A Different View Of Sydney

[Grahame Hutchison]

With Singapore Airlines gradually moving away from B747 operations to Australia and changing many of the services over to B777 and A380s, I was prompted to have a look at how things were when I first started photographing aircraft in Sydney.

In the 70s, 80s and 90s the Boeing 747 was the "Queen of The Skies" with most international carries operating the type. Over the past 10 years, the introduction of the long range twins with ETOPS, and now the A380 for a smaller number of airlines, B747 movements in and out of Sydney have slowly diminished.

With apologies for the quality of the scanned 30 year old photographs, so what did it look like back then ?

Singapore Airlines B747-200 9V-SQQ touching down on Runway 25 in August 1982


Singapore Airlines B747-300 "Big Top" 9V-SKA in August 1983 (now an A380 registration)


Qantas operated 2 B747-200SPs VH-EAA seen here at the Jet Base in November 1981 (look at the cars in the car park)


Malaysian B747-200 9M-MHI in February 1982 (security back then was just timber posts and plastic fence - we would sit on top of the
fence half way down the bay and photograph)


KLM B747-200 PH-BUO in March 1982


UTA B747-200 in June 1981


Garuda Indonesian Airways B747-200 PK-GSF in February 1982


Cathay Pacific B747-200 VR-HIA in July 1980


Air India B747-200 VT-EFU in August 1982


South African Airways B747-200 lining up on Runway 16 in February 1982

[Grahame Hutchison]

Pan American B747-100 January 1981 (three upper deck windows and seen here at Tullamarine)


British Airways B747-200 1980 (seen here at Tullamarine)


And when you had enough Boeing 747s, there was always the DC-10s

Mayalsian Airlines DC-10 9M-MAs in July 1981


UTA DC-10 9M-MAs in May 1981 (looks like a TAA Fokker Friendship in the background climbing out from Runway 16 - no 16 Right and
16 Left back then)


Continental Airlines DC-10 N12061 in March 1981 - I liked this livery


Philippines Airlines DC-10 RP-C2114 in February 1982


Air New Zealand DC-10 ZK-NZL in July 1980


Air New Zealand DC-8 ZK-NZE in June 1981

[Jack B]

Fantastic! very much enjoyed these amazing photos

a little off topic, but does anybody know when the old international terminal was demolished to make way for the TAA terminal?

[Grahame Hutchison]

Jack, I remember departing from the old International Terminal for New Zealand in December 1968 in a Qantas B707 (First Class), and returning in a United Airlines DC-8. I think the current International Terminal was built in the early 1970s.

[Jason H]

Yeah the new Intl Terminal was completed in 1970.

[phil.l]

Well done Grahame, thanks for that. What about C P Air ,you must have taken them?

[Jarden S]

Such a great selection of photos Grahame. Back in the 80's there seemed to be a much greater selection of airlines serving Sydney compared with today. They have lost so many great airlines, they have gained a few since those days but not as many as we have lost I reckon.

[Anthony T]

Great shots there Grahame.

Here's a few going back before the widebodies came along.

Sorry about the dust on them.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45270820@N05/

Anthony T

[Grahame Hutchison]

Some great additional shots there Anthony, I remember departing from the old Sydney International Terminal on a Qantas B707, and flying to Brisbane on the TAA Lockheed Electra's and Vickers Viscounts. Great days in aviation.

[Anthony T]

I have put a few TAA & Ansett electra's up there.

The early 70's where days when you could have 3 dutch registered DC-8's in at the same time. (KLM & one's leased to Garuda & Phillipine's)

Anthony T