The Dockers Fokkers...
Thread Starter
The Dockers Fokkers...
The West Australian, 20Sep15
A nice little earner... 
Fans to fly high for grand final fling
Fremantle and West Coast are yet to book their spots in the grand final but that has not stopped WA fans chartering their own planes.
As the other hopefuls run each other ragged this weekend, Perth aviation charter companies are dealing with unprecedented interest.
Alliance Airlines has booked more than half a dozen planes for the trip east, including two Fokker 100s chartered by the Fremantle Dockers women’s fan club, the Sirens.
Sirens member Michelle Garrett, 52, said the concept of chartering a plane started as a joke in 2013.
Perth software engineer Neil Fisher has chartered two planes through Alliance and he’s calling them “The Docker Fokkers”.
Tickets were $1350 return and there was a waiting list for Eagles fans in case the Dockers dropped out.
Tour companies are also getting involved, including Australian Tours for Sport, an agency run by Robert Whan, who has two planes.
Hype Tours owner Aaron Ford has created the “Hype Plane” — a Fokker 100 with a 50-50 split of Eagles and Dockers fans.
Warren Puveanendran, of Cobham Aviation Services, said the interest was different from 2013. “We have three planes booked and one on standby,” he said.
“If both sides make the grand final, we’ll have to find some more planes.”
Every Perth aviation charter company canvassed byThe Weekend West had fielded multiple inquiries in recent weeks. The fans were given a scare yesterday with reports that refuelling workers at Perth Airport were threatening industrial action.
But the major airlines said even in the event of a strike, they expected minimal service disruptions.
Fremantle and West Coast are yet to book their spots in the grand final but that has not stopped WA fans chartering their own planes.
As the other hopefuls run each other ragged this weekend, Perth aviation charter companies are dealing with unprecedented interest.
Alliance Airlines has booked more than half a dozen planes for the trip east, including two Fokker 100s chartered by the Fremantle Dockers women’s fan club, the Sirens.
Sirens member Michelle Garrett, 52, said the concept of chartering a plane started as a joke in 2013.
Perth software engineer Neil Fisher has chartered two planes through Alliance and he’s calling them “The Docker Fokkers”.
Tickets were $1350 return and there was a waiting list for Eagles fans in case the Dockers dropped out.
Tour companies are also getting involved, including Australian Tours for Sport, an agency run by Robert Whan, who has two planes.
Hype Tours owner Aaron Ford has created the “Hype Plane” — a Fokker 100 with a 50-50 split of Eagles and Dockers fans.
Warren Puveanendran, of Cobham Aviation Services, said the interest was different from 2013. “We have three planes booked and one on standby,” he said.
“If both sides make the grand final, we’ll have to find some more planes.”
Every Perth aviation charter company canvassed byThe Weekend West had fielded multiple inquiries in recent weeks. The fans were given a scare yesterday with reports that refuelling workers at Perth Airport were threatening industrial action.
But the major airlines said even in the event of a strike, they expected minimal service disruptions.
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Why would you reposition an aircraft from Adelaide?
Its all about demand and at this present time only two fokkers will be used.
Any other charters - they will use the same a.c or use one from Perth.
Possible routing Perth - Kalgoorlie - Melbourne
Its all about demand and at this present time only two fokkers will be used.
Any other charters - they will use the same a.c or use one from Perth.
Possible routing Perth - Kalgoorlie - Melbourne
Go via Asia.
Perth to Bali/Singapore/KL on Jetstar/AirAsia/Scoot
then down to Melbourne.
Quick look it can be done for less than $500 return across the weekend. Jetstar price beats 10% against other carriers if cheaper same day.
I just couldn't live with paying Jetstar $1500 return PER-MEL-PER on a A320!
Perth to Bali/Singapore/KL on Jetstar/AirAsia/Scoot
then down to Melbourne.
Quick look it can be done for less than $500 return across the weekend. Jetstar price beats 10% against other carriers if cheaper same day.
I just couldn't live with paying Jetstar $1500 return PER-MEL-PER on a A320!
I hope the Freo faithful haven't signed on the dotted line for these charters yet. The Hawks looked very good last night, and Freo will have their work cut out for them next weekend!
Easy. The group concerned charters the jet, and then they sell the tickets to interested people.
What's so hard about that?
What's so hard about that?
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The hard part will be trying to control a planeload of well-lubricated West Oz team supporters, on their way home, and still celebrating, after a West Oz team has taken out the AFL premiership. 
Well you asked a question Buttscratcher, I gave an answer.
No legal issue as far as I can see.
morno
No legal issue as far as I can see.
morno
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it's illegal according to casa & CAPPER decision a few years ago in federal court. A birdsville races charter was stopped by interfering casa few years back. Cos apparently should have been rpt. Apparently an existing rpt operator can do it no hassles.
Last edited by BNEA320; 20th Sep 2015 at 22:45.
Edit: I found this http://www.australianflying.com.au/n...rter-operators. I suspect the difference is that companies like Cobham and Alliance DO have an RPT authorisation.
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Caper were flying a scheduled daily service & the Docker Fokkers are clearly one-off flights:
"15. The first type is described in subreg 206(1)(b)(i) which relates to air operations commonly described as “open charters”. Relevantly, an open charter is the charter of an aircraft for the carriage of passengers where the flight is not on a fixed schedule to and from fixed terminals, that is, a charter which is on demand. Such carriage may be open to the general public. It is common ground that the Caper air operation is outside the scope of this subregulation because the flights in question were on a fixed schedule to and from fixed terminals."
"15. The first type is described in subreg 206(1)(b)(i) which relates to air operations commonly described as “open charters”. Relevantly, an open charter is the charter of an aircraft for the carriage of passengers where the flight is not on a fixed schedule to and from fixed terminals, that is, a charter which is on demand. Such carriage may be open to the general public. It is common ground that the Caper air operation is outside the scope of this subregulation because the flights in question were on a fixed schedule to and from fixed terminals."
QF charter
A few years ago, when the NQ Cowboys made it into the NRL grand final in Sydney, QF dropped a 747 into TSV as a charter to get fans to Sydney. Can't remember if it was a return charter as well, though I do remember that after the Grand Final the Cowboys fans had nothing to celebrate.
Maybe they'll get there again this year.
Maybe they'll get there again this year.
Last edited by Kranky; 21st Sep 2015 at 06:45. Reason: Grammar
