Hey all, I've been roaming around on flightaware and encountered this:

http://flightaware.c.../flight/QFA6025

 

QFA6025 on a B763 is a flight done every 2 months or so by Qantas to Roswell Airport, New Mexico, United States from Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Using Qantas' very own search engine, as well as expedia, I was unable to locate this flight for regular civilian travel. Also, I looked for the route in reverse and couldn't find anything. After viewing Roswell airport's information pages I was able to conclude there is nothing there for Qantas (as far as I can see!) I have no reason to believe they are retiring their 767's and placing them in storage there much like American with their A300-600s.

 

Does anybody know what this flight is for? Do they do special operations there?

 

~Thanks~

Any flight done by QF with 4 digits signifies a charter, special flight, repositioning flight or delivery flight. It is quite possible the aircraft is going to storage, their 767s are very long in the tooth, and should have been replaced by the 787s but with the 3 year (and counting ) delay on them, some are being retained.

Qantas is retiring their RR RB211 powered B767s, so that could be the flight you just picked up.

 

http://australianaviation.com.au/2012/12/beginning-of-the-end-for-qantas-roller-767s/

Aliens. It's clearly a conspiracy.

Aliens. It's clearly a conspiracy.

 

Exactly. What else could possibly and logically explain it? :biggrin:

I don't understand why QANTAS would fly those 767 to store up in Rosewell when Australia has a perfectly good desert for a boneyard in Australia. They should just stick them outside of Alice Springs instead,

You'd have to build a facility first though.

According to this they do have a boneyard in Alice Springs. I wonder why QANTAS isn't using it:

 

http://www.smh.com.a...0527-1f77f.html

I don't believe that boneyard was ever commissioned, but I will double check. The QF 767s will most likely end up re-sold or converted anyway, which Alice would not be able to handle, hence the flight all the way to the US.

 

Qantas have been retiring their B767 aircraft slowly for a few years now. The RR powered (ex BA) are the next to go I believe. There are B744 following the same route.

 

Interestingly, a company has plans to set up a dismantling facility in Alice Springs

 

Craig

Good point on the flight numbers, Will. I didn't know that.

Most airlines follow a simple pattern of numbering, for example, for Qantas, any odd numbered international flight is away from home, even numbered flights will terminate at home.

 

 

Any flight done by QF with 4 digits signifies a charter, special flight, repositioning flight or delivery flight.

 

Any flight number of 4 numbers starting with a 6 I think meets your definition Will. Don't forget Qantaslink have 4 digit flight numbers.

 

Craig

 

Any flight number of 4 numbers starting with a 6 I think meets your definition Will. Don't forget Qantaslink have 4 digit flight numbers.

 

Craig

 

You are correct Craig, I should have specified that by QF I was excluding Jetstar, Qlink and other ancillaries.

 

Good point though, I wonder why 4 digits for Qlink? Is that because they are not a wholly owned operation? Would you happen to know? Am curious.

 

 

Will

 

Just been doing some research. Seems Qantaslink use QLK as the ICAO airline designator for the Dash 8s' and QJE for the 717. Mainline Qantas use QFA.But they use the IATA QF for all flights. I think the 4 digits differentiate the regional network from the mainline ops. International 1-399 Domestic 400+ The 6 series being for specials.