Delta B747-400 in Darwin last Sunday Morning???
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Delta B747-400 in Darwin last Sunday Morning???
Just passing through and noticed a Delta 400 parked at one of the Darwin gates, then departed around 1130. Can anyone shed any light as to what it was doing in Darwin???
Delta is part of the US Civil Reserve Air Fleet which consists of 1163 aircraft both freight and passenger that can be called at anytime and the airline's income can be subsidised up to 40% of the airlines revenue by the US Government. 70% of the US military airlift capacity is carried out by civil airliners. Australia use Portugese aircraft flown by aircrew from wherever to fly our diggers around the planet. US troops are flown by US citizens on US registered aircraft.
Australia use Portugese aircraft flown by aircrew from wherever to fly our diggers around the planet. US troops are flown by US citizens on US registered aircraft.
Nothing 'National" about QF unless of course you wanna add the word 'Disgrace' to it then we have something that's befitting! (not the employees)
Plenty of times an Aussie Govt has used or accepted offshore Co's to do the work instead of Aussie based Co's.
Wmk2
Plenty of times an Aussie Govt has used or accepted offshore Co's to do the work instead of Aussie based Co's.
Wmk2
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I think we can well and truly put the QF "National Carrier" BS to bed in the 21st century. The company is no longer a major asset to the nation as it was during WW2 - it's merely another large global corporation run by corporate greed merchants, for the benefit of the corporate world.
These corporate "leaders" are all trained in the same institutions that produced our famous Wall St "leaders".
If we had another outbreak of world war as in 1939, we couldn't rely on QF for anything - because the corporate leaders would be the first out of town on the first flight, to protect their corporate assets and a***s.
These corporate "leaders" are all trained in the same institutions that produced our famous Wall St "leaders".
If we had another outbreak of world war as in 1939, we couldn't rely on QF for anything - because the corporate leaders would be the first out of town on the first flight, to protect their corporate assets and a***s.
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Except for the fact that doesn't Qantas have some sort of agreement with the Gov't to provide aircraft in emergencies or for evacuation of Australians from OS ?
Otherwise, you are right. I am bias towards Qantas but it is wearing a bit thin even for me.
Otherwise, you are right. I am bias towards Qantas but it is wearing a bit thin even for me.
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I worked for Adagold briefly on the A340 charter to NHD. A manager there told me that QF did tender for the ADF contract but the 744 was too big for ADF's purposes and the 767 did not have the non-stop range or cargo capacity. He did not mention the A330 but I would image that QF would make more money from that on domestic routes. It also does not have non-stop range, which I believe was one of the downsides to the Strategic operation using the A330.
It would be interesting to know why the ADF did not dry lease an A340 and have it flown by RAAF crews. Then again, imagination and initiative are not hallmarks of the public sector. 
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No one so far seems to have picked up on the CRAF/Delta connection.
This is a method that the US has used to keep US operators alive and in some cases establish them.However in this case I doubt if Delta needs the help and maybe times are changing for the better for us?
Any examination of some of the US now defunct freight/charter operators shows some interesting examples including operators being provided with free or subsidised freight conversions of older B747.These are then operated on the open world market as free enterpise airlines (undercutting airlines)which explains why for many years these airlines dominated the cargo market.
Couple this with the unique Chapter 11 and the home of free enterprise is actually somewhat Government subsidised. Same with the US bailout (purchase) of US carriers after the great financial crash, not exactly free enterprise either.
At least the US knows what it wants and then sets up a mechanism to acheive it. Here we dont know what we want so we certainly wont achieve anything.So we solve our military transport problems by letting our airlines fail due to poor policy and defence wise replacing them with very expensive large RAAF aircraft or bring in foreigners do do the work.I like the US solution better. Its cheaper and far more flexible as was the old system where Qantas did just what the US, CRAF opererators do now.
Wunwing
This is a method that the US has used to keep US operators alive and in some cases establish them.However in this case I doubt if Delta needs the help and maybe times are changing for the better for us?
Any examination of some of the US now defunct freight/charter operators shows some interesting examples including operators being provided with free or subsidised freight conversions of older B747.These are then operated on the open world market as free enterpise airlines (undercutting airlines)which explains why for many years these airlines dominated the cargo market.
Couple this with the unique Chapter 11 and the home of free enterprise is actually somewhat Government subsidised. Same with the US bailout (purchase) of US carriers after the great financial crash, not exactly free enterprise either.
At least the US knows what it wants and then sets up a mechanism to acheive it. Here we dont know what we want so we certainly wont achieve anything.So we solve our military transport problems by letting our airlines fail due to poor policy and defence wise replacing them with very expensive large RAAF aircraft or bring in foreigners do do the work.I like the US solution better. Its cheaper and far more flexible as was the old system where Qantas did just what the US, CRAF opererators do now.
Wunwing
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busdriver007
That little exercise and everything about it is the usual disgraceful bull**** we have come to expect from Canberra.
To be fair to CASA, and is increasingly hard to be so, they are equally uncomfortable about a number of Government Depts particularly Defence and Immigration aviation travel arrangements let to overseas companies in this mode.
I am given to understand that CASA are told to go play with the other children as this is Government big kids stuff and none of their business.
The US vote for their local sherif.
I could go on, but one example was the plan by Immigration to deport a very bad person back to an Eastern European country which required 6 or 8 "guards". Notwithstanding the capability being within Australia the brokered job at a substantially cheaper price was going to go to, and you guessed it, an Eastern European operator.
Who cares about the bad guy it was the Australians on board that were my concern, and the bad guy probably, for all they would have known, owned the operator anyway.
The plan was subsequently abandoned.
The brokers who arrange all this for the Government couldn't give a tinkers for aviation standards, they are only interested in the commish.
CASA have their hands tied.
That little exercise and everything about it is the usual disgraceful bull**** we have come to expect from Canberra.
To be fair to CASA, and is increasingly hard to be so, they are equally uncomfortable about a number of Government Depts particularly Defence and Immigration aviation travel arrangements let to overseas companies in this mode.
I am given to understand that CASA are told to go play with the other children as this is Government big kids stuff and none of their business.
The US vote for their local sherif.
I could go on, but one example was the plan by Immigration to deport a very bad person back to an Eastern European country which required 6 or 8 "guards". Notwithstanding the capability being within Australia the brokered job at a substantially cheaper price was going to go to, and you guessed it, an Eastern European operator.
Who cares about the bad guy it was the Australians on board that were my concern, and the bad guy probably, for all they would have known, owned the operator anyway.
The plan was subsequently abandoned.
The brokers who arrange all this for the Government couldn't give a tinkers for aviation standards, they are only interested in the commish.
CASA have their hands tied.
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Righto…
Atlas operated a 747-400 (pax config) bringing a new rotation of USMC personnel into DRW on the Thursday and Delta operated a 747-400 into DRW on the Sunday.
Now…. The ADF and chartered A330/A340aircraft.
As with anything to do with govt contracts, the bottom line is cost.
Fact…when Strategic did start with their A330-300 CS-TMT it did have to make a tech stop in originally Diego Garcia then later changed to Male to refuel usually just in one direction (on the way up to the Gulf). This leased airframe from the Portuguese airline HiFly was replaced with Strategic’s own A330-200 VH-SSA which was able to do the DRW-KWI and DRW-NHD sector non-stop. Strategic lost the tender to the ADF and it went back to Adagold with a HiFly A340-300…the rest is history.
These days if QF operate a ADF charter its usually brokered through a company like Adagold anyway.
Atlas operated a 747-400 (pax config) bringing a new rotation of USMC personnel into DRW on the Thursday and Delta operated a 747-400 into DRW on the Sunday.
Now…. The ADF and chartered A330/A340aircraft.
As with anything to do with govt contracts, the bottom line is cost.
Fact…when Strategic did start with their A330-300 CS-TMT it did have to make a tech stop in originally Diego Garcia then later changed to Male to refuel usually just in one direction (on the way up to the Gulf). This leased airframe from the Portuguese airline HiFly was replaced with Strategic’s own A330-200 VH-SSA which was able to do the DRW-KWI and DRW-NHD sector non-stop. Strategic lost the tender to the ADF and it went back to Adagold with a HiFly A340-300…the rest is history.
These days if QF operate a ADF charter its usually brokered through a company like Adagold anyway.
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Only on PPRuNe can a question about a Delta 747 in Darwin turn into a qantas bashing thread
