordance with ATS surveillance service terrain
clearance procedures or when being flown in accordance with a
publishedDMEarrival, instrument approach or holding procedure,
or except when necessary during climb after departure from an
aerodrome, or except during VMC by day (CAR 178 refers).