Performance improves with 320S. Can do East Coast to Bali. Jetstar did operate Melbourne to DPS recently with the Sharklet.

321N will be the game changer to Near Asia and will render the 788 obsolete.

738 a still has payload restrictions during the year and stopover required if holding forecasted.

That’s the whole point. The QF Mainline SH fleet should have been growing during that time as the overall market grew, but instead it has remained stagnant for a very long time.

Even though I suspect the main protagonists on this thread are probably more closely related to F11 than an F-111 there is nothing sadder to watch then a bunch of pilots salivating over the thought of replacing other pilots on better contracts.

Be careful what you wish for, one day you may have good conditions and the rot continues.

Here’s a thought. Rather than aspiring to replace how about aspiring to replicate. Anything else is pure management wet dreams.

At the b team, the 737-800 with winglets had a comfortable endurance of about 6.5 hrs with full tanks (approx 20.5 tonnes). To carry that fuel though you would have to cap pax at about 150~160 (and nil freight of course) due max structural weight. So could do MEL/SYD/BNE to Bali without too much drama (always seemed to be able to carry 60 mins hold if required) and of course PER - HKT was done at between 6 and 6.5 hours. Classic A320s AFAIK have a couple of different tank options but understand the Jetstar 320s are mostly 18T fuel ? Happy to be corrected.

This is great - it was bought out.Don't see to much protesting on F and J upgrades. CEO stated two weeks ago there will be no change to the business model. Everyone frothing harder than a Byron Bay cove after the rain bomb about more Airbus. Continued expansion on those terms and conditions is bye bye to the cherished NA 'Lifestyle'.

Are Network hiring? Told they are taking a lot of the stood down type rated crew.
Lucky Qantas are prioritising group pilots for selection.Get a job and stay COVID free in lovely WA.
It beats unpaid stand down for years.
Any idea how many pilots they are looking for?

The only things longer about a network 320 is the hair on the pilots face, and the list of things that’ll need fixing as soon as it touches down.

I’m sure it feels pretty flash to an aspiring network pilot after flying an ageing Fokker who’s done hard time in Africa or South America.

The reality is they have been flogged by Jetstar until they are unreliable for RPT ops and they will see out their lives as ramp queens where they have plenty of time to be fixed before their next service.

No hard feelings to the guys that fly them. Hell, you take what you can get in this game as soon as you can.

We are all pilots and in the same game of chess. Just remember we are all the Pawns.

Anything VH-VQG to Z is a piece of junk. The Saudi machines are still around I believe. Certainly worthy of a network gig that one.

Does it really matter how reliable they are?
They will operate maybe 3-4 hours per day on mine runs. Plently of down time for the engineers to work on them.
Just like the old JQ 321s going to EFA. They only really fly at night, so they have all day to be worked on.
That’s a lot cheaper than having a brand new aircraft being under-utilised.

They will need all day to be worked on just to fly a few nights a week.
Was it about 2+ weeks on the ground just recently!

Well for East Ops as the discussion at hand, sunrise to sunset, most certainly not.

Mining runs. Go for your life.

Virgin does (or did) fly some 320 services Adelaide/Melbourne however they did pickup some of the Tiger machines only 10 years old.

An Airbus Test Pilot once told me, anything at the gate approaching 20 years old, bring a overnight bag. So far his on the money.

Are you under the impression there are engineers available at mine sites to enable dispatch reliability? It seems you think aircraft only have technical faults inbound to a maintenance port?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8928acdcb.jpeg

Didn’t you know that aircraft only break inbound MX? They have a sixth sense.

Nope. Mining companies love the 737 and its reliability, ask them what they think of the 320s?

How is that any different to right now flying old F100s?

New aircraft being under-utilised are not economical.

So there isn’t much option.

I agree, it’s exactly the same as the F100 WITH the associated terrible reliability they have.

The problem is that you said it doesn’t matter how reliable they are because:

Ask the mine sites how happy they are with poor reliability in their services when they breakdown on site. It’s not just the delays outbound, they block bays and cause congestion on small aprons leading to diversions of following services.

That’s why Gina pays top dollar for a Maggot. No ECAM = No Problem (even though the jet is probably just as cactus) :)

6 packs are just as accurate as the ECAM right? 🤣

It’s a fine piece of engineering that six pack. You can make it light up when you want or stay in the dark if the situation/location warrants it :ok: