August 2014 Noteworthy Movements - Discussion & Photos

[Moderator]

Please post questions / comments / pictures for August Noteworthy Movements (http://www.yssyforum.net/board/showthread.php?t=10063) here.

[Alex Lui]

Virgin Australia seem to be operating a daylight LAX-SYD flight leaving LA on August 8, flight VA9552. The plane comes in from BNE. August 8 won't see either a MEL or BNE flight, whereas with DL's codeshare, there will be 3 flights to Sydney. It departs LAX at 830am and arrives Sydney Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm. It's very much bookable, but what's with special? anything big happening?

[Grahame Hutchison]

Today's arrival and departure of Air New Zealand's first B787-9 commercial service from Auckland to Sydney. Challenging conditions today, arrival
after clearing fog, patchy cloud, then the sun over head for departure.

Watch The Video (http://youtu.be/-hgF1DR4LSg)

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-098.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-100.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-101.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-103.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-322.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-351.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-353.jpg

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=ZK-NZE D300-20140809-355.jpg

[Radi K]

Virgin Australia seem to be operating a daylight LAX-SYD flight leaving LA on August 8, flight VA9552. The plane comes in from BNE. August 8 won't see either a MEL or BNE flight, whereas with DL's codeshare, there will be 3 flights to Sydney. It departs LAX at 830am and arrives Sydney Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm. It's very much bookable, but what's with special? anything big happening?

They are 1x 777 down. VOZ is in AKL right now. A few flights have been cancelled over the next few days as a result. e.g. VA1 today - now VA9551

[Radi K]

Nice shots Grahame ! Must have been using heavily reduced thrust (assumed temp etc) for it to rotate so late down Rwy 34L.

[Grahame Hutchison]

VT-ANQ departing early this afternoon, nice and new out of Charleston ...

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Images/displayimage.php?image=VT-ANQ D300-20140809-244.jpg

[Rowan McKeever]

Nothing to do with SYD but I thought it was interesting... VA ATR72 VH-FVN ferried home from Seletar over the last two days. Yesterday nonstop to PHE in 6:27 and today nonstop PHE to BNE in 5:52 (I was listening on liveATC as the controller asked how long the sector was). Today's flight had a scheduled stop at ASP but was making up time all the way from takeoff and obviously a decision was made that the aircraft could continue all the way to BNE without stopping!

And yes, I know it would only have had pilots onboard!

[Paul F]

9M-XXT in MEL today on its first day in service, is this Air Asia's new livery or just a special one off on this aircraft.

[Rowan McKeever]

I believe a once-off special... it even has a name - "Xcintillating Phoenix".

[Grahame Hutchison]

This is what a days worth of movements at YSSY looks like. You can see the southern traffic tracking in through RIVET at 8 o'clock, and oceanic traffic tracking in via MARLN to the east. Quite noticeable that Runway 25 was in operation today, and there is the
typical wide bands of traffic departing to Melbourne and Brisbane.

http://www.16right.com/MessageBoard/YSSY Airspace 20140820.jpg

[Robert.M]

M-ATAR now has another CoA. VP-CFP is still in Wagga.

[Nigel C]

But it's still registered in the Isle of Man....
How very patriotic!

[Kurt A]

Good grab of the Kalitta Air 747F from Bernie:

http://planeimages.net/i/ko0eQvUNORBI