The last boot nears the deck.

[Eastwest Loco]

Yes sport fans - I am near to the ultimate "I told you so!"

The final cog seems about to engage, as SQ is expected to start a new full service carrier in Australia by April 2003. Nearly 2 years since my first call of:

1/. Ansett is unretrievable in the eyes of SQ as the top 4 levels of management would have to be removed and a complete restructure needed to make the Airline viable.

2/. Only way to have a viable presence in the area is to make Ansett collapse, wait and pick up the pieces after a time at bargain basement prices without the encumberence of staff payouts and buying existing terminals.

3/. Push in an unwitting 3rd party who you know will fail to take the heat off SQ and save them losing face - enter the Shame of the Pacific.

4/. Wait like a patient lion should, until the guard of the damaged and badly mauled Australian Airline industry and travelling public is down and ride into town like a White Knight.

After dumping any liability to former staff, and having access to landing slots providing the deal is done by mid October, the logical wait time for the lion is nigh - please God most of our Ansett mates who are still here will find a new home. They deserve it. The frontline staff at Ansett provided the best service in the Australian skies, and top 3 service worldwide on the International routes.

Rex is about to take over the incarriage onto SQ flights from regional Australia, to be announced within days, and therein lies the feeder network. It is all coming together.

Go you good thing!!

I am also looking forward to the Rex video library, released soon through ABC Bookshops and selected retail outlets.

Best sellers are:

The Joy of Rex

Rex and the single girl

Rex in the City

Everything you always wanted to know about Rex but were afraid to ask

and

No Rex please, We're British

Sorry - had to get it out of the system. :D :D

Best all

EWL


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can take the boy out of the Airline but you can NEVER take the Airline out of the boy. Clear on four.

[Whiskery]

EWL

You must be a Collingwood supporter Mate!

I have never before seen anyone put so much faith in an airline. I confess I don't share your optimism and having worked for SQ, I don't believe they have any intention of starting an airline down here ON THEIR OWN. They wouldn't start up on the 1st of April - would they?

However, having witnessed your undying loyalty to them, I do hope for your sake, I am proved incorrect.

[Eastwest Loco]

Whiskery - Ansett (aka the Abeles and Murdoch show) killed my little Airline which was East West.

I owe no allegiance to the management of AN but have many mates who have had their lives torn apart by the stripping and raping of AN.

Flying with AN to Hong Kong in Y class sealed it. The service was exemplary and world class. After the "sit down shut up and we'll tell you when you are there"attitude on QF services, I made AN my airline of choice. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but the people in the airline and the help and unqualified support that AN provided to my then new Travel Agency made me fall in love with them.

The love has never faded and I will do anything I can to support those who have helped me.

As a kid I was the son of a TAA LAME, and hated the dreaded Ansett with a passion - time heals all.

When I heard and saw vision on the TV of the last Ansett flight PER SYD a mental image came to me of the A320 cruising into the sunrise with a Boeing 727-100 - Romeo Mike Alpha riding silently and unseen as wingman.

I have the mental image and one day when I retire it will become a painting, but for now the thought is enough - a lovely aeroplane flying its last flight with a ghostly wingman watching her six.

It is a shame the Australian Government could not ride wingman for businesses such as Ansett considering the money they make from them.

Best mate

EWL

Oh - and Whiskery - I am a Carlton boy.

I was number one junior member when Bob Menzies was number one senior member.

Wooden spoon this year - but look out!!

*G*

Go Blue boys.

EWL

[one-ball]

what the hell kinda drugs you on, boy ? ? ?

where can I get me some ?

[Eastwest Loco]

Airline deprivation one-ball.

Just let it get under your skin and you are there for better or worse mate.

EWL

[B772]

Eastwest Loco, it certainly was a dream.

RMA was never a B727-100

[skystar1]

EWL, - YOU ARE A GEM.

I love and embrace your posts as I think you are SPOT ON.
I remember operating final EW services as AN and I know where you are coming from.
You are a 'real' person........something that Australia's 'BIG PIG' doees't have and never will. AKA AEROFLOT "If you dont't like it.........leave". The AN people are a rare breed (the 120% committed ones). If they are given a second or third chance I guarantee they will succeed (KICK ASS) regardless of who 'owns' them. Come on SQ....your wish is our command.

Sorry EWL I'm a Collingwood MAN. Good luck next year.

Love to see you in the bar some day................

[fruitloop]

EWL
Loved the dream,very sentimental,hope it comes true:) :)

B772
Maybe the sun or fading light made the D look like a A! :)

Cheers

P.S. long live the Dreamtime :D :D

[Gnadenburg]

Skystar

Good luck to you too for next year!

Fancy a wager that Collingwood wont win a final.

Insipid last week.Browney tore you apart showing class always beats ass!

EWL

Carlton.Nothing on your list.

Can`t buy your way out of trouble this time.

Back to back wooden spoons for the Blue boys.

[Whiskery]

East West L,

Sorry if you misunderstood my post, the loyalty I was referring to was to Singapore Airlines not Ansett.

Oh, and commiserations on the Carlton Football Club's wooden spoon award this year. Even as a die hard Magpie supporter I can still sympathise with you Blues supporters :D

We are off to "Angry Park" soon to watch the game tonight. Pity Bucks isn't playing ;) but we should win by 3 goals anyway!

[Fris B. Fairing]

EWL

A painting? You can do that?
Make the ghost aircraft ELECTRA Romeo Mike Alpha and I'll buy a print. In the meantime, an image to cheer you up:

EWL's aeroplane (http://www.adastron.com/aviation/VH-EWL-C125.jpg)

Cheers

[Gnadenburg]

Whiskery

Do be careful at Footy Park.

South Australians as feral as Collingwood supporters.

Port by nine goals.

On Nathan Buckley.

Played junior footy with him.

Where we grew up the goings on of airline crew on overnights was folklore.Mid-eighties,the alchohol and tropical heat and the Travel Lodge!

Remember telling Nathan there was more money in aviation than footy and reference Flight Attendants,more girls.

Don`t think Nathan missed out on much.

[Buster Hyman]

Well, EWL, your light of optimism deserves something in return, so I shall let you in on something I saw.

2 days ago, whilst walking into work, there was anF28 at the end of 34 doing an engine run!!! I've no idea about the intentions of AAES, but it wasn't in pieces & looked airworthy from a distance. Perhaps your old girls aren't done yet my friend!!!;)

PS..Sorry about the Blues.......NO I"M NOT!!!! GO BOMBERS

[Capt Vegemite]

Gnadenburg funny thought you might have been older.
Darwin boy eh? The Travel Lodge could tell a few stories.
The Wombat crews sure provided plenty of work for the F-27 picking up the freight where the Electra went U/S.

[john_tullamarine]

.... just because the typical Electra check took four and a half weeks to get the requisite number of legs .... no reason to denigrate the reliability of the wonderful old lady ....

[Capt Vegemite]

Looked splendid taking off John....the freight dogs put on a cuppa and wait for it to turn back......http://community.airattack.co.uk/images/smilies/alarm.gif

[Eastwest Loco]

Ooooooooohhh Buster - the roar of Speys -makes goosebumps. Iam not adept at AN regos and only have a general feeling for them - TN is part of my upbringing.

I just have this mental image of an A320 being shadowed by a ghostly 727 that needs to be put down on canvas - yes I know I am an idiot but I did not sleep the night of he last flight.

The lady known as Ansett will live for as long ans we do.

EWL

[Buster Hyman]

Hmmm...EWL, sounds alright to me. Reminds me of that Frederick Forsyth book, "The Shepherd" I think it was called.

[3 Holer]

If it's B727 nostalgia you're intoEWL there's a 727 flight into LST on a Mon,Tues,Wed & Thu nights arriving 2030hrs. Rego VH-TXE and is fitted out with JT9-17s. It departs @ 2055hrs.

If you miss that flight, it comes back again at 0455hrs the following morning. There is also a Sat & Sun flight at 0230hrs departing 0300hrs.

[Eastwest Loco]

Buster - I am sure I have read that book and enjoyed it.

3 Holer - JT8D-17s were the same as fitted to the AN registered Ansett 722s werent they?

Do you know anything of the of where TXE came from?

Best all

EWL

[DOME]

GOOD OLD COLLINGWOOD FOOORRREEEVVVEEEERRRR

[B772]

EWL

The AN B737-277's and the B727-277's were powered by the P&W JT8D-15

[Eastwest Loco]

Thanks 772 - same as the TN 727-276's I believe.

Do you know from whence this TXE beastie hails?

Regards

EWL

[SOPS]

:) A question for EWL, sorry to missing something, but on here and other threads people are refering to Rex (as you did at the begining of this thread). Can you please explain as to who or what Rex are? Thanks Regards SOPS

[Zarg]

EWL, loved your posts over time and concur with your ideas re SQ! I spent a very pleasant 2 weeks flying the jump seat of EW FK27s back in 1973 as an ATC trainee. I flew in VH-MMO (memory?) several times and generally regarded as the "dog" of the fleet by the pilots who flew her. One guy was an elderly FO called Toby who delighted in saying as we left the flight deck, usually with the passengers still disembarking and in earshot, "Right, let's get out of this rustbucket before it catches fire!":D Never forgotten it!

By the way, although VH-RMD was the first registered B727-100 for Ansett, the first one to arrive in the country was in fact VH-RME! :)

Keep up the good work, mate!

[Buster Hyman]

Sops...

R egional EX press (REX is the amalgamated airline from the ashes of Kendell & Hazelton.

[SOPS]

Thanks Buster:)

[Dehavillanddriver]

I stand to be corrected, but I believe that TXE is ex H4-PAE a Solomon Islands registered aeroplane operated by Pacific Air Express.

I understand that it was originally built for Korean Airlines.

But I may be wrong!!