The way we were - Ansett, TAA, Qantas
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: australia
Age: 45
Posts: 118
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
Age: 74
Posts: 81
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
Age: 74
Posts: 81
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 !
Age: 56
Posts: 4,241
"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
Location: Australia - South of where I'd like to be !
Age: 56
Posts: 4,241
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
Age: 74
Posts: 1,406
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
Location: Auckland
Age: 55
Posts: 26
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.
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
Age: 75
Posts: 1,248
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
Location: Australia
Posts: 756
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: Jul 2002
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 141
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.
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
Posts: 1,837
Hugh - that is a classic ad.
At the time it was well before TAARSAN with TN and must have referred to an offline system I have never heard of for seat allocation.
The airport dudes then had a landline connection to Franklin St and the seat numbers were allocated from there. I can only assume LOCO was undertaken at the city location as well.
The res room was cavernous even when I joined in 75 as it held a 3 strorey high status board then.
TN came back against that ad with "We have "Susan Jones and ......" then reeled of the names of all the other F/As in employ.
the more you all load, the more comes back!!
Love it.
Best all
EWL
At the time it was well before TAARSAN with TN and must have referred to an offline system I have never heard of for seat allocation.
The airport dudes then had a landline connection to Franklin St and the seat numbers were allocated from there. I can only assume LOCO was undertaken at the city location as well.
The res room was cavernous even when I joined in 75 as it held a 3 strorey high status board then.
TN came back against that ad with "We have "Susan Jones and ......" then reeled of the names of all the other F/As in employ.
the more you all load, the more comes back!!
Love it.
Best all
EWL
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 61
Even better
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2_g4hh8sKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2_g4hh8sKM
