The way we were - Ansett, TAA, Qantas
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: utopia
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Remember my first plane ride was in the early 60,s from Adelaide to Mt Gambier in a Viscount,but cant remember which company.
Also the early jets following one another in as they still do,but only about 20 passengers getting out of each.
Always wondered how they made money then,or was it no one wanted to go to Adelaide.
Also the early jets following one another in as they still do,but only about 20 passengers getting out of each.
Always wondered how they made money then,or was it no one wanted to go to Adelaide.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lisbon
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CZQ was an interesting machine. I remember flying her after VA purchased her from AN. She was meant to be one of AN's 'better' classics! Had a personality all of her own (as most aircraft do) and she could test your skills to the limit if you didn't treat her right, particularly when she was at max weight
and being flown to hot locations with shortish runways. Only aircraft i really spoke to!! I never kept tabs on her after VA disposed of her, but she still remains tucked away in my heart and mind for numerous reasons .
I miss ya old girl. X
P.S Anyone else have a particularly favourite rego for different reasons?
and being flown to hot locations with shortish runways. Only aircraft i really spoke to!! I never kept tabs on her after VA disposed of her, but she still remains tucked away in my heart and mind for numerous reasons .
I miss ya old girl. X
P.S Anyone else have a particularly favourite rego for different reasons?
CZQ was not one of Ansetts better machines she was a leased machine and a bit of an orphan as she had the stairs removed from underneath. Caused VA a bit of a problem when the cavity filled up with water. From memory she had come from Mexico. The registration now sits on a Cessna parked at Merimbula.One of Ansetts better classics was CZT as it was the last 737 delivered straight from the factory sometime in the mid 90's. Sitting in a brand new aeroplane was a bit of novelty in Ansett in those days.
Join Date: Aug 2009
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CZQ was not one of Ansetts better machines she was a leased machine and a bit of an orphan as she had the stairs removed from underneath. Caused VA a bit of a problem when the cavity filled up with water.
Perhaps we flew together Lookyloo? Surely it wasn't you in the RS who almost gave me a heart attack landing in TSV one hot windy day, max weight, with the nose pointed at the RAAF base? Surely not.
We could be besties yet!!!
short flights long nights
That is simply incredible. Am I to assume that you had to ring these people from around Australia to make a reservation?
TAA Res
No Sops, the vast majority of flights were on the board (or controlled by Melbourne Reservations), and we could tell passengers/travel agents immediately if we could confirm those flight requests. We only had to ring elsewhere when we didn't control those flights. Some of the smaller country services (eg the Qld twin Otters services) were controlled by the country ports. We would ring Brisbane Res who would contact the port controlling the flight we wanted. Brisbane would then phone us to advise if confirmed or not. I say phone but telex was also used. For any other flights eg Connair etc we would ring the nearest TAA office who would contact Connair and again let us know. Seems strange now but back in those days it was quite normal and that is how I believe the good working relationship between TAA res and Ansett res really came into use. As a new boy and one who was fascinated by the amount of third level operators in Australia, I made a point of getting a list of them from (what was then) the DCA. I then wrote to everyone of them to get their latest timetable and be put on their mailing list. I then made up a folder of all those flights and had it with me at work. As time went on, I got more and more calls from both Travel Agents and Ansett asking me who flew from AAA to BBB and who to contact for details. I even registered a Company name of Austavia and spent many, many hours typing out all of the details into one big book and wanted to then add Ansett and subsidiary carriers together with TAA and East West, BPA etc so that I could produce a monthly guide similar to the ABC & OAG guides for International flights. I got details from every single airline except for TAA and Ansett who both told me I couldn't use their information as I'd be breaking copywright laws. To say I was amazed would be an understatement, as Airlines of NSW, Airlines of SA, MMa, East West etc had all freely given me their info. I aske no money from any of the Airlines but I'd hoped to be able to sell my monthly guide to Travel Agents, Business Houses etc. After months and months of typing, collating and hard work, I had to give it all away as without the big 2, the Agents weren't interested. Just as well really as computers were just starting to come in and Agents would then have all the info on the end of a phone call.
Paul
Paul
short flights long nights
Great info, thanks mate!
TAA Res Boards
Thanks, I'm glad some of you appreciate what went on in 'the good old days.'
Strange but most people look to the aircraft side and see the enormous advances made. I'm not a technical person, just going by the look of them. Few people though realise the huge steps taken on the ground to keep up with the progress needed for the industry. Although I started off in Reservations, the vast majority of my time was spend at airports around the world. I was constantly aware of the progress made from the aircraft/airport side of things but it wasn't till much later that I again became involved in using the Reservations sytem that I realised that the computers too had kept up with everything. Apart from providing loadsheets and general load control details, these same computers took over the basic message switching system (SITA) used by Res Offices. Ticketing was also being worked out and printed by these same computers. Virtually every stage of a Reservations could now be requested, confirmed and printed out on the one computer system. An amazing career and now in my retirement I can fondly look back at how it used to be. Paul
Strange but most people look to the aircraft side and see the enormous advances made. I'm not a technical person, just going by the look of them. Few people though realise the huge steps taken on the ground to keep up with the progress needed for the industry. Although I started off in Reservations, the vast majority of my time was spend at airports around the world. I was constantly aware of the progress made from the aircraft/airport side of things but it wasn't till much later that I again became involved in using the Reservations sytem that I realised that the computers too had kept up with everything. Apart from providing loadsheets and general load control details, these same computers took over the basic message switching system (SITA) used by Res Offices. Ticketing was also being worked out and printed by these same computers. Virtually every stage of a Reservations could now be requested, confirmed and printed out on the one computer system. An amazing career and now in my retirement I can fondly look back at how it used to be. Paul
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Brisbane
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Thanks, I'm glad some of you appreciate what went on in 'the good old days.'
I am the same age as you, if your profile is correct, and I also spent my whole working life in the Industry, and also working all over the World.
I saw massive changes in the Engineering/Maintenance side of things, but had no knowledge of what went on in Reservations etc, sorry to repeat myself, but just such incredible photos, and I mean incredible in a good way.