The way we were - Ansett, TAA, Qantas
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Perth Australia
Age: 80
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Way back when, Ansett WA stuff, pre a date in history, just to set the scene.
CNS-YLA, F-28. brekky over, cockpit door open, free look for those who wanted.
Several queued up, mostly a German "Gobus Gateway??" tour.
One rather fragile old gentleman, assisted by his daughter looked on, not much English, seemed to have some real interest.
Asked daughter if he had flown, yes, when was his last, 1944, ??? bombing England!!
Welcome he was indeed, sat through the lap around the "rock", F/O did a greaser.
Yes OK, BUT the old fella was in tears of gratitude, his daughter was chuffed beyond belief,.
I and my peers were the last of the good time enjoyers of Australian Aviation, really went to pot after that date.
CNS-YLA, F-28. brekky over, cockpit door open, free look for those who wanted.
Several queued up, mostly a German "Gobus Gateway??" tour.
One rather fragile old gentleman, assisted by his daughter looked on, not much English, seemed to have some real interest.
Asked daughter if he had flown, yes, when was his last, 1944, ??? bombing England!!
Welcome he was indeed, sat through the lap around the "rock", F/O did a greaser.
Yes OK, BUT the old fella was in tears of gratitude, his daughter was chuffed beyond belief,.
I and my peers were the last of the good time enjoyers of Australian Aviation, really went to pot after that date.
And that '92 Australian Airlines ad, with the good-looking chick passenger getting caught stealing a peek at the male F/A's buns: can you just imagine someone coming up with THAT in an ad today?! They'd be drummed out of the company in all likelihood; or if not, they'd be at least made do that bloody "Our Values - Standards of Conduct" online learning crap over and over until any sense of creativeness or even just FUN was beaten out of them!
Ah Australia and Australian aviation - how they have progressed....
Ah Australia and Australian aviation - how they have progressed....
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: australia
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Yea, I miss the cockpit visits. I remember going up front with my brother and cousin back in the 90's. Can't remember the airline, but the pilots were great. Friendly. More then happy to squeeze as many as possible into the cockpit. Good fun!
Certainly different back then. And earlier. EastWest. TAA. Hazelton. Kendall. Ansett. Maybe more colourful and fun times even for us pax and aircraft enthusiasts.
Seems kinda......boring now? VB always seemed to want to keep it fun. But nada from everybody else. Even now they've gone the more professional route.(not a bad thing of course)
Maybe it was always like that anyway?
Visiting family in Sydney, I always got a thrill sitting outside with my dad watching 727's on approach. One thing I miss......the noise!!!
A jet needs to sound like a jet!
Certainly different back then. And earlier. EastWest. TAA. Hazelton. Kendall. Ansett. Maybe more colourful and fun times even for us pax and aircraft enthusiasts.
Seems kinda......boring now? VB always seemed to want to keep it fun. But nada from everybody else. Even now they've gone the more professional route.(not a bad thing of course)
Maybe it was always like that anyway?
Visiting family in Sydney, I always got a thrill sitting outside with my dad watching 727's on approach. One thing I miss......the noise!!!
A jet needs to sound like a jet!
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: canberra
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Centaurus,
There is a major flaw in the theme of your post re the good ole days.
If it was a Qantas B737 that your mate went to the flight deck on as opposed to an Australian B737, then given that this puts the date as early as 1994 and as late as September 2001 (when cockpit visits were banned), all Qantas B737s were flown by captains who hade never been through the
process. All captains were either ex TAA/Australian pilots who had returned after the 1989 dispute or other pilots who had been recruited far and wide in the aftermath of the dispute. The major expansion in Qantas domestic flying was post 1993 with the B767 and the major expansion in Qantas B737 flying was post 2001 ( the demise of Ansett). It wasn't until post Ansett that the pilots who had been through the
process became B737 captains.
Good smear attempt but not up to scrutiny.
There is a major flaw in the theme of your post re the good ole days.
If it was a Qantas B737 that your mate went to the flight deck on as opposed to an Australian B737, then given that this puts the date as early as 1994 and as late as September 2001 (when cockpit visits were banned), all Qantas B737s were flown by captains who hade never been through the
Right Stuff to be a Qantas pilot
Right Stuff to be a Qantas pilot
Good smear attempt but not up to scrutiny.
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: canberra
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Absolutely not but as you raised the point, the very captains who insisted on doing what you suggest has never been through the
process. In the main, they were a few egotistical arrogant a***holes who hid behind their 4 gold bars to be a bully. They were detested as much by aircrew as they were by ground staff.
Don't worry, there are still a few around these days that did go through the
process having slipped through but thankfully are few in number.
Right Stuff to be a Qantas pilot
Don't worry, there are still a few around these days that did go through the
Right Stuff to be a Qantas pilot.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Australia - South of where I'd like to be !
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"to salute the Qantas captains. 
"
I never knew that.
When did that stop ?
Amazes me that it ever occurred, that is more like the British crap,
I thought Australia was much more down to earth.
"I never knew that.
When did that stop ?
Amazes me that it ever occurred, that is more like the British crap,
I thought Australia was much more down to earth.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Like quie a few on here, having been an Officer where you were saluted,
I couldn't think of anything worse than being in civvy street and having
to do the same.
Especially since the only times I ever seem to see airline crew / captains
they have a huge briefcase in one hand and a suitcase on wheels in the other.
I couldn't think of anything worse than being in civvy street and having
to do the same.
Especially since the only times I ever seem to see airline crew / captains
they have a huge briefcase in one hand and a suitcase on wheels in the other.
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Brisbane
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Maybe it was not explained enough, it was long ago, and not just whenever you saw them, from memory it was only on departure, as they taxiied away you were to salute them.
Saw the same more recently with JAL, however then it was only the JAL staff that did it NOT the Engineers etc.
Saw the same more recently with JAL, however then it was only the JAL staff that did it NOT the Engineers etc.
Join Date: Jan 2011
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Humorless QF crew
Thank you for starting this great thread, Paragraph,
The story of the young man meeting the unfriendly QF crew reminded me of an exchange overheard at AKL on the TWR freq some years back.
The set up was a Fokker jet landing and a Dash 8 being told to line up after the Fokker. Of course several Fokker jokes ensued with the crew of the Fokker joining in as well until QF 25 announced his presence on the ILS adding in a stern tone... "we have been monitoring these transmissions"
It all went very professional after that.
As a lad I recall fondly 2 cockpit visits during the cruise both were with friendly Air NZ crew, on one occasion was offered the jump seat on a DC-10 on a domestic leg between Christchurch and Auckland. Something that I will never forget.
The story of the young man meeting the unfriendly QF crew reminded me of an exchange overheard at AKL on the TWR freq some years back.
The set up was a Fokker jet landing and a Dash 8 being told to line up after the Fokker. Of course several Fokker jokes ensued with the crew of the Fokker joining in as well until QF 25 announced his presence on the ILS adding in a stern tone... "we have been monitoring these transmissions"
It all went very professional after that.
As a lad I recall fondly 2 cockpit visits during the cruise both were with friendly Air NZ crew, on one occasion was offered the jump seat on a DC-10 on a domestic leg between Christchurch and Auckland. Something that I will never forget.
In the main, they were a few egotistical arrogant a***holes who hid behind their 4 gold bars to be a bully. They were detested as much by aircrew as they were by ground staff.
Contrast to;
The QF Training Captain who let me sit through a sim session and then gave me three circuits in the 747 simulator the day before; or
The TAA 727 crew from PH-ML-BN in 1974 with whom I chatted in the cockpit long after we landed in BN.
The AA DC10 HNL to ORD on Halloween who had a plastic skeleton hanging from the overhead panel.
In BN I did see the crew of a BOAC VC10 lineup at the bottom of the stairs and allow the Captain to board first. Common courtesy or company policy?
A bit of topic but in the same vein;
Although a lot of us did not make the airline jets but spent years in corporate jets, those of us who have just retired or are close to retirement probably lived and experienced the most dramatic changes in civil aviation ever.
To progress from Tigers, Chipmunks and C152s to the emerging light twins and then jet aircraft with the advances in navigation (WAC to RNP) and avionic technology (tower lights, 10 channel VHF and 5 channel HF to world wide satellite coms) in one career will never be matched.
Finding a star picket in the middle of the Simpson Desert in a Baron using WAC charts had the same kick as doing an ILS into AMS in a Citation after the first snow storm for the season.
Join Date: Mar 2002
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And that '92 Australian Airlines ad, with the good-looking chick passenger getting caught stealing a peek at the male F/A's buns: can you just imagine someone coming up with THAT in an ad today?!
Join Date: Oct 2005
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"Ushuaia, as an aside, that male FA still flies for short haul."
That is correct, I remember after posting that video last time around he came on here in disbeleif at the mullet!
That is correct, I remember after posting that video last time around he came on here in disbeleif at the mullet!
Did he ever get that chick's phone number?! Mad if he didn't.......!
TAA? Who's TAA? C'mon, everybody knows that: Tasmanian Tours | Tasmanian Seaplane Air Adventures
In fairness - they have a bloody good little operation and are worthy holders of the "TAA" monicker, for what it's worth.
TAA? Who's TAA? C'mon, everybody knows that: Tasmanian Tours | Tasmanian Seaplane Air Adventures
In fairness - they have a bloody good little operation and are worthy holders of the "TAA" monicker, for what it's worth.
In the beginning there was Leonardo Da Vinci , then came the Wright Bros (or was that the Wrong Bros'?) then finally Ansett & TAA.......................................................TH E END
It had to finish sometime, greed, politicians, over regulation & do gooders kill of everything eventually, nothing is 4ever!
Wmk2
It had to finish sometime, greed, politicians, over regulation & do gooders kill of everything eventually, nothing is 4ever!
Wmk2