Wikiposts
Search
Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Airline and RPT Rumours & News in Australia, enZed and the Pacific

VB A330's

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 5th Mar 2011, 00:08
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 41,000'
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
VB A330's

Apparently the first of the 330's has just landed in Melb.
piston broke again is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 01:45
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Doing a pre flight inspection
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Touched down rwy 16 @ 0929 parked on the golf apron
VBPCGUY is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 01:48
  #3 (permalink)  
Keg

Nunc est bibendum
 
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 5,583
Received 11 Likes on 2 Posts
What colour scheme is on it?
Keg is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 01:51
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Aus
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Saw it this morning wandered who's it is as had VH rego, colour scheme all white at the moment.
no one is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 03:39
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Whilst we're at it (i.e. A330s being part of the expansion), does anyone know what happened to the recruitment that was planned for this year? Mate at work just got in but put on a hold file!

I thought there was going to be a big recruitment drive this year but at this stage he's been told all courses cancelled and there are rumours of command courses being cancelled half way through too. I was hoping for a call at some point but I guess not at this stage.

Hope this isn't a thread hijack, just the A330s arriving made me wonder...they're gonna need the pilots from somewhere right?
Dragun is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 04:05
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Living next door to Alan
Posts: 1,521
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Smile

Dragun, some courses cancelled. More like postponed. A few upgrades are still going ahead.

A330 pilots are being selected internally.
Hugh Jarse is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 04:28
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The Pilot Grinder
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
She left the EK hangar after the post lease inspection/rectification process in the all white scheme.

VB getting two of the A332's from EK, formally A6-EAB and A6-EAD.
CAYNINE is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 05:26
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: PPrune nominee 2011!
Posts: 1,561
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
She looks sweet! Go gettum VB, suck QF dry!
Skystar320 is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 06:37
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Wherever I can log on.
Posts: 1,872
Received 10 Likes on 7 Posts
It's standard procedure in all airlines to dispose of their worst aircraft first, even to the extent of swapping cockpit panels ( take out good ones & replace them with barely serviceable units). It'll take a few months of these A330's flying for Virgin Pacific to get the bugs out and all systems operating reliably.

After Qantas acquired the "3 ugly sisters" (B744s - 2 ex MAS & 1 ex Asiana) the problems were so significant that Margaret Jackson stated that Qantas would never buy second hand aircraft again, no matter how cheap they are. New management must have forgotten as they are buying 2nd hand Fokker 100's. The need for Virgin to get the A330's into service as soon as possible meant that Borghetti couldn't wait for new aircraft to be delivered and thus is prepared to put up with the early maintenance issues - hope that JHAS is up to the task.
Going Boeing is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 07:20
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: East Coast
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As someone pointed out, the A330 spots are being filled from internal ranks and joining the dots on what a Line Ops Manager said, they won't need replacing just yet, so I'd guess the company probably won't need any new hires for a period. Sitting on a hold file is probably a relatively good position for someone to be at this point because the pendulum will swing the other way again and the doors will open again at some point.

Pandanus Tree.

Last edited by Pandanus; 5th Mar 2011 at 07:34.
Pandanus is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 07:35
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: temporarily geographically misplaced
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"It's standard procedure in all airlines to dispose of their worst aircraft first, even to the extent of swapping cockpit panels ( take out good ones & replace them with barely serviceable units)."


Not true, Going Boeing. Might be true for some airlines, but certainly not standard procedure for all. Also, most (competent) airlines/consultants would have a little look to see whether it appeared that such activity had occured - and ask questions if they were suspicious.

Maybe I only ever worked for, and with, professionals?


You tend to get what you pay for, what ever you are buying.
frogfriday is offline  
Old 5th Mar 2011, 21:37
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Cheers guys, I'll keep updating!
Dragun is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2011, 05:47
  #13 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: 41,000'
Posts: 279
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Read on a news website there is a possibility of all the virgin airlines, Virgin America / Atlantic plus all the VB derivatives being renamed under the one banner. Just stab in the dark journalism or a bit of substance to this one?
piston broke again is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2011, 12:17
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: I'veBeenEverywhereMan
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
Received 10 Likes on 5 Posts
Read on a news website there is a possibility of all the virgin airlines, Virgin America / Atlantic plus all the VB derivatives being renamed under the one banner. Just stab in the dark journalism or a bit of substance to this one?
Rubbish. Atlantic and America will not be renamed. ONLY Blue/PB/VA It will be a staged rollout also.
SilverSleuth is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2011, 14:21
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: The Heavens
Posts: 144
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
It's standard procedure in all airlines to dispose of their worst aircraft first, even to the extent of swapping cockpit panels..
That would not be the case here. The EK 330s going/gone to VB were leased and therefor would have had quite specific terms on their end of lease return condition. Max hours on engines, major components etc and the return would involve a thorough trace of component history.
Flying Spag Monster is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2011, 19:27
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
F.S.M. Who was the lessor to EK ?
Mach2point7 is offline  
Old 7th Mar 2011, 21:58
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: In the bilges
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I heard they had a hell of a time confirming it's AD and SB compliance. I would bet it still has some significant ground time while CASA pour through the records.
NuckingFuts is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2011, 03:41
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 1998
Location: between 20 & 30 000'
Posts: 80
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I remember my employer taking delivery of 2 767's returned to leasing company by lessor.

Apparently they complied with all AD's etc, ON PAPER.

They turned out to be the biggest dogs out and took a couple of years of TLC from our maintenance guys, who were very good.
gtseraf is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2011, 03:59
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: The Pilot Grinder
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
VB actually got 2 of the younger EK 332's. They were the ones that were ending their lease. These aircraft spent a long time being completely brought back to "as new".

You cynics out there don't seem to understand that the leasee has very little say in what they will and won't do at the termination of a lease, they are instructed/demanded that all systems, and docs are correct by the leasor.

A little follow on was that there were 4 more to be returned.... but are now staying in the sand as the capacity is needed.

It is great to see VB being reinvented and giving some decent alternative to QF other than Pornstar and Tigger.
CAYNINE is offline  
Old 8th Mar 2011, 04:44
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Omicron Persei 8
Posts: 398
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Slight thread drift.

From today's Australian.

Australia and China reach new deal to boost the number of airline seats | The Australian

Although this is only a MoU at the moment, it could be the beginning of something bigger given the size of the Chinese market. If VB want to be a major player here then they will need to be getting a few more A330/B777s
Capt Chambo is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.