The way we were - Ansett, TAA, Qantas
Them's were the days - jets with good-sounding grunt and a graceful signature of burnt kero behind!
Former TAA 727-76 VH-TJD is still alive and well up in Europe, at a ripe 51 years old. Fantastic.
Here some pics to remind us how she looked in those days.
http://www.aussieairliners.org/b-727...jd.htmlhttp://
FOR
... and before that, Ansett had that vacuous and cerebrally challenged ad with the guy messing up his hair in the mirror in a toilet at the Sydney Domestic Terminal and the soundtrack was "My Generation" with the line "... I hope I die before I get old..."
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 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.
I remember seeing it only rarely... as a gesture by staff on the Ramp - for example, when the last Air NZ DC-8 pushed back from MEL and started to taxi, the QF Ramp and Engineering staff lined up on the equipment line and saluted... my guess is they were saluting an old aluminium friend and not the crew.
"Central Australian"... was it the brown coloured livery... the other one was called the "Coastal Australian" or something similar and was mainly blue???
TBK was the "Centralian" and I don't immediately recall which Diesel was the "Coral Islander".
Operations Control staff were critisized when as a matter of simple operational management TBK operated SYD/ASP as TN56 with Lindy Chamberlain onboard.
Think about it.
CC.
Operations Control staff were critisized when as a matter of simple operational management TBK operated SYD/ASP as TN56 with Lindy Chamberlain onboard.
Think about it.
CC.
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Around the early 00s, Flying along, my Capt and I were reminiscing about the F27. Me as a kid riding my bike out to the airport to watch the morning flight come in and depart on my way to school and he as an FO, and later a Capt with TAA on it. Here's a couple of the tales he told me.
The first, was a departure out of ISA on a hot day going back to TSV via all the ports. The Dispatcher hands them the loadsheet and says "The Fokkers chocker ocker".
The other that springs to mind was a run down the coast from CNS. 2 blokes get on with a couple of mud crabs each in a box and asks one of the hosties if she could keep them cool in the galley. "No problems" she says and stores the box in the galley and off they go. Later in the flight she can't remember who's crabs they were, so she makes a PA announcement: "Would the gentlemen who gave me the crabs in Cairns please make yourself known by pressing the call bell above your head"
kika
The first, was a departure out of ISA on a hot day going back to TSV via all the ports. The Dispatcher hands them the loadsheet and says "The Fokkers chocker ocker".
The other that springs to mind was a run down the coast from CNS. 2 blokes get on with a couple of mud crabs each in a box and asks one of the hosties if she could keep them cool in the galley. "No problems" she says and stores the box in the galley and off they go. Later in the flight she can't remember who's crabs they were, so she makes a PA announcement: "Would the gentlemen who gave me the crabs in Cairns please make yourself known by pressing the call bell above your head"
kika
Moderator
Guess what ? ... exactly the same tales in AN except that the fokker's chokka was most places and the crabs were noted to be flying coastal in Tasmania.
Just read this enjoyable thread from the start.
About ground staff saluting... at TN Lae for each DC6B departure the traffic/cargo staff handling the aircraft used to line up abeam of the cockpit. The Traffic Officer, with hat on, handling the docs used to salute the aircraft when it started to taxi.
Similar scene on Nauru in the 1980's when the President of Nauru Hammer De Roburt was about to depart (or arrive) Nauru for one of his many flights on Air Nauru. The Heads of the various Public Service appointments would be all lined up on the hot tarmac wearing their ties waiting for the President to arrive in his Bentley limousine. He was rarely on time so they had to sweat it out. As the aircraft taxied for takeoff everyone would wave and stand in line until the aircraft departed. Ties would then be removed and it would be back to work.
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TAA T Jets With Colour Themes
To set the record straight VH-TBK B727 was painted in Ayrs Rock on it (The Central Australian) and VH-TJL DC9-30 series was painted with a Barrier Reef theme (Coral Ilsander)
I too saw the DC9 parked in Sydney with genitals painted on the couple that were painted on the tail fin holding hands. Was a great source of amusement for all until head office found out.
What was somewhat politically incorrect was when TBK turned up with a Dingo painted on the top of Ayrs Rock on the side of the fuselarge during the Lindy Chamberlain proceedings.
Just as well TBK was parked at an aerobridge but still again it was somewhat amusing to most.
I too saw the DC9 parked in Sydney with genitals painted on the couple that were painted on the tail fin holding hands. Was a great source of amusement for all until head office found out.
What was somewhat politically incorrect was when TBK turned up with a Dingo painted on the top of Ayrs Rock on the side of the fuselarge during the Lindy Chamberlain proceedings.
Just as well TBK was parked at an aerobridge but still again it was somewhat amusing to most.
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Their was meant to be a 3rd and 4th colour scheme. The 3rd scheme was going to be called the Goldcoaster. pictured.
For the past 5 years or so, I wish Qantas would put the rumour to fruition of painting the 4 schemes on the B717s.
Since QF love retro schemes why not paint up a 717 into the original TAA delivery colours (blue T) then another in
(blue cheatline white T) and a orange/blue Trans Australia. Plus a 737 deserves a Australian Airlines scheme.
Not asking for much. Aviation needs a splash of colour.
After all QF own the rights to all that material.
Last edited by Turnleft080; 9th Dec 2020 at 00:01.
Whispering "T" Jet
Speaking of the "Way WE Were" there was a little deja vu when I went to book tickets to Melbourne to Perth last week. Cheapest QF was $1400 (plus,plus) Return and the "low cost carrier"
Jetstar was $1299 Return (return was on the red-eye!). Yep, the way we were alright when there was the duopoly of the Two Airline policy!
Don't EVER underestimate the power of competition!!!!
Jetstar was $1299 Return (return was on the red-eye!). Yep, the way we were alright when there was the duopoly of the Two Airline policy!
Don't EVER underestimate the power of competition!!!!
Speaking of the "Way WE Were" there was a little deja vu when I went to book tickets to Melbourne to Perth last week. Cheapest QF was $1400 (plus,plus) Return and the "low cost carrier"
Jetstar was $1299 Return (return was on the red-eye!). Yep, the way we were alright when there was the duopoly of the Two Airline policy!
Don't EVER underestimate the power of competition!!!!
Jetstar was $1299 Return (return was on the red-eye!). Yep, the way we were alright when there was the duopoly of the Two Airline policy!
Don't EVER underestimate the power of competition!!!!
Don’t believe everything you hear in the media.
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The Golden Era
For me the golden era was the 1960's and 1970's Even though the two airline policy existed both TAA, EWA, Ansett and Air New South Wales worked together to provide the best customer service. Ansett, TAA and Qantas had their own catering sections, ground staff, engineers etc. TAA and Ansett had a spare parts pool(having pretty much identical aircraft due to the Two Airline policy. Where the domestic staff seemed to work together and also socialised together outside work hours, to me, there appeared to be a different culture in QF as it was purely longhaul. There certainly were some characters in the domestic carriers and compared to today we were often politically incorrect but it was all in good fun.
Even thought the Viscount presented challenges to both pilots and the engineering staff. As a passenger it was delight to fly in even though I was young. But as Rudy Camillo once told me 'its was a terrible way to put perfect four rolls royce darts into the air.'
If a TAA aircraft went u/s then Ansett staff would try and accomodate passengers on the next available flight and vice versa. Same with mishandled baggage.
Learnt so much from the crew operating prior the the 1989 pilots dispute. Such a waste of talent and hand flying skills that had been passed on from the old timers who had gone onto RPT ops after WW11 and leant from their experiences.
For me it was a time when all staff took pride in their expertise.
Even thought the Viscount presented challenges to both pilots and the engineering staff. As a passenger it was delight to fly in even though I was young. But as Rudy Camillo once told me 'its was a terrible way to put perfect four rolls royce darts into the air.'
If a TAA aircraft went u/s then Ansett staff would try and accomodate passengers on the next available flight and vice versa. Same with mishandled baggage.
Learnt so much from the crew operating prior the the 1989 pilots dispute. Such a waste of talent and hand flying skills that had been passed on from the old timers who had gone onto RPT ops after WW11 and leant from their experiences.
For me it was a time when all staff took pride in their expertise.
For me it was a time when all staff took pride in their expertise.