Trip Report: USA

[Jayden Laing]

TRIP REPORT
(12th December - 21st December)
Flight: V Australia VA1 (YSSY-KLAX)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Registration: VH-VPE
Cruising Altitude: 33,000ft (10,059m)
Speed: 920 kph (571mph)
Flight Time: 12 hours 40 mins
ETA(Los Angeles): 3:06pm Saturday 12 December 2009
Turbulence: Mild turbulence around the south of Fiji & the throughout the Pacific Islands
Outside Temperature: -34 degrees Celsius.

Flight Timeline (AEDST):
8:05pm: Scheduled Boarding begins at Gate 61
9:15pm: Pushback & engine start
9:30pm: Airborne off runway 34L (tracking out between Manly & Bondi heading for the Pacific Ocean)
10:30pm: Dinner served
12:30am: Lights out
12:50am: VA1 passes over the southeast of Suva
11am: Landed at LAX airport on runway 25R

General Flight Comments:

• Celebrity Richard Reid (Channel 9, Today Show Gossip Guru) was onboard the flight.

• Aircraft was late leaving the gate due to a passenger not turning up at boarding resulting in their bags being removed for security reasons

• Climb to 33,000ft was relatively quick & straight forward. A few turns here & there & we were on our way across the Pacific.

• In-flight entertainment was fantastic. Wide range of music, latest movie releases & documentaries, wide variety of games (games for children & also the adults who felt the urge to play a game of online golf or two!)

• Cabin Crew were fantastic. Extremely helpful

• 
  Seat over was 26F

• 
  Managed to grab a look & some photos of the cockpit

Me in the F/O's seat
Flight: Southwest (KLAX-KLAS)
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Registration: N264LV
Cruising Altitude: 28,000ft (m)
Flight time: 1hr 5min


Waiting to board at Gate 7


Nice suprise seeing this 747SP upon landing in Las Vegas

Flight: Stars & Stripes Scenic Tours (Grand Canyon & Hoover Dam tour)
Aircraft: Cessna 208B Caravan
Registration: N208PK
Cruising Altitude: 7,500ft (m)
Flight time: 1hr


Aircraft used for the scenic flight

Flight: Southwest 2614 (KLAS-KLAX)
Aircraft: Boeing 737
Registration: N631SW
Cruising Altitude: 29,000ft (8,839m)
Flight time: 45min


Flight: V Australia VA002 (KLAX-YSSY)
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Registration: VH-VPF
Cruising Altitude: 36,000ft (10,972m)
Speed: 916 kph (569mph)
Flight Time: 14 hours
ETA (Sydney): 6:05am Monday 21st December 2009
Turbulence: Mild turbulence around the south of Hawaii & across the Pacific Ocean
Outside Temperature: -45 degrees Celsius.

Flight Timeline (AEDST):
(Sunday 20th December)
2:40pm: Scheduled Boarding begins at Gate 38
3:14pm: Pushback & engine start
3:37pm: Airborne off runway 25R (tracking out over Santa Monica Pier)
4:30pm: Dinner served
(Monday 21st December)
5:35am: Descent from 36,000ft into Sydney
6:03am: Touchdown on 34L
6:08am: Engine shutdown

General Flight Comments:

• Climb to 36,000ft was relatively quick & straight forward. A few turns here & there & we were on our way across the Pacific.
• 
  Seat home was 35J
• Cabin Crew were fantastic. Extremely helpful with any problems that arose.

Summary:
Would I fly with V Australia again? YES most definitely
Would I fly with Southwest again? Not in a hurry. Cabin Crew were average & service was a bit poor