2 Japan Air Force B747's in Sydney

[Philip Argy]

Did the Crown Prince and his entourage really require two 747s? Given that Tonga has no B747 capable runway*, I assume they left their aircraft here and went to Tonga on smaller aircraft?

*based on this old table from an Asian Development Bank report, so I may be out of date:

RUNWAY CHARACTERISTICS

AT SELECTED REGIONAL,

INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS AND TONGAN DOMESTIC AIRPORTS

- - --

Airport/Country/Length/Width/Pavement Use m m strength

Nadi Fiji 3,200 45 PCN 25158.5 up to B747

....

Fua'amotu Tonga 2,671 45 PCN 45/F/B/X/T up to Tristar

Lupepau'u Tonga 1,700 30 PCN 25 up to ATR 42
Salote Pilolevu Tonga 1,145 20 not known up to Cessna

Citation

[Grahame Hutchison]

Philip,

A little different to the usual Antarctic work......

VH-VHD UV0001 02/08/2008 19:06 A319-115 (1999) 2003 - Skytraders Tullamarine
-> Tracking from NFTF (Fua Amotu International, Tonga) to YSSY,YSCB and YMML

I received this on ACARS last night, the two may be linked.
http://yssyforum.net/board/showthread.php?t=1141&page=2

[Philip Argy]

I suspect that VH-VHD was doing a Sydney/Canberra/Melbourne milk run bringing Australian visitors home from the new King's coronation rather than something specifically linked to the Japanese Crown Prince and his entourage. But the Tonga departure was well spotted anyway, Grahame!

[Andrew McLaughlin]

I'm told the A319 DID take the Japanese Crown Prince to Tonga and back.

[Philip Argy]

Happy to stand corrected - thanks for the info, Andrew.

Who then did it take to CBR and MEL?

[Andrew P]

possibility - the emabssy staff to Canberra, and then back home to MEL

[Dave Parer]

Logged both of these aircraft on my SBS radar using the callsign 'JAF001' and 'JAF002'

30-Jul 17:42 87C000 20-1101 B744 ENR JAF001
30-Jul 18:40 87C001 20-1102 B744 ENR JAF002

03-Aug 10:57 87C000 20-1101 B744 ENR JAF001
03-Aug 11:27 87C001 20-1102 B744 ENR JAF002