where are we?
Thanks for the great photos TD!
So this seems to be the tower On Track mentions, between my v2 and v3. Looking at an aerial of 1969, is that it to rght of centre abeam threshold of 16?
So this seems to be the tower On Track mentions, between my v2 and v3. Looking at an aerial of 1969, is that it to rght of centre abeam threshold of 16?
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Looking at an aerial of 1969, is that it to rght of centre abeam threshold of 16?
Tower locations
Looking back to the terminal from the base of the tower
This was back in the good old turbo-prop days when you walked out in the rain to board the aircraft.
Nostalgia alert:
(I haven't looked at these photos for decades).
The three buildings in the photo (L to R) are Ansett Air Cargo, the Passenger Terminal and a Maintenance Hangar.
I had a successful pilot job interview in the offices on the left side of the hangar. I was a Qantas LAME at the time, so I happily changed over from fixing airliners to breaking them.
Last edited by Terry Dactil; 17th Feb 2021 at 05:30. Reason: Colour balance in photo & added text
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Some more memories of Sydney airport in the 1960s
Going around the road on the other side of the Ansett terminal was the Qantas international terminal before international operations moved to the other side of the airfield.
Also around there are the Qantas heavy maintenance hangars
The L1049 Constellations were being replaced by 707s
\
Up here was a good vantage point for taking photos.
B707 going out for engine runs
Why "V-jet"?
High bypass engines were just coming into fashion. Some PR/marketing guru with tortured logic decided that the greek word "Vannus" which translates literally as "winnowing basket" or more loosely, "a device for blowing the grain" was therefore "a fan". Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.
We had a more realistic view that the "V" was for "Virginal" and Qantas was about to f*** them.
Getting in close to a running engine to adjust the fuel control unit. Fan airflow in reverse; hot end normal.
The 'Blinkenlights'
Much fun to be had synchronizing generators before connecting.
(Yes - I know. It is only ground power right now.)
No wimpy health and safety harnesses in those days!
Note that in the tail dock photo there are several ropes hanging down. These ran along cables in the roof, so if you had to walk along the top of the fuselage or tailplane you could hold onto one of the ropes and feel safe.
Going around the road on the other side of the Ansett terminal was the Qantas international terminal before international operations moved to the other side of the airfield.
Also around there are the Qantas heavy maintenance hangars
The L1049 Constellations were being replaced by 707s
\
Up here was a good vantage point for taking photos.
B707 going out for engine runs
Why "V-jet"?
High bypass engines were just coming into fashion. Some PR/marketing guru with tortured logic decided that the greek word "Vannus" which translates literally as "winnowing basket" or more loosely, "a device for blowing the grain" was therefore "a fan". Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.
We had a more realistic view that the "V" was for "Virginal" and Qantas was about to f*** them.
Getting in close to a running engine to adjust the fuel control unit. Fan airflow in reverse; hot end normal.
The 'Blinkenlights'
Much fun to be had synchronizing generators before connecting.
(Yes - I know. It is only ground power right now.)
No wimpy health and safety harnesses in those days!
Note that in the tail dock photo there are several ropes hanging down. These ran along cables in the roof, so if you had to walk along the top of the fuselage or tailplane you could hold onto one of the ropes and feel safe.
Last edited by Terry Dactil; 18th Feb 2021 at 17:20.
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Some PR/marketing guru with tortured logic decided that the greek word "Vannus" which translates literally as "winnowing basket" or more loosely, "a device for blowing the grain" was therefore "a fan". Hence V-Jet denotes Fan Jet.
Lovely pics, them was the days; would we could go back...
[QUOTE. My first trip to Oz was on the V-Jet FiestaRoute.... LHR/NAS/MEX/ACA/PPT/NAD/SYD...could never understand that one![/QUOTE]
BOAC had a LHR / IDL / SFO / HNL / NAD / Brisbane route in early '60s
BOAC had a LHR / IDL / SFO / HNL / NAD / Brisbane route in early '60s
