Canberra Airport Open Day-Attending Aircraft
 

No list as yet but it looks as if a QF 767 will be there as usual. QF787/562 on the 28/03 will be operated by a 767, QOH will be there as usual and you can probably expect and E190 or one of the newer DJ 737s.

Although it looks like a 767 apparently all efforts are been made to get a domestic A332 down for the day, which will mean there will be an A332 flight into Canberra that day.

When is the open day? sounds like it will be quite a good day out.

28/03/10

I wonder if this date will get changed. Isn't Barack Obama supposed to be visiting Australia in late March ??

Obama better than Osama
 

He'll probably be invited to address Parliament, which means Thu 25 or Tues 30 March I'd guess, but probably not on Sunday 28 March, unless Michelle and the girls want to go to the Open Day.

Air Force One would be a good attraction, though!

To be confirmed, but on making enquiries, the list is tentatively as follows:
QF 763*
QFL Q400*
DJ 73H*
FQ J41*
HARS Super Constellation*
HARS Catalina
HARS Neptune
HARS C-47/DC3
L39 Albatross
RAAF Balloon
5-6 warbirds
Other GA?

* Open for walkthrough

I haven't been able to ascertain whether there will be any RAAF aerial or static display. Last Open Day's FA-18 display was a huge hit, would be good to see that again!

Qantaslink will also likely again run a charity flight with the Q400. It's usually quite cheap and if it's like last time, tickets are on sale first-come, first-serve at the aircraft.

Fingers crossed there isn't any crossover with a US visit!

You can put a rego to the Q400. I can almost guarantee it will be QOH.

No this date is fine and will go ahead.

Yeah he won't hang around, I read a story saying that his children were due back at school on the 29th so you would expect that he would be long gone by the 28th.

is there a rough start and ending time frame window so i can book my flights?
and it is still on the 28th of march just to double check.
tanks

Starts at 0930 so the best flight to get there on the day would be QF814 which arrives at 0930 (0915 really, they are always early from Melbourne) and it finishes at 1330 so you would want QF2139 at 1330, DJ274 at 1500 (the DJ 73H which will be for display should operate that) or QF815 at 1505.

If you've got a bit more money try QF400 to Sydney and QF787 to Canberra, that will be 767 ops that day and I dare say it will be a relatively light load, same with QF562 back to Sydney.

great thanks zac.
im looking at getting QF up there on the dash-8 or Q400 and back on DJ with the E-jets.

I beleive it will be a new livery Q400 not Pinkie unfortunatly although a Joy Flight will go ahead.

Official notification from Canberra Airport out today, as posted on Ozspotters. Good to see a big HARS representation!

No discussion of a flying display... So not sure if we'll get a repeat of the amazing FA-18 from last time?


CANBERRA AIRPORT OPEN DAY
The Canberra Airport Open Day is happening again on Sunday 28 March from 9.30am – 1.30pm, and will feature loads of aircraft displays and children’s activities!

AVIATION DISPLAY

Come and climb aboard a Qantas, QantasLink, Virgin Blue or Brindabella Airlines plane, or take a step back in time with a display from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society.

Aircraft that will be on display include:

- Qantas 767-300

- QantasLink Q400

- Virgin Blue 737-800

- Brindabella Airlines J41 and Metro

- Super Constellation “Connie”

- DC3/C47

- Neptune Bomber

- Catalina flying boat

- L39 Albatross

- Many more small aircraft and warbirds

CARNIVAL

There will be something for everyone including children’s rides, great food and entertainment for the whole family.

Carnival activities include:

- FM104.7 outside broadcast

- Jumping castles & inflatable worm ride

- Face painting and glitter tattoos

- Animal patting paddock

- Roving entertainment

- Australian Federal Police stall

- ACT Aeromodellers Association flight simulators

- Canberra Gliding Club aircraft display and

- Rides in a tethered RAAF hot air balloon

There will be a range of food stalls at the Carnival, including coffee, a sausage sizzle, gelato and dutch pancakes!

Parking is free in and around Brindabella Business Park – just follow the signs to “Airport Open Day”.

I hope this isn't a silly question, but...
Are there admission fees or such involved?
Cheers,
Neil

I don't know about you guys, But the Dutch Pancakes are the first thing on my list to do!!! I haven't had one of those in years! :p

Just a shame the RAAF don't have any of their aircraft on display, such as the C-130 or C-17.

Ah well can't have everything im just looking forward to going to such a great day!

Cheers
Matt

Yes entry is free, but there may be donations asked to visit certain aircraft (eg: HARS).

Apparently the RAAF are yet to advise what they might be able to provide, but I suspect a C-130 or C-17 is unlikely. Maybe next year! But here's hoping for a FA-18 handling display again... I did hear there is a possibility of a RAAF PC-9 on static display (not sure if a Roulette c/s or not), I'll have to chase up whether that's a goer or not.

Thanks Steve.

OK... After calling my friend in Qantas, Can confirm this:

The pink bird (VH-QOH) is not coming in for the open day, primarily because they are supporting the Salvation Army, not the Breast Cancer foundation so not to send the wrong message. So a normal new livery bird will be doing this open day.

No merchandise for sale this time as well, but definitely can confirm a new livery Qantas bird B767 is coming (Obviously...)... Can't confirm reg yet.

Alex.

Hi all

I'm definitely putting this one in the diary and eager to come down form Sydney to go to this one! This will be my first ever weekend away for aviation interests, so bear with me and my basic questions!

Firstly, I'm tossing up whether to drive down from Sydney (A drive I've done many times!) or to fly down on Qantas on Saturday morning, spend the day spotting and photographing the local Canberra air traffic (Hoping to get a shot of one of Brindabella's Metros flying) as well as the HARS aircraft coming in, although with the latter, am I assuming correctly that they'll be arriving on the Saturday before the open day?

Secondly, with spotting the local Canberra traffic, does anyone know of any good and easily accessible spots around the airport perimeter for this purpose? I'm a fan of Jeff Gilbert's photographs on Airliners.net and very curious as to where some of those locations are?


At this stage, I'm looking at getting on QF787 from Sydney on Saturday (Beoing 737) and returning to Sydney on Sunday night on QF562 (Boeing 767), as well as hopefully go on a Q400 joyride on the Sunday, to get my flying 'fix'.


Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated. I really look forward to both this weekend and next week's Wings over the Illawarra event! :)

The best place for afternoon spotting is the Multi Story Carpark in the Brindibella business park if runway 35 is in use.

Another thing to consider is that there aren't that many movements on a Saturday.

I thought this might help members that are attending the Canberra Airport Open day. Some frequencies to listen out for on the day.

CANBERRA AIRPORT - Civil

Air Traffic Control
Frequency Entity Mode
124.500 Canberra Approach AM
127.450 Canberra ATIS AM
121.700 Canberra Ground SMC – ACD AM
118.700 Canberra Tower – MBZ AM
119.950 En-Route Info Svc AM
135.050 Flightwatch AM

Emergency Services
Frequency Entity Mode
119.100 AFP AM
131.600 AFP AM
131.000 Fire & Rescue AM
466.875 Fire & Rescue FM

ACD Airways Clearance Delivery
ATIS Automatic Terminal Information Svc
MBZ Mandatory Broadcast Zone
SMC Surface Movement Control

Hi all

Not far away from booking my tickets to go down and back for the day.

Am intending on getting down on QF787 from Sydney, and returning back to Sydney on VB, hoping to fly on one of the E-Jets. Before I go book tickets, are all VB flights out of Canberra to Sydney the Embraers or does the odd 737 appear on one of the flights? The one I'm thinking of getting back home is DJ657.

If all goes well, in one day, I would have flown aboard a 767, Q400 and an E179/190. Apart from a little PA-28 I flew in my avatar, I haven't stepped aboard a jet since going to the US in July '06!


Many thanks!

I flew SYD-CBR the other day DJ630 and got a 737-700(VBH) but generally all other flights are Embraers.

QOS could be the Dash at the airshow.

it is said that obama will be in Australia the same time frame as the open day so will his presence have any influence if the show goes ahead or not?

He's here on Friday Joseph and the show isn't till Sunday, so it won't matter too much.

Does anyone have an update on the regos of the birds that are heading for Open day?

The 767 - either OGS/OGT/OGP... Anyone know which one?
I heard the Dash 8 is QOS but can anyone confirm?

Thanks heaps. Looking forward to travelling on a 767 between Canberra and Sydney... :)

Alex.

I thought I'd put it out there, as it seems the bulk of us are going down on QF787, do any of you chaps off this forum wanna meet up at check-in at a certain time, and go down there as a group?
(Pardon if airline check-ins don't work like this, it has been a while for me!).

I'd reckon it'd be great to put a few names to faces and have a few laughs enroute, rather than sit separately on the plane reading flight safety cards :P

The Canberra Airport website has a map showing the final line-up of aircraft for the day in the order in which they will be displayed:

http://www.canberraairport.com.au/PDF/OpenDayMap.pdf

My understanding is that all the airline aircraft will be open for walk-through, as will the Catalina (gold coin donation I think). Not sure about the others such as DC-3 etc.

Weather permitting, it is expected that the Dragonfly will do at least one aerial display at some point during the day.

Hi all

I have three other friends also heading down with me on QF787, so shall be a good day indeed!

Is Qantaslink still doing the Q400 joyflights for charity like previous Open Days? I haven't read anything mentioned on that, and would hate to think I've had the wrong assumption all along!

As far as I know they are. It will be to raise money for the salvos. If I get up early enough I might meet the QF787 gang and I will take you over and show you where to get some good shots of the planes been towed into position.

Zac, you're a champ! Will see you down there when the time comes :)

Hey Guys,

I too will be attending the open day and coming in on QF787 just wondering how any of the other guys will get to the open day area from the terminal? and is it far from the terminal?

The Open Day is a 10min walk from the terminal. Exit the terminal, walk through the ground floor of the multi-deck carpark (you have no choice with all the construction work on the new terminal) and follow the signs for the Brindabella Business Park. Then just continue south - follow the crowds/cars.

Thanks Steve, I now know where im going, Much appreciated.

Cheers

If you do it fast enough you can do the walk in about 5 minutes. Lens wise I don't have no idea. I got my first SLR last week and before that I was successfully spotting from that with a compact digital.

Righto fellas, all booked and ready to go!

QF787 down to Canberra, and back on DJ657 to Sydney. Hopefully can get down there intime to get a seat on the Q400 joyflight.

For anyone on QF787 who wants to tee up for the ride down prior to check-in, I'll probably have something subtle on my bag, like a rubber chicken or something. That can be the secret message board member identifier :D


See you all on Sunday!

I will probably be driving Zac to the airport, seeing as though I am meeting Maikha and other friends off 787. So will see everyone upon arrival. Am glad I don't have to work till late afternoon!

So you are driving me now...lol

Hey everyone, as far as regos go, here are some 'maybes'

QF 763 - OGQ
QF Q400 - QOS
J41 - TAH
Metro - TAO or SEF

As said above, VH-OGQ is currently schedualled to fly the QF787 SYD-CBR.

Cheers