Introduction:
QantasLink re-commenced Boeing 717 services out of Brisbane back in March 2012. I saw them flying in and out of Brisbane and thought I had to try them out. QantasLink fly to Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay multiple times a day with the 717s as well as Alice Springs and Cairns once a week to rotate the aircraft. I chose to fly to Gladstone seeing as I had already been to Rockhampton and Mackay, and Alice Springs would be over $400 for a daytrip and the times for the weekly Cairns service didn’t suit me.
I was planning on going one way QantasLink and one way Virgin Australia but I wanted to go in early January and Virgin Australia didn’t have a sale for that period so I decided on QantasLink both ways. I looked at flights for Sunday January 6th, I decided to fly on QF1712 to Gladstone departing BNE at 1155 and arriving into Gladstone at 1300 operated by a Boeing 717. And for the return flight I could get either the 1430 service operated by a Dash 8-Q400 or the 1825 service operated by a Boeing 717. I decided on the 1825 service because the 1430 service would only leave me with one and a half hours in Gladstone. And I would rather get the Boeing 717 both ways. The flights were on sale so were only $70 each way.
Brisbane Airport:
Unlike the majority of my daytrips this flight didn’t require an early wakeup call which was nice. I left home at 10am and got to the airport at 10:30am. I had already checked in online so it was straight through security and up to the boarding gates. I had a quick look around the Qantas gates to see if there was anything special, it was just the normal stuff so I went to Gate 29 in the centre satellite where my flight was to be boarding from. VH-NXG was there so she would be my ride to Gladstone.
VH-NXG being prepared for the quick hop up to Gladstone
ZK-OKP in “The Hobbit” livery departs for Auckland. Unfortunately I stuffed up when taking photos of her, I only got the one and the reflection ruined it! Luckily I have seen it twice before.
About 20 minutes before our departure time of 1155, boarding commenced.
January 6, 2013
QantasLink
QF1712
BNE-GLT
VH-NXG B712
Seat 23A
Boarding!
The day before, right on 1155 I did the online check in for the flight to Gladstone. Unfortunately only two window seats were available, 23A and 23F, both of which are blocked by the engine! So I was unable to take photos in-flight. The flight was 100% full. We took off about 15 minutes late but still managed to arrive on time. The refreshment on the flight was a ham and tomato sandwich on Turkish bread which was very nice, as well as a little carrot cake muffin and some dried apricots as well as the usual drinks. We landed on RWY10 at Gladstone; it was a pretty bumpy touchdown. And we made it to the gate about 5 minutes late.
My view! No good at all!
The flight attendants allowed me to stay back to take some cabin shots.
Gladstone Airport:
VH-NXG at Gate 3
Walking through the terminal it appeared very new and modern. The departures area was very full with our full load of passengers off the 717 and a full load of passengers of a Virgin Australia ATR72. I walked down to the GA Apron where I found a good spot to take photos and I stayed there for a couple of hours.
Hughes Helicopters 369FF VH-PLF
VH-NXG backtracks RWY10
VH-FVH taxies out
The two airlines serving Gladstone
Heading back to BNE
FVH follows!
At Brisbane Airport earlier, I saw on the screens that Our Airline was operating a flight to Gladstone! ON900 departing at 1300, which would mean about a 1400 into Gladstone so I was keeping an eye out for it!
And right on 2pm look who flies over!
Landing on RWY10! And it is Boeing 737-300 ZK-SLA which I wasn’t expecting.
