The way we were - Ansett, TAA, Qantas

[SOPS]

They still do in Japan.

[pppdrive]

saluting crew

Whilst I never did or even saw others doing so, I did insist that my staff (including myself) ALWAYS called the Capt either Captain or Sir when they were working. Didn't matter which but had to be one or the other. I had many discussion with Capts who said "call me Jack, or whatever," but I always said outside of the Cockpit and out of hearing of other Crew Members I will, but otherwise Captain or Sir would be used. Even though I walked around with 4 stripes on my shoulders and sleeves, I did what I insisted my staff do. It worked for me, it showed respect for their position and they then showed respect for mine.

[kay1kay]

A wonderful thread. I was born and grew up in Longreach and was fortunate to be able to fly as a youngster. I recall using the original Qantas hangar as the terminal. The various aircraft steps would be lined up just outside the terminal, as we waited for "the plane" to arrive. I still recall the beauty of the DC3 profile as it taxied towards the terminal and would turn to the right to line up for the steps to be wheeled over. Then we got the DC4, and they were so modern because the body of the plane was horizontal!. I recall flying with my mother from Longreach to Brisbane in the fifties, in a DC3, when we stuck turbulence, and there were tea stains on the ceiling. That same flight, we had an aborted landing as we were to land at Eagle Farm. In an aborted landing in a DC3, you knew exactly what was happening! Unlike in the modern A380, which is so big and quieter, it takes a second or two longer for it all to sink in.
Walking through an aerobridge to board is NOTHING compared to walking across the tarmac, up the stairs, and in the DC3, continuing the climb up the aisle! I still enjoy the ocasional Virgin/QFlink flights where I have to go out on the tarmac and climb the stairs.
By the way, Longreach Airport has had two terminals since that first one.
And the trip to the cockpit no longer happens. Sad sad sad.

[airsupport]

I still enjoy the ocasional Virgin/QFlink flights where I have to go out on the tarmac and climb the stairs.

Yes yet another thing about the way we were, back in the good olde days.

While I am sure most pax prefer the aerobridges, especially if the weather is not so good, it spoilt it quite a bit for us that handled the aircraft when they were introduced, never got to see the pax as much, just like you were working the freight line.

I will never forget one day, before aerobridges, was turning around a B727 and it had a minor engine fault on #1 engine, in order to try and minimise any delay I told operations to begin loading pax.

The quickest and easiest way to do the job was I got one of the porters to put in a set of mobile stairs into the rear of the engine pylon.

Funny thing happened, you know how you can tell sometimes if you are being watched, while I was working on the engine I looked up and there was some 5 or 6 pax watching me, they had come up the mobile steps instead of the rear ventral stairs.

Yes, the way we were...........

[Wally Mk2]

Funny 'Airsupport' it's not a good look when pax see that the bonnet is up on a plane whilst they board it:-)

Had a female pax a while ago whom boarded whilst the bonnet was up & after asking a zillion Q's to the flighty's about is it safe she screamed out & wanted off !!
The Bogans/sheep....if they really knew what goes on behind the scenes, the disgruntled employees, the pressure for OTP etc etc few would board!

Anyone got a piccy of the VC's that the Pomms flew into Tulla in the 80's?
Talk about huge, dirty & loud !...but what a machine, had style looked about a mile long that fuse!:-)




Wmk2

[airsupport]

These pax that day did not seem that worried, I think they were more embarrassed that they had gone up the wrong stairs.

You mean the VC10s, I have no photos sorry, but they used to come in to Eagle Farm too, without doubt the noisiest commercial aircraft I have ever heard.

[Capt Claret]

[Super] VC-10 .... without doubt the noisiest commercial aircraft I have ever heard.

Horny as all hell, closely followed by the 727-200.

[Ushuaia]

Hey - can anyone provide an complete list of the "cast" in the Qantas recruiting video? I know some of the names but not all; maybe someone knows the lot?!

That is not a young S/O Bob Deacon in there, is it?!

[SOPS]

That Qantas recruitment video brings tears to my eyes, what a great company it once was, and how I ( missed out, in retrospect thank God) and many others aspired to be a Qantas pilot. Today it really is a dream, and ts very very sad.

[Dora-9]

pppdrive - you must have been fun to fly with...

[Al E. Vator]

TAA A300-B4 cockpit recordings 1988

BNE-SYD P1 & 2
TAA A300-B4 BNE-SYD Part 1 - YouTube
TAA A300-B4 BNE-SYD Part 2 - YouTube

MEL-SYD P1 & 2
TAA A300-B4 MEL-SYD Part 1 - YouTube
TAA A300-B4 MEL-SYD Part 2 - YouTube

[Al E. Vator]

The Aircraft & Colours of TAA - Part 1 - YouTube

The music has been disallowed for this one:
The Aircraft & Colours of TAA - Part Two - YouTube

Maybe turn the music down on this one!
The Aircraft & Colours of TAA Rapid - YouTube

[pppdrive]

Dora-9 Not too sure what you mean by that. The times I flew in the cockpit were only as Loadmaster, all my other flying was either duty travel or passenger both of which were in the passenger cabin. Please explain

[Jabawocky]

I think Dora misunderstood you

Love the old Brisbane terminals hey.....and it seems not that long ago...

[Paragraph377]

Not just the planes who had character

Jabba, the old Eagle Farm airport had character, remember the giant TAA mural inside? (TAA from memory). And upstairs was a nice quaint little dark lounge bar (forgotten its name as my memory is getting dusty) where one could unwind with a scotch in the dark atmosphere with some background music. If you were fortunate you would have a fine filly sitting beside you, still in uniform and smelling sweeter than a rose, sharing with you the mood and the aroma of leather, cigarettes, kero and scotch! Damn those were the days!!

[Fris B. Fairing]

Para 377

Are you sure it wasn't the Ansett terminal? It had a glorious mural of an Ansett-ANA Electra in flight. In those days all the terminals were wartime igloos. I turned up for work in the International igloo one morning to find it closed because of high wind. The TAA igloo burned down and it was said at the time that police were looking for the person who started the fire and TAA management were looking for the person who called the fire brigade! I worked in three International Terminals at BNE.

Rgds

[Hydromet]

Just chasing up some family history, and found that in 1951, the Cairns Post published the names of passengers to & from Cairns on ANA flights. I wonder when this practice stopped.

[Al E. Vator]

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[Al E. Vator]

….and who bogged the Electra?
aircraft photo Lockheed Electra Ansett Airlines

aircraft photo Lockheed Electra Ansett Airlines

[Capt Fathom]

Looks like they bogged it at Rocky!