Query about SYD departure 34R for pilots.
 

Sorry if this is the wrong forum for my question. Feel free to move or delete it.

I was sitting in Qantas Domestic terminal this afternoon looking across at the Qantas hangars. I'd watched a lot of aircraft take off towards the north from both of Sydney Airports runways. It was approx 2pm and a I saw a Qantas 737 that was heading north from the area of the third runway (34R) but it was banking hard to the left and flying over the Qantas hangars(245 & 271) heading out to the north west over the main runway. I thought this was unusual as most take-offs from that runway(and a lot that I've been a passenger on) bank hard to the right and out over the ocean to the east.
There had been fairly regular take offs from the main runway to the north both before and after and it seemed a bit unusual that an aircraft from the right hand runway would lift off and immediately turn left into the space of the main runway(34left).
After playing with one of the flight radar tracking apps I think it was aircraft VH-VYE which was a flight from Sydney to Cairns. Number QF926.
Was curious to know from pilots or controllers if this is a normal departure to come straight across another parallel runway and if it happens in other cities.

The QF926 on 18 Oct departed on 34L. That would also be the normal departure path for a flight SYD- CNS as it heads inland over RIC, Mudgee toward St George in Queensland.

So a different rego/ callsign or perhaps you mis-saw?

Nahh he’s actually right Keg, it did go off 34R.

Just had a look on flight radar and it shows departing off 34R with a left turn.

Weird. I looked up,the flight for Wed 18 Oct and it showed takeoff from 34L.

The QF926 on 19 Oct shows as taking off on 34R. But the 19th is Thursday is it not? So why is it showing today's flight against tomorrow?

Were there departures off 34L at the same time? Sometimes there are pavement failures which means aircraft depart in ways contrary to how they may otherwise.

Flightradar24 shows QF926 doing a left turn off 34R. As QF926 is rolling down the runway, Tiger does a go-around off 34R and turns right.
That may explain the why QF 926 went left.

The SYD - CNS flight usually tracks via Richmond so 34L/16R would be the normal runway allocation. If there was some reason 34L was temporarily unavailable (bird strike inspection, etc.) then the QF926 may have been allocated 34R with a radar departure. If there was no traffic at the time of departure then an assigned heading to the left would be appropriate to track for RIC.

Heavy and Super jets departing for the US often turn right after departing 34L. Albeit they are normally a bit further from the runway when they commence the turn.

Well spotted BigM - good to see pilots answering you in a civil fashion. The 737 crew probably had a late clearance to conduct the unorthodox departure- educational for everyone ,re how ATC handled it.

I was part of the crew for QF926. We originally were planned off 34L. As we approached B10 to turn right and hold short 34L, Ground gave us the option to depart off 34R if able due to Malaysian at the A6 Hold Point waiting to depart but they had a problem and we may encounter a delay. A QF A330 was behind them. We reworked figures to depart 34R.
Once down at T6 for 34R departure, we encountered another delay as Aeromedical traffic arrived (after which we lined up), then Malaysian departed (34L), the QF A330 was lining up to go also, so we had to be sequenced by Approach (all going via RIC). Tower then cleared a helicopter who had been given a clearance limit of the boat ramp to conduct a visual approach to the helipads. Tower requested Tiger (on final) back at min speed (he was), whilst we waited in the lined up position for the helicopter (no delay) to get on the ground. It all got too tight. Tiger instructed to Go Around. Once chopper on the ground, we departed with a left turn 290° at 500'.
Hope this helps!
Apologies for long winded explanation.

Wow. Ask a question and get some great answers, in this case including the actual person who was doing the flying! Thank you very much mase - certainly not long-winded. I'd say clear, concise and straight from the horses mouth! How much of this departure is "hand-flown", i.e at what height or how much time after take-off would you be engaging the auto pilot?

Thanks also to all the others who posted a reply - Hollywood, it's interesting to hear this happens in SFO and LAX. I will take it (as PW1830 mentioned) that it would be classed as "unorthodox" hence the reason it's the first time I've seen it in many years of watching aircraft in and out of Sydney.

Here's one such departure on a JQ a320

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RMWbhrf-sM

^^Tiger Australia