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Okay, well my first ever flight report!
NZ489 WLG-CHC (start of trip to Aussie).
Anyway normal check-in etc, got a nice sit down in the Koru Club lounge, excellent for spotting!
Anyway, it was an unusually hot and windless day at NZWN. Perfect for xmas day, especially considering the horrible weather prior! (As far as I know, the weather was good for that one day then descended into rain and gusts of wind afterwards).
ZK-NGE - The machine that would cruise us quickly to Christchurch.
Now this was no run-of-the-mill flight. And not because it was Xmas. Today was a haloed flight in the glorious jumpseat!
After getting on, while the IRS was warmed up and while the co=pilot did his walk around, I chatted wit the captain about Wellington Aero Club where I am training and where he trained. Some of the guys he was taught by are still there today!
After a normal pushback and start, leaving right on the dot as the clock turned to 1300hrs, we taxied to runway 34 giving us an early turn after departure. The usual jovial Wellington controllers were on and happy as ever chatting away to the other traffic.
A rather quiet Wellington Airport!
The captain was flying this leg with the co-pilot handling radio comms. We executed an early right hand visual turn to intercept the track. As usual with the pilots, hand flying until 10,000ft.
The Cantebury coastline appears in the windows. The southern-most runway was in use hence a lovely backtrack with a 180* turn. (and making it a slightly longer flight
)
The captain stops the auto-throttle from doing things that it shouldn't!
"For the sake of efficiency" (and off the record end of a shift, the pilots were tired) they let the autopilot control the plane all the way till midway through the turn, with the captain completing the rest by hand.
On finals.
Much to the crew's disappointment, during the back track, out of the right window, you could see another 737 taxiing into position to leave for Auckland. This meant our crew had an hour wait till they could get back home to Auckland. Much of the flight was spent trying to hold that aircraft so they could board it
The captain steadily holds the plane as it comes towards the threshold!
A nice touchdown with a long use of the runway and a quick taxi. Aircraft was quickly shut down at the gate - the pilots completed their job quickly and efficiently. They were out less than 5min after the plane had stopped!
The end of the flight was spent discussing my high school - of which the captain and I both attended the same (I say attended as I finishing at the school only 2 months ago now)! (So certain names could be tossed up and still recognised)
Now I only had an hour and a half till my next jumpseat ride... to Queensland!
Cheers!
ZK-TUI
NZ489 WLG-CHC (start of trip to Aussie).
Anyway normal check-in etc, got a nice sit down in the Koru Club lounge, excellent for spotting!
Anyway, it was an unusually hot and windless day at NZWN. Perfect for xmas day, especially considering the horrible weather prior! (As far as I know, the weather was good for that one day then descended into rain and gusts of wind afterwards).
ZK-NGE - The machine that would cruise us quickly to Christchurch.
Now this was no run-of-the-mill flight. And not because it was Xmas. Today was a haloed flight in the glorious jumpseat!
After getting on, while the IRS was warmed up and while the co=pilot did his walk around, I chatted wit the captain about Wellington Aero Club where I am training and where he trained. Some of the guys he was taught by are still there today!
After a normal pushback and start, leaving right on the dot as the clock turned to 1300hrs, we taxied to runway 34 giving us an early turn after departure. The usual jovial Wellington controllers were on and happy as ever chatting away to the other traffic.
A rather quiet Wellington Airport!
The captain was flying this leg with the co-pilot handling radio comms. We executed an early right hand visual turn to intercept the track. As usual with the pilots, hand flying until 10,000ft.
The Cantebury coastline appears in the windows. The southern-most runway was in use hence a lovely backtrack with a 180* turn. (and making it a slightly longer flight
)The captain stops the auto-throttle from doing things that it shouldn't!
"For the sake of efficiency" (and off the record end of a shift, the pilots were tired) they let the autopilot control the plane all the way till midway through the turn, with the captain completing the rest by hand.
On finals.
Much to the crew's disappointment, during the back track, out of the right window, you could see another 737 taxiing into position to leave for Auckland. This meant our crew had an hour wait till they could get back home to Auckland. Much of the flight was spent trying to hold that aircraft so they could board it
The captain steadily holds the plane as it comes towards the threshold!
A nice touchdown with a long use of the runway and a quick taxi. Aircraft was quickly shut down at the gate - the pilots completed their job quickly and efficiently. They were out less than 5min after the plane had stopped!
The end of the flight was spent discussing my high school - of which the captain and I both attended the same (I say attended as I finishing at the school only 2 months ago now)! (So certain names could be tossed up and still recognised)
Now I only had an hour and a half till my next jumpseat ride... to Queensland!
Cheers!
ZK-TUI
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