puff,
Hear, hear to that.

I just had to go down there to witness that final arrival.
It must be said, though, that it was a little 'bittersweet', having watched her arrival at Mascot on that day back in '89.

It's so good to know that, for many years to come, we'll be able to (figuratively speaking) pat her on the bum and say "Well done, old girl !"

And to HARS... :ok:

NSEU, HARS have the funds recently donated to build a hangar for OJA as it is essential to protect it from the damp salt laden air experienced in Wollongong. It is to be a static display in the condition/configuration that it arrived so all the parts that are on it will remain in-situ and no ongoing parts required.

One thing that did occur to me is this.
Anyone who has been involved in the aviation industry for any length of time (in my case over 35 years ) will have seen many and varied changes. Some for the good eg safety and some not so good eg 9/11 etc. Most of us have heard the phrase "where ere you when this happened "i.e where were you the day JFK was shot. I would like to think that with so many people in attendance for OJA's arrival especially kids that as the kids get older and someone asks the question where were you the day OJA arrived at the "Gong" that at least some of them will be able to respond " oh I was there"' Sentimental? maybe but I would like to think that with so many negative things about aviation there are still some things worth hanging on to.

I hope qantas didn't quote them.
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Thanks, Going Boeing.

I was partly wondering if the aircraft would be powered electrically, with the all the cockpit displays working. Otherwise it would be a pretty dull experience. Anyway, you can probably buy replacement Boeing equipment on eBay nowadays :ok: And I'm sure the flightsimming community could provide workarounds if required :}

Speaking of flightsimming...
 

...i just did this approach and landing in a 747-400 with one hand on my joystick and the other holding a can of VB.

Not that hard...:}

VB
 

The joystick bit I will believe. Not sure about the VB !!

I did a few approaches into YWOL using OJA's go-pro dashcam.
Got it right every time!

Qantas B747-438 City of Canberra retired . . .
 

For a replete write-up and tribute, please visit:

http://www.wingslapper.com/viewtopic...t=8206&p=57271

Hope they had an approved mount for that :E

Years ago, QF got approval for a removable camera mount to be fitted to the glareshield in front of the F/O so that it could be fed through to the IFE system. This was for use on Antarctic charter flights and it allowed those who weren't at windows to see what's happening outside (pax were rotated through window seats so that everyone got a share of the viewing).

I assume that they used this mount on this occasion for the GoPro.

Correct Going Boeing!:ok:

Capt. Cynical?
 

Correct Sir. No VB. In fact, I've never had one in my life.

Now on to serious matters. Watching the GoPro footage. The end of the runway certainly appeared pretty quick when they touched down. I got slightly nervous and I'm watching in my lounge. Ok I was watching naked, by that's neither here nor there.

Nicely done. :ok:


But no sound on the GoPro? What the?

I had the distinct impression they could have pulled up half way along! You see further when the cockpit is that high up...

Yep they weren't trying hard to stop, they could have stopped in half the distance but would have had hot brakes and maybe damaged the surface of the runway.

Another reason I heard was that the tug was waiting for them down the end of the runway.

Interesting. And makes perfect sense. Of course, I'm only used to the view out the side watching grass and runway lights flash pass. My repeated efforts to get an upgrade to the jump seat always seems to get the same answer.

:=

Oh well. :p

It's heartening to see that even 40 years after the intro of the 747, people will turn up in their thousands at the crack of dawn to see an old 747 land. Aviation still excites people, Qantas is still an iconic brand to the average punter.

Why would so many locals turn out to see an old airliner land? It's part symbology. The "Gong" for many years has had nothing but bad news in the paper, jobs going, steel works closing, a city on decline. The fact that a QF747 has touched down at their little airport has been a talking point for weeks.

Finally, Wollongong is in the news and on the front page of the newspaper with good news. I have family who live in the area and it's given the place a real buzz. This has made the locals, many of whome, in the past may have objected to the perceived noise of aircraft, look at the airport in a new light and cause them to think that maybe having an airport is a good thing after all.

Who knows, one tired old grand lady of the skies could spark the resurgence of tired old town.

Some media outlets have stated that QF engineers will be tasked to maintain the aircraft into the future, interestingly they say in a semi airworthy state.

Has Boeing published a maintenance schedule for a museum aircraft, or a preservation schedule? What would it entail, obviously keeping hydraulic lines and seals from drying out, electrics dry from occasional powering up, same for actuators etc, but what about fuel tank corrosion, dust ingress etc.

My best guess is any of the aircraft boneyards in the USA could provide a pretty comprehensive preservation schgedule for the asking, especially those where commercial aircraft are routinely parted out rather than being scrapped on-the-spot.

Then again, maybe that is a little too simple?